The Root

Just when you think you’re out, they pull you back in. We thought we were leaving the Jussie Smollett drama behind, but the recently launched CNN+ has one more deep dive in store. According to a press release provided to The Root, the streaming network has announced the new FlashDocs unit will explore “timely and…Read more...

In 1993, Congress passed the National Voter Registration Act to cut down “discriminatory and unfair registration laws and procedures.” The measure requires states to accept voter registration applications by mail and offer registration services at motor vehicle offices, military recruitment centers, and government…Read more...

Florida State University Professor Maurice Johnson teaches his students about Black history, society and culture through the lens of Hip Hop. In his Hip Hop Culture and Global Mass Communication class, Johnson discusses the social and political issues in the Black community through various mediums including songs…Read more...

On Wednesday, model and reality TV star Blac Chyna aired out her grievances in regards to her financial and co-parenting situation.Read more...

Life in the real world has been pretty crazy for the past couple of years. But if you can’t jet off to a private island to get away from it all, getting lost in a good book might be the next best thing. Ok, I know, that was a stretch. But if you’re anything like me, a good story is a great way to make a subway ride or…Read more...

Netflix isn’t stupid. The streaming network knows it has a cash cow in popular romantic drama Bridgerton. So like all hugely successful TV shows, it’s getting a spinoff. According to TVLine, Netflix has cast its next Bridgerton series, which “tells the story of how the young Queen’s marriage to King George sparked…Read more...

Updated as of 2 p.m. ET: Less than one hour after we initially told you that the Academy released a statement on Wednesday revealing that they allegedly asked Will Smith to leave the ceremony following the slap incident, new information is now calling that statement into question.Read more...

Next week, the voting procedures for Ketanji Brown Jackson to become the first African American Supreme Court judge will begin. With Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) stating she will be a “yes” vote, the nomination is locked up. Many people still remember the confirmation hearings where many unfounded accusations and…Read more...

Shapewear has come a long way from the painful corsets women wore in the Victorian Era. Ladies still want to create a smooth silhouette and emphasize their curves. But thanks to a lot of innovation in the shapewear industry and a lot less whalebone, they can do it without feeling like they’re constantly gasping for…Read more...

Vice President Kamala Harris met on Wednesday with Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness at the White House today, a significant if not historic meeting between the first Black woman vice president who is the daughter of a Jamaican national and the Caribbean nation’s leader.

One of the stories being lost in all this hoopla about “the slap” is that at the time Chris Rock was presenting the award for Best Documentary Feature, which was won by Summer of Soul. The film is a beautiful love letter to Black musicians, chronicling the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival. With the entire Dolby Theatre…Read more...

Are there any Little Brother fans around? Any fans of Phonte? Big Pooh?Read more...

A new report by the Kapor Center and NAACP found the tech sector has not only stalled but regressed in achieving racial equity, reported Axios. Per the joint State of Tech Diversity: The Black Tech Ecosystem report, Black representation in technology is vital toward fighting systemic bias and socioeconomic racism in…Read more...

Listen kids, there was a time when if Oprah Winfrey told you to read a book, you ran out to the actual brick and mortar book store and bought it. In the literary world, an “Oprah’s Book Club” sticker was as good as gold. Now the former talk show host is being recognized for her years of support, as AP reports that the…Read more...

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There is no shortage of parenting apps in the digital universe. It’s not hard to find a place to get advice on everything from diapers to discipline. But if you’re a Black parent or caregiver, you may feel like the content just isn’t for you. A Black entrepreneur and mom of three hears you loud and clear and has…Read more...

The California task force on reparations voted Tuesday that compensation will only go to descendants of free and enslaved people who were in the United States during the 19th century. The proposal to include all Black people in the country regardless of ancestry was rejected, according to the Associated Press.Read more...

Chris Rock hasn’t said much about his onstage altercation with Will Smith at the 94th Academy Awards ceremony on March 27. But according to Wanda Sykes, the comedian did issue a personal apology to her for what took place on stage that night. “I hope he doesn’t mind me saying this, but I saw Chris at Guy [Oseary’s]…Read more...

Warwick Sen. Kendra Anderson has decided not to run for reelection but instead to endorse a leader of Black Lives Matter Rhode Island Political Action Committee to replace her, reported The Providence Journal. Harrison Tuttle, 23, was announced Tuesday to be her successor.

Last month, I wrote about the very real possibility that the race-wealth gap–maybe the most important byproduct of the country’s legacy of institutional racism as practiced via economic policy–might be poised to grow.

Grammy Award-winning artist Toni Braxton is opening up about how she’s been dealing following the death of her sister Traci earlier this month.

Adam Shakoor, a civil rights advocate, an attorney who represented Rosa Parks, the former deputy mayor of Detroit and the first Muslim to be judge, died at 74.Read more...

One of Bravo’s most popular series is set to return for Season 14, when The Real Housewives of Atlanta premieres Sunday, May 1 at 8/7c. According to a press release provided to The Root, Kandi Burruss, Kenya Moore, Shereé Whitfield and Drew Sidora return, alongside familiar face Marlo Hampton and newcomer, four-time…Read more...

The Pittsburgh Steelers should’ve never had the chance to hire Brian Flores as a defensive coaching assistant, according to the team’s owner.

William “Ricky” Virgil, a Kentucky Black man who spent 28 years in prison for murder was released after DNA evidence exonerated him in 2016. He then sued the city of Newport, Kentucky and the police for a wrongful conviction shortly after. Unfortunately, Virgil died before he ever got the chance to confront the police…Read more...

