The Root

During a gala for Carolina Pregnancy Center Thursday, former Republican Vice President Mike Pence pathetically fired back at Kamala Harris’ recent remarks about the Supreme Court’s impending decision to reverse Roe vs. Wade. The current VP expressed her pro-choice stance Tuesday at a Washington fundraiser for Emily’s…Read more...

Stacey Abrams temporarily paused fundraising for her own campaign, asking her supporters to instead donate to non-profit organizations that support access to abortions and promote abortion rights.

In states across the country, lawmakers are taking it upon themselves to decide which books they think kids should read. According to a PEN America study, there have been 1,586 instances of individual book bans on 1,145 unique book titles between July 1, 2021, and March 31, 2022.

Giving back has a way of making people feel good. And Mother’s Day is a the perfect time to support Black mothers and care givers who need it most. If you are looking for a way to help those who are always helping others this Mother’s Day, consider supporting one of these important non-profit organizations.Read more...

Black student groups at the University of Massachusetts Amherst have been targeted in a racist and discriminatory email that went out Tuesday, according to Mass Live.Read more...

Dave Chappelle is still dealing with the aftermath of being tackled on stage while performing at the Hollywood Bowl on Tuesday night. Like a true professional, he worked out some of his feelings on stage at a comedy club.Read more...

Despite a solidified Republican movement seeking to undo fundamental rights concerning women’s reproductive autonomy, voting, and what schools can teach, some in the Democratic party are choosing to rally around another cause. According to NBC News, nineteen Moderate House Democrats have urged Speaker Nancy Pelosi to…Read more...

The controversial relationship YouTuber Kevin Samuels has died at the age of 56, NBC reported this morning.

Jon Batiste, the Grammy award-winning musician who currently serves as bandleader for The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, announced Thursday that he and his team tested positive for Covid. As a result, his upcoming Carnegie Hall performance will be postponed. He also is canceling other commitments, including the…Read more...

Beyoncé’s trophy case is already overflowing with honors, but the superstar may be ready to add one more to her collection—because she’s among the 49th annual Daytime Emmy Awards nominees.Read more...

Some of the country’s HBCU medical schools have just announced a plan to partner with organ transplant advocacy groups to encourage more African Americans to register as organ donors. According to the Associated Press, four HBCU medical schools will work with the Organ Donation Advocacy Group and Association of Organ…Read more...

DaBaby will not face any criminal charges over the shooting that occurred on his North Carolina property last month that left a man shot in the leg after he trespassed onto the mansion grounds, according to a Facebook post from the Troutman Police Department.Read more...

Last week, the Smithsonian Institution adopted a new policy that now allows its museums to return items that were looted. The Smithsonian started the process of reexamining their unethically acquired items last year—a fact they address in a statement posted on their website:Read more...

Karine Jean-Pierre, who last year became the first Black woman in three decades to address the media from the White House briefing room, will soon take over that role full-time as the Biden Administration’s press secretary.

Studies have shown white survivors, and those with higher incomes, are often more likely to receive help from the Federal Emergency Management Agency after natural disasters hit. FEMA has been under fire as an agency since Hurricane Katrina, but a new bill seeks to close the gap in terms of disaster funds disburse…Read more...

The Federal Reserve’s steepest interest rate hike in two decades is poised to hit Black consumers hard, economists say. The half-percentage-point hike will empty wallets in the form of higher interest on credit cards, business and personal loans and mortgages for everyone, but it could to do the most damage to Black…Read more...

There’s a new name with a lot of star power now on the list of Black entrepreneurs reported to be vying for the right to buy the Denver Broncos.

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In the days leading up to Mother’s Day, we’ve shared gift ideas to help the moms in your life relax. And we gave you our favorite subscription services that will show mom a little love long after Mother’s Day is over. So if you haven’t already secured gifts for the mothers and mother figures in your life, shame on…Read more...

Updated as of 4 p.m. ET on 5/5/2022: The Los Angeles District Attorney’s office has revealed it’s declining to pursue felony charges against 23-year-old Isaiah Lee, the man who allegedly attacked comedian Dave Chappelle during his performance at the Netflix Is A Joke Festival at the Hollywood Bowl in LA earlier this…Read more...

After the initial shock of the leaked memo hinting that the Supreme Court’s intent to overturn Roe v. Wade wore off, people then looked toward words written by Associate Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito in the opinion. There’s the potential that the conservative-slanted high court could undo other rights. According…Read more...

Chris “Ludacris” Bridges might be busy with movies, music, TV and restaurants, but he still has time to go back to school.Read more...

As the Cannes Film Festival gears up to celebrate its 75th anniversary this month, it’s been revealed that Academy Award-winning actor Forest Whitaker will be the recipient of the honorary Palme d’Or award.Read more...

Rihanna has always been very private about her relationships. However, she’s seemingly relaxed some of those rules with her current boyfriend, rapper A$AP Rocky. For proof, look no further than her appearance in his new video “D.M.B.”

Kidd Creole, one of the founding members of Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, a legendary rap group, was sentenced on Wednesday to 16 years in prison for fatally stabbing a homeless man in 2017, according to a statement from the Manhattan District Attorney.Read more...

In the process of trying to figure out a way to commemorate the end of slavery in the United States, lawmakers in Connecticut approved legislation Wednesday evening to officially recognize Juneteenth, according to the Associated Press.Read more...

