Middle school student Mercedes Austin recently penned a passionate editorial on the gun violence crisis in her hometown of Chicago: “Here in the Englewood area, it feels like we’re in a WORLD WAR.”
A recent editorial asks the question, “Where Are Ordinary Black Youth in Popular Culture?” Are the stories of black youth that are “neither marginalized or at the proverbial mountaintop” invisible to mainstream America?
Ken Burn’s new documentary Central Park Five premieres tonight on PBS. The film recounts the “Central Park Jogger” case, in which five black and Hispanic young men were wrongly convicted of raping a white woman in New York’s Central Park.
Interviewed by Rashad J. Smith VH-1’s Master of the Mixes judges believed that by letting go an irreplaceable component to the show, they are that much closer to choosing their Master of the Mix. I believe that they have clearly made a mistake! Previously referred to as the “Diddy of DJ’s” … HOLLYWOOD’S CHAMPION OF NEW […]
A Florida police officer has been fired after bringing Trayvon Martin targets to a gun range.
In an interview with Rolling Stone, writer and comedian Louis C.K. says his comic vision is informed by his upbringing in Mexico, and the arbitrariness of race in America: “I had the help of a whole nation of people just accepting that I’m white.”
First Lady Michelle Obama visited Chicago yesterday and made an impassioned speech on gun violence, comparing herself to Hadiya Pendleton: “Hadiya Pendleton was me and I was her,” Mrs. Obama said.
Tshepo Cameron Modisane and Thoba Calvin Sithol recently tied the knot in what is being called Africa’s first traditional gay wedding. Tshepo and Thoba, both 27, hope to have children and raise a family one day. Congrats to the newlyweds!
Every week, the Black Youth Project collects the top news stories about black youth from across the country. This week: “Mental Health Disparities Endanger Chicago’s Youth,” “Race and the NYPD: It’s Complicated,” and more!
The identity of a 4 year-old girl abandoned on a stranger’s doorstep has been solved, due in large part to social media. Over 2 million people re-posted photos of the little girl, eventually leading to a tip that identified her as Zoe Brown.
This past week I was asked by a group of middle school students “what do you believe in”? Even though the question was light hearted and blameless, I think as a black male twenty-two year old constantly challenged by the power and privilege dynamics of this society, it is important to rigorously interrogate my own […]
A group of Rochelle, Georgia students are attempting to organize the first integrated prom at their school. And they’re being met with resistance; signs promoting the idea have been torn down, and the school is refusing to fund the event.
