The Root

Empire star Jussie Smollett took the witness stand in Chicago federal court on Monday.Read more...

The Justice Department officially closed its investigation into the 1955 killing of Chicago teen Emmett Till on Monday, after failing to prove that the key witness lied on the stand over 60 years ago. This is the second time an inquiry into the gruesome lynching has resulted in no federal charges.Read more...

Never let it be said that Insecure doesn’t know how to carry a theme alllllll the way through. Even as the show prepares for its farewell, it marked another first on Sunday night—an episode themed around the girls’ night of Issa, Molly, Kelli and Tiffany—by dressing its entire cast of characters in a wardrobe entirely…Read more...

A company described as democratizing and potentially helping to decrease discrimination in the mortgage lending has laid off its entire diversity and inclusion recruiting team, CNN reports. Better.com, a mortgage originator that largely uses algorithms in place of human underwriters to make lending decisions, is…Read more...

Pierce County Sheriff Ed Troyer will finally get his day in court to prove why he is undeserving of two misdemeanor charges following a confrontation with Black newspaper carrier Sedrick Altheimer. Troyer’s trial is set to begin July 11 next year, according to the Seattle Times, and we all can’t wait to hear this…Read more...

It took one Black military veteran 45 years to get his benefits. Yes, you read that right. It took four decades to get what was due to him. War veterans have always struggled to get the benefits due to them, especially Black veterans. But now, that could all change.Read more...

The Justice Department has opened a civil rights investigation into the Mount Vernon, New York police department. Joining Louisville, Phoenix, and Minneapolis, this is the fourth inquiry into a local police department to be conducted under the Biden Administration since April.Read more...

Jukebox musicals are all the rage on Broadway. Now, director Malcolm D. Lee is bringing one to the big screen, and he’s showcasing the classic songs of Boyz II Men.Read more...

I hate to break it to you, but Netflix is a joke.

June 2020 promised to be a watershed moment—at least, according to promises made by countless retailers and companies on June 2nd, a day that would come to be known as #BlackoutTuesday. But even while social media timelines were peppered with black boxes and DE&I-friendly mission statements, there were insidious and…Read more...

In a case that pretty much defines white privilege, parents in a nearly all-white small town have succeeded in getting a teacher fired for teaching students that white privilege exists.Read more...

Score another one for the Roys, as Succession leads the TV nominations in the 27th Annual Critics Choice Awards. The HBO drama received eight nods, followed by limited series Mare of Easttown and Paramount+ drama Evil, each with five.

Prejudice is a weapon. In many cases, it’s used against Black people. But in this one, it benefited a Black man.Read more...

The murder of George Floyd has spurred a lot of change around the country, especially in Minnesota.Read more...

Barbados is putting an exclamation point on its new separation from the Queen of England.

Part 1: I’ve always been fascinated by how smart people got that way. It’s not only a passion of mine, but I’ve spent fourteen years investigating the question. One thing I discovered is that the smartest people did a whole bunch of reading when they were children. Then I started to wonder what kind of books did…Read more...

I know next to nothing about baseball (sorry, y’all; it’s not my ministry), but I do know this: The trailblazing athletes who played in the Negro Leagues back when segregation was still very much a thing deserve every single one of their flowers; for not only what they endured, but for what they accomplished—despite…Read more...

A mostly white jury has been chosen in the trial of former Minnesota Officer Kim Potter over the shooting death of Daunte Wright. Although split evenly by gender, nine jurors are white, two are Asian and only one is Black, all ranging in age from their 20s to 60s.Read more...

Hip-hop, the music genre that has expanded beyond beats and breakdancing and into a multi-billion dollar industry since its inception in 1973, will be turning 50 soon and that incredulous feat will be the subject of a new project series from Nas, his production banner Mass Appeal and Showtime, aptly titled Hip Hop 50.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.

Will Tessica Brown ever leave her hair (or us) alone? The woman who went viral during Black History Month after using Gorilla Glue in her hair—and kept us in thrall for months as she had it surgically removed, subsequently enjoyed some hard-won new growth, and even released her own haircare line—is apparently…Read more...

Netflix continues to back successful artists, as director Antoine Fuqua has signed a first look partnership with the streaming giant, per Deadline.

What’s good, y’all? Let’s get to it.Read more...

The TV landscape is full of shows that feature friends who act as each other’s family, however, a lot of them don’t focus on the support that Black women provide for one another.

In a recently released report issued by the Government Accountability Office, it is noted that about 1.3 million students, ages 12 to 18, were bullied for their race, religion, national origin, disability, gender, or sexual orientation in the 2018-2019 school year. In the same school year, the report says, there were…Read more...

