The Root

The rest of the world may be losing their minds over Jada Pinkett Smith's shocking news about her marriage to Will Smith, but the Oscar winner is not only unbothered by the controversy, he's nothing but supportive of his best friend."

Warning: This article contains graphic details that may be disturbing to some readers.Read more...

The Camden County Sheriff's office released video footage related to the fatal shooting of Leonard Cure, a man who was just freed from a wrongful conviction. The body camera video shows the officer having a meltdown after firing the fatal shot.

Though Jussie Smollett has kept a relatively low profile since his hate crime hoax, it doesn't mean he's not out here doing the necessary steps to ensure this next phase of his life doesn't look like the last.Read more...

Updated as of 10/19/2023 at 11:00 a.m. ET

If you're the kind of person who's used to giving up on your New Year's resolutions before Valentine's Day, you'll be able to get a little help from Common in 2024. The award-winning rapper and actor is giving us his guide to self-care in a new book, AND THEN WE RISE: A Guide to Loving and Taking Care of Self," set...Read more...

If you're one of the many people exhausted with the personal revelations about Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith's marriage, I'm afraid I've got some bad news: Apparently, the duo is now exploring the possibility of writing a book together. I'm not sure what's left for them to reveal, but they obviously have more to...Read more...

On Monday, Bridgeview-a Chicago suburb with mostly Palestinian residents-gathered to pay respects to a 6-year-old Muslim boy who was viciously killed in an alleged hate crime.Read more...

Yes, Jada Pinkett-Smith has seen those internet and blog rumors over the years that she might be gay. And now, she's bringing all that talk to an end in her new memoir, Worthy.Read more...

During a week where Halle Bailey should be making headlines over the fact that she'd been selected as Glamour's Woman of the Year 2023 Gen-Z Gamechanger, unfortunately, she's become the talk of the timelines due to unfounded pregnancy rumors.Read more...

A former Kansas City police officer has decided to give up fighting his 2021 conviction and accept the consequences of his actions. At least that's what appeared to happen.Read more...

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Donald Trump's hostility toward Black people and people of color was always seen in his racist and xenophobic policies as president. However, he's somehow managed to receive endorsements from various Black celebs over the years. Though the man is a habitual liar and literally supports white supremacists, certain stars...Read more...

At the 65th Annual Grammys in February, there was a huge 50th-anniversary of hip-hop celebration performance. Just recently The Recording Academy announced it would showcase the genre at A GRAMMY Salute to 50 Years of Hip-Hop. However, rap wasn't always so welcome on the Grammys stage. When the first award for Best...Read more...

I'm not sure if Antonio Brown's story is more sad or idiotic, but I'm leaning toward the latter.Read more...

Oprah Winfrey introduced herself to the world with a scene-stealing, Oscar nominated performance in 1985's The Color Purple, and the rest is history. From there, she launched her influential talk show, started her production company, Harpo, her TV network, OWN, and basically took over the world. However, Oprah never...Read more...

A district attorney announced that a Massachusetts officer will not face criminal charges but instead deserves great credit" after fatally shooting a man. Don't sigh and scoff just yet. The man happened to be a white supremacist who fatally two innocent Black men moments before.

The Root is sending our condolences for comedian and Wild'n Out star DC Young Fly who recently shared that his sister has died.Read more...

Every so often, we come across a story where you simply ask the question, What the hell were they thinking?" This is that story.Read more...

Jada Pinkett Smith's book tour for her new memoir, Worthy, took an unexpected turn on Tuesday. The actress planned to meet up with Stephen Colbert on his late night talk show, but the host's positive COVID test meant he was overseeing things from home. However, they still managed to have a hilarious and insightful...Read more...

Charleston, South Carolina's Porter-Gaud High School just elected its first Black homecoming queen. And it only took them 155 years to do it. I'm not kidding. Senior Amber Wilsondebriano made history as the school's first Black student to wear the crown when her classmates elected her this fall.

It's official, Michael Jackson and Drake have the same amount of number-one hits on the Billboard Hot 100. While this is an amazing accomplishment for the Toronto rapper, I don't want people to get ahead of themselves and start thinking he's on the same level as the King of Pop.Read more...

Over the last decade, education experts have been ringing the alarm bell about the unequal treatment of children of color within schools. Data from the Department of Education shows that Black children are more likely to be disciplined than their white peers at any age and for any form of school discipline.Read more...

In a TikTok video circulating social media, a Black woman is seen being dragged out of her vehicle and violently arrested by a Vallejo police officer. The brutal punches she took raises the question as to whether the use of force was necessary.

Rapper Tyga and Angela White, previously known as Blac Chyna's custody battle continues. On October 13, Tyga filed court papers in Los Angeles to have full custody of his 11-year-old son, King.

Rapper Jeezy is opening up about his mental health struggles.Read more...

