The Root

The Montgomery Riverboat Brawl gave us many heroes. One that caught the attention of Black people everywhere was folding chair man." That may be his fight name, but out here in the real world, he's Reggie Gray, a 42-year-old man, who the police would like to have some words with. In a press conference on Tuesday,...Read more...

I'm not gonna lie: the Montgomery melee hit me a certain kind of way.Read more...

After several delays, motions filed, and all-around foolishness in a case that's caused division both inside and outside of the hip-hop community, rapper Tory Lanez has been officially sentenced to 10 years in prison in the shooting case of Megan Thee Stallion.Read more...

This story is part of our new Hip-Hop: '73 Till Infinity series, a celebration of the genre's 50th anniversary.

DJ Casper, the creative genius behind the legendary line dance staple the Cha-Cha Slide" died on Monday. The news was made public by his wife Kim who revealed the popular DJ, legally Willie Perry Jr., passed away after a seven-year-long battle with cancer. He was 58 years old.Read more...

Gender identity and sexuality have always been tense subjects in the Black community. There's an idea that men have to exude masculinity and women must be feminine. You don't mix those two personalities up, ever. However, now that we're in a place where gender and sexuality are more fluid, some stars are speaking out...Read more...

Updated 08/08/2023 at 1:50 p.m. ETRead more...

During an episode of The Best Podcast Ever With Raven and Miranda" that was published on Monday (August 7), Raven-Symone opened up to her wife Miranda Pearman-Maday about the weight-shaming she faced as a teen. The Disney Channel star, 37, also shared that because of the bullying she had gotten plastic surgery at a...Read more...

Ciara and Russell Wilson shared some big news with the rest of the world on Tuesday: they're adding another bundle of joy to their blended family!Read more...

It was a long road for Travis Scott to give his first live performance of UTOPIA, but he finally made it. After it was originally scheduled and canceled to happen at the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt, Scott performed his Circus Maximus concert in Rome on Monday night.Read more...

Thanks to a phony, AI facial recognition tool, a Black mother of three was falsely identified and arrested for as carjacking thief. Now, she's suing the city of Detroit and their police department for letting a robot get her thrown in jail for no reason. She's the first Black woman to fall victim to the algorithm.Read more...

As social media continues to react to the infamous Montgomery brawl that happened over the weekend, Black folks have been the most boisterous when it comes to the commentary surrounding it. From Black Panther comparisons to dubbing the fight Riverboat Wrestlemania, the jokes have seemingly been endless. Interestingly...Read more...

Updated 8/8/2023 at 12:15 p.m. ET:Read more...

I love all people equally, and now that includes myself." With those words, Wayne Brady opened up his life to the world and is now fully living in his truth. With the unconditional support of his family, the Let's Make a Deal host has come out as pansexual, dropping a weight that he's been carrying around and...Read more...

On Sunday, social media was set ablaze as clips from the Montgomery riverboat brawl spread.

After several delays, motions filed, and all around foolishness-rapper Tory Lanez sentencing in the shooting case of Megan Thee Stallion has been pushed back to Tuesday.Read more...

Black people know we have to revel in the small victories because they don't come along often. One of these unforgettable moments happened on Saturday, when an all-out brawl in Montgomery, Ala. led to one of the most viral incidents in the history of Black Twitter (yes, we're still calling it that). While the mayor is...Read more...

Sometimes, I hate the fact that Black people-and especially Black women-are always expected to go high when others go low. But in the case of Regina King and her reaction to an asinine question from Jennifer Garner, I can't help but feel proud at how well we seem to always keep our cool under pressure and in the face...Read more...

Kimberly Jennings of Greensboro has been charged with two counts of simple assault on a child under 12. Police say Jennings, 62, assaulted two Black children at the Sedgefield Gardens Apartments. She has been arrested and taken to Guilford County Jail.Read more...

White NASCAR driver Noah Gragson has been suspended indefinitely for liking an insensitive meme about George Floyd's murder in 2020.

Beyonce's Renaissance tour has created memorable moments and drama during its trek around the world, however, this is probably not what Washington DC fans had in mind when they bought their tickets. On Sunday, severe weather, including lightning, led to a shelter-in-place announcement at FedEx Field and nearly a...Read more...

Even though it feels like 2020 was an eternity ago, we have not forgotten about George Floyd and the four Minneapolis police officers who were responsible for his death.Read more...

Trigger Warning: This article includes mentions of sexual assault, rape.Read more...

A controversial Jim Crow-era voting provision in Mississippi has made its way back into the news cycle. On Friday, a federal appeals court ruled that Mississippi's lifetime ban on people with certain felonies voting is unconstitutional. The decision not only reverses a rule intentionally put in place to prevent Black...Read more...

