Essence Founder Stands By Time Inc., Believes Selling Essence Was A Success

Edward Lewis (Photo capture from Richard Prince's Journal-isms)Another scoop from Richard Prince. In light of former Essence Magazine editor Constance C.R. White's criticisms that she was stymied in her efforts to creatively lead the magazine, conflicting with Time Inc. over black women's images and how they're portrayed, Essence founder Edward Lewis has stepped into the fray to dissmiss White's claims and defend Essence's current direction.

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Everyone's New Favorite Story: Black People, the President and Gay Marriage

One of my least favorite news stories is back! You remember it from the Proposition 8 saga. It's the one about black people hating gay people. Unless you're that unfortunate black person who also happens to be gay. I suppose you're involved with some "war within." Wait? You're not? You just live as both a gay and a black American? Well, damn. Who knew?

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Jon Huntsman Picks Up Toys, Goes Home; Romney Hands Out Cash

Jon Hunstman, the Republican president candidate who could never shake that "Obama hired me to be Ambassador to China," moderate conservative stink off himself, dropped out of the GOP race today. Huntsman, naturally, endorsed the man who he most resembled without all the complications of being a horrible phony -- Mittens Romney.

Mittens, known for his robotic qualities and pathological inconsistencies was somewhere in South Carolina giving a poor black woman $60 in cash. It was a perfect storm of annoyances -- from the optics of a black person getting an actual "hand-out," to reinforcing the ideology that occasional donations from Daddy Warbucks should take care of our poor and not a strong social safety net built on our tax dollars, to reinforcing the belief that all poor, begging people are black people.

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Leonard Pitts Wonders If Herman Cain Is Ashamed to Be Black

Racialized self-loathing is a pretty common ailment many African Americans suffer from, both in major and minor doses. Almost everyone has dealt with some form of it at some time. The important thing is usually through the help of others or self-education, many individuals can work through it. In his latest column, Leonard Pitts, Jr. wonders if Herman Cain is one of those folks who fully bought that white is right.

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Black Students Targeted For Suspensions More Often Than Whites

Photo via US Dept. of EducationIn today's latest depressing, but not surprising news, The Root is reporting on a new study that reveals that black students are routinely given suspensions and harsher punishments than white students for similar offenses. The National Education Policy Center study found that school suspensions for non-white students have gone up by 100 percent since 1970. As a product of integrated, suburban schools in St. Louis County, I'd have to say, "No joke."

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The Root's Jeneé Desmond-Harris Does Some Black Marriage Crisis Push-Back

Want to add some weapons to your "Ugh, I hate all these black marriage panic stories" arsenal? Today over on The Root, Jeneé Desmond-Harris chatted with two researchers who provided counter arguments and narratives to the greatest panic of our "Post-Racial" age -- Why your Cousin Earnestine can't get a man. The counter research argues she'll probably get a man before she turns 35, since quite a few women get married by then, pointing out our "never married" stats are skewed since the "black woman never married" stat starts counting from age 18 and up. Most folks, no matter what their race or socio-economic status is in America, are not putting a ring on it out of high school, let alone by 25. Also, most black men at the tune of more than 80 percent and up are still marrying black women. Even your wealthy ones, which just one sitting of "Basketball Wives" will demonstrate to you, still mostly date and marry black women. (Even if "Basketball Wives" also demonstrates that these black women they desire are also fundamentally insane.) So, just put these statistics in your pillow and spoon with them at night until they turn into the Nubian prince of your dreams. (The Root)

Rep. Maxine Waters, CBC, Waiting For You to "Unleash" Them On Obama

While President Barack Obama was on the road doing a listening bus tour, members of the Congressional Black Caucus were getting an earful in Detroit from frustrated constituents upset over our dire economic conditions. When pressed on why the CBC isn't doing more to put pressure on the president, Rep. Maxine Waters gave a candid response that they were waiting on permission from their constituents. She said these voters, often fervent supporters of the president, needed to "unleash" them, like political Kraken.

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Black People Still On Twitter! *Clutches Pearls*

On The Root today Patrice J. Williams tackled the uneasiness some feel about "black Twitter" and its love of trending topics. Black Twitter, for those who don't know, is just regular ol' Twitter, only with a focus on how the black folks are communicating with each other via social networking. It's a great time to do some pop culture navel gazing. Most people use Twitter as an act of communication. Others use it as an expression of their worsening narcissism. Some people want to make whatever rap person Lil Duval tweets some variation a trending topic everyday. Other folks want to know #liesmentell. Some of those people are black people.

While I can understand the tendency as a black person who doesn't know who Lil Duval is and doesn't use Twitter to discuss the various ways women cheat on their man-friends to be all "OMG! LOOK HOW IGNORANT THOSE PEOPLE ARE BEING ON TWITTER!" This is one of those situations where I'm like, is this really a problem? And if this is a problem ... why?

More after the jump.

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The Not-Quite-Gangbangers of Harvard

Apparently, a JD from Harvard can get you into the White House, but it can’t get you into the club. Recently, a party organized by black Harvard and Yale Alums was shut down because the club owners didn't realize there would be so many black folks at the party for the black people. As the line of black students/alums grew outside the venue, owners sounded notice that they were halting the event, due to "technical difficulties." Or, in other words, you might have a degree from Harvard/Yale, but technically, you're still black and therefore quite terrifying and therefore you might have that black Hulk-like rage and go "Black Hulk SMASH!" and "BLACK HULK KILL ALL DEH WHITE PEOPLE!"

More after the jump.

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