The Root

Virginia has a major reputation as a history hub, but as people of color know, society’s definition of history doesn’t always acknowledge our perspectives and our stories. So it might be a surprise to learn that the state that was once the seat of the Confederacy is also home to the longest Black experience in the…Read more...

We, the undersigned, believe this country stands at a crucial moment that will define the democratic expression and exchange of ideas for our own and future generations. State institutions across the country are attempting to ban frank and rigorous conversation about our history in the classroom. Few single works have…Read more...

Texas Republicans truly operate on a whole ‘nother level when it comes to dumbfuckery. Texas Governor Greg Abbott has announced that he intends to sign a bill that would make it significantly more difficult for a city to defund its police force.

To mark the one-year anniversary of his death, activists, citizens, and members of Floyd’s family gathered to celebrate his life and continue the fight for reform.Read more...

When the country collectively witnessed the brutal May 25, 2020 death of George Floyd, white people were forever changed. Millions took to the streets, arm-in-arm with their fellow brethren, offering their support for justice and equality. Corporations changed their policies. Individuals joined the movement. To prove…Read more...

In The Color Purple, Shug Avery (Margaret Avery) told Celie (Whoopi Goldberg) that it pisses God off when you walk by nature’s color purple without noticing.Read more...

Throughout the pandemic, families in need of food assistance have received monthly payments to help cover the cost of food for children who faced greater food insecurity as a result of remote schooling making it harder to get free school meals. While those payments were extended to at least the end of the year as part…Read more...

Marley Marl is a man of many talents. He’s blessed us with classic hit after classic hit, helped introduce some of the most important artists in hip-hop history, and has influenced just about everyone from Pete Rock to DJ Premier. But hip-hop is a young man’s game, so with the Queensbridge native eager to continue…Read more...

When Joe Biden meets with the family of George Floyd on Tuesday to acknowledge the one-year anniversary of the day former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin murdered Floyd in broad daylight, it will not be a perfunctory photo op. Instead, the president will use the visit as an opportunity to push for the passage…Read more...

In the early hours of Sunday morning, Sasha Johnson, a British Black Lives Matter activist, was attacked and shot in the head in south London.Read more...

Last year during the protests for racial justice, almost every major corporation released a statement standing in solidarity with the Black community. From McDonald’s to Nike, companies used their platform to shed light on the ongoing state-sanctioned violence against Black people, pledged to support Black…Read more...

If the current debate over teaching American history and who gets credit for building this country is any indication, the celebration of Black excellence remains a vital and necessary endeavor.

Simone Biles, who prides herself on consistently doing otherworldly, Simone Biles things, just added another spectacular feat to her resume—because of course she did.Read more...

With the play-in tournament out the way, it’s finally time to treat ourselves to the main course instead of continuing to munch on chicken wings and spinach dip. After one of the most tumultuous regular seasons in NBA history—thanks to rampant injuries, COVID-19 health and safety protocols—and a far too brief…Read more...

Y’all hungry?Read more...

For Black people, medical care in this country has been fraught with a tangled history of lack of access and an inherent mistrust in a system that has both experimented on Black bodies and at times ignored the pleas and complaints of Black people who have had varying experiences with medical professionals who either…Read more...

On Sunday, artists from around the world gathered at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles in hopes of owning one of those coveted gold microphones. That’s right, the 2021 Billboard Music Awards ceremony happened.Read more...

A common misconception about the movement against systemic racism in policing is that the only thing being addressed is Black death. I think this is in part because white people have found their “what about Black-on-Black crime?” strawman to throw out there in response to our complaints about the extrajudicial…Read more...

You know how I know that the Republican war on Critical Race Theory and The 1619 Project has nothing to do with a fear that students will be taught an inaccurate version of History that teaches that some races are superior to others? Two words: Rick Santorum.Read more...

Some of the most iconic photos of legendary Hip-Hop artists you’ve ever seen were shot by him. You’ve seen his work in magazines, on billboards, on t-shirts and on many of music’s most well-known album covers—his impact on the culture is undeniable.Read more...

So apparently, Washington, D.C.’s Trump International Hotel raised its prices in March in order to deter QAnon Trump supporters from visiting, and...my God, that’s hilarious. Imagine a cult leader telling his loyal cultists: “Loving me is free, but if you want to come to my house and stink up my furniture, well,…Read more...

America is a racist country, and the people working the hardest to prove that it isn’t are the same ones actively demonstrating that it is.Read more...

Once you’ve been a part of The Root family, we will forever claim you (because Black excellence deserves Black pride). So, despite his recent departure from the daily grind of our beloved news and opinion site, we are collectively overjoyed that one of our closest homies, Very Smart Brothas co-founder Damon Young was…Read more...

