The Root

Lawmakers in Mississippi responded to increased pressure over the state’s distasteful flag—which boasts the battle emblem of the treasonous, slavery loving Confederacy—by passing a measure this weekend that makes it possible for the flag to be changed legislatively.

Two transgender women, one of them a Black Army veteran and lung cancer survivor, have filed suit against the Trump Administration challenging a recent rule change which strips away anti-discrimination protections in the Affordable Care Act.

Protestors who gathered in Jackson Square Park in Louisville, Kentucky to continue their calls for justice in the death of Breonna Taylor were set upon by gunfire on by an unknown assailant on Saturday night.

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We’ve already established that white people are really concerned about Chicago, and no one pretends to be more concerned than the white-orange President of the U.S.

Police officers Nathan Woodyard, Jason Rosenblatt, and Randy Roedema of the Aurora Police Department in Colorado have been put to work in a “non-enforcement capacity” since interest has renewed in the case surrounding the death of 23-year-old Elijah McClain last year.

Thomas Edwin Blanton Jr., a former member of the Ku Klux Klan and one of three men convicted of murdering four Black girls in Alabama by bombing a church in 1963, has died in prison at 84 years old.

Spurred by increased attention to racism and racial justice, brands across all industries have scrambled to do the right thing by Black consumers. Among these companies is Unilever, which recently pledged more than $1 million in donations to social justice organizations.Read more...

Earlier this month, a video went viral depicting a group of white counter-protesters during a rally against police brutality in New Jersey. During the video, two of the counter-protesters are seen on the ground, mocking the way in which George Floyd died. One the men seen in the video was identified as a New Jersey…Read more...

Per the New York Times, Kanye West has inked a 10-year deal with Gap to create an iteration of his Yeezy branded clothing line for the retailer. And anybody who is (or has been a fan of Kanye) knows about his relationship with the store. Specifically because the entire first verse of classic record “Spaceship”—it is…Read more...

Early Wednesday morning, a Black teenager says she was sitting in her car when a group of white men sprayed her with lighter fluid, called her the n-word and set her on fire.Read more...

Just as the fight for racial justice isn’t complete without centering the experiences of queer and trans black folks, the movement for gender equality is similarly inadequate if it doesn’t directly address the concerns of Black and transgender people.

Across the world, coronavirus cases are popping up again. But in few other countries has the virus had as disastrous a toll as it has in America, which has failed to meet the challenge of managing the worst public health crisis in the century.Read more...

It’s hot AF, it’s summer AF and it’s still Black Music Month...AF. Sometimes you just need that perfect summertime, summer jam playlist to be the backdrop for or the reminder of the moments created during Sundress SZN. This list hopes to be that. It will be BlackAF.

Thirty days after the murder of George Floyd at the hands of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, it seems white people are still slowly coming to the realization that AmeriKKKa is racist as fuck.Read more...

On Thursday, the Alabama Crimson Tide became the latest sports team to release a video speaking out against systemic racism.Read more...

It’s been a long time, I shouldn’t have left you, without a bunch of trailers to escape to. Yes, a lot has happened in the past few weeks, which makes this kind of escape all the more necessary, so let’s get to it. Hopefully, we provide you something to look forward to.Read more...

The Planned Parenthood Federation of America, the nation’s largest provider of sex education with more than 600 health centers across the country, ushered in a new era in its nearly 104-year history on Friday, as its board of directors announced the appointment of Alexis McGill Johnson as permanent president and CEO…Read more...

President Donald Trump claims that “Blacks” come up to him and say things like “I love you” and “You’re doing a great job” and “Thank you for moving us out of this rat-infested hell!”

This week’s Clapback Mailbag is about strawmen.Read more...

Force MDs “Tender Love” is a jam, you hear me? It’s as good today as it was in 1985, a nod I give to just how good GOAT writers and producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis are at song creation. The video, though, is awesome in a different way.

Outrage has grown in the last week over the way the case of Elijah McClain has been handled. McClain was a 23-year-old Black man who died last year during a confrontation with police in Aurora, Colo. After a petition for a new investigation into the case garnered 3 million signatures, Colorado Gov. Jared Polis (D) has…Read more...

Ahead of Sunday’s 2020 BET Awards, the network’s annual ceremony celebrating the best in Black culture, nominee John Legend sat down with The Root to discuss some hot-button topics. The EGOT winner is up for “Best Collaboration” and “Video of the Year” honors for “Higher,” his song with DJ Khaled and the late Nipsey…Read more...

When last we left the Boston Celtics, Jayson Tatum was ballin’.Read more...

A former Miami Gardens police officer has been charged with four counts of official misconduct and two counts of battery stemming from a January incident where he knelt on a Black woman’s neck and stunned her twice with a Taser during an unlawful arrest.Read more...

