politics Archives

Lin-Manuel Miranda Raps a Plea to Congress to Help Puerto Rico (Video)

Puerto Rico was the main subject of yesterday's episode of Last Week Tonight, an HBO show that merges comedy and news-telling in a format that approaches issues around the world from a highly detailed perspective. Hosted by John Oliver, last night's installment aimed its focus on Puerto Rico, the United States territory... Read more

April 25, 2016 Lifestyle

In a Major Step Towards Political Revolution, Some Felons Are Getting Voting Rights Reinstated

It has been a watershed several months for criminal justice reform. With much, much more to be done to offset the detrimental repercussions of political initiatives like the war on drugs, a few but altogether mighty moments have contributed to a deep-seated sense of impending change. In 2015, President Obama... Read more

April 22, 2016 Lifestyle

“Hamilton” Is Right On the Money, Which Means Women Have to Wait (Video)

Last year, popular interest in American currency reached new heights thanks to an initiative to finally place a woman on the face of the $20 bill. "Women on 20s" launched an online voting campaign to nominate an important woman from history as the new face of the $20 bill -... Read more

April 19, 2016 Lifestyle

President Obama Invites Some Of Rap’s Biggest & Brightest To Keep Giving “The Message”

On Friday April 15, President Obama invited a group to the White House in order to better understand and bring awareness to his "My Brother's Keeper" initiative. According to The Root, that meeting group included several handfuls of Hip-Hop acts, including J. Cole, Chance The Rapper, Ludacris, Nicki Minaj, Pusha... Read more

April 19, 2016 News

A Popular Adult Website Is Standing Up for LGBTQ Rights In North Carolina

In recent weeks, news of conservative laws being enacted in southern states have made news within the LGBTQ movement. In North Carolina, Governor Pat McCrory has been the target of criticism after he signed into law a bill which would force transgendered men and women to use restrooms which match... Read more

April 12, 2016 Lifestyle

Bill Nye Drops Serious Science On Climate Change & Calls Out the Media & Republicans (Video)

Bill Nye's name rings familiar to generations of kids who grew up able to love science, thanks to his ability to make learning cool. Along with astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson, Nye stands tall as one of the "rockstars" of academia, thanks to the his iconic PBS television show Bill Nye... Read more

April 6, 2016 TV/Film

Killer Mike Says “Jim Crow Is Still Very Much Alive” (Video)

By now, even casual fans of Killer Mike's music have likely become familiar with his robust proclamations in his daily life, whether on social media, political speeches, or media appearances. Along with his extensive work on the campaign trail for Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders, Killer Mike has been fighting... Read more

April 5, 2016 Lifestyle

Bernie Sanders is Changing the Political Landscape in the U.S. & He’s Proud Of It (Video)

Fresh off his primary victories in Alaska, Hawaii, and Washington, Vermont's Senator Bernie Sanders continues to force a conversation in American politics about the big guys versus the little guys. Having galvanized young voters in far greater numbers than his Democratic opponent Hillary Clinton, Sanders has proven that a polished... Read more

April 4, 2016 Lifestyle

Black Donald Trump Supporters Are Put On The Spot & Defend Their Candidate (Video)

Political double-talkers abound, and it's no surprise why. Politicians have to appeal to so many different kinds of people, that often times they end up tangled in humorous hypocrisy. One need not look far for examples of hypocrites in our political arena, like the elected officials who vote anti-gay only... Read more

March 22, 2016 TV/Film

Obama Reminds the Nation of His Presidential Power Over the Supreme Court (Video)

As if the current political goings-on in the United States needed any more hullabaloo, the recent death of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia has resulted in a showdown between President Obama and Congress. As the presidential campaign heats up with presumptive nominees Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump entering what promises... Read more

March 18, 2016 Lifestyle

“Empire” Star Jussie Smollett Takes The Media To Task For Its Coverage Of Donald Trump (Video)

Last night, Comedy Central was once again the sight of an engrossing, multi-dynamic look at American racial politics, thanks to the perspectives shared on The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore. With many of today's top news stories approached from perspectives of people of color, the show often delves into the... Read more

March 16, 2016 TV/Film

Hillary Clinton & Bernie Sanders Are Asked About Climate Change & It Gets Heated (Video)

Last night (March 9), the two front-running candidates in the Democratic quest for the presidency squared off in Miami, Florida for the Univision-sponsored debate. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders were both fired up, with the Sanders campaign capitalizing on its recent winning upset in the... Read more

March 10, 2016 Lifestyle

The FBI Needs Apple’s Help Fighting Terrorism. Should the Tech Giant Give In?

