(The Root) — Embattled singer Lauryn Hill took to her Tumblr blog this week to address historical racism and her critics, calling the concept of reverse racism “flawed, if not absolutely ridiculous.” The screed comes on the heels of the release of her new song, “Neurotic Society,” which raised eyebrows among lesbian, gay, bisexual and…

Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, the ex-wife of former South African President Nelson Mandela, told the press on Friday that he is showing a “great improvement” in his health compared with a few days ago, according to Yahoo News. The anti-apartheid campaigner has been in the hospital with a lung infection since June 8. Since then his condition…

The Washington Post is reporting that the Obamas visited the “Door of No Return” on Senegal’s Goree Island Thursday afternoon and looked at the Atlantic Ocean from the same vantage point that African slaves once had on their way to North America. The United States’ first African American president was then joined by his wife,…

The day after the assassination of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. in 1968, third-grade teacher Jane Elliott listened to her class in an all-white Iowa town make racist remarks about his death and decided to teach them a lesson, according to the Globe and Mail. “What I had racked my brain [for] was a…

Civil rights leader the Rev. Jesse Jackson tells the Associated Press that he will help embattled celebrity chef Paula Deen overhaul her image after her past use of a racial slur was revealed. He tells the AP that she shouldn’t become a “sacrificial lamb” over the issue of racial intolerance. Further, he argues that if…

Texas state Sen. Wendy Davis (D-Fort Worth), whose filibuster of a Republican abortion bill made headlines, has a long history of persisting against tough odds, CNN reports. Davis, who stood and spoke for 13 hours on Tuesday at the Texas Capitol, reportedly went from being a teen mom to graduating from Harvard Law School. She…

President Obama is unlikely to see ailing civil rights icon Nelson Mandela when he visits South Africa later this week, the country’s minister of international relations said on Tuesday, according to Agence France Presse. “President Obama would have loved to see president Mandela, but he is indisposed,” said Maite Nkoane Mashebane. Mandela is in a…

After skipping out on the Today show last Friday, Paula Deen appeared in the studio Wednesday morning in an exclusive interview with Matt Lauer, the Huffington Post reports. Deen was composed when she began but crumbled under pressure during Lauer’s questioning. Watch the interview here: Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about…

Nelson Mandela “opened his eyes” and smiled after being told of President Barack Obama’s imminent visit to South Africa, according to NBC News, which cites reports from the ailing former leader’s daughter. The news only adds to speculation that the two men might meet. The 94-year-old remains in a critical condition, South Africa’s government said…

The New York Times is reporting that Bobby “Blue” Bland — the soulful balladeer who gave us hits like “Ain’t No Love in the Heart of the City” (which Jay-Z sampled on his 2001 album, The Blueprint), “I Pity the Fool” and “That’s the Way Love Is” — has passed away. He was 83. The…