While many of us tuned into the Senate hearing to watch Dr. Anthony Fauci go full Denzel at the end of Training Day and threaten to put cases on all you motherfuckers (fine, maybe I was the only one who was hoping that Dr. Fauci would go full Tekashi 6ix9ine and snitch on everyone in the White House), in the end, the…Read more...

Imagine if Black Twitter hooked up with GroupMe and had a baby who was raised by Desus and Mero.

I own a lot of sneakers. Many of them are cool. Some of them are dumb. Here are the dumbest.Read more...

Everyone knows Leonardo, Michelangelo, Raphael and Donatello but no one knows the story of Machiavelli Mitch McConnell. The short version goes like this: Machiavelli Mitch wouldn’t wear his mask because he didn’t believe that he could catch the coronavirus. He also refused to change his name to a renaissance artist…Read more...

“You from Chicago?” Rob Morgan’s rich voice rumbled with a comedic lilt, acknowledging the area code on my cell phone. After I confirmed, he followed up with a question that further cemented my love for him: “You step?”Read more...

Incarcerated people at a Los Angeles County jail appear to be caught on camera intentionally trying to infect each other with COVID-19 in order to get released, sparking contradicting narratives between sheriffs and activists as to whether the people in custody were just looking to get their get-out-of-jail-free cards…Read more...

If there’s one sweet spot to this whole “sheltering in place” thing, it’s the resurgence of the care package—sending them, receiving them (yes, online shopping for yourself counts), and assembling them. If you haven’t gotten into this quarantine activity yet, you should; there’s something special about receiving a…Read more...

President Trump doesn’t want people to mail in votes and he doesn’t want a Los Angeles suburb with a large black population’s votes to count. I’m starting to think that the president of the United States doesn’t want black people to vote in the upcoming election. It’s almost as if he’s a dishonest racist who is trying…Read more...

Dr. Fauci keeps trying to warn us, but nobody wants to listen.Read more...

Between the pandemic, the isolation and the sheer amount of losses, these last few months have been fucking hard. The world just doesn’t seem to stop inflicting pain. One of my primary forms of self-care has always been video games. When reality gets too hard, I take a break from it and escape into a virtual one.

If you are reading this, there’s probably a better than 50 percent chance—and probably closer to 75 or 80 percent, really—that you were one of the, apparently, 8 trillion (Swizz’s math might be a little hyperbolic) people who tuned into the Jill Scott versus Erykah Badu Verzuz on Instagram Live on Saturday evening.…Read more...

Mike Tyson is thriving.Read more...

The president wants to be celebrated for victories only he can see. To hear him tell it, the United States has defeated the coronavirus and everyone should already be back at work. The truth is that the United States has become the epicenter of how not to handle an infectious disease.

It’s been two months since 26-year-old Breonna Taylor, a Louisville, Ky., EMT, was fatally shot by police officers during what has been described as a “botched execution of a warrant.” Now, Taylor’s family has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the Louisville Metro Police Department and is being represented by the…Read more...

Everything is coming up Kamala.Read more...

Ahmaud Arbery’s mother Wanda Cooper-Jones has undoubtedly received an outpouring of love and support ever since the brutally tragic video of her son’s killing was released.Read more...

The music world is still mourning the unexpected passing of music executive and multi-hyphenate Andre Harrell. The Uptown Records founder and former president/CEO of Motown Records died on Thursday, May 7 at the age of 59.

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The American prison system is, in a word, trash. prisoners are often faced with inhumane conditions and treatment, and the cramped living spaces make it one of the worst places to be in the midst of a pandemic. Luckily, there are folks out there who believe in treating prisoners with the basic dignity and respect they…Read more...

Eraina Pretty, Maryland’s longest-incarcerated woman, has spent 42 years of her 60-year sentence behind bars for a violent crime. Since she’s been in prison, Pretty has acted as a mentor to fellow inmates and has been approved for parole twice by the Maryland Parole Commission only to be denied her freedom by two of…Read more...

The killing of Ahmaud Arbery as well as the effort to re-open states despite COVID-19 ravaging black communities has displayed how little America values black life. Now, an NAACP chapter president in Nashville has revealed that police didn’t take him seriously when he found a threatening sign on his property.Read more...

As I write this, Trump is probably still rage tweeting about the first black president. We all wish Barack Obama would pick up the mic just one more time and roast him like he did at that White House Correspondents’ Dinner. But until then, we’ll take what we can get. It’s fair to say, CNN’s Don Lemon is also annoyed…Read more...

The past couple months have been an unprecedented time for the country as we grapple with the wide-ranging effects of COVID-19. Sadly, the devastating toll of the virus has hit close to home for Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.).Read more...

Most of America’s 2020 political press corps is braving COVID-19 inside of their homes, so we aren’t reporting the on-the-ground coverage we’d ordinarily be giving you. But that isn’t stopping The Root from bringing you regular 2020 coverage and interviews with elected officials at every level of government.Read more...

