The Root

Last summer, a group of Black peaceful protesters gathered outside an ice cream shop in upstate New York to protest its owner, David Elmendorf, for allegedly sending a series of racist texts and claiming he wouldn’t hire a Black person at the shop. Elmendorf responded by calling the police, claiming they threatened to…Read more...

It’s said that on the ninth day of creation, God got hungry and because it was late, the only thing open was a 7-Eleven, and God was forced to eat day-old taquitos, which made him vomit and thus, Florida was born.

I think it’s safe to say that Cameron Jerrell Newton didn’t have a particularly great 2020.Read more...

The family of George Floyd settled a civil lawsuit on Friday after the Minneapolis City Council approved what the family’s attorneys are calling the “largest pre-trial civil rights wrongful death settlement in U.S history.”Read more...

I’m sure we all pretty much expected some sort of ripple effect to come after last weekend’s interview special featuring Meghan Markle, Prince Harry and Oprah Winfrey, but it’s seriously been a next-level nuclear bomb of news! Not a day (or moment) goes by without something else spawning from that interview and going…Read more...

America finally ended her abusive-ass relationship with Donald Trump—who, if you look back on all my writings about him, I never referred to as “president”—and I couldn’t be more grateful.Read more...

The Clapback Mailbag is over.Read more...

So I was soft-hedging off my man because I knew that the ball-hander would be coming off the screen looking to pass, not shoot. I’d played with him—and most of the rest of the people on the court that evening at LA Fitness—enough to know his tendencies. Whether he liked to turn to his right or his left shoulder when…Read more...

What does it feel like to be heir to a renowned legacy? For Michelle Duster, great-granddaughter of Ida B. Wells, it has meant commemorating the life of the revered activist, educator and journalist in the towns she once called home—including her adopted home of Chicago—as well as preserving the writings of Wells,…Read more...

Ask any hoops head who’s the greatest New York Knick of all-time and you’ll get one of three answers: Walt Frazier, Willis Reid, or Patrick Ewing. (Jerome James is also an acceptable answer.) Yet despite being the centerpiece of the franchise for 15 years—13 of which the team made the playoffs—there are apparently…Read more...

The April 2020 shooting death of Michael Ramos in Austin, Texas, was one of those events that remind us that “back the blue” enthusiasts don’t know what they’re talking about when they say that as long as we follow police instructions, we are sure to walk away from a police confrontation alive and unscathed. It’s also…Read more...

The New York state assembly speaker has authorized an impeachment investigation into embattled New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who knows good and damn well he should step his ass down.

Now that the second week of March has come to a close, I’m not sure what to be more excited about: the fact that we get to spring forward this weekend or the fact that the end of this seemingly never-ending quarantine may be closer than originally thought? While each option is enough to make me actually want to dream…Read more...

Kindle Daily Deals | AmazonRead more...

Y’all already know that here at The Root, we like big books and we cannot lie. Accordingly, we love big book news from our extended family of writers and thought leaders—and the past few weeks have brought a few announcement that are, in a word, lit.Read more...

Last month, President Biden declared that he would not support student debt forgiveness and took a huge step backwards in fulfilling the pledges he made to Black voters and Black women during his campaign. When asked about Senator Schumer, Senator Warren and other lawmakers’ proposal to wipe out $50,000 per person of…Read more...

Imagine being a capitalist structure, yet fumbling the bag in the name of racism. Then again, capitalism is a system founded on white supremacy in and of itself, so I guess it tracks.Read more...

Never let it be said The Glow Up can’t spot an emerging trend. Back in January 2019, as Rihanna was debuting her first Valentine’s Day collection for Savage x Fenty, we wrote about the bad gal’s growing fashion and lifestyle empire, writing:Read more...

Of all the things that bring me joy, two things remain at the top of the list: Black movies and Black television shows. Why? Partially because most of the fun, laughable memories of my childhood can be traced back to a moment involving TV or film. The other reason is that I’m a creative at heart, and to see something…Read more...

Let’s get the obvious out of the way—we know the British monarchy is a racist institution. The U.K.’s royal family owes most of its riches (which currently amounts to over $28 billion, according to Forbes) to enslaving Africans and colonizing half of the world—including my home country, Jamaica, and, at one point, the…Read more...

Blendtec Fit 120 Volt Blender | $249 | MorningSave

The latest instance of academic racism takes us to Georgetown Law, where a professor lost her job after making disparaging comments about Black students.

Over the last two years, the GOP has managed to lose the House, the Senate, and the White House, so obviously that means the party is going to learn from its mistakes, condemn white supremacy in the party, and craft policies that don’t fuck over anyone not rich, white, and male, right?Read more...

