United States

Obama’s Path was Cleared by the Black Superstar by Frank Deford Obviously, there are so many factors that have been applied, incrementally, over a long time to bring us to a place where an African-American can be elected president. But I cannot help believing that the ubiquity and esteem of the black man in sport […]

MICHAEL JORDAN The 1980s had its share of Black stars – like Michael Jackson, Bill Cosby and Oprah Winfrey -who transcended racial barriers to become mainstream American fixtures. But perhaps the greatest “crossover” figure of the late 20th Century was Michael Jordan, the basketball player of almost supernatural ability, who ascended to the level of […]

From NPR.com: The following is a transcript of the remarks of Democratic Illinois Sen. Barack Obama, delivered March 18, 2008, in Philadelphia at the Constitution Center. In it, Obama addresses the role race has played in the presidential campaign. He also responds to criticism of the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, an unpaid campaign adviser and pastor […]

From PopMatters.com: We find ourselves at a critical juncture in popular culture. Recent events [the election of Barack Obama] would suggest that America is ready for a new kind of onscreen dialogue about race. Yet the same old narratives of race in America just keep getting trotted out. To read more, click here. Return to […]

From Time Magazine: As President-elect Barack Obama and his family settle into Washington ahead of his Inauguration, they will undoubtedly go through a period of adjustment. The girls will need to get used to a new school, the whole family will learn soon enough about the city’s muggy summers, and Obama may need to become […]

From Habib Battah at Al Jazeera: The images of two women on the front page of an edition of <em>The Washington Post</em> last week illustrates how mainstream US media has been reporting Israel's war on Gaza.