The Root

From the moment fans thought she would take on a larger role in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Letitia Wright has been surrounded by controversy.

Some residents of Chicago’s South Side worry that its most famous son is about to gentrify the neighborhood.Read more...

Correction: 12/13/2021, 8p.m. ETRead more...

Once Christmas is over, studios like to hold back their big movies until March or May. Winter tends to be the domain of rom-coms and action movies trying to stay out of Marvel’s way. However, Winter 2022 does hold a few high-profile releases that we might actually leave the house for, and a couple we’ll definitely be…Read more...

Christopher Trogan, a professor in the English department at the University of Fordham, was fired after confusing the names of two Black students in his class, in what he called an “innocent mistake,” according to The Observer.Read more...

Much to NBA legend John Stockton’s dismay, it’s possible that mercurial point guard Kyrie Irving could be making his triumphant return to the court a lot sooner than any of us expected.

What happened to Fred Rouse was so dark and unthinkable that for nearly a century, his family never spoke about it.Read more...

The wide variety and range of Black actors’ performances this year is truly astounding. We got the reinvention of a fan favorite, superheroes and villains, famous figures and heartbreaking goodbyes. Normally, this is where we would say how hard it was to pick our 10 best, but honestly, these performances were so…Read more...

Though the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, the organization behind the Golden Globe Awards, has been trying to remedy its lack of diversity for months this year following that revelatory exposé back in April—it appears the show will, in fact, still go on.

Fruitcake is the most controversial dessert in all of food. Yes, we know your mom/grandma/aunt/roommate’s cousin has the best recipe ever, but here’s the thing, they don’t.

It’s been a hot minute since the Chicago Bulls were actually worth a shit, but after pilfering Nikola Vucevic from my Orlando Magic at the NBA trade deadline in February, and following that up with trades for Lonzo Ball and a rejuvenated DeMar DeRozan this offseason, The Artist Formerly Known as Michael Jordan and The…Read more...

On the third day of trial, the jury heard from officers on the scene who feared former Minnesota officer Kim Potter would harm herself after she fatally shot 20-year-old Daunte Wright.Read more...

Every Monday, Very Smart Brothas Senior Editor Panama Jackson and Contributing Freelance Writer Shanelle Genai break down the latest episode of season 5 of HBO’s cultural flashpoint show, Insecure. Okay?! Spoilers ahead.

Taking a page out of the 1950s, Republicans have pretty much stopped trying to compete in elections and gone full Jim Crow in Georgia, yanking Black people off local election boards and replacing them with conservative whites, including ride-or-die Trumpists who pushed lies about the 2020 vote.

Greetings, Earthlings.Read more...

Following the tragic events of the Astroworld Festival, Travis Scott is reportedly no longer playing the 2022 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival.

Okay Dr. Williams! – This weekend, super producer Pharrell Williams received an honorary doctorate from Norfolk State University after he gave the commencement speech to the graduating fall class.Read more...

Black women aren’t just deserving of their flowers, they’re deserving of their coins – guaranteed, government issued, no strings attached coins. Well friends, I’m happy to spread the good news today that at least somebody is out here getting the memo. The somebody I speak of is in fact a Georgia based program by the…Read more...

Over the weekend, our certified hot girl coach, Megan Thee Stallion, took a mid season break to claim a new victory, her baccalaureate degree. She high stepped her famously strong knees across the Southern Texas University stage, and all of her internet cousins across the globe (including us) offered virtual twerks in…Read more...

As it turns out, conditions for incarcerated individuals do matter to politicians, but only when it comes to the melanin deficient among them. Oh, and it helps to have taken part in the January 6th coup d’etat attempt on the U.S. Capitol.Read more...

In the Jim Crow South, there were few places Black artists and musicians could perform in without being harassed, threatened, robbed, or just downright refused, there were a select number of venues that in solidarity, became safe spaces for them to gig. This collective of juke joints and bars ultimately became known…Read more...

For those of us privileged enough to have attended an HBCU, or have at minimum shown up to a homecoming game to restock your mixtape collection, we know that besides the vendors, the food, and the fits, the band performance is the best part of the afternoon. For those of you not as fortunate, the CW is ready to fold…Read more...

As usual, Black women delivered some of the most complex, emotional, transcendent performances of the year. Whether they were bringing legends to life, taking down bad guys or hilariously stealing scenes, the variety was astounding. From well-known favorites to legends in the making, 2021 was a murderer’s row of…Read more...

What the hell is up with TikTok?Read more...

