The Root

Californians will go to the polls Tuesday, Sept. 14 to determine whether Gov. Gavin Newsom deserves to keep his job after a well-coordinated, right-wing effort gathered enough signatures to force a recall. Even though Newsom won his first run for the governor’s office in 2018 by more than 22 percent of the vote over…Read more...

Last week, Lil Nas X announced his pregnancy with his debut album, Montero, which comes out on September 17. In keeping with his very extra announcement, this week he dropped yet another extra AF promo for the album, albeit a charitable one—a registry with 15 different organizations for fans to donate to.Read more...

As detractors continue to come for U.S. gymnastics legend Simone Biles and her participation—or lack thereof—in the Tokyo Olympics, the 24-year-old is making it abundantly clear that she has no desire whatsoever to entertain their bullshit.Read more...

Zendaya’s evolution in the industry has been a marathon, not a sprint—and she remains in first place. From her start on the Disney Channel to being part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), she’s evolved into a household name.Read more...

Arkansas jail detainees claim they were given ivermectin to treat COVID-19 without their knowledge and say that a doctor told them they were being treated with vitamins. An Arkansas doctor is currently under investigation for administering the drug, though the doctor claims the inmates took the drug willingly, …Read more...

Dr. Yusef Salaam, one-fifth of the Exonerated Five, continues to show us that he is indeed not bitter, but better. The activist and author of Better, Not Bitter: Living on Purpose in the Pursuit of Racial Justice is reportedly running for New York public office.Read more...

Remember last week, when, thanks to Lizzo, the timeline was up in arms over whether Janet Jackson should rightfully be known as the “Queen of Pop” over Madonna? Well, on Labor Day, Ms. Jackson (if you’re nasty) dropped a little gem that might further cement her claim—or diplomatically, her co-claim—to the title. Both…Read more...

Someone’s obviously trying to come up on Howard University again, but this time it’s just not as meme-able (or profitable, in Tyrone Hankerson Jr.’s case).Read more...

It seems that Texas Governor Greg Abbott recovered from his case of COVID-19 just fine and is back on that BS we all know him for.Read more...

For years, internet sensation Gillie Da Kid has blessed us with a Million Dollaz Worth of Game, all while taking the phrase “living your best life” to unprecedented heights. And in his unyielding pursuit of happiness, this weekend the former Cash Money Records rapper did what he does best—break the internet—when he…Read more...

A Minnesota State Patrol officer said that the “vast majority” of emails and text messages following the George Floyd protests in Minneapolis were deleted. Minnesota State Patrol Maj. Joseph Dwyer said during a July 28 hearing that it was typical that, as an organization, officers “periodically delete our inboxes”…Read more...

Though the news of Michael K. Williams’ passing has undoubtedly been heartbreaking for many—it’s also been heartwarming, thanks to the myriad tributes and fond memories shared by those who knew and loved him.Read more...

Alabama lawmakers are working to cut racist language from its state constitution dating back to 1901, when maintaining white supremacy was explicitly the law of the state.

There is no bond like that of family. It is the foundation upon which each of us are built, its stability or unsteadiness providing the emotional bedrock on which we stand. For George M. Johnson, the bestselling author of 2020's groundbreaking “memoir-manifesto” All Boys Aren’t Blue, the story really began with a…Read more...

Congratulations are in order for Cardi B and her hubby Offset!Read more...

With the NFL set to make its triumphant return on Thursday night, now would be the opportune time for coaches to put a ring on it by announcing their starting quarterbacks for the upcoming season. Cam Newton learned his fate in New England last week, and now it’s Deshaun Watson’s turn to find out if we’ll be seeing…Read more...

After a holiday weekend spent defending his position as president of Human Rights Campaign (HRC), Alphonso David has been terminated with cause, the HRC board announced.Read more...

Michael K. Williams, who rose to fame playing iconic stickup man Omar Little in HBO’s The Wire, as well as starring in TV shows Boardwalk Empire and Lovecraft Country, has died, according to the Hollywood Reporter. He was 54.

Do you know who is really good at putting together soundtracks? Marvel. The MCU goes all out for its movies and I’m really here for it. Anderson .Paak performs “Fire In The Sky” for Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, which premiered Friday. Though we’ve been impatiently waiting for the Silk Sonic album, this…Read more...

They say never meet your heroes—but in some cases, they’re more fun than you imagined. That was the case when award-winning poet, educator and living literary legend Nikki Giovanni blessed The Root Presents: It’s Lit! podcast with an appearance last December as we prepared to enter what we all hoped would be a happier…Read more...

A new study finds that Black offenders are much more likely than white or Hispanic ones to get federal life sentences. The analysis published in the journal Criminology examined more than 366,000 offenders convicted and sentenced in 90 federal district courts from 2010 to 2017, according to Axios.

“Welcome to the August Wilson Theatre, for tonight’s first preview performance of Pass Over! You are the first audience back to see a REAL Broadway play!”Read more...

Fanta Bility, an 8-year-old girl killed by gunfire after a high school football game, was likely hit by police officers’ bullets as they returned fire against gunmen during a shootout on Aug. 27.

