Lifestyle Archives

Ride Or Die: Should Your Self-Driving Car Be Able To Determine Whether You Live?

Though they may seem worlds apart, technology and ethics are in fact more interrelated today than they've ever been. As we continue to propel towards a future entirely dependent on technology, thinking of the philosophical implications at hand becomes prudent. In the case of chimeras - embryos in medical research... Read more

October 25, 2016 Lifestyle

Russell Simmons Has a Stern Warning About American Islamophobia (Video)

Yesterday (October 17), Russell Simmons was the special guest on The Daily Show, and the Def Jam cofounder took the opportunity to promote his work on behalf of social justice. As the chairman of the Foundation for Ethnic Understanding, Simmons has, for more than a decade, worked to establish healthier... Read more

October 18, 2016 Lifestyle

The U.S. Government Is Going to Start Tracking Violent Police Encounters

Beyond the troubling rate of frequency with which American citizens are killed by police, another piece of the complex social issue presented itself as equally confounding, for many. Earlier this year, the fact that the federal government lacked a comprehensive means of tracking officer-involved violence became more well known than... Read more

October 14, 2016 Lifestyle

Tracy Morgan Explains Why He Never Makes Fun Of The Audience (Video)

Tracy Morgan is healing wounds in more ways than one. This morning (October 13), the 30 Rock veteran and SNL alum sat down with The Breakfast Club to discuss how his near-death experience has matured him. In the interview, Morgan speaks on his ability to transform pain into laughter and his... Read more

October 13, 2016 Lifestyle, Video

Native Americans Get REAL About Christopher Columbus (Video)

"The only Christopher we acknowledge is Wallace" is a common statement made throughout the Hip-Hop community on Columbus Day. A national holiday fraught with implications about colonialism, genocide, racism, and Euro-centric sensibilities, there have been movements to change it to a holiday celebrating the culture and history of the indigenous... Read more

October 10, 2016 Lifestyle

Science Is Changing What Food Can Be Described as Mighty Healthy (Audio)

Despite the scientific elements to food and nutrition, the word "healthy" is subjective, and its definition is relative to one's tastes, lifestyle, socioeconomic class, and much more. While few would argue that junk food is a healthy option, there is far less clarity when it comes to other foods, like... Read more

October 3, 2016 Lifestyle

Spike Lee Makes A Bold Call In Updating Mars Blackmon To Reflect Changing Times

30 years ago, Spike Lee's first feature length film appeared in theaters, and with it came a groundbreaking depiction of Black womanhood and sexuality. She's Gotta Have It starred Lee himself as one of the film's male characters, a Brooklynite named Mars Blackmon whose affinity for Jordans made him so... Read more

September 29, 2016 Lifestyle

Vic Mensa Vows To Make Change In The Booth…The Voting Booth (Video)

"I'm Vic Mensa. I'm 22 and affecting change in the hood is why I vote." That's the closing statement in a video produced by Vevo's Why I Vote Campaign featuring the celebrated MC. Hailing from Chicago, Illinois Vic Mensa is a young man whose outspoken lyrics and involvement in sociopolitical... Read more

September 27, 2016 Lifestyle

A New Documentary Examines How American Prisoners Are the New Slaves (Video)

"The 13th Amendment to the Constitution makes it unconstitutional for someone to be held as a slave. There are exceptions, including criminals." That is but one of the many powerful statements shared in the trailer for a forthcoming documentary called "13th." Directed by Selma's critically acclaimed director Ava DuVernay, it... Read more

September 26, 2016 Lifestyle

Could All Diseases Be Cured by 2099? A Bold New Initiative Says It’s Possible (Video)

By the end of the 21st century, many of the diseases plaguing the human race could be cured. At least, that's what Mark Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan are hoping to achieve through a $3 billion offensive plan the husband and wife are jumpstarting. The audacious healthcare plan is... Read more

September 23, 2016 Lifestyle

Marshawn Lynch Makes A Profound Statement in Support of Colin Kaepernick (Video)

"I'd rather see him take a knee than stand up with his hands up and get murdered." With just those few words, spoken on last night's (September 19) episode of "Conan," Marshawn Lynch made a powerful statement in support of his NFL brethren Colin Kaepernick and other players who have... Read more

September 21, 2016 Lifestyle

Discrimination Is Costing Black Americans 27% In Potential Income (Video)

In April, Ambrosia for Heads reported on the expanding rate of income inequality along racial lines in the United States, an economic trend which has led to families of color being consistently paid less than their White counterparts. The statistics suggest that, despite the Civil Rights Era of the 1950s... Read more

September 20, 2016 Lifestyle

Sneakerheads Are Lacing the Homeless With Designer Kicks (Video)