It's no secret that Apple's iPhone has become the default choice in smartphone technology for the majority of the world's mobile-carrying population. As it becomes more and more commonplace, the phone's role in everyday life will continue to permeate much more than conversations about its effectiveness in helping us complete... Read more

February 18, 2016 Lifestyle

With an Unexpected Vacancy in the Supreme Court, Obama is Preparing for an All-Out Battle (Audio)

After news broke that Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia passed away over the weekend (February 13), social media exploded as debates about who should take the long-sitting conservative judge's place raged. The 79-year-old joined the highest court in the land back in 1986 when he was appointed by then-President Ronald... Read more

February 15, 2016 Lifestyle

Activist DeRay McKesson Calls “All Lives Matter” A Distraction (Video)

DeRay McKesson has become a key voice in contemporary American race politics. The former teacher and current social activist began to amass a considerable Twitter following in the wake of the shooting death of Mike Brown by a police officer in Ferguson, Missouri in the summer of 2014, and as... Read more

January 27, 2016 TV/Film

A Grand Jury Investigating Planned Parenthood Instead Charges Anti-Abortion Activists (Audio)

Last year, Planned Parenthood experienced a tumultuous few months that brought the family healthcare facility more criticism than usual. Often the subject of protests and negative attention from Conservatives, the clinic known for providing sexual and reproductive health services to millions of families came under fire after a series of... Read more

January 26, 2016 Lifestyle

Flint, Michigan Was Poisoned & An Investigation Points to the Government (Video)

The ongoing crisis in Flint, Michigan is one at the nexus of economics, health, politics, and potentially criminal activity. Over the course of the last several weeks, mainstream media has been focusing more and more on a story that, despite sounding hyperlocalized to one specific community, potentially has similarities to conditions... Read more

January 25, 2016 Lifestyle

2015 Was Hottest Year on Record & Now Sea Levels May Wipe Our Cities Away (Video)

2015 was the hottest year in recorded climate history. In our world of hyperbole, unsubstantiated political discourse, and general laissez-faire attitudes about problems with no immediate effect on our wellbeing, hearing such news doesn't necessarily incite a knee-jerk reaction. Generally speaking, the issues of global warming and climate change don't elicit... Read more

January 20, 2016 Lifestyle

Killer Mike Schools Stephen Colbert on Systemic Racism in America & How To End It (Video)

On last night's episode of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Killer Mike (born Michael Render) dropped some knowledge on the state of race relations in this country, something he's been doing for years through his music but which has only recently become something that mainstream media have begun to acknowledge.... Read more

January 6, 2016 TV/Film

President Obama Is Taking Gun Control Seriously With New Regulations. Hear Them In His Own Tearful Words (Video)

Earlier today, President Obama outlined his new executive actions on gun control, putting into motion one of the most aggressive plans to curb the frequency with which Americans are killed by gun violence in recent memory. In his speech, he stated his explicit support for the 2nd amendment, which gives... Read more

January 5, 2016 Lifestyle

Why Are Armed Whites Getting Treated Better than Unarmed Black & Brown Americans?

Over the weekend, news broke of an unusual event taking place in Oregon, a state most commonly associated with nature, liberalism, and the television series Portlandia. As such, the revelation that armed ranchers had quite literally taken a federal building hostage on Saturday, January 2, struck an odd chord for most... Read more

January 4, 2016 Lifestyle

Obama is Overturning Life Sentences to Combat the War on Drugs.

President Obama has been proactive in addressing some of the major concerns of Americans, many of which were issues he campaigned on before his inauguration into the White House. One of those issues was that of incarceration, namely the exceedingly high rates of imprisonment of Americans, the overwhelming majority of... Read more

December 28, 2015 News, Throwback

Killer Mike & Big Boi Are Helping Bring Hip-Hop’s First Amendment Rights to the Supreme Court (Audio)

On Monday (December 21), the Supreme Court received a plea for justice involving a Mississippi high-school student who in 2011 faced charges relating to an alleged threat he made against another, a threat law enforcement argued he delivered in the form of Rap lyrics. Taylor Bell was a senior when... Read more

December 22, 2015 Lifestyle

Buying Votes is Nothing New, But Now the Website We Use the Most Might Also Be Guilty

It's no secret that over its history, American politics has often been accused of being easily influenced by lobbying, that insidious form of influence which allows members of an organization to sway votes in Washington by contributing millions of dollars to campaigns and then expecting the favor to be returned... Read more

December 21, 2015 Lifestyle

Killer Mike & Bernie Sanders Talk Shop in 6-Episode Mini-Series (Video)

After formally endorsing presidential candidate Bernie Sanders last month, Killer Mike (born Michael Render) has been promoting the Vermont senator's politics and campaign promises in an effort to galvanize American voters to rally support. In his introductory speech at a Sanders rally in his hometown of Atlanta, Georgia, Render called... Read more

December 15, 2015 Video

Affirmative Action in Education is Eliciting Heated Debate by the Supreme Court (Audio)