Andrew Cuomo may have left the governor’s mansion in Albany, N.Y., but the repercussions of his fight to stay in power continue to wreak collateral damage. As previously reported by The Root, several leaders of prominent social justice movements were swept up in the fallout of the now-disgraced politician, including…Read more...

At least 68 people are dead and many are still without power after Hurricane Ida hit the Gulf Coast and remnants of the storm ravaged the Northeast last week. Making matters worse is a major oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico 100 miles south of New Orleans, CBS News reports.Read more...

Data shows that a one-day Twitch boycott organized by Black, queer and disabled streamers fed up with the platform’s inaction against online harassment led to a noticeable decline in its viewership numbers.

Sloane Stephens doesn’t deserve this.

Curtis Flowers, a Black Mississippi man who wrongfully spent 23 years for the murders of four people, is suing the prosecutor who tried him six times in court.

MAHK ZUCKENBERGER!!! You got some ‘splainin’ to do, my guy.

Naomi Osaka was defeated at the U.S. Open on Friday by unseeded Canadian Leylah Fernandez, ending the reigning champion’s title defense early.

Day 12 of R. Kelly’s federal sex trafficking trial featured testimony from a woman who said the R&B singer paid $200,000 to settle a lawsuit that accused him of giving her herpes without telling her that he had it.

Sistaaaa, you been on my mind! And the sista I’m referring to specifically is none other than the Academy Award-winning artist H.E.R, who is set to make her acting debut in the forthcoming film adaptation of the Tony-winning musical version of The Color Purple. Per Billboard, the “Slide” singer will take on the role…Read more...

One of the newest stars of poetry is now the newest ambassador for Estée Lauder; Youth Poet Laureate Amanda Gorman, who shot to fame as the youngest inaugural poet in U.S. history during the inauguration of President Joe Biden, has inked a first-of-its-kind partnership with the legacy cosmetics company. According to …Read more...

On Aug. 25, 2017, The Root debuted the first column in what would become a weekly series called the Clapback Mailbag. Since then, we have responded to more than 600 emails, tweets, DMs and comments from readers, admirers and people whose shopping list doesn’t include lotion.Read more...

Camaraderie is kind of a big deal in professional sports and is often cited as one of the most important ingredients to establishing a championship culture. There have been countless stories about how bonding off the court has produced results on it, but that entire dynamic could take a major hit due to new COVID-19…Read more...

There was much hanging in the balance when we last left the much-beloved HBO series Insecure. Issa and Molly’s friendship hung in the balance as the two tried to resolve growing in different directions; Molly and Andrew had hit yet another wall—likely their final one; Issa and Nathan were navigating a new (and…Read more...

Kim Porter, the former Minnesota police officer who is facing second-degree manslaughter charges in the shooting death of Daunte Wright during a traffic stop in April, just received some more bad news.Read more...

‘Bitchin’: the Sound and Fury of Rick James is a new documentary produced by Mass Appeal and directed by Emmy-nominated filmmaker Sacha Jenkins. It is described “an intimate yet propulsive look at Rick James, one of rock, funk and R&B’s most legendary and often under-appreciated figures.”Read more...

When a premiere sport loses its biggest name, things can get a bit...awkward.Read more...

A man who confronted a news reporter while he was just trying to do his damn job was taken into custody by the U.S. Marshals in Ohio on Thursday.

Venus and Serena Williams are world-renowned tennis champions, but the first to recognize their potential was their father and early coach, Richard Williams. Similarly, critics are already recognizing the Oscar-winning potential of the film based on the patriarch’s push to make his daughter the best in the game, the…Read more...

Before recusing herself from the case involving three men who have been charged in confronting and killing Ahmaud Arbery, a former prosecutor in Georgia failed to reveal that she sought the assistance from another prosecutor before recommending him to take over the case. Oh, and she told police officers not to arrest…Read more...

On Sept. 1, 2021, Markus Batchelor—who, according to his Twitter bio, is an advocate, activist and deputy director of Leadership for People For the American Way, a progressive nonprofit fighting for equal rights and constitutional liberties—chose inspiration.Read more...

Apparently the guilt of American history is just too much for white people to handle so the push to erase America’s greatest sin from school books continues as a reworked version of an earlier bill heads to Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s desk for signature.

After boldly declaring “Yesterday’s price is not today’s price!” in the immediate aftermath of the instant classic showdown slaughter between the LOX and the Diplomats, Fat Joe will be stepping into the Verzuz arena himself against long-time friend Ja Rule.Read more...

Editor’s note: The following article includes descriptions of sexual coercion and abuse.Read more...

My name is Shanelle Genai, writing stuff about Black entertainment is my thang.Read more...

If you live in a place where you can’t see the stars but still want to go stargazing, have no fear, this week’s literary releases are here.

We can’t walk our dogs while Black, go for a run, look at new homes, play loud music, wear a hoodie or wait for a bus. And No. 1 on this list: driving while Black.

When Governor Ralph Northam announced last June that the statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee in Richmond, Va., was going to be removed, we knew racists wouldn’t let it go down without a fight.Read more...