The Root

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.

They’re back!Read more...

Nike, not like this. We live in a Hypebeasting, HighSnobiety world in which collabs are as ubiquitous as TikTok dance routine appropriation, but apparently, referencing the devil (if such a thing even exists) is a bridge too far for Nike. In the past few pays, the sportswear juggernaut has borne some of the “Satanic…Read more...

In opening statements in the trial of former Minneapolis cop Derek Chauvin for the death of George Floyd, prosecutors took pains to explain the full horror of the officer’s subjugation of the Black man last summer by placing his knee on his neck.

As the coronavirus pandemic continues to rage and unemployment rates continue to fluctuate, the Biden administration has announced it will extend the federal ban on evictions until June.

The ongoing coronavirus pandemic has seen law enforcement and criminal justice agencies across the country make adjustments in what crimes they do and don’t prosecute in an effort to mitigate the spread of the virus. In Baltimore, those adjustments will remain permanent as the city prosecutor announced her office will…Read more...

A new analysis of demographic population data collected during the most recent American Community Survey shows that the face of the Black community in the U.S. is more diverse than ever.

The music and accompanying videos released this week all have one thing in common: they all follow some form of expression and aspiration. Music has always been a way for people–artists and listeners alike–to express and identify with themselves while still inspiring listeners to follow their dreams. Those dreams can…Read more...

If there’s one thing NBA superstar Kevin Durant is good for—besides knocking down a three in the clutch—it’s telling the truth to shame the devil. And while most celebrities in his position opt to ignore their detractors entirely, the two-time NBA champ has no problem whatsoever clapping back at trolls in interviews…Read more...

Imagine it’s your big day and the unemployed, former White House squatter grabs the microphone and starts rambling about some stuff that no one cares about, well maybe those at Mar-a-Lago give a shit because they are having a wedding in that shithole.

As Raekwon the Chef, Method Man and Inspectah Deck once so eloquently stated: “Cash rules everything around me! C.R.E.A.M., get the money! Dollar, dollar bill, y’all!”Read more...

Let’s start by remembering that no one has been criminally charged for the horrific killing of 26-year-old Breonna Taylor, a promising and ambitious young woman who police gunned down in her home in Louisville, Ky., in the middle of the night last spring.

The Lifetime Royal Cinematic Universe (LRCU) is continuing! Because, of course, a movie channel is going to try to capitalize from all the shenanigans of recent months!Read more...

Great news! There’s a vaccine for racism!Read more...

As hoop heads wait for the inevitable championship showdown between the Los Angeles Lakers and Brooklyn Nets, the Nets made a power move over the weekend with the acquisition of seven-time All-Star LaMarcus Aldridge.

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

Barack Obama’s paternal step-grandmother, Sarah Obama, has died at the age of 99.

Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina claims to own an AR-15. I don’t believe him. Maybe he does. Maybe he uses it as a hat stand or a leveling device to steady his kitchen table.

Beyhive, assemble!Read more...

Levi’s 501 High Rise Shorts BOGO 50% Off | $50 | Macy’s

Marsai Martin has made quite the mark in Hollywood and she’s making sure it matters.Read more...

Opening statements in Derek Chauvin’s trial for the death of George Floyd are set to take place Monday morning in Hennepin County, Minn., marking a pivotal development in the case that launched national racial justice protests and a renewed uprising against police brutality in 2020.

“Bloody shoes” may be Cardi B’s line, but they may now be best associated with Lil Nas X. The rapper born Montero Lamar Hill broke the internet last Friday as he released the single for “Montero (Call Me By Your Name),” infuriating much of the evangelical set with his subversive and highly strategic use of Christian…Read more...

It’s wild that in the year 2021, I can still be amazed by the sheer arrogance of mediocre white men.Read more...

Another day, another instance of police officers displaying their inability to view Black children as children. The fact that the cops in this instance appear to be Black changes nothing about it being a display of white supremacy at work.Read more...

