The Root

Full spoilers for The Falcon and the Winter Soldier below.Read more...

When you can routinely do shit like this or this, it’s safe to assume you already have superpowers. But perhaps looking to take things up a notch—or capitalize off of the fact that Disney owns both ESPN and Marvel Entertainment—the Golden State Warriors’ upcoming game against the New Orleans Pelicans will feature some…Read more...

Black Americans are constantly struggling with an array of paradoxes—one of which is our sense of “home.” For many of us, America is the only “home” we know—and we all know the reason. As such, America is only “home” in its tangible sense...particularly because we can never fully feel comfortable here.Read more...

If a single boat shoe, a lemon rind and Rand Paul were on a sinking boat and you could only save one thing, tell me why it’s the boat shoe.

In a year that pushed the timing of the Academy Awards from its typical February date to a Sunday in late April, our stars showed up—and out—in a riot of color rivaling any spring garden. Whether in neon brights, jewel-toned hues or the poshest of pastels, this year’s red carpet was not only the most diverse in…Read more...

Writer’s Note: I wrote this recap in real-time as the Oscars telecast aired on Sunday night. Therefore, this started out one way and ended up in a completely different direction. What is that feeling America constantly gives Black folks? It’s a combination of “not surprised, but still disgusted?” Yeah... that’s what…Read more...

A lot of white people would have us believe we live in a post-racial America. They’ll tell you that it’s actually the narrative around systemic racism that is dividing this country because they’re too obtuse and cowardly to deal with the truth—that this nation has always been divided, and for good reason as far as…Read more...

Here’s the thing: Conservatives aren’t funny.Read more...

At this point, I’m convinced that cops can’t wait for an excuse to go berserk on Black people. And we’ve seen report after report after report that indicates that among cops’ favorite excuses to go way overboard in their uses of force is anything they perceive as a car chase.Read more...

It’s not very often that I am astonished by the sheer caucasity of white people. I’ve written stories about a white woman claiming to have been called the n-word in school because she has bigger lips than like six other white people; a story about a Republican declaring that the three-fifths compromise wasn’t racist;…Read more...

The Knox County District Attorney’s Office has released police body camera footage and other details regarding the shooting death of 17-year-old Anthony J. Thompson Jr. at Austin-East Magnet High School in Knoxville, Tenn., and it has been determined that the officers involved in the shooting will not face criminal…Read more...

The hits just don’t stop coming for ex-Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin. Now that he’s been convicted of murdering George Floyd, the Department of Justice is considering the possibility of charging him in connection to a 2017 incident where the man who knelt on Floyd’s neck for more than nine minutes also…Read more...

Y’all, we have missed so much this past year—family reunions, brunches, concerts, the Met Gala, casual hookups (if you’re into that kinda thing—no judgments). I’ve now celebrated two birthdays in this damned panorama, so trust when I say I know of what I speak. As The Root’s resident beauty and fashion editor (among…Read more...

Ma’Khia Bryant’s killing at the hands of the Columbus Division of Police has highlighted the troubling pattern of cops taking children’s lives. Nicholas Reardon, the cop who killed Bryant, shot the 16-year-old girl moments after arriving on the scene.Read more...

Apparently, it was a hard week for the worst kind of white people. Clearly they thought the trial of Derek Chauvin was going to end differently, because a mural of George Floyd in Houston was defaced with a racial slur.

I’m just going to go ahead and confess something right now: I really enjoy watching angry white people lose their shit over the “racism” of Black Lives Matter.Read more...

Imagine spitting game so trash the shit potentially gets you sent to jail? Couldn’t be me. Though apparently that’s the case for a New York man who was turned in to the FBI after bragging about allegedly storming the Capitol to a Bumble match only a week after the riot transpired.

Beating the dog shit out of people has proven to be a lucrative business venture since the dawn of time. So what better way to improve upon his reported $45 million net worth than for Wiz Khalifa to become part-owner of one of the fastest-growing fight leagues in the world?Read more...

I used to argue that the Dakotas didn’t actually exist because I’d never met anyone from North or South Dakota, and I just kind of ignored the existence of Mount Rushmore because IDGAF about sculptures of white men who enslaved and/or didn’t care about Black people. But now, I’m thinking I don’t know anyone from the…Read more...

Every professional athlete knows brand endorsements are the real butter atop their breadwinning. Similarly, brands know star athletes are big business. In what can only be called a stunning upset, Nike has apparently lost a real one, as it was announced Friday that America’s most decorated gymnast, the phenom known as…Read more...

You can’t hear the rhythmic “oh-oh-OH-oh-oh-OHHH-oh-oh-oh…” in Beyoncé’s hit single, “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)” without busting those now-iconic dance moves (heavily inspired by Bob Fosse), right? Well, you have one man to thank for that—JaQuel Knight.Read more...

Michael Harriot is on assignment this week. Before he left, he asked someone to fill in for today’s mailbag but everyone on staff was really busy, so The Root hired me as a one-time freelance writer to fill in. Honestly, I was surprised to get the call. After all of the insults and draggings I’ve received from writers…Read more...

I don’t know about you, but I sure as hell like to be paid for any time and energy I exert at the workplace. Sadly, those same rules don’t apply in the NCAA, which I previously noted is big business for everybody but Black student-athletes.Read more...

I recently had the opportunity to sit down with the Queen of fixing lives, Iyanla Vanzant.Read more...