Jeanell English, one of the women who resigned from her position as Executive Vice President of Impact and Inclusion at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, is speaking out about her time ion the role and detailing her disheartening account about the obstacles she faced.Read more...

After being released from serving over a decade in prison for a crime he didn't commit, a Florida man was cheated out of enjoying his freedom after a fatal encounter with a sheriff's deputy.

On October 15, Lebron James posted three videos on Instagram of his daughter, Zhuri, at her volleyball game, and she's a killin' it!

Whether you're a football fanatic or are just in it for Super Bowl Sunday parties, by now you've heard that superstar Taylor Swift is reportedly dating Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce. The internet has endless conspiracy theories about the truth behind their relationship. Are they really dating? Are they...Read more...

Waka Flocka Flame joins the list of rappers who've popped back onto our radar for their confounding political choices.Read more...

I've already warned you about the blight that is candy corn and what the worst trick or treat candy alternatives are. Now, it's time to talk about the most fun aspect of Halloween: free candy. When you're a kid, it's exciting no matter what sweets you find in your bag. But let's be honest, there are some that you're...Read more...

Jada Pinkett Smith's new memoir, Worthy, is full of several shocking revelations. The star discusses her stint as a drug dealer in Baltimore, being separated from husband Will Smith for the last six years and the special connection she had with Tupac Shakur.Read more...

For everyone who's had questions about Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith's marriage, she's been providing a lot of answers during the press tour for her memoir, Worthy. Of course, what we all really want to know about is what went down between the couple after his infamous Oscar-night slap. On Monday, during a...Read more...

It's official, Drake and Michael Jackson are now on the same level, at least in one category.Read more...

Tyler Perry may be Madea to some and a media mogul to others, but he's also a man who believes in helping out when he can and that's exactly what he's doing for a 93-year-old woman in South Carolina.Read more...

Remember when we all asked... where is Mary Cosby? Well, she's back in Bravoland and wants everybody to know exactly what is on her mind.

If you've spent any amount of time on the internet over the weekend then you've probably noticed several excerpts and quotes from Jada Pinkett-Smith's most interviews with both People and the TODAY Show in promotion for her new book, Worthy.Read more...

Jada Pinkett Smith's new memoir, Worthy, is out today and has folks on social media up in arms for several reasons. Following the release of the book's excerpts and high profile interviews with People, The Today Show and The New York Times, some strongly believe that the actress is being too candid about her personal...Read more...

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On the conversation of how technology has been screwing over Black folks, let's take Madeline-Michelle Carthen for a perfect, decades-old example. The Missouri woman had been fighting to prove to the government that she is in fact alive and not dead thanks to an error by the Social Security Administration.

Last week, we mourned the passing of Hughes Van Ellis, one of the last remaining survivors of the 1921 Tulsa, Oklahoma race massacre, which destroyed the once thriving Black community of Greenwood. The deadly attack occurred on June 1, 1921, when white rioters burned and looted the community - also known as Black Wall...Read more...

Most people have never heard the term excited delirium," but for years, cops have been using the diagnosis as a get-out-of-jail-free card. Now, prominent medical groups, which once championed the diagnosis, are disavowing the term critics call unscientific and racist.Read more...

You never know where life is going to take you. Nelly and Ashanti are proof of that. A decade after they were initially together, the couple has had the internet buzzing about their recent romantic reunion. Now, the Dilemma" rapper has taken to Instagram to show the whole world how much he cares for his girl. For the...Read more...

For as long as the United States has been in existence, Black women have been underrepresented, especially when it comes to the coverage they get in the media.Read more...

I don't know why, but American culture is obsessed with seeing their favorite celebrities behind a mugshot, and it's not just hip-hop culture. One of the most popular photos of Frank Sinatra is a mugshot, the same can be said for many other celebrities and historical figures including Bill Gates, Jay-Z, David Bowie,...Read more...

Last month, we told you Duane Keffe D" Davis was arrested in connection to the murder of late rapper Tupac. Since then, authorities have said that while they don't believe he was the actual gunman-they do know he was the shot caller" for the group that eventually took Pac out.Read more...

Nineties R&B offered us a spectacular, game-changing roster of female singers. Mariah was in full superstar mode, Whitney was still topping the charts, Brandy was a music and TV star and Monica gave us the heartbreak tracks we're still singing. Though she was an essential part of that legendary lineup, Monica recently...Read more...

Perhaps it's a name you're not quite familiar with, but it is one you should learn. Forget that he has been called the most expensive Black artist" and try not to focus on the fact that a big Hip-hop star bought his work for $21 million.Read more...

The Rankin County, Miss. sheriff leading the team of deputies accused of torturing two Black men has also been swept into legal trouble with them. He's asked the federal court to dismiss the civil lawsuit filed against him based on ol' raggedy qualified immunity.