This Tuesday will mark the one-year anniversary of George Floyd’s death. Two things were supposed to happen on or by that date: Floyd’s family was to be hosted at the White House, and a federal police reform bill named for Floyd was supposed to be on President Joe Biden’s desk. Unfortunately, it looks like only one of…Read more...

A $10 billion lawsuit has been filed against McDonald’s on behalf of two networks owned by media mogul Byron Allen. The lawsuit filed Thursday in Los Angeles Superior Court accuses the fast-food chain of refusing to advertise on Black-owned networks—particularly, the 12 networks that operate under Entertainment…Read more...

And the winner for most deplorable Republican House candidate goes to...Anthony Bouchard and it isn’t even close.

Content warning: The following article discusses suicidal ideation.Read more...

As we’ve reported numerous times over the past several years, giving birth in the United States remains a dangerous proposition, as pregnant or birthing women are more than twice as likely to die from complications than in most other high-income countries in the world. For Black women, the risks are even higher; new…Read more...

It’s so strange that bootlickers exist when cops continually do shit that makes any normal person without authoritarian tendencies go “Wow, that’s fucked up.” A Black man in Illinois has filed a federal lawsuit after officers took a small urn containing his daughter’s ashes and said it tested positive for drugs.

Welcome back to another edition of the Clapback Mailbag.Read more...

If you thought the onslaught of racist vitriol directed at former first lady Michelle Obama was difficult to read and hear about, imagine how it felt to be helpless when tasked with protecting her. This week, excerpts from former Secret Service agent Evy Poumpouras’ 2020 memoir Becoming Bulletproof resurfaced,…Read more...

I am not a parent; I am simply an auntie.Read more...

Audible’s “Words + Music” initiative combines storytelling with some of the most impactful musicians of our time. And in its latest installment, Deep Soul Lowdown, Texas guitar hero Gary Clark Jr. displays his distinct authenticity as he recounts his journey from being a teenage musical prodigy to following in the…Read more...

What happens when hit dogs holler at a Wolf?Read more...

Of the handful of celebrity families who continue to capture our imagination —including the Carters, the Wilsons, and the Williams-Ohanians—as well as our attention each time they post pictures of their adorable broods on social media, perhaps the most refreshing is the blended and beautiful Union-Wade clan. Whether…Read more...

Last month, former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was found guilty on three charges in the murder of George Floyd. As we await sentencing in the case, new developments have occurred in the case of the three officers charged with aiding and abetting Chauvin in Floyd’s death. The verdict in Chauvin’s trial has…Read more...

Aside from trying to raise good, respectful humans and ensuring that they don’t off themselves in one of a bazillion kamikaze-style endeavors that all babies and toddlers undertake, the most difficult part about raising little children is finding appropriate music to listen to with your kids, especially in the car…Read more...

After conquering boxing and now making her mark on mixed martial arts, professional ass-beater Claressa Shields is on a mission to become the greatest two-sport athlete of all time. And thanks to ESPN+, we’ll be joining her on her journey.Read more...

The current president of Florida just can’t stop the grift.

Apparently, some rascally racist with a lot of time and rope on their hands has been hanging random nooses around an Amazon construction site in Windsor, Conn. It’s gotten to be such a noosanse (see what I did there?) that the company announced Thursday that the site has been shut down while the authorities get to…Read more...

Content Warning: The following article contains details of alleged workplace abuse.

Hate it or love it, the NBA’s play-in tournament is at least keeping this postseason interesting.Read more...

Happy Friday, y’all! It’s that time of week where I put you on some bangers that won’t break the bank. PlayStation has a sale on remakes and remasters, so I figured it’d only be fitting to go put you on some great new takes on some classic games.

Quincy Jones likes Brazilian music.Read more...

On Wednesday, the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Golden State Warriors in a back-and-forth duel that was decided by an absurdly clutch three-pointer from LeBron “LeBron James” James. That victory secured them the seventh seed in the NBA Playoffs and will see them go up against the Phoenix Suns, who I am more than happy…Read more...

It shouldn’t come as a surprise that, as with most things in this country, the farming industry hasn’t exactly been welcoming to Black people throughout the entirety of this country’s modern history. In an effort to rectify the injustices Black farmers have had to endure, the $1.9 trillion COVID relief package passed…Read more...

Total, help me sing!

Attorneys representing Los Angeles County are reportedly complaining about an Instagram post made by Vanessa Bryant in March that they said puts sheriff’s deputies in the county at risk.Read more...

The sequel to the 2019 “whodunit” film Knives Out will be making its way back to our screens soon, but this time, with some brand new faces! Titled Knives Out 2, the followup’s casting announcements have recently been making waves online and its latest additions are sure to have you screaming—or should I say, singing…Read more...

An attorney representing the family of Andrew Brown Jr., a Black man who was fatally shot by sheriff’s deputies in North Carolina, has said that they intend to file a federal lawsuit over the killing.