In today’s episode of Racists Say the Darndest Things When They Don’t Know They’re Being Recorded, a now-former Palmdale, California, science teacher resigned in January after being caught in the midst of a racist rant because she thought the Zoom meeting she had just attended had ended. Instead, a Black mother and…Read more...

After a week of Black-ass celebration, we’ve made it to the main event! The 52nd NAACP Awards televised ceremony took place on Saturday night and we have some highlights to...highlight!

In today’s episode of Can Black People Even Exist Without Looking Suspicious Someone? a Black man has filed a lawsuit against the Fremont Marriott Silicon Valley hotel in Alameda County, Calif., after he said he was racially profiled and treated like shit last year by the hotel manager all because he committed the…Read more...

For nearly a year now, a community in Duval County of Jacksonville, Fla., has been in the midst of a controversy that is all over one thing as far as I can tell: White people love their slavery symbols.Read more...

Listen: I’m not against interracial relationships. I mean, it couldn’t be me—but I understand that everyone’s journey to finding love is different, so I’m not here to judge. However, if you’re going to be a Black person with a white significant other—especially if you’re going to be procreating—please make sure your…Read more...

Black women matter—because when we win, we typically bring everyone to the finish line. The Ford Foundation clearly recognizes the value in investing in Black women, as on Thursday, it was announced that the philanthropic organization is providing $15 million to launch The Black Feminist Fund, “a philanthropic…Read more...

On Thursday, California’s Supreme Court struck a major blow to the cash bail system in a ruling that should honestly be adopted across the nation. In a unanimous decision, the court ruled that it is unconstitutional to hold people in jail just because they can’t afford bail and that judges must assess a defendant’s…Read more...

It must be hard looking at your former life and wondering what could’ve been while standing in line to get into the spot you used to run through—only to see the limo pull up and Champagne Biden wave his way into the club.

Another day, another white man in dire need of catching hands.

Y’all already know Black folks don’t half-ass our celebrations. So, it should come as no surprise that the NAACP dedicated an entire week of awarding Black excellence with a daily “virtual experience” for its block of non-televised award winners.Read more...

While distribution of Johnson and Johnson’s single-shot coronavirus vaccine hit an initial snag, the Biden Administration announced on Friday that the company will deliver 11 million doses of the vaccine next week.Read more...

Jacob Blake is taking legal action against the police officer who shot him in the back seven times last summer in Kenosha, Wis., paralyzing the 29-year-old Black man.

My dearest and most delightful reader, ‘tis I, Lady Welpington of The Root, back with another roundup of Black entertainment happenings that I’m sure you’ll be most pleased to hear about. As we are by now well aware, the giant machine we all know as Hollywood doesn’t always invest in TV and film starring folks who…Read more...

Is there a “selling out” Verzuz “the culture” in business?

Change is constant.Read more...

Boooooy, these conservative news outlets sure did let their little ex-president get their asses in some shit, didn’t they?Read more...

I’ve been through a lot in my life: heartbreak, a strained relationship with my parents, a brush with death when somebody poisoned my grits by sprinkling sugar in them, literally going to war when I got deployed after 9/11 (yes, I was in the military), but yesterday was a fucking lot.Read more...

When’s the last time you had a good kiki? With our social lives deeply lacking during quarantine, many of us have turned our focus inward—which proved the perfect time to indulge in some Bevelations with radio host, veteran strategist, media personality, and guaranteed good time, Bevy Smith. As Smith, a close friend…Read more...

Change is often a slow, ongoing process. Last year, hundreds of thousands of Americans marched in the streets and demanded that police stop killing unarmed Black people and that they be held accountable for their actions. New York City, which is no stranger to police misconduct, passed a series of reforms on Thursday,…Read more...

Last week, a white man did white man things, which caused a lot of pain and heartache.

As Black History Month transitioned into Women’s History Month—Black HerStory Month, if you’re nasty (or The Root)—the highly anticipated stories of two major Black musical icons made their way onto our (still quarantined) screens. February closed with Andra Day’s onscreen debut in the untold story of Billie Holiday’s…Read more...