On Monday, we told you how the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced they’d be launching a formal review into the Will Smith slap incident that transpired at this year’s Academy Awards.Read more...

Don’t be late to the party at this year’s 64th Annual Grammy Awards because according to Variety, R&B superstars Silk Sonic are set to open the show. It seems only fitting since the duo of Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak made their debut at last year’s show.Read more...

Medical experimentation on the bodies of Black women is among the many horrific atrocities of slavery. Enslaved women were forced to participate in painful procedures at the hands of white doctors without anesthesia because they were believed at the time to not experience pain in the same way whites did. But an…Read more...

Earlier this month we told you how Bob Hilliard, the lawyer representing Treston Blount—father of the late Ezra Blount, Astroworld’s youngest victim— filed an emergency motion against Travis Scott’s announcement of his new Project Heal initiative alleging that it violated a gag order.

Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) said today that she plans to vote “yes” on confirming Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court; guaranteeing that confirmation has at least minimal bipartisan support and making it it all but a lock that Brown will take her place as the first Black woman justice in the court’s history.

Walking or driving while Black wasn’t enough of a risk it seems. A Black London man has been stopped twice now by police for simply wearing a coat in warm weather, reported The Independent. Both times he was stopped, officers searched him for drugs.

You don’t need to tell Black Star Trek fans what a certifiable badass Uhura is. Even on The Original Series when all she did was work the ship’s comms, we knew she was so much more than they were letting her be. Now, the latest entry into the Star Trek universe, Strange New Worlds, is introducing us to Celia Rose…Read more...

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More than two centuries into the American experiment, lynching is finally, officially a federal hate crime. President Joe Biden on Tuesday signed the Emmett Till Antilynching Act into law in a ceremony at the White House, assigning enhanced penalties for a heinous act that defined the height of racialized violence in…Read more...

A DonorsChoose survey found that Black male educators take on a disproportionate amount of work to support their students inside and outside the classroom. This is the largest-ever survey examining the Black male educator experience from their decision to teach to the impact they make in communities.

ESPN is going all out to honor the 75th anniversary of Jackie Robinson breaking the MLB color barrier. Per a press release provided to The Root, the sports network will launch Jackie 75, a season-long project that will “honor Robinson’s lasting legacy, as well as showcase the continued work of Robinson’s wife Rachel…Read more...

The Piano Lesson, the Pulitzer Prize-winning play by August Wilson, will be making its grand return to the Broadway stage after over 30 years.Read more...

Who, exactly, was Donald Trump talking to while the U.S. Capitol was under attack by his supporters on Jan. 6? Did he call Ginni Thomas on a burner phone in the West Wing or Steve Bannon on a secure line in the residence?Read more...

“Global Black Coalition,” an Ottawa-led coalition, has been able to help hundreds of Black people and international students escape Ukraine since Russia invaded the neighboring country one month ago, according to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.Read more...

Data from Florida’s Department of Education found that Black Florida students fall lower in reading levels compared to white students, reported News4Jax. The data shows a gap of 29 percent between the two groups statewide, however, the gap is even larger in local districts.

Just as Women’s History Month (aka Black HERstory Month) comes to a close, film producer and director Tammy Williams has just cemented her own unique place in the history books.Read more...

In an interview with the New York Times on Friday, New York City Mayor Eric Adams had announced a city-wide initiative to get rid of homeless encampments from streets and parks. This is in addition to his “subway safety” plan announced last month, saying that people are not allowed to sleep on subway cars. More than…Read more...

Verzuz is getting fans ready for spring and summer by revealing dates and some of the artists for upcoming battles. According to Complex, the next batch of battles kicks off April 17 on Easter Sunday with a gospel supercard featuring Mary Mary vs. BeBe and CeCe Winans. We don’t get a lot of gospel battles, so this…Read more...

Looks like another COVID-19 booster is coming down the pike as the Food and Drug Administration has authorized another COVID-19 booster for people 50-years-old and older, according to the Associated Press.Read more...

A conservative group found teachers in anti critical race theory states have been working around the laws by renaming their curriculum, reported Newsweek. Per an investigation by Accuracy in Media (AIM), school administrators from Idaho and Tennessee admitted to “rebranding” the lessons so they could teach the same …Read more...

Despite immense pushback from high school students, LGBTQ+ parents, advocates, and celebrities from Gabrielle Union and Raven Symone, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has signed HB 1557, titled the “Parental Rights in Education” bill, into law. This is also in conjunction with his “opposition” to Critical Race Theory in…Read more...

I’ve written about the ineffectiveness of the NFL’s Rooney Rule for so long that many of the older pieces have disappeared from digital archives. That’s a shame, because like all writers, I love to point out when I was right, years in advance.

The confirmation hearings for Ketanji Brown Jackson’s Supreme Court nominations are done, and the Senate Judiciary Committee is looking to move the process along. Yahoo News reports the committee has announced the following steps: the panel will reconvene on April 4 at 10 a.m. ET for a vote that will advance Jackson’s…Read more...

After 22 years of marriage, Black-ish star Anthony Anderson’s wife Alvina Stewart has filed for divorce a second time. According to People, the papers were filed Friday, March 25, citing irreconcilable differences as the reason. The pair are college sweethearts who have been married since 1999 and have two adult…Read more...

Updated as of 3/29/2022 at 12 p.m. ET: Jada Pinkett-Smith has issued a statement of sorts following the slap incident at the Oscars. On Tuesday morning, the Gotham star seemingly responded to the ordeal in a post on Instagram which read: “This is a season of healing and I’m here for it.”Read more...