Janet Hubert of Fresh Prince of Bel Air has been hospitalized. Although the cause is unknown, the original ‘Aunt Viv’ took to Instagram to share a (now removed) image of herself in the hospital. The post was captioned with the following:Read more...

In a world where Black lesbian characters are both limited and limiting, Jerrie Johnson and her portrayal of tech–star Tye in Amazon Prime’s ‘Harlem’, is a welcome reset in how we categorize queerness through our television screens.Read more...

One Greenville Mississippi couple is out here proving that Black love breeds good business. While down in the Delta, you’re sure to come across culinary southern staples like fried catfish, collards, and smothered beef tips. What you may be hard pressed to find however, is fresh produce. Enter Kenesha Lewis, the 30…Read more...

Listen, this country owes a lot to Black women. From being the backbone of the Black Panthers, to swaying major elections, to carrying corporate America, the needle doesn’t move without our endless contributions. Although there are far fewer bronze statues and park monuments in our honor, one St. Louis based arts…Read more...

This holiday season, the Queen of Christmas is back with a new jewel to add to her crown. As of December 3rd, Mariah Carey’s holiday classic, ‘All I Want For Christmas Is You’, is certified diamond by the RIAA. The tune, which can be heard over shopping mall speakers starting just after Halloween night, is the first…Read more...

Big money is being put towards centers that are meant to benefit the Black community. The latest is in Madison, Wisconsin.

The CW is finally putting the attention where it belongs, on marching bands. More specifically, the amazing artistry of HBCU marching bands.

When discussing the issues that young Black men are going through on a daily basis, what mainly comes up is gun violence. Deservedly so, it’s an important issue that needs to be resolved. There are young Black men across the country who are taking preventative measures to make sure gun violence decreases in our…Read more...

Following all the holiday specials and movies, January signals the re-start of the TV season, with long-awaited premieres and returns of fan favorites. Comedy, drama and even Shakespeare are all set to hit the not so small screen in January. The jam-packed line up features several series we’re definitely setting our…Read more...

Nobody can argue that Deion Sanders is a different kind of coach than Jackson State football has ever had.

Two Black Georgia election workers found themselves at the center of the 2020 election fraud claims (lies) thanks to online conservative publication The Gateway Pundit. Now, the two workers are suing the website for defamation.Read more...

HIV infections have always been an issue that needs to be addressed in the Black community. But in a report by the CDC, the number of infections among gay and bisexual Black and Latino men has not had serious changes in the last decade. They have remained stagnant.

If you have “Tomorrow” stuck in your head, you’re not alone. NBC’s Annie Live! hit the small screen with an unrelenting message of optimism and hope. And while the musical takes place during the Great Depression, there’s no denying we certainly need those sentiments right now.

Jonshell Alexander, who played a supporting role in the Oscar-nominated movie “Beasts of the Southern Wild,” was shot and killed in New Orleans, Louisiana over the weekend. She was only 22 years old.Read more...

While most people I know were preparing for what turned out to be quite a dramatic Verzuz between Bone Thugs-n-Harmony and Three-6 Mafia I was queueing up Listening to Kenny G, a documentary about jazz/pop artist Kenny G directed by Penny Lane. The documentary is part of a Music Box series on some of our favorite…Read more...

St. Petersburg, Florida’s first Black Mayor declined to go to a now canceled mayor’s ball meant to honor him next year. The ball’s theme? The Circus.Read more...

Netflix is on a quest to get tears flowing, as the streamer is making a movie based on the true story of a grandma who invited a stranger to Thanksgiving.

Say it ain’t so, Antonio.Read more...

William R. Bryan, the man who brought national attention to the killing of Ahmaud Arbery by recording it, was found guilty of three counts of felony murder, one count of aggravated assault, one count of false imprisonment and one count of criminal attempt to commit false imprisonment.Read more...

I love my people.Read more...

I imagine one ring of Hell is just made up of school board meetings.Read more...

As Audre Lorde famously wrote, “the master’s tools will never dismantle the master’s house.” On Thursday, MasterClass announced an exciting new antiracism tool—with the help of a brilliant group of Black instructors. Titled Black History, Black Freedom, and Black Love, the new course is part of a $2 million commitment…Read more...

On March 5, 2020, Nathanial Woods was executed in Alabama for the murder of three white Birmingham police officers. But, he was not the one behind the gun that murdered them.Read more...

ABC will add historical context to its upcoming limited series Women of the Movement with the companion docuseries Let the World See.