The Root

As the trial of Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer accused of killing George Floyd, continued into its fourth day the focus was largely on what first responders witnessed when they arrived at the scene.

A report commissioned by Brown University over a decade ago revealed that the school’s namesake family was deeply involved in the transatlantic slave trade. Citing the school’s history with slavery, the school’s undergraduate students have voted in favor of the university providing reparations for descendants of those…Read more...

Do you already have a headache from reading various articles that you thought were real—only to be reminded that it’s April Fools’ Day and every shock tweet or news is a whole-ass lie? Well, I hope I can ease your tension with this next lineup from Netflix’s Strong Black Lead! Thankfully, this is not a joke.Read more...

Considering the level of violence and chaos white supremacists brought to Charlottesville, Va., nearly four years ago, it’s not terribly surprising that the city isn’t exactly gung-ho about preserving its Confederate monuments. The city can now remove two statues of Confederate generals Robert E. Lee and Stonewall…Read more...

In news that should surprise no one—because, let’s face it: various publications, platforms, and organizations have been getting aired out for their discriminatory practices, as of late—PBS is getting called to the fire for their lack of diversity and support when it comes to creators of color in their programming.

White people, I need you to listen.

As Texas Republicans join Georgia Republicans in attempting to make Republicans win again (MRWA doesn’t roll off the tongue like MAGA, but whatever) by passing laws that place arbitrary roadblocks between voters and ballot boxes, one name comes to mind: Crystal Mason.Read more...

While some may claim there is no such thing as “white culture,” I vehemently disagree. Those schooled in the anthropological specialty known as wypipology are keenly aware of the hallmarks of the Caucasian culture, including guitar-based dancing, the affinity for wraparound sunglasses and an addiction to calling the…Read more...

Meghan Markle may currently be under “investigation” by the royal family, but her day-ones remain loyal to the duchess, against whom accusations of bullying made in 2018 by members of the royal staff were revived just ahead of her and husband Prince Harry’s televised sit-down with Oprah.Read more...

Simply put, the NCAA has been fucking up.Read more...

I have four children—a daughter and three boys. My daughter is 12 and the youngest boy is almost 6 months old. The two in the middle are 6 and 4; the 4-year-old will turn 5 in May. They are a duo of precocious little scamps. They play all day long, turning various rooms in our home into danger zones and impassable…Read more...

An Arizona couple is concerned that a man may walk away without facing any serious consequences after he pulled a firearm on them during a February business meeting.Read more...

Let’s take you on a trip to memory lane! Back in July 2020, The Root exclusively announced that Nikole Hannah-Jones, Lionsgate, the New York Times and Oprah Winfrey were teaming up in a major content deal to adapt The 1619 Project into a portfolio of films, television programming and other content across studio…Read more...

After years of activism and political power shifts, New York state will end long-term solitary confinement in prisons and jails.

When Ryan Coogler, Shaka King, and Charles King first sat down to discuss the now Oscar-nominated film Judas and the Black Messiah, I’m sure they never imagined the level of buzz it would receive.

During the entire time that attorney Tony Buzbee has filed lawsuit after lawsuit after lawsuit against NFL superstar Deshaun Watson for alleged sexual assault and inappropriate behavior—at last count, the total number of lawsuits was 21—Buzbee has maintained that he would submit evidence backing up these claims to the…Read more...

In case you missed it amid conservative concern and sneaker suits, there was another skirmish about Lil Nas X’s new, much-discussed song and music video, “Montero (Call Me By Your Name).”Read more...

Republicans, no matter which state, know one thing: The more access people have to the ballot box, the less likely most people will vote for them.

Day three of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin’s trial has come and gone, and one thing has been made abundantly clear: Virtually everyone who was on the scene when George Floyd died was horrified by what had happened—except the police officers.Read more...

Do you hate your job?Read more...

In the years since the season one cast members of The Real World moved out of their SoHo loft, roommates Heather B. Gardner and Kevin Powell have been busy busy.

Before we get into this, let me first start by setting the framework for this entire piece with the wise words of Linnethia Leakes: “I said what I said.”

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Remember how five years ago we were all like “Man, tech companies should really do something about misinformation,” and tech companies were like “Nahhhh, what’s the worst that could happen?” Well, the worst has happened and now Google is contributing more than $29 million to an organization intended to combat…Read more...

On March 31, 2019, the news of Nipsey Hussle’s (born Ermias Joseph Asghedom) murder shook the entire hip-hop industry and beyond. Wednesday marked two years since the rapper-activist-entrepreneur was shot and killed outside of his Marathon Clothing Company store. He was 33-years-old.

