The Root

The U.S. Justice Department announced efforts to better crack down on reports of redlining–an illegal, racist practice that has discriminated against communities of color for years–and prosecute those who continue to uphold it.

If a father knows best, imagine what happens when about 40 dads come together to help curb violence at the high school their kids attend.

Now that Charlottesville’s infamous statue of Robert E. Lee has been removed from its pedestal and out of the public eye, the question of what to do with it still remains. If a proposal by a local Black history and culture museum is approved by city officials, it may be melted down and turned into new art.

The Jefferson Parish, La. sheriff’s deputy who was recorded on video last month as he repeatedly slammed a Black woman’s head into the pavement has been on the receiving end of nine federal civil rights lawsuits for excessive force.

Criminal charges have been filed against Pierce County, Wa. Sheriff Ed Troyer, months after he lied about a Black newspaper carrier threatening to kill him as he made deliveries in Troyer’s neighborhood in Tacoma.

Tyree Bell was 15 years old in 2016 when he was stopped and arrested by Kansas City, Mo., police for a crime he didn’t commit. He spent three weeks in jail before the police realized he wasn’t who they were looking for.Read more...

Atlanta—the Black Mecca, as some folks call it—is a place people of color have moved to in order to gain success. The city is filled with multiple Fortune 500 businesses, a budding economy, and it’s the home of the highly entertaining Real Housewives of Atlanta. In a place where you can bump into a celebrity at a gas…Read more...

Imagine you’re going about your Black business only to have a cop follow you out of a convenience store, accuse you of waving a gun at someone and selling drugs. All things that he never saw.Read more...

As anyone who has been a devoted viewer of Insecure can tell you, in addition to the city of Los Angeles, the series’ soundtracks are yet another character in the much-beloved show. Fans and followers of Issa Rae’s groundbreaking series have long followed its official playlist on Spotify—which has also often proven a…Read more...

The pollen count was high that year when God decided to put on his Birkenstocks and step out for the evening. While waiting for his Uber, God began sneezing. Realizing that he didn’t have tissue–he had everything, including hand sanitizer in his shoulder bag–he blew his nose into the parking lot and thus, Florida was…Read more...

Racism will not die with older people.Read more...

America be lying.Read more...

Is The Closer comedian open to honest dialogue about the harm his words have done to the LGBTQ+ community? Following the backlash to the transphobic rhetoric that passed as “jokes” in his most recent Netflix special (and several prior)—which included a walkout by the streamer’s employees on Wednesday, the firing of…Read more...

On Peace of Mind with Taraji, Golden Globe Award-winning actress Taraji P. Henson and her co-host and best friend, Tracie Jade, address the importance of mental health awareness and use their platform to help eliminate the stigmas surrounding it. And on a recent episode of the popular Facebook Watch series, they were…Read more...

As an adult, I know it’s difficult trying to maintain a stable ‘work-life’ balance, but this is ridiculous. I’ve always admired the strength of Black women and the sacrifices they have to make, but to choose between my job or my child? I could not even imagine.

If Candace Owens was standing outside of a Candace Owens rally wearing a t-shirt that read, “I’m Candace Owens!” it wouldn’t take long for a passerby to wonder aloud: “Who the fuck is Candace Owens?!”

I’m here for all of the continued love and support that HBCUs seem to be getting as of late, and now comes the news that they’ll be on the receiving end of even more, courtesy of the NBA.Read more...

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott is acutely aware of not only his impact on the field, but the impact of his platform. So when eagle-eyed fans noticed he’s been playing this season with “Ask 4 Help!” scribbled on his wrist tape, it isn’t a plea for Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy to learn how to better manage…Read more...

Folks, it’s the most wonderful time of the year!

Zerina Akers—TGU 50 2021 honoree and Emmy award-winning costume designer—has just launched a collaboration between her company Black Owned Everything, Nike and Nordstrom to promote the work of four Black-owned businesses in fashion and beauty. The collaboration, which debuted Thursday, curates the unique style of…Read more...

When it seems like the news these days is filled with talk of crime, corruption in politics, and of course, good ol’ fashioned American racism, it’s always nice to hear a motivational story every now and again.Read more...

I’ve said it before but I’ll say it again: I’m like, lowkey, hella sad AF about Insecure leaving, OK? (You see what I did there? I know you do.)Read more...

As eyewitnesses recounted the horrific moments leading up to Eurie Martin’s death, the only sounds that could be heard in the courtroom were his family’s cries.Read more...

The GOAT of gymnastics needs more time to get her groove back—and that’s okay. Simone Biles struck a chord with millions when she withdrew from the Tokyo Olympic Finals to take care of her mental health after developing a case of the “twisties”; a disorienting and extremely dangerous condition for an athlete whose…Read more...

Civil rights groups, students and educators filed a federal lawsuit on Tuesday against the state of Oklahoma over a law that limits how race and gender are taught in public schools.Read more...