Following up on an internal email sent to Teen Vogue staff earlier this week, incoming editor-in-chief Alexi McCammond has published an expanded letter addressed to the Teen Vogue “community, staff, readers, writers, photographers, content creators and friends.”Read more...

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: A lot of white teachers have no business whatsoever teaching Black students.Read more...

With his political obligations in the rearview, our forever President Barack Obama has settled into a comfy life of content creation.Read more...

Some things get better with age...like the now 76-year-old designer and renaissance man Dapper Dan of Harlem, N.Y. (also the inaugural recipient of The Glow Up 50's “Dap Award,” a lifetime achievement honor we named for the fashion legend). But another male cultural icon recently hit a major milestone—Mattel’s Ken…Read more...

In an effort to avoid having an entire nation blasting Rihanna’s 2015 banger “Bitch Better Have My Money” during his televised address this evening, President Joe Biden has signed the COVID relief package a day earlier than expected.

A few years ago, my family took a trip to Atlanta to celebrate my nephew’s graduation from college. We all stayed with my older sister and, of course, various members of the family came through over the weekend.Read more...

Welp, it happened, Black people: Stacey Dash was finally able to Get Out.Read more...

I think we can all recall the exact moment when the coronavirus disrupted our day-to-day lives. And for many of us, that confusion, dread and uncertainty has lingered in the 12 months (and counting) since. Gone are mainstays like concerts or family nights at the movies, and they’ve been replaced by outdoor-only dining…Read more...

I don’t know my neighbors.

On Thursday, the Academy of Country Music announced the hosts for its 56th annual awards ceremony.Read more...

Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin will face an additional charge during his trial in the killing of George Floyd.

As previously reported here at The Root, Just Mercy star Michael B. Jordan will be making his directorial debut with the third installment of the Creed franchise. And now it looks like we’ve finally got a premiere date!

Michelle Obama’s new show Waffles + Mochi drops next Tuesday on Netflix, and as she promotes her new gig, the mom-in-chief also gave some insight into the Obamas’ quarantine coping mechanisms during an exclusive video interview for the newest issue of People magazine.Read more...

On Wednesday, the Senate confirmed President Joe Biden’s pick for the next Environmental Protection Agency chief administrator, Michael Regan, making him the first Black man to lead the agency in its 50 years of existence.Read more...

As expected, this past weekend’s widely-watched (and discussed!) tell-all interview, Oprah With Meghan and Harry: A CBS Primetime Special inspired some sort of a Royal Watch Cinematic Universe (or RWCU, for short). Since the special aired on Sunday night, so many more chapters of this saga have emerged.Read more...

Google is a powerful tool that allows us to learn damn near anything about damn near anyone. We can find out where someone works, comb through their social media activity and in some instances, uncover personal information that could completely ruin their lives. And if you google the name “Anna Young,” prepare to be…Read more...

This headline is grammatically correct.

Apple MagSafe Duo Charger | $100 | Best Buy

Today is March 10, which means it’s a Mar10 Day! To celebrate the plumber with the meanest mustache in the game, Nintendo has reduced the price of some straight-up bangers by 35 percent.

Featured Deal: Harper Velvet Tunic Dress | $75Read more...

Justice for the shooting victims—as well as their families—of Kyle Rittenhouse is already looking like it’s going to be an uphill battle what with conservatives across the nation adopting him as their new favorite gun-happy mascot and the fact that even violating court orders didn’t result in any real consequences for…Read more...

For years, the circumstances surrounding the death of James Jordan, father of NBA legend Michael Jordan, have been shrouded in mystery, but now, a new docuseries is on the way that seeks to uncover the truth behind the murder that disrupted the Chicago Bulls’ 1990s basketball dynasty.Read more...

Jenifer Thee Lewis. That’s it—that’s the lede.Read more...

Today in news that makes you go “Why did it take Black death for this to happen?” the Tennessee Historical Commission voted 25-1 to remove a bust of Nathan Bedford Forrest—the first grand wizard of the Ku Klux Klan—from the state capitol.

The killing of Ahmaud Arbery by two white men who thought they could take the law into their own hands sent a ripple effect through the nation that is still being felt today. In an effort to prevent something like this from happening again, the Georgia House unanimously passed a bill overhauling its citizen’s arrest…Read more...

As expected, after the revealing interview between Meghan Markle, her husband Prince Harry and Oprah aired on CBS Sunday night, everybody and their Mama’s mama had something to say about what all was uncovered.Read more...