Just two days ago, Sneaker Con (which touts itself as "the greatest sneaker show on Earth") marched through Atlanta, Georgia, where thousands of designer kicks were on display for those who admire, create, and collect designer sneakers. With stints in both Washington, D.C. and New York City coming up this... Read more

September 19, 2016 Lifestyle

Chance The Rapper Is Giving Fans The Opportunity To Register To Vote At His Shows

Currently on the road for his Magnificent Coloring World Tour, Chicago, Illinois's Chance the Rapper is using the cross-country opportunities to get directly involved in the upcoming election. Along with the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), the superstar MC has launched the #StayWokeAndVote campaign, which will... Read more

September 16, 2016 Lifestyle

Patriotism For Pay: NFL Teams Were Paid by the Military to Salute the Flag (Video)

There are times - particularly in the internet era, when a story's shelf life sometimes lasts only a few hours - when news in the recent past resurfaces because it coincides perfectly with real-time events. We see it often on social media, when a years-old tweet from Donald Trump suddenly... Read more

September 16, 2016 Lifestyle

Spike Lee Is Making His Groundbreaking Film “She’s Gotta Have It” Into A TV Series

Just weeks after the 30th anniversary of his landmark film, She's Gotta Have It (August 8), Spike Lee has announced that he is adapting the movie into a TV series. It is fitting that his first theatrically-released feature film will also serve as the first full TV series Lee has... Read more

September 15, 2016 Lifestyle

Jay Z Explains How The War On Drugs Really Is A War On People Of Color (Video)

Jay Z, one of the world's most successful artists and businessmen, made his way into the Rap game in part by spinning true-to-life tales about hustling in the streets, spending a considerable amount of his time coming up as a self-proclaimed D-Boy. Far from an unfamiliar trope in Hip-Hop music,... Read more

September 15, 2016 Lifestyle

T.I.’s New Video Re-Creates Police Killings, Making The Officers Black & The Victims White

As an MC, T.I. has had one of the most successful mainstream career trajectories. His sophomore album, 2001's Trap Musik, set the tone for the rest of the decade, and by 2010 he had the double-platinum Paper Trail under his belt. The Grammy winner's most successful singles have been largely... Read more

September 14, 2016 Lifestyle

The NCAA Is Playing Offense & Moving Its Games Out Of North Carolina

Less than two months after the National Basketball Association announced it would be moving its 2017 All-Star Game and all related festivities out of North Carolina, the National Collegiate Athletic Association is taking a similar stand. The N.C.A.A. will be relocating all of the sports events scheduled to take place... Read more

September 13, 2016 Lifestyle

This Fall, TV Will Make History By Truly Being Presented In Living Color

Just six days ago (September 6), the Fall 2016 television season debuted "Atlanta," a Hip-Hop centered FX series created by and starring Donald Glover. The dramedy is but one of the many offerings making this year one of the most diverse in television history, thanks to the inclusion of many... Read more

September 12, 2016 Lifestyle

Thousand of Prisoners Are Going On Strike to Protest “Slave Labor” (Video)

45 years ago today, Attica Prison in New York State became the unwitting headquarters of a days-long uprising which became a watershed moment in the broader movement for prisoner rights. At the heart of the uprising was a desire on the part of prisoners to be provided with better conditions,... Read more

September 9, 2016 Lifestyle

The Entire Seattle Seahawks Team Could Be Protesting the National Anthem

There are times in modern history when things seem to be happening at a clip never before seen, with intensity that leaves many questioning when the fight began and why it only seems to be happening today, in the here and now. Most would argue that it's technology's presence in... Read more

September 8, 2016 Lifestyle

Childish Gambino Is Now The Man & He’s Calling The Shots For His Own Show (Video)

In a year when diversity in Hollywood has been a major point of discussion, creators like Shonda Rhimes, Ava DuVernay, Nate Parker, Viola Davis, and others have helped present projects which incorporate the nuanced and varied experiences of Black Americans in mainstream popular culture. Donald Glover (also known as rapper... Read more

September 8, 2016 Lifestyle

Colin Kaepernick’s Jersey Is The NFL’s Best-Seller

This week, the 2016 NFL season will officially begin. According to reports, one of the league's biggest stars of the moment will likely not play for some time—in part due to injury. San Francisco 49ers Quarterback Colin Kaepernick wears the most-sold NFL jersey entering the season, according to the NFL.... Read more

September 6, 2016 Lifestyle

A New Film Shows The Fight To Keep Banksy’s Graffiti Alive & Free (Video)

Guerilla street artist Banksy has become a popular culture phenomenon. His art is subversive, often socially and politically-motivated, and done without any intention of sale or personal profile. By definition, his paintings and installations are also a crime. New film Saving Banksy explores the culture of art consumers following, buying,... Read more