Earlier today, the Supreme Court presided over a discussion about affirmative action within the jurisdiction of higher education. For many years, the issue of race has played a large role in the process of college and university admissions, and as any Heads who have applied to such a school can... Read more

December 10, 2015 Lifestyle

Bernie Sanders Calls Out Republicans for “Suicidal Course” on Climate Change (Video)

Last night, Vermont senator and presidential candidate Bernie Sanders visited Jimmy Fallon on the Tonight Show, where the Broooklyn, New York native outlined the major points of his political platform for a very receptive audience. After calling Republican frontrunner Donald Trump's politics "demagoguery" and "crap," Sanders focused on what he... Read more

December 9, 2015 Lifestyle

Time Magazine Could Name Black Lives Matter Activists as Person of the Year, But Will They?

Time magazine is a classic piece of American journalism, a long-standing publication that covers all aspects of social and political life and the annual selection of "Person of the Year" was first launched by the magazine in 1927 (the first being aviator and American icon Charles Lindbergh). It's hard to... Read more

December 8, 2015 Lifestyle

The Cold, Hard Truth: 20 Individuals Have More Money Than Half of the US Population

Wealth inequality has become a buzzword in American politics lately, with documentaries like Inequality for Us documenting the drastic differences in financial realities for Americans. Across the board, the United States has one of the world's most appalling income gaps when it comes to socioeconomic classes. The very, very wealthy... Read more

December 4, 2015 Lifestyle

The U.S. Military Announces Women Can Now Take On Combat Roles. History Is Made (Video)

Ever since a 1994 Pentagon ruling banning women from entering the military fields of armor, artillery, infantry, and other forms of combat roles in the United States Armed Forces, there has been a push to rewrite history by allowing females to take on the same duties as their male counterparts.... Read more

December 3, 2015 Lifestyle

Busta Rhymes Won’t Drink the Kool-Aid When it Comes to the Planned Parenthood Attack (Video)

Last night's episode of The Nightly Show was framed around a recent cooking segment that aired on Fox News in which a White host asked his guest - a Black chef - if she makes Kool-Aid for Thanksgiving. The immediate backlash spread across social media, with most feeling his question... Read more

December 1, 2015 TV/Film, Video

KRS-One: Police Are a “Federally Authorized Gang” & Presidential Candidates “Are a Joke” (Video)

"Trayvon Martin was your cure for Cancer. Freddie Gray was about to come up with something for planes that when they crash, they never exploded and everybody lives." Those are the opening words from KRS-One who, in a video package for CNN, contributed his thoughts and ideas for the network's... Read more

November 27, 2015 Lifestyle

Kickin’ It New School: U.S. Education Reform Is Causing Concern for Disadvantaged Students (Audio)

14 years ago, the United States Congress passed a measure that re-instituted the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, the most extensive federal legislation involving education in the country's history. Essentially, the Act covers the funding for primary (kindergarten through elementary) and secondary (middle and high school) education, and its original... Read more

November 24, 2015 Lifestyle

Killer Mike Endorses Bernie Sanders & Calls Him a Revolutionary (Video)

Last night, Hip-Hop and politics merged in what may be the most powerful way in a generation. Killer Mike hosted presidential candidate Bernie Sanders in his hometown of Atlanta, Georgia, where the two shared a meal, had a one-on-one discussion, and took the stage for a rally. Killer Mike (born... Read more

November 24, 2015 Lifestyle

Kanye Warned Us About Blood Diamonds, But What About Gold? (Video)

From 2005-2006, the issue of blood diamonds was popular in American culture, more so than it had been in recent memory. In '05, Kanye West dropped "Diamonds (from Sierra Leone)," a Grammy-winning number that was inspired by the conflicts faced in many African nations - particularly in the West -... Read more

November 18, 2015 Lifestyle

Anonymous Has Placed ISIS In Its Crosshairs As Retribution for Paris Tragedy (Video)

The world's most infamous group of hackers, Anonymous, is once again using its skill set to bring down ISIS (Islamic State or Iraq & Syria), the group purported to be involved in the horrendous attacks in Paris on November 13. Anonymous, colloquially known as "hacktivists," have a pedigree that reads... Read more

November 17, 2015 Lifestyle

Hannibal Buress Hilariously Compares Presidential Candidates To Rap Stars (Video)

If the vast number of presidential candidates feels daunting, Hannibal Buress has a little help for you. The Chicago, Illinois comedian joins F-Comedy in comparing more than seven candidates to rappers, and in one case, a very prominent DJ. The reasoning and explanations are—as expected, quite funny. In particular, Jeb... Read more

November 13, 2015 Video

University of Missouri Students Fight the Power & Take Aim at the Media (Video)

