The Root

At least eight people who attended the Jan. 6 Capitol riot—the deadly insurrection that attempted to stop the certification of Joe Biden’s presidential election—have won the ultimate prize in the aftermath of their heinous act: They have been elected to public office.Read more...

Reparations have always been a touchy subject for some people, but residents in one Maryland city are ready to open the door for conversation.Read more...

Our criminal justice system says that when you are charged with a crime, you are entitled to your day in court with a jury of your peers. For Gregory McMichael, his son Travis McMichael, and their neighbor William Bryan, that statement could not prove more true. A jury has been selected to decide their fate, and that…Read more...

“We have a long fight and this fight is not mine alone, but you are not free whether you are white or Black, until I am free.” Fannie Lou Hamer, the sharecropper turned activist who became a pivotal figure in the civil rights movement, spoke these words before the credentials committee of the Democratic National…Read more...

Look, I’ve been there before.Read more...

Quentin Hart, Mayor of Waterloo, Iowa, celebrated his reelection on Tuesday by dancing with supporters to “This Is How We Do It’’ by Montell Jordan. Last summer, critics used a video of him lip syncing the song and called him a “wannabe rapper” to discredit his campaign; this year it’s his victory anthem.Read more...

Since his arrival in Cleveland, Odell Beckham Jr. and his quarterback, Baker Mayfield, haven’t exactly been on the same page. After establishing himself as a premier talent in New York, the three-time Pro Bowler has regressed into an afterthought in the Browns’ offense, collecting a grand total of 17 receptions, 232…Read more...

One of my favorite pastimes is revisiting songs from my youth (and particularly from the ’90s) and thinking about them critically. The world isn’t made better by this practice, nor does this bring me a step closer to lottery-sized millions, but you know what, if you’re bored on a Wednesday it really moves the clock.…Read more...

McDonald’s CEO Chris Kempczinski is facing backlash over a thread of text messages sent to mayor of Chicago Lori Lightfoot, where he criticized the parents of 7-year-old Jaslyn Adams and 13-year-old Adam Toledo in the children’s deaths.Read more...

Tupac Shakur’s tragic death in September 1996 at the age of 25 left his family and fans in mourning. Through his music, he has been able to further establish his legacy as an artist, activist, and cultural icon. His story has been told on several occasions, and a new exhibit in California hopes to add to his story.Read more...

It is with a heavy heart that we at The Root report that Ronnie Wilson, founding member of The Gap Band, has transitioned. He was 73.Read more...

There’s always been stories about officers planting things on Black citizens to create reasons for arrests. Well, it seems that former Raleigh Detective Omar Abdullah has made those fears a bit more real for the Black people living in Raleigh, N.C.Read more...

Tuesday’s election night saw big wins for Black people in cities across the country. Popular mayoral candidates like New York City’s Eric Adams and Ken Welch in St. Petersburg, Fla., won their seats during a highly anticipated election day with various local government seats up for grabs. Here’s a rundown of some high-…Read more...

A new autopsy report for Ronald Greene, a Black motorist who died following his arrest for failing to stop for a traffic violation, contradicts the claim made by Louisiana State Police that Greene died from injuries he got in a car crash. Now, Greene’s cause of death may directly point at the officers seen on camera …Read more...

If “if at first you don’t succeed, try, try again” was a Major League Baseball team, it’d be the Atlanta Braves—who still have an offensive-ass name, logo, and signature “tomahawk chop but just became world series champs for the first time since 1995.

The Root 100 is our annual list of the most influential African Americans, ages 25 to 45. It’s our way of honoring the innovators, the leaders, the public figures and the game changers whose work from the past year is breaking down barriers and paving the way for the next generation. This year’s list of honorees is a…Read more...

Alvin Bragg made history Tuesday when he was elected the first Black district attorney of Manhattan, defeating Republican opponent Thomas Kenniff.Read more...

Voters in Minneapolis, Minn., the city where George Floyd was killed under the knee of former officer Derek Chauvin, decided against a proposal to replace the police department on Tuesday. Calls for defunding and abolishing the police were sparked by Floyd’s death in May of 2020, but it seems residents in Minneapolis…Read more...

The promising career of Las Vegas Raiders receiver Henry Ruggs III has taken a tragic detour.Read more...

Some artists create art to tell a story, and a quilt exhibition in Houston is helping them to do just that—by highlighting the contributions of some African American women in history who fought for the right to vote through amazing pieces of art.

On Monday, Coca-Cola announced that it acquired the remaining 85 percent stake of sports drink juggernaut BodyArmor for the low, low price of $5.6 billion. Coca-Cola purchased its initial 15 percent stake back in 2018, and in order to follow through on its plans for world domination, it only made sense for the…Read more...

Carnegie Hall in New York City has seen a lot of firsts since it opened in 1891 and now it can add another, or three, to its long list.Read more...

*deep, heavy, Negro spiritual sigh*Read more...

Since the release of Michelle Obama’s Becoming in 2018, the book has sold almost 10 million copies in the U.S. and has become a topic of study at several universities across the country. As the former first lady continues to promote her memoir, she will soon speak with college students about their experiences in…Read more...