September 6, 2016 Lifestyle, TV/Film, Video

President Obama Says Colin Kaepernick Is “Exercising His Constitutional Right” (Video)

In the 8 days since the world took note that San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick was not standing during the singing of the national anthem before his football games, the issue has become one of the most divisive in sports and the latest in a series of hotly-debated topics... Read more

September 5, 2016 Lifestyle

Marc Lamont Hill Wants to Build a Society Without Police & Prisons (Video)

Marc Lamont Hill, one of the pre-eminent scholars and media personalities of his generation, arrived in Ferguson, Missouri one day after the killing of Mike Brown. It was 2014, and the 18-year-old was fatally shot by police and left in the middle of the street for more than four hours,... Read more

September 2, 2016 Lifestyle

Georgetown Is Making Amends To The Descendants Of Slaves From Whom It Profited

In a speech that will go down in history as one of the greatest examples of political oratory, Michelle Obama referenced the building of the White House by slaves. It was a potent point, and one that is often forgotten when Americans are swept up in patriotism and pride. Slaves... Read more

September 1, 2016 Lifestyle

A Computer Inside The Mind? Here’s Why That’s Not Insane In the Brain.

The notion of technology possessing human-like cognitive abilities has been around since antiquity; one need look no further than origin myths of countless cultures in which an omnipotent presence constructs beings possessing consciousness. But in 2016, artificial intelligence is not only a familiar concept, but one that can be seen... Read more

August 31, 2016 Lifestyle

A Debate About Law Enforcement & Social Media Is Redefining Policing In the Internet Age

The deaths of Philando Castile and Korryn Gaines brought into sharp focus a national conversation about social media's real-time capabilities and their relationship to operations of law enforcement. In each case, video of a police-involved incident was made available for mass consumption, effectively turning what would otherwise be reported into... Read more

August 30, 2016 Lifestyle

Colin Kaepernick Takes A Stand By Sitting During National Anthem

Regardless of what the season holds for San Francisco 49ers Quarterback Colin Kaepernick, the NFL veteran made a bold statement before it officially begins. The Milwaukee, Wisconsin native and University of Nevada graduate deliberately sat down through the American national anthem yesterday (August 26). Colin opted to remain seated on... Read more

August 27, 2016 Lifestyle

Leslie Jones’ Second Online Attack Points to Anti-Black Woman Sentiment in the U.S.

Leslie Jones is a survivor of one of some of the most vicious civil rights violations, and it was all done in front of millions. In July, the celebrated comedian and star of the rebooted "Ghostbusters" was victimized by a mob of racist, sexist, and verbally violent Twitter users who... Read more

August 24, 2016 Lifestyle

Martin Lawrence Is Releasing His First Stand-Up Comedy Special Since 2002

Though Martin Lawrence has been here for years, through daily reruns of his classic 1990s series, Martin, his activities of late are nothing short of an epic comeback. Lawrence enjoyed one of the most prolific careers of any comedian, from 1989 to 2011, starring in films in virtually each of... Read more

August 24, 2016 Lifestyle, News

Misplaced Hate Makes Disgrace: Changes Are Addressing Online Racial Profiling (Audio)

Nextdoor is a social-media platform that connects people with their real-life neighbors and cultivates an online community where residents can communicate with one another. It serves as a virtual town hall, community bulletin board, and crime-watch group, but because it functions as an extension of real-world functions, there are some... Read more

August 23, 2016 Lifestyle

Online Trolling Is An Epidemic & It’s Threatening Our Way of Life

It's the nastiest by-product of the social-media revolution, and one that far too many experience either passively or directly on a daily basis. It's called trolling, but despite its somewhat whimsical name, it has become a modern-day plight that ranges from the harmless to the heinous. As explored by Ambrosia... Read more

August 22, 2016 Lifestyle

Hands On The Wheel. Unh-Unh…Driverless Cars Are Coming (Video)

In the last 48 hours alone, major news has broken on several different fronts of the driverless car movement. Earlier this week, Ford announced it would be introducing a fleet of auto-piloted vehicles occupying city streets and available for ride-sharing by 2021. But in Pittsburgh, there is only a month... Read more

August 19, 2016 Lifestyle

The United States Is Planning to Abolish the Use of Private Prisons

In a massive step in the criminal-justice reform movement, the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) today (August 18) announced it will no longer use private prisons. Long since a bone of contention by opponents of prison privatization, the facilities in question are overwhelmingly for-profit institutions which usually have contracts... Read more

August 18, 2016 Lifestyle

Mothers of Black Boys Are Uniting to Protect Sons From Police Violence

For millions of Americans, the racial climate in the country today is not only unsettling, but in many instances lethal. In a nation where colonization and slavery were founding principles, there remains a system in place which continues to encourage the economic, political, and social disenfranchisement of people of color... Read more

