A new study led by a University of Florida researcher shows that African-American women are less likely to develop negative body images based on media ideals. According to the report, earlier studies showed a negative correlation between extremely thin models and women’s perception of their own bodies. However, the recent study led by Heather Hausenblas […]
Author Archives: AFRO Staff
Posted inAfro Briefs
Controversial Ga. Legislator Seeks to Criminalize Abortions
If Georgia St. Rep. Bobby Franklin (R) has his way, abortion will become murder and authorities will investigate miscarriages. House Bill 1 would classify the removal of a live fetus from a woman, except for the purpose of a live birth, as prenatal murder. Any physician charged in an alleged prenatal murder would have their […]
Posted inNational News
Obama Administration Drops Defense of Same-Sex Marriage Ban
The Obama administration recently announced that it would no longer defend a law barring the recognition of same-sex marriages, labeling the statute unconstitutional. The unprecedented step may open the doors for gay marriage to be legalized nationwide. U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder said in a Feb. 23 statement that the president and his advisors regularly […]
Posted inARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Artifacts from Lena Horne’s Estate Auctioned
A Feb. 23 auction of approximately 200 items from the late legendary performer Lena Horne’s New York estate raked in $316,000, more than double the original estimates. Doyle New York auction house sold the items which once graced the singer’s elegant home on Manhattan’s upper east side. Among the loftiest prices was the winning bid […]
Posted inAfro Briefs
Speakers Announced for Miss. Civil Rights Movement Conference
The Veterans of the Mississippi Civil Rights Movement have announced three notable key note speakers for their sixth annual conference: Minister Louis Farrakhan, former U.S. Department of Agriculture staffer Shirley Sherrod and former NAACP chairwoman Myrlie Evers Williams. “We are trying to be true to our reason for being,” Owen Brooks, executive director of the […]
Posted inNational News
Spectator Asks, “Who Will Shoot Obama?”
House Rep. Paul Broun (R-Ga.) is receiving national attention after a spectator at one of his recent town hall meetings in Athens, Ga. asked, “Who will shoot Obama?” According to The Athens-Banner Herald, the question came after the congressman first asked who had driven the farthest to attend the Feb. 22 town hall meeting. After […]
Posted inNational News
Wisconsin Republicans Leveraging Minority Rights to Move Union Proposal Forward
The Wisconsin branch of the NAACP recently blasted two state bills which they said will negatively affect minorities, calling the bills “threats” designed by Republicans to spur their absent Democratic colleagues to action on a larger issue. The state senate’s Democrats in late February left the state for Illinois in protest over a proposal by […]
Posted inHealth
N.Y. Black Anti-Abortion Billboard Removed
A contentious anti-abortion billboard in Manhattan that linked Blacks to excessive abortions was removed by an outdoor advertising firm Feb. 25, CBS News reported. The ad, created by pro-life nonprofit organization Life Always, showed a Black girl under the text, “The most dangerous place for an African-American is in the womb.” The message prompted an […]
Posted inAfro Briefs
Columbia University Launches Race and Law Journal
Columbia University premiered a new scholarly periodical in February that examines racial and ethnic injustice in an effort to promote “a more perfect union.” The Columbia Journal of Race and Law will publish comprehensive articles written by scholars, lawmakers, experts and students that dissect issues such as affirmative action, immigration, environmental justice and voting rights. […]
Posted inAfro Briefs
Tenn. Library Criticized for Black Americana Display
A Tennessee library’s collection of Black Americana memorabilia displayed in honor of Black History Month is causing a stir among some visitors, who consider the pieces offensive. According to The Knoxville News Sentinel, the Blount County Public Library in Maryville, Tenn. recently displayed a local resident’s collection of Black Americana, including art and advertisements that […]
Posted inAfro Briefs
Study: Religious, Racial Intolerance High in Sections of Australia
New South Wales faces the highest levels of racial and religious tensions in Australia, a study conducted by the University of Western Sydney recently found. The “Challenging Racism Project,” released on Feb. 23, surveyed over 12,500 people from all states and territories across Australia over a 12-year period. Overall, more than one in 10 of […]
Posted inNational News
Former White House Chief of Staff Emanuel Elected Mayor of Chicago
Former White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel is the new mayor of Chicago, easily claiming victory with 55 percent of the vote. Emanuel won by more than 50 percent, allowing him to avoid an April runoff. “Thank you Chicago for this humbling victory,” Emanuel said in his acceptance speech. “All I can say is […]