Later this summer, Democratic presidential hopeful Joe Biden will announce his running mate—and it’s widely presumed he will choose one of the many dynamic Black women who have risen to the top of the political sphere (and its adjacent headlines) in recent years. But as anyone watching the Biden camp knows, he already…Read more...

I am totally one of those people who believe the movie theater experience is special. Other than the primary fear and worry about my health and the health of my family and friends, I’ve been struggling with the fact that movie theaters aren’t currently accessible to me.Read more...

Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) literally can’t stop being racist. If Tom Cotton were captured by a group of vigilante African Americans and had to talk for two minutes without being racist or he would die, Tom Cotton would ask for a phone so he could call his loved ones and tell them he loves them because even Tom Cotton…Read more...

LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL HOLY SHIT I KNOW THIS AIN’T FUNNY THIS IS AWFUL THIS IS TERRIBLE THIS IS HATEFUL THIS IS …Read more...

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Grammy-nominated musician Aloe Blacc returns to the music scene with his latest song, “My Way,” which will be featured on his forthcoming album All Love Everything. The LP is slated to drop on October 2.

Lawrence Franks Jr., known as rapper Huey, has died at the age of 31. The Kinloch, Mo., native was reportedly shot and killed on Thursday night.Read more...

Nearly a dozen staff members were fired from a childcare facility in Kalamazoo, Mich., after a 16-year-old Black boy died while employees at the facility used their full body weight to pin him to the floor—all because he threw a piece of bread at another student. Now, three of those staff members are charged with…Read more...

Slavery, for the most part, has been abolished in this country. I say for the most part because the 13th Amendment allows for slavery to be used as a form of punishment. Some states have already elected to remove that clause from their local constitutions and Ohio is working to be next on the list.Read more...

For you royal watchers wondering how the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will maintain their standard of living since stepping down as senior royals, a new deal might provide an answer—and it has the presidential stamp of approval. (And for those of you who couldn’t care less, have a blessed day. This isn’t for you—and no,…Read more...

I’ve long felt that The Princess and the Frog has not gotten the love it rightfully deserved. Princess Tiana hasn’t received the same energy given to Elsa and Anna from Frozen. Hopefully, that will change in a very big way.Read more...

To live in Arizona is to perpetually exist in one long, heavy sigh. If it’s not being embarrassed by the actions of your fellow citizens, you can be damn sure the elected officials will do something that is just inhumanly trash.Read more...

If you look at allyship as some sort of contest, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos has been eager to put some points on the board. He’s done this mostly through highly publicized, “spicy” responses to racist customers, and by canceling his meetings on Juneteenth and encouraging other employees “to do the same if you can.”Read more...

Well before she was named editor-in-chief of Teen Vogue, Lindsay Peoples Wagner was calling out disparities and microaggressions within the fashion industry; most notably with her August 2018 report for The Cut, “Everywhere and Nowhere: What it’s really like to be Black and work in fashion,” revealing what Black…Read more...

When the NBA announced its plans to resume its NBA season at the ESPN Wide World of Sports in Orlando, it gave players two options: either partake in the festivities, and enjoy job perks like reduced salaries and being kept away from their families until after the first round of the playoffs, or stay home and play…Read more...

It was white supremacy.

Well, this is awkward.

Beverly Johnson

When 23-year-old Elijah McClain died after police put him in a chokehold last year, the news of his killing—and the subsequent decision to not press criminal charges against the Aurora, Colo., officers who apprehended him—didn’t reach far beyond the state.

Most days I wake up to the petty satisfaction of knowing how mad white people are right now. The Black Lives Matter movement is more mainstream and widely celebrated than it’s ever been. It’s so big now that even white people living in some cave near some Amish community with no internet access will likely find it…Read more...

In a past life, I hated Vince Carter.

Tamir Rice should be celebrating his 18th birthday today, June 25. But at age 12, his light was dimmed, and the world still wonders why.

Today, June 25, marks the 7th anniversary of the Shelby County v. Holder case, in which the U.S. Supreme Court found that Section 4 of the Voting Rights Act was unconstitutional. As we continue conversations surrounding voter suppression, especially given the issues surrounding the recent Democratic primary election…Read more...

I have started this column at least three times but I feel like you should know this before I begin. The Root doesn’t wade in the kiddie pool. We have no problem destroying your least favorites and your favorites, but like the mafia, we have rules. We don’t go after kids, ever. So we kicked around the idea of talking…Read more...

At Sunday night’s BET Awards, Beyoncé will be the recipient of the 2020 Humanitarian Award, which will be presented virtually. According to a press release obtained by The Root, outside of her successful music career, Beyoncé has a proven philanthropic track record which demonstrates her ability to “give back to the…Read more...