The Root

Twenty years ago, you could not have paid me to sit on grass, touch anything outside that a bug or animal had itself rested its bottom on or consume something that had grown out of the Earth without it first being rinsed in a sink inside the walls of a well-sanitized building.

‘Twas the Friday before Valentine’s DayRead more...

The Rochester Police Department—like police departments across the nation—is proving itself to be a microcosm of white America in that it appears to be indifferent to Black trauma and blind to Black innocence.Read more...

Another day, another celeb apology. Only this time, it’s LONG overdue.Read more...

The annual SXSW festival and conference series has announced the full keynote and featured speaker lineup and film festival slate for 2021.Read more...

Losing your job is not the end of the world, nor should it be.Read more...

Over the past year, America has gone through a racial awakening of sorts, but that doesn’t mean things have changed all that much. For example, by and large, white people still don’t really believe Black people when we say something racist has happened to us. That’s why Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Urban Meyer has…Read more...

It’s been just over 400 years since the unintentional founding of Black America—when “20 or so odd Negroes” in captivity were delivered to the shores of Jamestown, Virginia in 1619. In the intervening centuries, much—and yet, not enough—has changed. This much-needed conversation was only brought into its full…Read more...

When it comes to luxury sex toys, Swedish-based Lelo has led the charge in creating some of the most beloved and beautiful toys on the market. Lelo’s toys have won awards and if you own one, you simply know. Lelo is a sensual luxury in a toy, the preferred addition to your nightstand. Significant research and focus…Read more...

Kyle Rittenhouse is awaiting trial for fatally shooting two people and seriously injuring a third with a rifle he couldn’t legally carry. His multiple charges include two felony counts of intentional homicide. Regardless of how one feels about the circumstances surrounding the Aug. 25 shooting in Kenosha, Wis.,…Read more...

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Children’s books have moved from being about bunnies and flowers (though I dig those) to tackling hard-hitting topics such as race, gentrification and gender. Giving children the opportunity to learn and make their own decisions about those hard-hitting topics through books and reading is powerful...especially during…Read more...

City Girls from the 305 and beyond, we’re about to get a new series from Issa Rae and it sounds lit AF!Read more...

Lovecraft Country is definitely one of those shows you have to rewatch over and over again to get the full scope of what exactly the team in the writers’ room were constructing piece-by-piece. Watching the series, it was readily apparent that every single choice was intentional, making the viewing experience as…Read more...

My Netflix account hates me.Read more...

You know this album. I know this album. Your neighbor knows this album. Everybody knows this album by the Queen of Motown, Diana Ross, simply titled diana. Even if you can’t tell me what songs are on this album title, if you love Black music, I’m about 100 percent sure you know this cover. Everybody’s daddy had this…Read more...

And we back and we back! The second week of Black History Month is well underway and of course The Root is back with another installment of some bomb virtual events to turn up (or turn down) to. We know life at the crib can get a bit mundane. Every now and then you need just a little something, something to make you…Read more...

Love is in the air with pink chocolates, sex toys, lingerie filling Facebook feeds, and gift guides begging you to find the perfect gifts. But what about you? Is lingerie always for your lover, or do you slip into a sexy garment for your own pleasure?Read more...

On Wednesday, the New York Times published a piece chronicling the case of George Floyd and the upcoming trial for the ex-Minneapolis police officer accused of killing him, Derek Chauvin. Mostly, the story by the Times was a recap of things that have already been reported regarding the case, but the report did reveal…Read more...

Black History Month is all about joy at The Root and our Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle, has reason to be joyous today as she won the first step in her lawsuit against the Daily Mail on Sunday and Associated Newspapers for violating her privacy. The British tabloid published parts of a personal letter she had…Read more...

*Clears throat*

Here at The Root, we celebrate Black excellence—a thing that is often equated with Black entrepreneurship and financial success, even though it’s much more than that. Today we shout out Black excellence in the form of heroism.Read more...

It’s not completely accurate to say that Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. John Fetterman has recently emerged as a nationally renowned darling of liberals, mainly because it’s a status he’s possessed since he was the mayor of Braddock, Pa. But his star has risen in the past several months, as more Americans have come to…Read more...

When an angry white mob bombed, lynched, shot and slaughtered the Black residents in the Greenwood section of Tulsa, Okla., on May 31, 1921, they did not destroy Black Wall Street.Read more...

Stiff where? Not stiff here!Read more...

Strength and joy go hand-in-hand, and this week’s literary releases beautifully celebrate both. In certain parts of the country, we’re knee-deep in snow and ice, and finding the strength to feel even the littlest joy is quite difficult. But we’ve almost hit the halfway point of February, the days are getting longer,…Read more...