Recent events that have transpired at the University of Missouri have turned the town of Columbia into a flashpoint of racial tension and political discourse surrounding what continues to become a standoff between school administrators and the student body. The university's football team made headlines when it walked away from... Read more

November 10, 2015 Lifestyle

Anonymous Released Names of Alleged KKK Members. Are They Right & Who Should Be Next? (Video)

Anonymous, by its very existence, is a paradox. Meaning, quite literally, "unknown" or "unnamed," Anonymous has made one of its main tenets the identification, by name, of those involved in illegal, elicit, or embarrassing activities. The decentralized, loosely organized team of activists and hactivists has risen to prominence over the... Read more

November 3, 2015 Lifestyle

Thousands of Released Prisoners May Help Reform America’s Criminal Justice System (Video)

Criminal justice reform has been an agenda-topping issue for many Americans for decades, and it's only in recent months that its visibility has landed into the living rooms of mainstream American politics. Just this year, President Obama became the first sitting president to visit federal inmates, a touching exchange caught... Read more

November 3, 2015 Lifestyle

Gentrification Is Giving the Boogie Down New Meaning & Not Everybody’s Feeling the Message

For decades, just the name "South Bronx" conjured up images of inner city turmoil, with all of its abandoned buildings, overcrowded schools, high crime rates, and a disproportionate level of poverty and its side effects - lack of access to healthy food, healthcare, and jobs. In fact, films like "80... Read more

November 2, 2015 Lifestyle

These Comic Book Superheroes Are Taking On Their Arch Nemesis, Uncle Sam (Video)

For decades (probably even millennia), graffiti has served amongst its many purposes the promotion of awareness and politically-driven messages. By its very nature, graffiti is an anarchist's weapon, allowing for the promulgation of anti-government (and other forms of push-back) visible to the masses. But what about comic strips? An art... Read more

October 30, 2015 TV/Film, Video

Black Lives (& Bodies) Are Being Championed Through Song & Imagery From Supastition (Video)

In what may be the most recent example of the relationship between art and life, North Carolina MC Supastition has released an unflinchingly direct examination of race in America in the form of "Black Bodies," the latest single from June's The Gold Standard. The accompanying video's release comes just hours... Read more

October 27, 2015 Video

The Graffti Drone Is Real, & She Is Helping Give Power To The People (Video)

Drones are a hot-button issue in the United States today, particularly when it comes to their use in combat. The Obama administration and others have come under fire for sending the drones (which are also known as unmanned aerial vehicles) into areas of the world like Pakistan, where they are... Read more

October 22, 2015 Lifestyle

Raury Makes TV History With Powerful Performance & Conversation (Video)

For the first time in the show's history, Comedy Central's "The Nightly Show" featured a live music performance. Singer and rapper Raury was the artist chosen for the honor, and justifiably so. The show's host, Larry Wilmore, has rightfully dedicated much of his content to current issues of race relations in... Read more

October 20, 2015 TV/Film, Video

Has Obama Done Enough For Race Relations? Jeezy’s Response May Surprise (Video)

Last night's episode of "The Nightly Show" was the first to air since the weekend's historic Million Man March, a landmark event in which hundreds of thousands took to the streets of Washington, D.C. to partake in the "Justice or Else" March. In honor of the 50th anniversary of the... Read more

October 13, 2015 TV/Film, Video

A Prison Debate Team’s Victory Shows With Better Opportunities They Could Have Gone to Harvard (Video)

There is an undeniable problem in the United States criminal-justice system that even President Obama could no longer ignore. Recently, he became the first sitting President to visit federal inmates, and the historic event was captured by Vice in a special report called "Fixing the System." The statistics are staggering... Read more

October 8, 2015 Lifestyle

Kanye West is the First MC to Ever Appear on the Cover of the ‘New Yorker’

Kanye West's career trajectory has never shied away of the audacious, memorable, and newsworthy. His announcement of a presidential bid in 2020 at this year's MTV Video Music Awards on August 30 was all three, and whether the plan ever comes to fruition is secondary to the fact that now,... Read more

September 4, 2015 News

The Coup’s Boots Riley Argues for More Radical Movements to Combat Discrimination (Video)

Last month, Boots Riley announced he was releasing a book, one that documents his art, beliefs, thoughts, and personal stories. Also included are lyrics to songs by the Coup and Street Sweeper Social Club, two Oakland-based Hip-Hop groups of which he is a member. Now the book has been released,... Read more

August 31, 2015 Video

Talib Kweli Shares Thoughts on Bernie Sanders & the Women Behind Black Lives Matter (Video)

Fresh off the release of a new single and a new (free) album, Talib Kweli has had a whirlwind 24-hours, and now the Brooklyn MC has brought his thoughts about today's socio-political climate outside the booth and onto television. As a guest on last night's episode of Real Time with... Read more

August 15, 2015 TV/Film, Video