“These. People. Existed.”Read more...

The days of fires and vandalism perpetrated by racists at Black family homes are not long behind us.Read more...

Rev. Jesse Jackson was hospitalized after he fell and hit his head during a visit at Howard University in Washington, D.C. on Monday. The 80-year-old civil rights icon was set to attend a town hall with the university’s president Wayne A.I. Frederick and the students who have been protesting their living conditions on…Read more...

Last week, The Root reported that 82 year-old Claudette Colvin asked a court to expunge her record. She was arrested at 15 years old after refusing to get up from a bus seat in 1955, nine months before Rosa Parks did the same. Colvin’s motion sparked interest in clearing the records for Parks, King and others arrested…Read more...

October wrapped up with new music that was, let’s face it, a bit all over the place. Not necessarily in a bad way—but we have a new disco joint, Alicia Keys in a white gown that looks suspiciously like a wedding dress, and Megan Thee Stallion in some devil’s horn telling you to “Eat It.”Read more...

Anyone who wanted to understand white supremacy could simply look in the Merriam-Webster dictionary for the entry that simply defines white supremacy as “the belief that the white race is inherently superior to other races and that white people should have control over people of other races.” If they were more…Read more...

When we look at celebrities, many times we see these larger-than-life figures that are immune to the trials and tribulations that life has to offer; when in fact they are human, too. For a long time, Will Smith has been thought to be one of those people. From winning Grammy Awards to starring on hit TV shows, to his…Read more...

Things got a bit out of hand on Saturday night in Los Angeles, when armed men attempted to rob three women outside of Teyana Taylor’s Halloween party.Read more...

While Super Bowl 50 MVP Von Miller was finally able to hatch an escape from the Denver Broncos on Monday prior to Tuesday’s NFL trade deadline, embattled quarterback Deshaun Watson won’t be nearly as lucky to follow suit in Houston, according to ESPN.

Normally you’d get some back and forth banter between me and the homie Shanelle Genai. But she’s on vacay, okay?! So alone I stand. But Insecure gon’ Insecure so to the races we go. I’m rocking Crenshawn right now.

Black icons were enshrined in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame on Saturday as part of the most diverse class of inductees to date. Among the list getting their flowers are Jay-Z, LL Cool J, Gil Scott-Heron, Charley Patton, Billy Preston, Clarence Avant and Tina Turner. Other inductees included the Foo Fighters, Carole…Read more...

You gotta give it up to the writers at The Onion.Read more...

If there’s one thing I hate in professional sports, it’s when a team that’s on the receiving end of a vicious-ass beating pads their stats in garbage time. Now, why do I despise this so much? For one, because the opposing team clearly has taken their foot off the gas in order to rest their starters and the losers are…Read more...

Donald Glover dropped us a link on the final day of spooky season and treated us to a new and pretty ominous trailer for the third season of Atlanta.Read more...

It’s Monday morning, so let’s get to it.Read more...

An Alabama ethics court came to the unanimous decision to remove a state probate judge from office after he was accused of violating several ethics guidelines, including making various racist and sexist remarks in the workplace.

A special task force created by the Beverly Hills Police Department to crack down on crime along its iconic Rodeo Drive is under fire for overwhelmingly arresting Black shoppers during its two-month existence.

The New York attorney who appealed on behalf of Bill Cosby and helped get his sexual assault conviction overturned has now joined R. Kelly’s legal team.

A federal lawsuit filed on behalf of a Black former track coach for a Connecticut high school alleges that his firing was an act of retaliation for telling police that a student spat on him last year.

The Fugees announced Friday that their hotly-anticipated reunion tour, which was slated to begin Tuesday in Chicago, has been pushed back to early 2022.

Washington state’s Black Lives Matter Alliance has demanded the resignation of Ed Troyer–the county sheriff charged with falsely claiming his life was threatened by a Black newspaper carrier that he accused of being a porch pirate.

Halloween was one of my favorite annual celebrations as a child—until my reckoning with racism almost claimed that joy.

A troubling finding has surfaced about some of what transpired during the January 6 insurrection on Capitol Hill, according to a new report by Politico. On January 5, a day before the riot, a U.S. Capitol Police memo asked officers to be ready if an attack occurred, but parts of their planning were misguided.

Black-ish is going out big—as it should. Kenya Barris’ hit ABC series, which spawned the spinoffs Grown-ish and the now-canceled Mixed-ish (with Old-ish and Brown-ish presumably still in development by the network) will end with its eighth season, as The Root reported in May. And though it’s the final season, the…Read more...

Oh Hell No, a new comedy from Sony that was supposed to feature Ice Cube and Jack Black in co-starring roles, just lost Cube because he didn’t want to get vaccinated, which was a requirement for the film’s cast.Read more...

With four Primetime Emmys, a Golden Globe and an Academy Award, Regina King is not only Hollywood royalty; she is one of the most decorated Black actors in history—while still at the height of her already decades-long career. Now, she can add another accolade to her growing list, as King just cemented her legacy in…Read more...