Jennifer Aniston has suddenly turned off her Instagram comments after she helped manufacture a scandal surrounding Jamie Foxx's controversial" post on the app. Last week, Foxx posted the personal message that stated: They killed this dude called Jesus...what do you think they'll do to you???!"Read more...

Years after the shocking murder of beloved rapper Pop Smoke, recent actions are still being connected to his death.Read more...

Though it's been weeks since the now-viral video of Usher serenading Keke Palmer at a show during his popular Las Vegas Residency tour damn near broke the internet-and kicked off a myriad of online conversations surrounding sexuality, motherhood, respectability politics, relationship expectations and more-the Yeah"...Read more...

And they said Black folks don't stick together.

With the finale of Secret Invasion leaving us a little conflicted about the state of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, we have a lot of questions about the plan for Phases 5 and 6. There's no confirmation on when we'll go back to Wakanda, when Shang-Chi will appear again and whether Jonathan Majors will continue as the...Read more...

For a brief moment last week, it looked like Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) was breaking with the standard bearers of the Republican party by drawing a line at institutionalizing abject racism. Scott called out his GOP presidential primary opponent, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, under whose administration a new set of teaching...Read more...

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Comedians Tiffany Haddish and Aries Spears are facing yet another lawsuit- but this time to the tune of $1 million. The plantiff, Tirzah Morris, is suing the pair for defamation of character.

Ari Lennox is the latest Black celebrity to bravely come forward about her journey to sobriety. While some celebs are now completely sober, others have just avoided certain substances that fell out of their control, and some have never partaken in any substances! Here are some Black celebs who have shared their...Read more...

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Bratz has decided to give their first celebrity collaboration deal to Kylie Jenner with miniature dolls wearing some of her most viral outfits. Black girls are calling the venture a slap in the face"! If you grew up as a Bratz fan instead of Barbie, then you know that many times Black girls bought Bratz due to their...Read more...

All the hype around lies and hoaxes has been on Carlee Russell, the Alabama Black woman who hatched a misleading ploy about being abducted for 49 hours after reporting a missing toddler to 911.

In 1998, hip-hop was no longer a fad" that mainstream white America thought was going to fade away. It ran the music industry. New MCs were making a name for themselves and veterans were staking their claim as the best in the game. It made for an ideal environment for talented artists to make dope songs.

If there's one thing you can count on, it's conservatives finding a way to come for Black women who didn't call for them. That racism has once again reared its ugly head during former New Jersey governor Chris Christie's trip to Ukraine Friday. Republicans have continuously complained about the United States giving...Read more...

Editor's Note: This interview was conducted before the SAG-AFTRA strike began on July 14.Read more...

Clearly, making it harder for Black and Latino kids to get into college wasn't far enough for the man behind the Supreme Court's affirmative action decision. Now, he's coming after Black women with small businesses.Read more...

If your parents ever told you that sitting around playing cards in college would get you nowhere, you just may get to have the last laugh.

Editor's Note: This interview was conducted before the SAG-AFTRA strike began on July 14.Read more...

Rapper, producer and educator Lupe Fiasco has always taken his role as a hip-hop advocate very seriously. Last year, he pioneered a rap class at MIT that explored the meaning behind classic lyrics from legendary emcees. Now, Lupe has entered the AI conversation-but will it do more harm than good?Read more...

A federal appeals court overturned the drug conviction of a Black man because a remark made by the judge in the case violated his rights.

Bravo's reboot of The Real Housewives of New York has brought the diversity to the show that we all needed, because what's a show about New York without highlighting the experiences of Black women?

Northwestern University's hazing scandal continues as new allegations have come to light. This time, two of the school's former football players have alleged that Black athletes were forced to compete in watermelon-eating contests as part of a sadistic hazing culture.

The family of Lashawn Thompson, the man who was found dead covered in insect bites, reached a $4 million settlement with Fulton County, Ga. after filing a lawsuit alleging severe negligence.

Listen, the last thing I want to see while rolling my shopping cart into the Ulta section of Target with my oat milk shaken espresso in hand is a Karen who woke up and chose violence. In a clip obtained by TMZ, a woman identified as Ersilia Campbell interrupted the peaceful shoppers of an Aurora Target while wearing...Read more...

Prince's influence on music and Black culture can't be measured. He touched so many lives with his art, his legacy is endless. In Minnesota, his home state, he will always be a legendary figure. On Thursday, the state honored his contributions by naming a highway near Paisley Park after him. Per WCCO, the area...Read more...