The story of the egregious legislation recently passed by Republican lawmakers in Georgia, which prohibits the handing out of water or food to people standing in line to vote—along with other measures transparently aimed at limiting voting, is not yet over.

Performance occurs in a myriad of ways, from spoken and written poetry to taking the stage, to playing a game of spades. In fictional universes, particularly in fantastical worlds, a character’s performance can range from their abilities to their descriptions. This week, the intricate tapestry of Black performance is…Read more...

Despite some (if uneven) progress with vaccinations, we still face a pandemic of pandemics: A deadly virus that exposes and aggravates deep-seated racism and gender-bias throughout our societies and institutions. Indeed, all of the data affirm, women—particularly women of color—bear the brunt of these interconnected…Read more...

Listen: I have many issues with the death penalty and the way it’s practiced in the U.S., but that doesn’t change the fact that there are certain people whose executions I’m more than happy to advocate for.Read more...

Considering the FBI’s history with COINTELPRO, it isn’t a great look that they used a leader of the Proud Boys to inform them about people standing up to Neo-Nazis, white supremacists, and the Proud Boys themselves.Read more...

While vaccine availability is steadily increasing across the country, an ongoing surge in cases has doctors fearing a fourth wave of the virus is approaching.

This year marks the 14th annual Essence Black Women in Hollywood Awards celebration, honoring some of the most renowned and accomplished women across film, television and the creative industry.Read more...

A white supremacist from Michigan is facing up to a decade in prison for belting a Black teen in the face with a bike chain last June. On Tuesday, he pleaded guilty to the crime and admitted in federal court that he did it because his victim is Black.Read more...

On the latest episode of The Ringer’s Higher Learning—which you should absolutely subscribe to since I would never steer you wrong—co-hosts Van Lathan and The Bachelorette alumna Rachel Lindsay ponder a question that’s been tormenting even the deepest recesses of the Internet since Tuesday.Read more...

Y’all really don’t talk about the movie Trippin’ enough. Released in 1999 and starring everybody’s favorite next-door neighbor, Bud—Deon Richmond—and Maia Campbell, Trippin’ is one of those movies that never gets old, is always fun and seems to get absolutely no flowers, and I have no idea why. Richmond plays Greg…Read more...

Marsai Martin is in her bag.Read more...

Amidst his considerable PR troubles, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed a bill on Wednesday that should serve as a breezy interlude of good news for New Yorkers who enjoy smoking weed but not the risk of criminalization that has long hovered overuse of the herb.

While Everybody Loves Raymond, actor Michael Rapaport continues to elude a similar fate.Read more...

When did you first learn that Black cowboys exist?Read more...

Anytime someone tells you that the East Coast has been a liberal bastion of racial progress they should be reminded that a) that simply isn’t true, and b) there are plenty of examples to prove that such thinking is demonstratively false.

It is March 31, which means we’re here to celebrate and honor International Transgender Day of Visibility. The annual event is to celebrate “the accomplishments of transgender and gender nonconforming people while raising awareness of the work that still needs to be done to achieve trans justice.”Read more...

I have a confession to make: I have not seen the infamous video of George Floyd’s last moments of life under the ruthless knee of then-Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin.

While watching and admiring Lil Nas X’s mastery of Twitter over the past week, I’m reminded a bit of John Wick. Specifically, Wick in the nightclub in John Wick, which is the first time we truly see him do some quintessentially Wick shit.Read more...

When rapper Drake penned the hook “let’s see what’s boutta happen next” in his latest hit “What’s Next” (that’s currently still sitting in the Billboard Top Ten), I doubt he expected a random woman to pop up outside his home wielding a knife. But that’s exactly what he got.Read more...

Donald Trump is responsible for the Capitol riot on Jan 6. I know it, you know it, Mitch McConnell knows it, and I’d be willing to bet every Republican who voted not to convict him in his second impeachment trial knows that there would have been no storming of the Capitol if not for Trump’s “stop the steal” propaganda…Read more...

A hard drive sale and PlayStation Store gift cards lead Wednesday’s best deals.

Gather ‘round, children—it’s story time! Once upon a time, over a decade ago, when your Auntie Mai was still an avowed New Yorker most at home strolling (and shopping) the streets of Soho, she experienced a celebrity encounter that shook her to the core. If you’re a resident of New York City, you’re well-accustomed to…Read more...

With ABC’s six-part documentary, Soul of a Nation, drawing to a close, the network has every intention of continuing to portray the realities of Black life in America.

Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), the adoptive father of Nestor—a man-boy he has not adopted—was in big trouble Tuesday evening after an explosive New York Times exposé that revealed he was under federal investigation for an alleged sexual relationship with a 17-year-old girl.

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