August 17, 2016 Lifestyle

New Smart Tattoos Can Control Phone, Computer & More From Your Skin (Video)

Leave it up to the brilliant minds at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Microsoft Research to develop on-skin user interfaces. In layman's terms, this wearable technology serves as a fully connected input mechanism for things like smartphones and computers, much like a wireless keyboard or remote - except... Read more

August 12, 2016 Lifestyle

President Obama Has Given More Medical Marijuana Research the Green Light

The powerful effectiveness of cannabis in treating ailments as far-ranging as anorexia and cancer has very often been the subject of scientific studies, but Americans cannot walk into a drug store and procure the plant, thanks in part to its being considered an illicit substance. And,while great strides have been... Read more

August 11, 2016 Lifestyle

1 Problem: Roadside Drug Tests Are Remarkably Flawed & Ruining Thousands of Lives

In his 2004 single "99 Problems," Jay Z references an interaction with a police officer after being pulled over for a relatively harmless offense - "you was doing fifty-five in the fifty-four." What ensued, however, is an exercise in the kind of power dynamics that gives law enforcement a presumption... Read more

August 9, 2016 Lifestyle

Killer Mike Explains How Sneakers Can Be Turned Into Tools Of Financial Empowerment

Since the deaths of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile in July, there has been a shift in tone in the protests against police violence towards Black citizens. Amidst the rage, sadness and sense of haplessness, there also has emerged a renewed urgency to act, beyond marches and hashtags. Killer Mike... Read more

August 7, 2016 Lifestyle

Metta World Peace’s Mentor Explains How The Great Recession Correlates To Slavery & Drug Dealing (Video)

Metta World Peace has had an illustrious career as a professional basketball player for the NBA, having played for six teams including his championship run with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2010. The man formerly known as Ron Artest has been involved with his fair share of controversy along the... Read more

August 5, 2016 Lifestyle

New Technology May Give Bonita A Real Reason To Want To Put You On (Video)

It's called Virtual Sexology and it's the 21st century's version of sex therapy. At its surface level, it's a virtual-reality 180-degree video experience that combines therapy, sex, technology and psychology. But at its molecular level, it's a tool that could help revolutionize the way men and women learn about human... Read more

August 5, 2016 Lifestyle

Marc Lamont Hill Believes 4 Years of Trump Would Be Good for the Revolution (Video)

Marc Lamont Hill is a Philadelphia, Pennsylvania native whose work in academia, activism, and television has made him one of the preeminent figures of his generation. With a résumé boasting titles such as Morehouse College Distinguished Professor of African-American Studies, CNN political commentator, BET News Correspondent, and celebrated author, Mr.... Read more

August 3, 2016 Lifestyle

America’s Gun Violence Debate Could Be Changing the Face of Emojis

The introduction of text-based forms of digital communication like instant messaging, texting, and e-mail also introduced a whole subset in language - the emoticon. Like Wingdings before them, emoticons were a set of images created out of punctuation marks and other innocuous keystrokes, such as :-) and, eventually, more complex... Read more

August 2, 2016 Lifestyle

Will Smith Says “Racism Isn’t Getting Worse. It’s Getting Filmed.” Is He Right? (Video)

Last week, Will Smith was a guest on "The Tonight Show," where he made a statement about current social affairs that has been resonating on social media for many months. "Racism isn't getting worse," he said. "It's getting filmed." Smith's remarks echo the sentiments of millions of Americans in the... Read more

August 2, 2016 Lifestyle

The Black Lives Matter Movement Has New Demands for Justice & Calls for Reparations

Today (August 1), many of the social-justice organizations within the civil-rights movement known as Black Lives Matter are unveiling a series of policy goals aimed at redefining and honing the movement's direction. Also being referred to as a list of demands, the platform - officially titled "A Vision For Black... Read more

August 1, 2016 Lifestyle

5 Years After Death, Amy Winehouse Will Help Save Other Women’s Lives (Video)

July 23 marked the fifth anniversary since the death of Amy Winehouse, the English Soul singer whose vocal talent and 2006 album Back to Black took the world by storm. Winehouse struggled with alcoholism and drug addiction through much of her career, and the illnesses contributed to her passing, which... Read more

August 1, 2016 Lifestyle

Two Recent Studies Show Racism Doesn’t Make Dollars Or Sense

For any given campaign season, a handful of social and political issues inevitably rise above the rest and there is perhaps no more contentious issue in 2016 than racism. While climate change, campaign finance, terrorism, LGBTQ equality, and general jurisprudence issues are all present this season, they have not incited... Read more

July 29, 2016 Lifestyle