The Root

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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The shine of Steve Harvey’s teeth and the sheen of his mustache are providing the positive energy you may be feeling this week because the comedian-actor has just landed his next hosting gig!Read more...

Ever meet someone with energy so infectious, you can’t help but catch joy just speaking with them? That’s been our experience every time we encounter beauty maven Danessa Myricks, who has been a regular feature on The Glow Up almost since we began our journey in late 2017. Since then, she has continued to bring us joy…Read more...

If your state’s song was written before 1995, there’s a very likely chance it’s racist as hell. The state legislature in Maryland voted on Monday to repeal its state song, which, as of now, is very pro-Confederate.

If you’re in the market, no doubt you dipped on over to Telfar Global’s site today to cop one of the designer’s coveted shopping bags though his “Bag Security II” program. After all, it’s one of the rare opportunities to pre-order the cult-favorite tote, circumventing the typical grab-one-while-they-last color-coded…Read more...

On April 6, W Magazine’s Volume 2 of the Directors’ Issue hits the stands, offering a trio of covers directed by the industry’s finest. In one of the three covers, Academy Award-winning actor and director Regina King directs a photo essay titled “Black in Americana: A Photo Essay on Love and Pain.” The essay features…Read more...

Tomorrow, a clash of massive proportions will hit theater and TV screens in the form of Godzilla vs Kong. Now I love watching giant creatures suplex each other through skyscrapers just as much as the next person, but y’all really expect to believe Kong, king of the simps, can take on the big G?Read more...

Red Table Talk is back and it’s bringing the same energy—featuring guests that everyone is talking about.

Trigger Warning: This story contains instances of physical abuse and harm.Read more...

The last time I wrote about the arrogance of white people, arrogant white people demanded I retract the statement or else they would be even more arrogant and racist.

White people really don’t like holding each other accountable for their actions. For the rest of us, getting killed by cops for counterfeit bills, getting absurdly long prison sentences for low-level drug possession, and even being incarcerated for crimes we didn’t commit is perfectly fine. For the majority of the…Read more...

March is coming to a close, which means next month is the official countdown to the Oscars! Yes, I know that’s weird because typically when March is ending, the Oscars have already come and gone. Anything can happen in a post-2020 world, though!Read more...

Rapper Megan Thee Stallion is sending her support to the Asian-American community.Read more...

Remember back a million years ago when America was under the rule of the most racist president and his sexless robot former Vice President Mike Pence? Well, it looks like someone’s done some tinkering with his mainframe because the once homeless, couch-surfing VP might be looking to make a run at the White House in…Read more...

Confession time!Read more...

If you’re a Black person entrenched in the film industry in any capacity and have been to the American Black Film Festival (ABFF), you know just how special the sense of community is in comparison to more mainstream (white) festivals. Unfortunately, due to the rise of the global pandemic in 2020, patrons weren’t able…Read more...

As we watch with bated breath, and not a little bit of apprehension, for the outcome of the high-profile trial of former police officer Derek Chauvin in a case of brutality against a Black man, a St. Louis jury’s failure to return a guilty verdict for any of the officers charged with beating a fellow cop while he was…Read more...

When composer Daniel Roumain was commissioned to create four original works for “Greenwood Overcomes,” a celebration led by the Tulsa Opera to recognize the 100th anniversary of the Tulsa Race Massacre, I’m sure he never thought one lyric would be enough to lose him the commission. Unfortunately, it was.Read more...

Carl Hart is a neuroscientist, drug researcher, Columbia professor, and unabashed heroin user. His recent book, Drug Use for Grown-Ups, mixes personal anecdote (heroin is hardly the only taboo drug he’s enjoyed) with his research findings, arguing that the media portrayal of a one-hit-to-addict pipeline is overblown…Read more...

Look, former President Trump tried everything he could to make federal courts about as white as a NASCAR event, but leave it to Champagne Biden to undo the former president’s bullshit.

If you’re a fan of Cam Newton’s eccentric choice of attire, I now present to you a golden opportunity to see him adorned in his Sunday best a little more frequently.