The Root

It seems the powers that be have finally heard our boisterous cries and have seen fit to put LeVar Burton back on our TV screens in a game show capacity!Read more...

It’s rare to have one phenom in a family, let alone two, but the Williams sisters are now the stuff of legend, in the world of tennis and well beyond. Of course, that legend and much of the sisters’ meteoric rise began with the early training and unflagging tenacity of their father and first coach, Richard Williams.…Read more...

Remember the goofy white folks who made it a point to come out of their lavish home waving guns at Black Lives Matter protesters who weren’t even bothering them? Well, what do you know? It turns out that brandishing weapons against peaceful protesters is kind of their thing, as the vigilante couple left their home…Read more...

Rich Paul’s reputation as a tough-as-nails sports agent didn’t fool at least one person—his significant other, Adele.

It’s oft been said that there are no do-overs in life. But if Halle Berry gets her way, there just might be a do-over on her Razzie award-winning role as Catwoman.Read more...

Unlike in the trial of Kenosha vigilante Kyle Rittenhouse, the Georgia judge overseeing the trial of three white men accused in the killing of Ahmaud Arbery ain’t picking up what the defense is putting down.

Remember Henry “Enrique” Tarrio? He’s the leader of the Proud Boys, that far-right extremist group. He’s serving a five-month sentence for burning a Black Lives Matter banner that was taken from a Black church in Washington, D.C.Read more...

Tapioca. Hobgoblin. Swoon.Read more...

Loyal fans of the Travis Scott brand will have to wait for his next drop with Nike; perhaps indefinitely. The athleticwear juggernaut has pumped the brakes on its collaboration with the rapper following the November 5 mass casualty event at his 2021 Astroworld festival at NRG Park in Houston, which injured hundreds of…Read more...

Mere days after Ben Simmons’ agent, Rich Paul, dragged the Philadelphia 76ers for their perceived mistreatment of his client, the team has once again punished its disgruntled point guard.Read more...

We all know it’s not a party until a Soul Train line breaks out. DJ Cassidy is taking that to the next level with his latest Pass the Mic special.Read more...

The 2021 American Music Awards (AMAs) will be airing on a small screen near us soon!Read more...

On August 25, 2020, a single mother packed her unemployed teenage son into a car and took him to a gang meeting. Like many mothers who don’t teach their sons to value education and hard work, this woman wasn’t aware that her high school dropout son had been running around with the wrong crowd. However, she knew her…Read more...

If you weren’t already aware, Lil Nas X is trolling us. In fact, he’s so good at it that he “has changed how we do what we do, and who gets to do it, forever,” according to Tony-nominated playwright Jeremy O. Harris in GQ’s Men of the Year issue, who adds: “Never before has a pop artist who is so far from the ‘powers…Read more...

There’s nothing worse than getting embarrassed on national television, and that’s exactly what happened when the Los Angeles Rams (7-3) introduced their newly revamped roster on Monday night against the San Francisco 49ers (4-5).Read more...

It seems da mess surrounding rapper DaBaby seems to grow bigger, wider, faster, and stronger as the months go by.

These Black chefs find joy in their own cooking by creating beautiful meals for their families. From James Beard Award winners to farm-to-table, the following chefs have sent in some of their favorite dishes to make around the holidays. Each side, main, dessert, and drink are simple to make and easy to share with…Read more...

New York-based Wachtell Lipton firm, which is working on behalf of the NBA in order to investigate allegations of sexism and “racially insensitive behavior” that have been levied against Phoenix Suns owner Robert Sarver, has reached out to team employees and assured them of confidentiality in exchange for their…Read more...

“Heaven gained its sweetest angel back,” read an online tribute to Chris-Tia Donaldson, founder and CEO of Thank God It’s Natural—also known as TGIN. Donaldson, a pioneer in the natural haircare industry and a self-described “Breast Cancer Thriver,” died on Saturday, November 13, as confirmed in a social media message…Read more...

Yahoo reported that last week, the embattled comedian’s alma mater quietly, uh, cancelled a scheduled event where Chappelle was supposed to appear to help the school raise money. Some students had threatened to walk out over his appearance in the wake of a running controversy about jokes in his latest Netflix stand-up…Read more...

November is half over, so you know what that means: a turkey feast is on the horizon. But if you’re like some of us, you haven’t spent much time planning for Thanksgiving Day—look, it’s a pandemic, okay? For those of us who may need a bit of a nudge in the menu planning department, we’ve gathered some of our favorite…Read more...

Vice President Kamala Harris got more media attention last week than she has in months, and not all of it was appreciated by her staff and supporters.Read more...

What a difference two years makes. When New York Times staff writer and MacArthur “Genius” Nikole Hannah-Jones published The 1619 Project in August 2019, the table-shaking collaborative special issue which challenged conventional American history “by placing the consequences of slavery and the contributions of Black…Read more...

In a day and age rife with homogenized music drenched in autotuned rambling, Spotify and I often retreat into the past in order to relish the passion and showmanship that contemporary music no longer affords. To that end, I sure as hell can’t fault Silk Sonic, comprised of Anderson .Paak and Bruno Mars, for expressing…Read more...

It seems congratulations are in order for Twenties and The Chi creator Lena Waithe!Read more...

