The Root

What does it mean to be free?Read more...

One night long ago, the sludge from the bottom of a shrimp boat had meth-fueled sex with a homeless cheerleading boot and the result was Rep. Matt Gaetz.

We’re gonna say this one more time for the cheap seats in the back: Stop. Deliberately. Misgendering. People.

Durrell Babbs aka Tank, the beloved R&B singer behind hits like “Dirty,” “Please Don’t Go,” “When We,” “Maybe I Deserve” and more, has revealed he’s going deaf in a recent post to social media, The Root has learned.Read more...

If attorneys for defendants in trials that involve white supremacy and Black death are nothing else, they are consistent. Their strategy is very much basic: Put the negroes who aren’t alive to defend themselves on trial.Read more...

You cannot be a fan of 90s era hip hop, especially of the Native Tongues variety without being familiar with the name Vinia Mojica. The singer/songwriter from Queens, New York, showed up in an impressive amount of 90s standouts, her hooks adding a purity and clarity of texture to already jamtastic jams. For instance,…Read more...

Black women’s hair is political.

As a celebrity in modern times, having a very large platform doesn’t always end with sponsored social media posts or cute outfit displays—especially if you’re known for using said platform to speak out on societal issues.Read more...

Jaleel White, the actor who hilariously portrayed America’s favorite and arguably original awkward Black boy Steve Urkel on Family Matters, is opening up about his relationship with his former mentor, Bill Cosby.Read more...

Entitled by her whiteness and her QAnon membership, Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene seems to believe that she can aggressively rundown on her colleagues and scream at them whenever she so chooses.

It has been nearly 48 years since designer Stephen Burrows brought Black American influence to France in the famed Battle of Versailles in November 1973—and eight years since Kerby Jean-Raymond launched his highly acclaimed label, Pyer Moss. This July, the CFDA Award-winning founder and creative director will make…Read more...

“Y’all knew this was coming,” Yara Shahidi captioned a post on Instagram last week, as she grinned from ear-to-ear, wearing a saffron yellow Adidas track set trimmed in dark green with the label’s signature trio of stripes in white. And we likely should’ve; Shahidi’s been a devotee of the sportswear brand for years (…Read more...

At this point, is there a major partnership the Duke and Duchess of Sussex haven’t inked since relocating to America? In the past year, we’ve counted Netflix, Spotify, Apple TV+ and Oprah, a major speakers’ bureau and more among their lucrative deals...not to mention Harry’s new job with mental health startup BetterUp…Read more...

A retired U.S. Air Force officer, who is white, recently had his conviction overturned by a federal appeals court that found that the his use of the word “nigger” was protected by the First Amendment.

Hella fine husband and wife duo Ciara and Russell Wilson (Umm, hello! Do you see that header pic? My God) are continuing to expand their empire—only this time, they’re headed into the land of tv and films.

When I’m not busy getting internet randos in their feelings, I’m generally reading a large amount of comic books. Bitter Root is one of the best series I’ve read in recent years, with every issue leaving me going “Man, if only Hollywood made cool Black shit.” Well, apparently my call has been answered, as a…Read more...

It’s really hard to have faith in a system that routinely allows cops to get away with things that would see the rest of us locked up, while at the same time incarcerating innocent people over weak cases with questionable evidence. A man in Augusta, Ga., spent two years in jail for a crime he said he didn’t commit…Read more...

Last Friday, Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt signed into law a bill prohibiting Critical Race Theory or any curriculum that might cause white students “discomfort, guilt, anguish or psychological distress” from being taught in K-12 schools in the state. On Monday, the Oklahoma City Public Schools Board of Education…Read more...

In 2019, Nigerian refugee Tanitoluwa “Tani” Adewumi rose to national prominence after New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof shared the story of Adewumi’s ascent from homeless youth to winning the New York State K-3 Championship at only eight years old. And now years removed from such a prestigious honor, his light…Read more...

… It has a way of repeating itself, or that’s how the saying goes. Within that repetition comes new ways in which historians and the general public alike find themselves trying to change the course of history while attempting to record for posterity the profound impact events have had on the country.Read more...

“You learn something once, and it’s yours for life...you’ve got big dreams, you want fame. Well, fame costs, and right here is where you start paying—in sweat.”Read more...

A lawsuit has been filed against Uber and one of its now-former drivers after the driver was caught on camera losing his bigoted mind and shouting the n-word several times at his Black passengers. It’s one of those stories that reminds us that, while the advent of Uber and other ride-sharing companies like it has been…Read more...