House impeachment managers will be making their final arguments beginning Thursday afternoon in the Senate trial that decides whether former President Donald Trump will be convicted of inciting the riot at the Capitol on Jan. 6. The final push to impeach Trump follows the second day of the impeachment trials during…Read more...

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Sabrena Khadija realized just how much of a BTS fan she was one freezing morning in Times Square back in 2017. A friend invited her to stand in line at 4 a.m. to be one of the first people to buy the seven-member band from South Korea’s BT21 merchandise…and she didn’t say no.Read more...

Every stallion needs a fabulous mane, and hip-hop’s hot girl Megan Thee Stallion is no exception. The H-Town hottie may be best known for her growing body-ody-ody-ody of hits and epic wig game—but underneath it all, she’s been on a natural hair journey, announcing in December that she and stylist Kellon Derryck were…Read more...

I cannot stress to you how much I love this album cover for the Kay Gee’s 1974 album, Keep On Bumpin’ & Masterplan (alternately released with the title Hustle With Every Muscle). Shot by Howard Winters and designed by Frank Daniel, this album cover for the Kay-Gees debut album is a masterclass in Black cool and chill.…Read more...

Originally, when I started thinking about what to write for this piece, I was gonna dedicate it to three Black women who have single-handedly gotten me through quarantine.

The year known as 2020 was unfathomably challenging by anyone’s estimation; but as Essence magazine celebrated its 50th anniversary, the pioneering and enduring imprint and lifestyle brand, by its own admission, proved not to be immune. Now, nearly a year after the lockdowns that literally stopped us in our tracks,…Read more...

Right now, House impeachment managers are making a case for why ex-President Donald Trump should be held accountable for inciting the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol.Read more...

A group of Black teenagers flying home from a basketball game were kicked off an Allegiant Airlines flight for not wearing masks. Problem is, both the teens and the people sitting next to them have said that they were wearing their masks.

The tired and already debunked myth that white people support Trump because they are economically anxious is being dug up again to help rationalize the vile actions of the Capitol insurrectionists.

Following weeks of negotiations between Chicago Public Schools and the Chicago Teachers Union, an agreement has been ratified for a return to in-person learning.Read more...

On Wednesday, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame announced their 2021 class of nominees, and wow—what good taste it has.Read more...

Happy Wednesday, folks! In addition to being the best day in wrestling (we rep All Elite Wrestling in this house), it’s also the best day to play some video games. What better way to forget you have to work two more days this week than by copping some bangers?

On Juneteenth in 2019, lawmakers met with Black activists and scholars to discuss H.R. 40—a bill to create a reparations commission to examine the impact of slavery and the possibility of compensation for the descendants of enslaved Africans—during a hearing by the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution,…Read more...

Do you like to get hit? I don’t.

A woman who reportedly was one of the last people to be seen with Quawan “Bobby” Charles, a Black teen who was found dead in a ditch near a sugar cane field in Loreauville, La., has been arrested in relation to the disturbing case.

Prosecutors in Fulton County, Ga., are opening a criminal investigation into former President Donald Trump’s efforts to reverse the election results in the state, with a focus on his phone calls to several elected officials, The New York Times reports.Read more...

One of the buzziest celebrity launches of the decade seems to have met its demise. On Wednesday, a spokesperson from LVMH (Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton) confirmed that the international conglomerate and Rihanna have agreed to cease operations of Fenty Maison, the Paris-based luxury fashion venture she launched in 2019…Read more...

Last week, The Root dropped our nominations for the second annual The Blackest Awards, or more simply, the 2021 Skippies. The categories, both fun and serious, are fairly non-controversial. The nominations though, can sometimes tread into “Yo, how are you going to include X but not Y?” One such situation this year…Read more...

Fellow The Root staff writer Tonja Renée Stidhum and I have a running list of entertainers who never sleep—John Boyega is rapidly climbing up the power rankings—and almost always taking the top spot is the Awkward Black Girl herself, the incomparable Issa Rae.Read more...

Last December, we told you that the CW was developing a new series revolving DC Comics character “Naomi,” with Ava DuVernay at the helm. Now, it looks like things are ramping up.

Why do white people fear Black liberation?Read more...

When I wake up in the morning and prepare for the long day ahead, I know that I can never skip the most important meal of the day. And for all of my breakfast needs, only one brand will do: *holds up box* Pearl Milling Company.Read more...

Trigger Warning: This article contains graphic details of domestic violence.Read more...