juneteenth
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Alicia Keys and John Legend Team Up for Juneteenth Verzuz
If you’ve been hankering for a new Verzuz battle, look no further. This Friday June 19, Alicia Keys and John Legend will be taking to Instagram Live for a special Juneteenth edition of the music match-up that grew out of COVID-19 quarantine. So far, Verzuz matchups have included Erykah Badu and Jill Scott; Kirk Franklin…
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Trump’s Holding His First Rally in Months on Juneteenth in Tulsa, Okla., and All of This Stinks of Stephen Miller
President Trump has always been a racist. But his racism has never been informed: he couldn’t tell you in any historical way why he hated people of color, only that he hates them. For years he’s spouted off uninformed, stereotypical, surface-level race-related reasonings as to his hate for those with melanated skin and well-seasoned food.…
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First Look: Sherman's Showcase Is Bringing Black History Month to June and Adding Kente Cloth to Everything
You thought Black History Month ended in February? Well, Sherman’s Showcase has some news for you. The comedy sketch series will be bringing that same Black History Month energy to June with its special, “Black History Month Spectacular,” debuting on Juneteenth, of course. “Sherman’s Showcase host Sherman McDaniels has dreamed of doing a Black History…
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Galveston Asks Texas AG to Block Release of Officers’ Body Cam Footage From Day Mentally Ill Black Man Paraded Through Streets
In the latest development in the deeply disturbing incident where Donald Neely was arrested on Aug. 3 for misdemeanor trespassing, the city of Galveston has asked the Texas attorney general’s office if it can stop the release of the officers’ body camera recordings. Also, the so-called “mounted patrol policy” that the city said the two…
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Ta-Nehisi Coates Clapped Back at Mitch McConnell for Saying ‘No One Alive’ Is Liable for Reparations. So We Came Up With a List
On Wednesday, the House Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights and Civil Liberties held a hearing about H.R. 40, a proposal from Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas) that would authorize a national apology and study reparations for slavery and racial discrimination against black people in America. Among those testifying before the subcommittee was…
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Janet Mock Makes History by Becoming the 1st Black Trans Woman to Sign Deal With a Major Studio
On June 19, 1865, history was made and the last enslaved black Americans gained their independence. Today, 154 years after emancipation, Janet Mock made history by becoming the first black trans woman to establish an overall deal with a major studio. Obviously, I did not jest when I wrote that the cast of Pose is…
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Reframing History: In Houston, Juneteenth Becomes a Celebration of Black Love
Every story of black struggle and black triumph is also a story of black love. Too often, we view love mainly through the lens of romance, as if those are the only love stories worth telling. But there are bigger, more expansive, more radical ways that we can contemplate black love—including self-love, familial and platonic…
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'An Idea Whose Time Has Come': Congress Hears the Case for Reparations on Juneteenth
The contributions of African Americans to this country—and the matter of what the federal government still owes them for those contributions—will take center stage on Capitol Hill today as the House hears H.R. 40, a bill that proposes a commission on reparations be formed. “We know that it’s not just white men that built build…
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Dear White People, How You Like Your Grits?
OK, OK, OK, I have a confession—the headline is a tad misleading as I don’t really care how white people like their grits or whether they know what a grit is. This is really about that Justin Simien show on Netflix. Ha! Gotcha! Today, June 19, also know as Juneteenth, is the historic day which…
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The Story Behind the Music of Black-ish’s Most Talked About Episode
ABC’s Black-ish has never shied away from controversial topics and tonight’s show about colorism shouldn’t be any different. Ahead of tonight’s episode, we spoke to the composer Hilton Wright II, the co-producer of the music for one of the most memorable episodes, “Juneteenth.” Hilton has worked with artists like Big Sean, Sofia Reyes, Drake and…