The Root

Is it just us, or has Halloween significantly lost its luster since the world became a real-life horror show? Forgive us if we could not care less about costumes, passing out candy, or the annual candy corn debate this year (for the record: we’ll allow it seasonally—now pass us a caramel apple), but when reality’s…Read more...

Earlier this month, in the aftermath of former five-time UFC champion Tyron Woodley bringing shame and dishonor to our ancestors after losing his bout with serial idiot Jake Paul, Mike Tyson discussed the possibility of rectifying such an egregious wrong by beating the shit out of either Jake or his brother, Logan,…Read more...

Being the first Black anything is a tough enough burden to carry, but being the first Black female vice president might be an even heavier load. The weight of responsibility begs the question Black folk must always ask: am I being given the right task and am I being set up to win or fail?Read more...

Just two days after the final season premiere of Insecure on Sunday and just one hour after actress and comedian Amanda Seales came under fire from members of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated for her portrayal as a fictional soror on the show, director Melina Matsoukas spoke out in defense of the decision.Read more...

One of my favorite moments of the 1990s—and I mean this sincerely—was when LL Cool J did a commercial for GAP in 1999 where he not only showed up rocking a FUBU hat but also worked “for us, by us on the low” into the rap he did about GAP. In one 30-second spot, LL Cool J used all of his cultural cool to effectively…Read more...

While most of us spent this past weekend either picking out our Halloween costumes or catching up with friends, dancer Angela “Angyil” McNeal spent hers laying waste to any and all dancers in her way during the Red Bull “Dance Your Style” National Finals USA. In front of an electrifying crowd at Washington, D.C.’s…Read more...

In recorded history, Rosa Parks is largely credited with the act of resistance that prompted the Montgomery bus boycott in Alabama on December 1, 1955—which, in turn, became a catalytic event in the broader civil rights movement of the last century. But nine months earlier, 15-year-old Claudette Colvin was arrested…Read more...

On Monday, Minnesota’s Congressional delegation introduced a resolution to posthumously award the Congressional Gold Medal to the Purple One himself, the artist forever known as Prince.Read more...

Before the Central Park Five, there was the Groveland Four.Read more...

The critically acclaimed Watchmen gave the new generation a glimpse into what transpired during the Tulsa Race Massacre. Black Wall Street—what the neighborhood of Greenwood was called because of the residents’ affluence—was destroyed in a matter of two days, leaving about 300 Black people dead and even more without…Read more...

Dave Chappelle has issued a response to the backlash following the release of his latest comedy special on Netflix, The Closer.Read more...

In the aftermath of a protest outside of Brooklyn’s Barclays Center on Sunday, in which protesters chanted, “No vaccine mandate, stand with Kyrie!” and waved signs in support of Kyrie Irving’s decision not to adhere to the city’s vaccine mandate, boxing legend Floyd Mayweather has come to the defense of the mercurial…Read more...

Eric Garner’s final words, “I can’t breathe,” still reverberate in the streets more than seven years after his death, driven by a movement fighting for justice and accountability for victims of police brutality. On Monday, a summary judicial inquiry was opened in the case. This is a rare judicial process that allows…Read more...

For the last five decades, the Black Panther Party has been synonymous with Black freedom and resistance—a legacy that endured even after co-founder Dr. Huey P. Newton was murdered in 1989 in Oakland, Ca., the organization’s birthplace.Read more...

Fam, this is not a drill: Unless you and your nearest and dearest have decided to forego gift-giving during this swiftly approaching holiday season, you should get started shopping—now. No, not because of any tired tropes about our own, culturally specific timetable, but because, as noted by the homie and VSB Senior…Read more...

Last Sunday, hundreds of demonstrators met under a giant mural of Ahmaud Arbery in the coastal city of Brunswick, Ga., in order to push for justice prior to the jury selection in the trial against three white men accused of killing the Black jogger.Read more...

At one point in time, the public square in Franklin, Tenn., known for its bustling city shops and eateries as well as a statue of a Confederate soldier in its center, called “Chip” by the locals, was also the site of public lynchings and a slave auction block.Read more...

I’m a person who writes for a living, right? Like, my entire job is to sit here and put words in a Google Doc and get them edited to perfection by my super smart editors to ensure what I wrote makes sense. I do that on a pretty regular basis.Read more...

Here we go again.Read more...

On Sunday night, the fifth and final season of the critically acclaimed HBO series Insecure premiered on HBO and HBO Max.

Donald Trump Jr.’s got a long road ahead of him if he’s ever going to dethrone his namesake for the worst Trump award. I mean, Junior would have to ignore a deadly infectious disease that could kill millions, and then politicize the only possible preventions America has from becoming a horror movie, but let’s just say…Read more...

Losing your child is a pain no parent should ever have to endure.Read more...

Minneapolis police officer Brian Cummings was pursuing a suspect in a stolen vehicle when he crashed into the Jeep of an innocent Black motorist at 90 miles per hour in a residential neighborhood this past July. Now, Cummings is being charged with two felonies.

The fifth and final season of Insecure finally made its way back to our small screens on Sunday and like most of you, we were glued to our television and laptop screens to see how our fave fab four friend group, namely Issa Dee (Issa Rae), Molly Carter (Yvonne Orji), Kelli Prenny (Natasha Rothwell), and Tiffany Dubois…Read more...

Well, hello there. Let’s get to it.Read more...

Well, what do you know? Turns out that racist members of Congress helped racist followers of Trump plan the racist attack on Congress because the snowflakes couldn’t stand the fact that their guy lost.

I have to be honest; I haven’t read much about supply chain shortages and the like. I remember when COVID-19 first became a thing in the first quarter of 2020, and you and your friends bought out all of the toilet paper and paper towels, and then the news started telling me that “supply chain shortages” were going to…Read more...

A white Naperville, Illinois high school student will serve two years probation and 100 hours of community service after posting a Craigslist ad offering up his Black classmate as a “slave for sale” in November 2019.

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...