If you’re one of the tribe known as the Barbz, you already know Nicki Minaj is about to make it another Pink Friday. As previously reported by The Root, the rapper was once again thinking pink on Monday as she coquettishly posed atop a pink-quilted desk in an office straight out of “Barbie Dreams”—a Chanel-loving…Read more...

It looks like Grammy award-winning artist, icon and legend Janet Jackson will be saying bye-bye to some of her most personal belongings soon—but as People reports, it’s all for a good cause.

The concept of being an “invisible Black woman”—even with very visible pain—is a next-level cruelty that many Black women have long experienced in this society, unfortunately.Read more...

After over a year of isolation, largely indoor living and ever-blurring boundaries between home and work (what is this “work-life balance” you speak of?), you’re likely in need of a little care right now. And while things may be looking brighter, warmer, and hopefully a little bit healthier, you may not know where to…Read more...

Well, that escalated quickly.Read more...

When former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was found guilty of the murder in the death of George Floyd, there was slight relief but one nagging question in the back of many our minds: “OK, but what’s the sentence going to be?” While there was, and still is, concern that Chauvin will face the lightest…Read more...

Somebody get Martin Scorsese on the line; I got a movie idea I want to pitch.Read more...

Everybody, it’s time to celebrate the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Class of 2021!Read more...

Let’s play a game for a second.

A brand new book from Stacey Thee Abrams will be headed to a small screen near us soon, The Root has learned.Read more...

A federal judge dismissed the National Rifle Association’s bankruptcy case Tuesday, noting that it wasn’t filed in good faith as the gun rights group and the backbone of America’s violent history only filed the suit because they were afraid of Tish James.

Since its launch last summer, AfroTech’s Black Tech Green Money has shared the stories of successful Black entrepreneurs and technologists, in addition to providing actionable advice and wealth-building strategies from a Black perspective. Hosted by Will Lucas, the popular podcast has featured an assortment of…Read more...

Content Warning: The following article contains graphic details of alleged sexual assault and domestic abuse.Read more...

I don’t like wearing masks.Read more...

Cue the “Toosie Slide!”Read more...

Now that vaccines are becoming more widely available, we have a genuine shot at being able to move into a new normal sooner rather than later. For some though, simply getting to a vaccination site can be an obstacle unto itself. To help combat that problem, the Biden Administration has partnered with Uber and Lyft to…Read more...

Jigsaw is back at it again with yet another film in the popular Saw franchise—and this time, the game he wants everyone to play is spades! OK, OK, I’m kidding and only said that because Spiral: From the Book of Saw has a Black lead.

Two things that connect us all: music and fashion. This May marks the release of W’s Music Issue, featuring none other than “Icy Girl” Saweetie, among its multiple covers. All personal drama aside, Miss Saweetie has had an amazing 2021. With the release of “Best Friend” featuring Doja Cat in January and her most…Read more...

The man accused of killing eight people—including six Asian women—in a shooting spree at three Atlanta-area spas has been indicted by a grand jury on murder charges, and the prosecutor has indicated that she will also seek hate crime charges as well as the death penalty.Read more...

How dare we tell children anything close to the truth about race in America? That’s the takeaway after a Florida school district—the second-largest in the state—suspended Dr. Jewell Parker Rhodes’ award-winning young adult novel Ghost Boys from a fifth-grade curriculum after a local police union complained it was…Read more...

The shooting death of Ahmaud Arbery stood out last year because unlike so many instances of an unarmed Black man being shot, it wasn’t by a cop; it was by a group of white men who grabbed their guns and wanted to play cop. Arbery’s tragic death has led to the state of Georgia repealing its Civil War-era citizen’s…Read more...

Stop the presses.Read more...

The Capitol riot has seemingly awakened white America to a fact we’ve known for quite a while: racists work everywhere. There was genuine shock that vets, enlisted service members, and members of law enforcement participated in a violent act of insurrection. That event has resulted in multiple state legislatures…Read more...

When a leftist goes to sleep, are they not “woke”? If an antifa retires, do they become profa? How many thugs make up a gang?Read more...

Fans of the Atlanta Dream are in for a treat.

After bullying boxscores for the past 13 seasons, Russell Westbrook has accomplished a feat that was once thought humanly impossible. On Monday night, the nine-time NBA All-Star etched his name in the record books when, after snatching his 10th rebound off of the rim with 8:30 remaining in the fourth quarter, he broke…Read more...

Oh, “Cancel Culture” discourse hasn’t been canceled yet?! Alrighty…Read more...

On Monday night, the social streets went from zero to 100 real quick when Real Housewives of Atlanta star Porsha Williams posted a pic of herself with new fiancé Simon Guobadia on Instagram.