Jon Gruden may never coach in the NFL again, but the league hasn’t heard the last of him. The disgraced former Super Bowl-winning coach sued the NFL last week, ESPN reported, and if his allegations make it to open court, it could get messy for the league.

Back in June, we told you about the Verzuz battle that almost happened between legendary singing sensations Stephanie Mills and Chaka Khan. During an interview with The Breakfast Club, Mills surprisingly explained how there were initial talks of the two icons (and friends) going head-to-head but that “the Verzuz…Read more...

Aiight, y’all. Shall we get into it?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.

The mass casualty event that took place on November 5 at Travis Scott’s 2021 Astroworld festival in Houston has claimed its tenth—and youngest—victim. As reported by The Root last week, nine-year-old Scott fan Ezra Blount was atop his father Treston’s shoulders when a crowd surge among the festival’s approximately…Read more...

What do the lonely do at Christmas? Well if you’re ‘Trap Soul’ singer Bryson Tiller, you might just record a could-be Christmas classic. Earlier this week, Tiller took to the socials to announce his next project, ‘A Different Christmas.’Read more...

After 3 years of marriage, one of hip hop’s most shocking couples is headed for divorce. On Monday, November 8th, TMZ reported that Stevie J, 50, has filed for divorce from wife Faith Evans, 48.Read more...

If you happen to be an adult Disney fan like myself, you’ll be jumping for joy at this next news bite. Behold, one of our favorite animated beauties is getting her own series. ‘Tiana,” a new spinoff of the ‘Princess and The Frog’ film will make its debut as a “new longform musical series,” joining an all new cohort of…Read more...

In this week’s edition of our not so official segment, “I’m Rooting for Everybody Black,” allow us to introduce you to Angelica Mckinley. Though you may be unfamiliar with her name, chances are high that you’ve come across her work. If you’ve ever conducted an online search, you have probably stumbled across a little…Read more...

While actor Terrence J. has taken part in action packed scenes aplenty, no Hollywood stunt could have prepared him for this cinema–worthy sequence of events. The real life drama played out at his suburban Sherman Oaks home, where he pulled up in the early hours of Wednesday morning, and quickly found himself blocked…Read more...

The political playbook for white politicians who fear a Black planet is being written in the suburbs of one of America’s Blackest cities.Read more...

Move over Barnes and Rubble, there’s a new bookstore in the heart of Lansing, Michigan. Meet Nyshell Lawrence, a Lansing local who prefers romantic strolls down the bookstore aisles to most other date night options. One night in particular while out browsing with her husband in 2017, Lawrence found her excitement…Read more...

It’s been more than 50 days since the Department of Homeland Security launched an internal investigation into the U.S. Border Patrol. In September, photos of agents riding horseback with literal whips (or “lariats” as they call them) showed them chasing back terrified migrants at the Texan border.Read more...

This story could have come straight from an episode of Queen Sugar: In Mississippi, Black fieldhands are suing their white, landowner employers for allegedly violating federal law by hiring and giving foreign workers higher pay for the same work. Adding insult to injury: many of the immigrant workers being brought in…Read more...

As an ardent supporter of all things Nas—only a fool wouldn’t include King’s Disease II among the best releases of the year—it’s brought me tremendous joy to watch the greatest rapper of all time (I said what I said) expand his influence beyond just music as his career continues to evolve. And now, with hip-hop’s 50th…Read more...

Two teens in a Philly suburb were just charged with the tragic shooting death of an eight-year-old Black girl who died back in August. The only problem is nearly everyone acknowledges it was cops—who have yet to be charged—who shot the girl and three other people at the scene.

Nicki Minaj is continuing to fight back against the woman who accused her husband, Kenneth Petty, of rape. In fact, as previously reported by The Root, Petty was sentenced to 18 to 54 months in New York state prison on a plea deal for the attempted first-degree rape of Jennifer Hough in 1994, though Hough has always…Read more...

As the days get shorter, and the weather gets colder, the time is perfect to catch up on all those Netflix movies and series piling up in your queue. Thankfully, the streaming service doesn’t disappoint: with an array of new titles—and a few old faves—you will be guaranteed a Netflix-and-Chill weekend filled with…Read more...

Fourscore and three years ago, Huddie “Lead Belly” Ledbetter—a self-titled “musicianer” who was heralded as a “Bad Nigger” who “makes good minstrel” by Life magazine—explained how he came to create one of the first racism* carols. Named after nine young Black men who had been falsely accused of raping two white women,…Read more...

“I’m sorry, what?!”Read more...

In recognition of Veterans Day 2021 on November 11—and in honor of and thanks for the service of so many Black veterans, former service-members shared their thoughts and perspectives on their time in the military and the aftermath. This is the final installment in The Root’s three-part series.Read more...

He should’ve worn a mask.

While some of Christopher Reeves’ Superman sequels left much to be desired—Superman IV: The Quest for Peace in particular was absolute dreck—the Carolina Panthers (4-5) are hoping a reunion with their own Superman, former franchise quarterback Cam Newton, can return the team to prominence—or at least, steady the ship…Read more...

Imagine you are defending someone who chased and shot down a Black man, your line of defense is that he was following an old slave catcher’s law, and you try to bar the Rev. Al Sharpton out of the courtroom.Read more...

FW de Klerk, South Africa’s last president of apartheid and the polarizing figure who shares a Nobel Peace Prize with the country’s beloved late president Nelson Mandela, has died at 85 years old.Read more...