Former Minneapolis police officer Mohamed Noor was sentenced Thursday to nearly five years in prison for the fatal shooting of an unarmed woman who called 911 to report that she thought she heard a sexual assault happening behind her home.Read more...

Jermaine Jones Jr. was riding down Highland Avenue in Augusta, Ga., with his father and uncle on Oct. 11, when Richmond County Sheriff’s deputies pulled them over. Investigator Christopher Brown spotted their black SUV and decided to stop them for a tinted license plate cover. Shortly after, more officers arrived on…Read more...

For many in the Black community, Sundays are sacred—and not just because it’s the day those of us raised as Christians traditionally praise and worship. In recent years, Sundays in certain seasons are also the days we can expect new episodes of a series that has become part of the Black entertainment canon: HBO’s…Read more...

The Bible talks openly about God “creating man in his own image,” and accordingly to a new report by statistical analysis website FiveThirtyEight, disgraced former Las Vegas Raiders coach Jon Gruden sought to do the same with the Raiders roster.

Maybe y’all forgot who Condoleezza Rice was, but her comments on The View—you know the comments she made that America needs to move past the insurrection on Jan. 6 because white America loves to ignore the bloody shit they do—have her trending again.

It’s as if God heard our collective cry, but the president of people who wear blackface during Halloween is looking to make his own social media site, which means that prayerfully, all of those who believe like him will leave all other social media sites and join his shitty site.

It’s really disheartening to hear what’s going on at Howard University.

Meghan, the mom of two has entered the chat. The Duchess of Sussex—best known to us commoners as Meghan Markle—took yet another departure from royal protocol this week, penning an open letter to Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.), published Wednesday by the advocacy…Read more...

On Wednesday, trans, non-binary, LGBTQ+ employees of Netflix and allies walked out in protest of their employer’s mishandling of the backlash following the release of Dave Chappelle’s latest comedy special, The Closer.

Here at The Root, we previously questioned whether or not the NFL’s concussion settlement program discriminated against Black players, and now it appears we have our answer.Read more...

The more than 20 victims were all Black. They were mostly boys, and they all died in a spree of killings that happened in the city of Atlanta but gripped the entire nation from 1979-1981.Read more...

Former Chicago mayor Rahm Emanuel was supposed to find a job in the private sector making a ton of money on some company’s board, thus fading into the oblivion that is the place where shitty mayors go to live out the rest of their lives.

If we’re honest, we still haven’t found a tremendous amount to celebrate since the advent of the ever-evolving hellscape that began in 2020. But at The Glow Up, we always find time to celebrate women—and most especially Black women—so we admittedly cracked a smile when we saw some of our faves gathered at the Academy…Read more...

It appears Nicki Minaj has scored a minor victory in the ongoing legal battle between her and husband Kenneth Petty and Petty’s accuser in his 1994 sexual assault conviction, Jennifer Hough.

Prosecutors refused charges against a group of vigilante activists who allegedly stole a not-so-beloved Confederate monument and held it for ransom under threat of poop.

For decades, activists have sounded the alarm about the school-to-prison pipeline, one of the many insidious systemic issues young Black students face every day. As recent as last year, it was reported that Black children, especially Black girls, are more likely to be criminalized and experience severe punishment over…Read more...

When Biggie infamously rapped, “I never thought that hip-hop would take it this far,” today, that same culture we all know and love, has easily surpassed even his wildest hopes and dreams. In the decades since Biggie’s untimely demise, hip-hop has exploded into a full-fledged global phenomenon that has infiltrated…Read more...

Wendy Williams is reportedly still not well enough to return to her daytime talk show. The on-air personality who popularized the phrase “How you doin’?” has fans asking the same now that a full month has passed since her scheduled season start on September 20 was postponed due to health issues. To date, those issues…Read more...

Love is dead. At least, it most definitely is between Dr. Dre and estranged wife Nicole Young, who, reportedly opted to serve the rapper-producer with divorce papers during—whew—his grandmother’s funeral.

This is not the news I was hoping to relay today, but here goes.

The federal New York trial against disgraced R&B singer R. Kelly may be over, but his Chicago trial just got its official start date.Read more...

A statue of Thomas Jefferson will be removed from New York City Hall’s council chamber following a unanimous vote from members of the Public Design Commission on Monday.

One of my favorite past-times is reading (and writing) hot takes. We live in the Internet era—thank you, Al Gore!—where anybody with an Internet connection and social media can let off any and everything that comes to mind. I’m about to do that right now. BRB.Read more...

The president of people who put clothes on their dogs wanted to send “250,000 troops—more than half the active U.S. Army, and a sixth of all American forces—to the southern border.” It would’ve been the largest use of the military since the Civil War.

With money pouring into some coffers, applications surging, and alums relentlessly shouting out their alma maters all over social media, HBCUs appear to be having a moment. While they were always revered in the Black community, HBCUs are seeing a greater level of interest, focus, and investment from the mainstream as…Read more...