There are two surefire ways to make grown men cry: either deprive them of a haircut for two months and counting—thanks, coronavirus!—or play Boyz II Men’s “A Song for Mama.”Read more...

It’s hard to believe it’s already been two years to the day since Rihanna launched Savage x Fenty, the lingerie leg of her now-multifaceted beauty and fashion empire. Of course, at the time of its 2018 debut, no one could’ve predicted we’d be spending quite this much time at home just two short years later, but as…Read more...

Following the highly successful Verzuz event featuring Erykah Badu and Jill Scott, a particularly interesting recurring convo arose about Erykah’s impromptu hit song, “Tyrone.” Namely, the fact that the song’s popularity also resulted in a particular negative association with the titular character. Now, the…Read more...

I cried today. I’d like to say this is an uncommon occurrence, but as of late, not so much. Sometimes, it’s the isolation and uncertainty of quarantine that backs up on me. Other times, it’s what feels like an unceasing stream of bad news—like today, when I learned of the non-COVID-related death of a friend—that…Read more...

In today’s edition of “Well, that escalated quickly,” we have Zion Williamson, who went from sitting around his house twiddling his thumbs as he waits for the NBA season to resume to being accused of receiving improper benefits as a collegiate athlete.

Well, it only took 274 years for it to happen, but Princeton University recently named its first African American valedictorian. In late April, it was announced that operations research and financial engineering major Nicholas Johnson will be Princeton’s Class of 2020 valedictorian.Read more...

I’m gonna need this docuseries to stop being so damn good.

Is it shady to refuse to do your best friend a favor because of some arbitrary (and fabricated) rubric, like what Molly did to Issa on last week’s episode of Insecure? Yes! Yes, it is! Especially when said friend is desperate and her desperation is connected with work and/or money. Especially especially when you’re…Read more...

Given the new reality of our world with COVID-19’s takeover, many of our regular meetups with friends, family and loved ones are conducted over video chat apps and programs like FaceTime and Zoom.

Can you imagine being so amazing that years after you’ve left a job that you were completely over, your successor continues to bring up your name and does so even on Mother’s Day?!

Ever since the recent video surfaced of 25-year-old Ahmaud Arbery being ambushed and killed by Travis and Gregory McMichael (which occurred back in February), celebrities have attempted to use their respective platforms in various ways to either raise awareness or figure out the next and tangible steps toward action…Read more...

In the horror movie that has become the Trump administration, the president and Vice President Mike Pence are the jocks who believe there is nothing to be afraid of and walk into the haunted house to show everyone how crazy they’re being, never to be heard from again.

As tributes poured in last weekend for Ahmaud Arbery, the 25-year-old unarmed black man whose Feb. 23 killing made international headlines when cellphone footage of his death was released last week, racial and trans justice advocates sought space to lift up the name of Nina Pop, a 28-year-old trans woman who was found…Read more...

This weekend, Jill Scott and Erykah Badu’s sisterly celebration of each other’s catalogs for the beloved Verzuz series soothed our spirits and souls. Fans of the Instagram Live event and shakin’ their asses are in for a treat, as the next battle will switch gears entirely, promising to bring the heat.

Jalaiah Harmon is in her bag, y’all.Read more...

Many of us posted our memories and sincerest condolences to social media in honor of the legendary musical figures who passed away over the weekend: Andre Harrell, Betty Wright and Little Richard. Little Richard, in particular, who died on Saturday, May 9 at the age of 87, is being remembered and revered as a pioneer…Read more...

A Kyoko 8" chef knife, a Game Pass BOGO deal, Leaf & Clay subscription, an Eufy robovac sale, a sleep sound machine, an Ella Paradis giveaway, Airpods 2, and more headline Monday’s best deals.

In today’s episode of, “Are...Are White People OK?”—a group of 11 anti-lockdown demonstrators walked into a Subway sandwich shop in Raleigh, N.C., Saturday carrying an array of weapons, ranging from pistols to whole ass rocket launchers.Read more...

Newly surfaced surveillance video showing Ahmaud Arbery at a construction site shortly before he was fatally shot confirms there was no reason for him to be pursued as a burglary suspect, Arbery’s family attorneys say.Read more...

“I’ll do something that makes me happy.”

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Former President Barack Obama derided the Trump administration’s handling of the COVID-19 crisis in a recent phone call with alumni from his own administration, according to a report from Yahoo News, which obtained the audio.

Betty Wright, the R&B and soul singer known for classics like “Clean Up Woman” and “Tonight is the Night,” has died at 66 years old.

Incense was burning, Crown Royal was ready for the sipping, and even our forever first lady Michelle Obama was tuning in for the Verzuz battle between Neo Soul queens Erykah Badu and Jill Scott last night on Instagram Live.

America has always dismissed and treated black women like we’re disposable, so I’ve dedicated my life to being one of the few people who will say yes to black mothers, no matter their circumstances. During this year’s coronavirus pandemic, that means bailing mothers out so they can be safe and providing for their…Read more...

A group of white people armed with weapons demanded entry into the home of a black woman and her son in Pender County, N.C., late last Sunday night and refused to leave.