The city of Columbus is paying the injured participants in protests that happened in their city last year because of the death of George Floyd and other racial injustices that have happened around the country.Read more...

John Legend is updating a familiar story with a modern twist. The award winning singer is producing a modern musical update on The Phantom of the Opera.

Vying for the top spot in the weirdest stories of 2021, is a new development in the Trump election fraud conspiracy.Read more...

A slew of one-of-a-kind digital collectibles, including unreleased DMX tracks and a behind-the-scenes Prince documentary, are about to hit the market via a new, Black-woman-owned NFT marketplace.Read more...

After years of feuding, Kanye (now Ye) and Drake have officially squashed their “beef.” The two behemoth rap stars came together for a concert at the Los Angeles Coliseum to raise awareness and support for Larry Hoover, who is surviving multiple life sentences as the former gang leader of the Gangster Disciples, a…Read more...

Sculptures of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor are up for auction this month to benefit charities founded in their honor. Both Floyd and Taylor were victims of police brutality last year and sparked a national, and arguably worldwide, social justice movement last summer.Read more...

Fascinating poet and author Audre Lorde is getting a biopic. Deadline reports, Jezebel director Numa Perrier is producing and starring in The Erotic through House of Numa Productions alongside Livia Perrier of Bazile Productions.

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In court Thursday, Alayna Albrecht-Payton testified that she and Daunte Wright had just started dating before he was shot and killed by former Minnesota officer Kim Potter on April 11.Read more...

Sad news out of Georgia: former NFL star Demaryius Thomas has died.

Earlier this year, “missing white woman syndrome,” a phrase coined by Journalist Gwen Ifill, was a hot-button topic after the viral coverage of the disappearance of Gabby Petitio. It highlighted the lack of coverage for people of color when they go missing compared to the coverage of young, middle-class white women…Read more...

In October, we told you how reality TV star Blac Chyna was the voice of the people when it came to, umm, encouraging folks to get the vaccine. (OK, yeah, I know that’s a stretch, but admittedly, the phrase “go get vaccinated, stop being stupid, hoe” has been etched in my brain forever—and I don’t know what that says…Read more...

After months of casting news and behind the scenes gossip, HBO has finally released the first trailer for its highly anticipated limited series following the Showtime Lakers.

Another coach with NFL pedigree is headed to run an HBCU football program—and a legendary program at that.Read more...

Chidiebere Ibe, a Nigerian medical student, and aspiring neurosurgeon, noticed a theme every time he flipped open his medical school textbooks: Most of the illustrations were of people with white skin only. Nothing else. As a result, he grabbed a pencil and began creating drawings that represented Black people,…Read more...

There is perhaps nothing more devastating than the death of a child, and each surviving parent must cope with the loss in their own way. In the aftermath of 5-month-old Zen Cannon’s death on Sunday, December 5, each of his parents shared how they are processing the loss of their son. On Wednesday, model and grieving…Read more...

In March 2020, around the start of the pandemic, Vegalia Jean-Pierre began using TikTok under the profile name @byvegalia, to showcase her art.Read more...

Imagine how sad your birthday party would be if it were just you. Parties are more fun with a group. The same can be said about our favorite ensemble performances of the year. Whether it’s superheroes fighting villains, a legendary ballroom house securing its place, or a gang pulling off a big rescue, everything works…Read more...

A new year is swiftly approaching—but when the Wendy show returns after the holidays with new episodes in January, its host will still be on hiatus. Wendy Williams, who has thus far missed the entirety of her show’s 13th season due to complications from Graves disease as well as a reported COVID-19 diagnosis, will…Read more...

The Justice Department is still investigating several other Civil Rights Era deaths after closing the Emmett Till case this week. Using the Cold Case Initiative, investigators are probing other killings suspected to be racially-motivated, including Black men killed by the police across the Jim Crow South.Read more...

It’s been little over a month since the Astroworld tragedy on November 5, and now the man at the center of it all—rapper Travis Scott—is finally speaking up about that fateful day.Read more...

One thing’s for sure: Time magazine always understands the assignment.Read more...

Cops in Torrance, Calif., are under investigation by state officials after a string of racist text messages between officers—some of whom have been involved in the deaths of Black and Hispanic men—came to light.

Current New York Attorney General Letitia James suspended her campaign in the race for governor on Thursday, just over a month after she announced her run. She says she is seeking reelection instead.Read more...

Though it’s been 12 years since “Lip Gloss” rapper Lil’ Mama crashed Jay-Z and Alicia Keys’ performance of “Empire State of Mind” at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards, we now finally have an idea what conversations took place in the immediate aftermath.Read more...