James Comey, the director of the Federal Bureau of Investigations, gave a speech before the International Association of Chiefs of Police in late October, telling the group that those filming the police were “driving a wedge between African-American communities and law enforcement.” It’s an interesting statement since Comey is part of the Obama administration, which has called…
It was a Saturday morning in Paris. Memorials were hung and candles lit at the Bataclan Concert Hall, which saw the greatest carnage from a terrorist attack the night before that left 129 dead. As hundreds of mourners gathered, an unknown musician set up a piano, a peace sign painted on its lid, sat down…
Just because people want to save rainforests doesn’t mean that they’re dismissive of other forests, says political cartoonist Keith Knight. Similarly, the #BlackLivesMatter movement doesn’t mean that proponent don’t care about other lives, Knight said during “Drawn From the Headlines: Communication and Political Cartoons,” a discussion Wednesday night at the National Archives in Washington. “You’ve gotta think…
Hey, everyone! Hope you enjoy Truth be Told’s first podcast. Today’s subjects range from the origins of our site, to the importance of black institutions, to Missy Elliot’s new single. Plus: is Spongebob SquarePants the last great American hero? Hosts Marc Rivers and Maya Cade discuss. (NOTE: This podcast was recorded before the…
Washington, D.C., was one of the blackest cities in the United States during the 1970s. The population of African Americans peaked at 71.1 percent, and everyone from residents to radio personalities began calling it the “Chocolate City.” Parliament even released an album and single titled “Chocolate City” as a tribute to the nation’s capital…
Republican presidential candidate Ben Carson launched a new radio campaign last week — featuring a Carson-inspired rap, meant to grow his appeal among African-American voters, according to his campaign. The $150,000 advertisement, interspersed with rhymes from rapper Aspiring Mogul and bits from Carson’s stump speech, will air for two weeks in eight urban markets. The…
The Center for Medical Progress (CMP), an anti-abortion group, leaked deceptively edited videos earlier this summer that showcased Planned Parenthood employees speaking in offhand conversation about the selling of fetal tissue. The video series depicts months of conversation between undercover CMP employees and Planned Parenthood staff. The video series has in return added more fuel to…
Despite a rich history of classical black composers and musicians, black people are far from ubiquitous in classical music. And hip-hop, in which black people are ubiquitous, seems to operate in a world still separate from classical. Essayist and journalist David Samuels called Kanye West “the Mozart of American music” In a 2012 article in…
Picking a name for a child is complicated. Parents should choose something that not only sounds right with the family surname, but they should also take future nicknames (good and awful) as well as job opportunities into consideration. Growing up with an unusual name is an experience like no other. ”How do you spell that?”…
Ta-Nehisi Coates returned to home to The Mecca, where he spent the day interacting with Howard University students — some of whom he praised for stumping him with insightful questions. The MacArthur “Genius” Grant recipient participated in master classes and an evening event that filled Cramton Auditorium, where he discussed everything from history and identity to…