We already know that cops are state-sanctioned killers who get away with murdering people all of the time. They are basically gangs, but with the legal power to prey on whomever they choose, and when they face public scrutiny their police unions provide legal cover to beat the charges.

LeBron James isn’t like other former mega stars who allowed their fame to keep them from talking about difficult issues. He understands the power he holds, and as such, he uses his platform to shed light on issues that plague the Black community. Accordingly, James has been vocal about police brutality and the…Read more...

In a country where Black lives are consistently under threat, it is in some ways understandable that many of us are weary of revisiting America’s original sin, chattel slavery. The legacy of that painful history remains so evident in our daily lives that ruminating on its brutal beginnings is often too much bear—but…Read more...

One of the few major awards ceremonies that doesn’t take itself too seriously, the Film Independent Spirit Awards happened on Thursday night, and we have some Black-ass winners to celebrate.Read more...

To call this an emotionally draining week would be a bit of an understatement, but luckily it’s Friday, which means I can put you on some good-ass games that won’t break the bank and will hopefully make the weekend a little better than the week. So let’s get to it, y’all!

In this most unconventional of awards seasons, we are proudly closing out our second annual celebration of Black creatives innovating the worlds of fashion, beauty and media, better known as The Glow Up 50. We’re uniquely proud of each of our honorees this year (and hope you’ve taken a moment to applaud all of them…Read more...

Neither Derek Chauvin’s guilty verdict nor the unending wave of anti-police violence protests that have taken place in America has put an end to police shootings of Black people. In fact, not only are the shootings still happening, but they’re getting more bizarre. On Wednesday, in Spotsylvania County, Virginia, a…Read more...

Being the only Black driver in NASCAR’s top racing series comes with more than its fair share of trials and tribulations.Read more...

Fun fact: Many diseases that are common in our community are highly treatable if found early. This is good news! However, for a myriad of reasons, getting men to go to the doctor can be difficult at best, and impossible at worst. Unfortunately, it often takes the loss of a loved one or a young celebrity to a…Read more...

America’s jails and prisons are full of men and women who have been imprisoned because of a cop’s lies.Read more...

Shock G, musician, rapper, producer and the eccentric frontman of legendary hip-hop group Digital Underground has died at the age of 57, the New York Times confirms.Read more...

A teacher in Texas is under fire after she sent a photo of her foot on a Black boy’s neck to the boy’s mother. The two women apparently know each other, and the photo was supposed to be a joke, but the boy’s father, his family, and the Texas school district didn’t find the humor in it.

I don’t know about you but when I pray to God about my career trajectory, I often ask: “Lord, let me be as booked and busy as MC Lyte or Keke Palmer. Amen”Read more...

Happy Earth Day, y’all! It is on this sunny (well, sunny in Brooklyn, at least) day that we honor our mother—by going to plant a tree, frolic in a park, that sort of thing. However, if you’re not trying to do those things, there are still ways to support the environment—and a few Black-owned businesses to boot.Read more...

In our quest to break generational curses, more and more Black folks are going to therapy and embracing financial literacy. I personally have made both a priority during the pandemic—I’m happy to report that my credit score no longer resembles my shoe size—and Black-owned finance app Goalsetter has positioned itself…Read more...

An Ohio high school district is probably not under fire after a recent history assignment helped students explore the subject “How to be a pro racist.”

I know this may come as a surprise, but as a rule, I don’t really respect cops. Growing up reading a lot of young adult sci-fi books and watching a lot of Star Wars has made me generally detest authoritarian assholes who gleefully celebrate and enact state violence. Cops, by and large, tend to fit that description,…Read more...

Black women have long been the most important voters for Democrats, and their electoral power has been crucial at the presidential level—just ask former President Barack Obama.Read more...

Last week, The Root reported that 17-year-old Anthony J. Thompson Jr. was shot and killed by police officers in the restroom of Austin-East Magnet High School in Knoxville, Tenn., after police responded to a call about a “possibly armed” student.Read more...

Further proving that cops just straight-up don’t see angry, vitriolic white people as a threat, it was revealed during a committee hearing regarding the Capitol riot that a Capitol Police officer allegedly told “all outside units” to only monitor for anti-Trump protesters on the morning of Jan. 6.

No doubt you’ve recently heard a lot of talk about the immune system, and hopefully, you’ve been listening. After all, your immune system defends you against most minor illnesses, and boosts your overall health. The good news is that there are some small simple steps you can take to keep your immune system fighting…Read more...

Years ago, writer Sarah Hagi tweeted, “Carry yourself with the confidence of a mediocre white man.”Read more...

I’m not particularly fond of social media. How many goddamn selfies can you narcissists take? However, I’m acutely aware that a strong following can be leveraged into lucrative branding opportunities. It’s also a fantastic way to connect with your fans and audience on a deeper level or amplify important news and…Read more...

A Black man in North Carolina was fatally shot by a sheriff’s deputy who was delivering a warrant. In other words, it’s a Thursday in America.Read more...

It’s no small thing to have an award named in your honor, but the designer known as Dapper Dan is no small entity—in fact, he’s larger than life. The journalist turned self-taught couturier born Daniel Day is the epitome of a renaissance man, staging his own reinvention more than once in his 76 years on Earth, and…Read more...

This weekend, fans of the late Earl “DMX” Simmons will have our own Ruff Ryders’ role—to honor the life and legacy of a hip-hop great.Read more...