GOP legislator defends pro-slavery comments: Arkansas state Rep. Jon Hubbard told the Jonesboro Sun on Tuesday that he continues to believe the viewpoints he expressed in a 2010 book claiming that slavery was a "blessing" for blacks, TalkBusiness.net reports. Many would agree that the real blessing would be if he stopped speaking publicly.
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White stars with black hairstyles: Rolling Out starts with Brad Pitt's dreadlocks in a recent interview spread and takes a trip down memory lane (remember Justin Timberlake's cornrows?).
Florida schools' race-based plan draws criticism: A five-year academic "road map" for Florida public school students is angering some educators and civil rights groups, who note that it sets different proficiency goals for African-American, Latino and white students, among others.
Mariah vs. Nicki: Are you cringing, too? "Disagreeing is fine, but name-calling and cursing at each other is not," The Root contributing editor Demetria L. Lucas writes at Essence.
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