It’s graduation season, which means your social media timelines are about to be lit with parents celebrating their kids’ accomplishments. But for a group of 17 high school seniors from West Baltimore, this graduation year will be extra special. The students were the first cohort to participate in the UMB CURE Scholars…Read more...

During a news conference outside of Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles Wednesday, Charles Johnson IV—the husband of Kira Dixon Johnson—explained that the hospital engaged in racist practices that resulted in his wife’s death. Black women are three times more likely to die during childbirth, a fact that Johnson…Read more...

In February, the world became re-obsessed with fake German heiress Anna Delvey after Netflix released the Shonda Rhimes series centered around her scams Inventing Anna. The drama, which starred Julia Garner, Laverne Cox and Alexis Floyd, showed how Delvey, 31, conned hundreds of thousands of dollars from banks, hotels…Read more...

It looks like Queen Latifah will be dispensing her own brand of justice for a few more years. Per a press release provided to The Root, CBS has given The Equalizer a two-season renewal. Multiple season renewals are usually reserved for huge shows that are already part of an established franchise, like Law & Order, FBI…Read more...

Death is an inevitable part of life.Read more...

Over the years, we’ve heard stories about tension on the set of ‘90s comedy Family Matters. When the focus of the show shifted from the middle class Winslow family to whatever wild shenanigans Steve Urkel was up to, it didn’t help foster a great working environment.

A Chicago Black man who was pardoned by the governor of Indiana in 2017, after spending seven years in prison for a robbery he didn’t commit, has reached a $7.5 million settlement with the city of Elkhart, Indiana and some of its former police officers, according to the Associated Press.Read more...

Rapper Lil Durk wants to help make the future a little brighter for kids from his hometown of Chicago. His community-based organization, Neighborhood Heroes Foundation, has hosted Thanksgiving turkey giveaways for needy families and supported people living with disabilities. Now, the nonprofit just announced the…Read more...

Like many Black churches around the country, the historic Brown Chapel AME Church in Selma, Alabama, had to close its doors to in-person service during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Unfortunately, when people returned, they found the landmark church that launched a national voting rights movement overrun by…Read more...

To her nearly 21,000 personal Instagram followers, Zakia Blain calls herself a “Professional Overcomer.” And when you look at her impressive list of accomplishments – an entrepreneur who put herself through college and built a successful wellness brand despite teen motherhood and living with a debilitating brain…Read more...

Officials in the tiny municipality of Mason, Tenn., have reached a settlement to prevent the state government from taking control of the town’s finances, just as a multi-billion-dollar new factory is built nearby.

On Wednesday’s episode of “Red Table Talk,” the mother and stepfather of Cheslie Kryst opened up about the sudden death of their daughter. Kryst, who was crowned Miss USA in 2019, died by suicide in January. In addition to earning a law degree and an MBA from Wake Forest University, she also worked as a correspondent…Read more...

On Thursday, it was revealed that SAG Award and Golden Globe-winning actress Taraji P. Henson will be the host for “culture’s biggest night,” a.k.a. the upcoming BET Awards 2022.Read more...

For the second time in as many years, voters in Ohio’s working-class, mostly Black 11th Congressional district chose Shontel Brown over Nina Turner to represent them in Congress. The difference this time is that Brown went into Tuesday night’s primary as the incumbent and emerges likely to hold onto her seat from the…Read more...

When Americans got wind of the Supreme Court’s plan to overturn Roe vs. Wade after a draft opinion was leaked Sunday night, public outrage immediately followed. On Monday, there were protests in Washington condemning the impending decision with demonstrations soon taking place all over the country.Read more...

While summer may be all about beach parties and barbecues for some, for those of us who love women’s basketball, it’s time to settle in for the WNBA. Last year was the league’s landmark 25th season, leading to celebrations and reminders of how far the game has come. It also featured an Olympic break, which always adds…Read more...

Barack and Michelle Obama are the latest prominent voices added to public outrage over the leaked draft opinion that shows a majority on the Supreme Court will likely soon reverse the Roe v. Wade decision.

If Ray J can’t do anything else, he can talk, and when it comes to his infamous sex tape released in 2007 with Kim Kardashian, he is spilling all of the alleged tea.Read more...

In a press conference earlier today, President Biden went on the offense and spoke about the GOP’s Trump-shaped agenda, which he characterized as ‘extreme’ in an effort to set his administration with momentum heading into the midterm elections, Politico reports.Read more...

On Tuesday’s episode of The View, longtime co-host Whoopi Goldberg gave an impassioned speech about abortion rights stemming from the recent leaked draft opinion of the Supreme Court, which clearly showed intent to overturn Roe v. Wade—the landmark case that eventually established the constitutional right to abortion…Read more...

Derek Chauvin’s plea deal has been accepted by the judge overseeing the federal civil rights cases of the former Minneapolis police officers responsible for the death of George Floyd in 2020. As a result, he will now be sentenced 20 to 25 years in federal prison and has waived his right to contest the federal…Read more...

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As a member of the Spice Girls, Mel B has performed in front of massive crowds, had number one records and received numerous awards. But in a May 4 ceremony at Buckingham Palace, the former Spice Girl received a very special honor from the royal family. Mel was named an MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire)…Read more...

Janelle Monáe’s Ralph Lauren Met Gala look was giving everyone Josephine Baker vibes. Well, now we know why.Read more...