As we navigate unfamiliar territory within the confines of our homes during self-isolation due to the coronavirus pandemic, it may feel like a little bit of our soul dies every day. Unfortunately, our hopes of a blockbuster summer is whittling away, as well.Read more...

Despite its status as a “developed” nation, about 700 women will die each year from complications related to pregnancy or childbirth in the U.S.—more than any of its peers. Of that number, a disproportionately high number are black women—from 2007 to 2016, black mothers died at a rate of 3.2 times that of white…Read more...

Every year, like clockwork, some Twitch streamer has what is called a Heated Gamer Moment. This usually involves said gamer incurring a series of embarrassing losses before inevitably dropping the Hard-R. The focus of tonight’s Heated Gamer Moment is NASCAR driver Kyle Larson.Read more...

As reports fill our newsfeeds about the bigotry and discrimination Asian people are facing amid the coronavirus outbreak, in China, African residents are alleging anti-black racism resulting from the pandemic.Read more...

Whether it’s being more likely to suffer from severe complications, being less able to work from home or being more at risk for losing a job, COVID-19 has had an inordinate effect on the black community. In Georgia, there is an effort to take racial profiling off the list of things to be concerned about while…Read more...

When it comes to bitter rap rivals Ja Rule and 50 Cent, there’s no such thing as friendly competition. And while the coronavirus pandemic has provided producers, songwriters and recording artists with the perfect opportunity to entertain the masses by putting their catalogs to the test with Instagram Live battles,…Read more...

Even in the midst of a pandemic, Florida stays finding new ways to be trash. You would think the death of a police officer would inspire a certain level of respect but uh, nah.

The numbers are staggering.Read more...

Before you criticize Trump’s new press secretary for rooting against everything black, you must acknowledge that everyone hates something.Read more...

Ever since Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle announced they’d be stepping down from their role as senior royals in the British monarchy—a designation that became final on March 31—as well as their intention to be financially independent, royal watchers have rightfully been asking, “How, Sway?” Meghan’s residuals…Read more...

Writer’s Note: The following article contains spoilers for Insecure’s Season 4 premiere.Read more...

Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders had some really great ideas if he were elected president. He wanted to implement universal health care and free college for all, but it doesn’t matter now because Sen. Sanders wasn’t really personable. In fact, Sanders always looked like he just finished eating a rotten chicken salad…Read more...

Things are different across the pond: sweaters are called jumpers, cookies are called biscuits, and Karens are called Freyas, according to this helpful polemic by The Guardian’s resident fanny champion Hadley Freeman.

It’s no secret that Oprah has been using her massively influential platform to create awareness as we navigate the unprecedented world of the coronavirus age. Not only has the media mogul recently donated $10 million dollars toward coronavirus relief, but she has also launched an ongoing series, Oprah Talks COVID-19.Read more...

While the rest of us have spent the last month or so trapped inside of our homes trying to escape the wrath of the coronavirus, there are people like Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott who apparently just crack the door open and let the shit right in.Read more...

Miami Police Chief Jorge Colina announced this weekend that his department was investigating an incident in which a Miami-Dade police sergeant handcuffed and detained a black doctor in front of his own home. Dr. Armen Henderson says he was loading up his van with supplies he planned to take to the city’s homeless to…Read more...

So I guess you’re back with the explainer thing for good, huh?Read more...

To be fair, White House trade adviser Peter Navarro is a goddamn idiot, so he was grossly outmatched from the time he agreed to sit down with 60 Minutes, but he did it anyway—and got his ass handed to him by the host, the staff and the interns.

While we’ve been loving these Verzuz Instagram Live battles and social media concert sets from our favorite artists amidst all of the bullshit going on in the world, nothing is quite like watching your favorite team win a game or singing along to your favorite musicians with friends and family live and in-person.

Diddy (or Puff Daddy, if you’re a traditionalist) is working to raise money to support healthcare workers who are on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic. In order to get others involved, the music mogul held a dance-a-thon via Instagram Live on Sunday (April 12), and invited a bunch of famous faces to join in on…Read more...

With all that’s happening in the world right now, it’s no surprise that some of you might have trouble sleeping at night. And if that’s a normal occurrence even outside of current events, then it’s especially vital to seek out a bit of help to ensure restful nights ahead.

Michelle Obama stays bound and determined to forever hold a special place in our hearts, doesn’t she?Read more...

As millions of people found themselves out of work due to the coronavirus-related closures that began last month, a new survey found almost one-third of renters didn’t make payments on their homes for the first week of April.Read more...

The president is not only a liar, he demands that the people around him push his lies as truth.

For years, the feud between frenemies Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal dominated headlines, and for those interested in knowing just how nasty that beef was, former teammate Isaiah Rider has the scoop.

As the entertainment industry continues to find new and innovative ways to respond and adapt to the COVID-19 crisis, Rihanna’s primary focus has been providing relief to those in need. In fact, after already donating millions of dollars to various philanthropic efforts and rallying famous friends to do the same, the…Read more...

He’s been laying low for a minute, but Q-Tip is coming back to the solo music scene. In fact, the rapper/producer is gearing up to release not one, not two...but three new projects.Read more...

In a viral video that can be viewed here, four Philadelphia police officers backed up by about six more officers can be seen forcibly dragging a man off of a SEPTA bus, apparently, for not wearing a face mask.Read more...

On the first day of April, Baltimore officials approved a deal between the Baltimore Police Department and Ohio-based company Persistent Surveillance Systems to use drones equipped with high-resolution cameras in order to spy on the city’s residents through around-the-clock surveillance despite formal objections filed…Read more...

Former NFL player Tom Johnson just scored a point for police accountability enthusiasts everywhere by reaching a $475,000 settlement with the city of Minneapolis, putting to rest a 2016 lawsuit alleging police brutality and violation of Johnson’s civil rights.Read more...

After spewing nothing but misinformation about what should be done to prevent COVID-19 cases, avid Trump allies Diamond and Silk were briefly locked out of their joint Twitter account.

You can’t keep us down for long. The highly anticipated season four premiere of HBO’s Insecure airs on Sunday, April 12. In light of social distancing precautions in place as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, the series’ annual “Block Party” to gear fans up for the show’s premiere will be held virtually.Read more...

After Teddy Riley told Charlamagne Tha God in an Instagram Live interview that legendary musician Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds was feeling a bit under the weather, Babyface himself revealed that he is recovering from COVID-19.

“I always wanted to act,” Jay Ellis tells The Root while reminiscing about his earliest aspirations. “I had taken a couple of random theater classes as electives when I was in college, but I [also] played college basketball. I couldn’t tell my teammates ‘Yo, y’all want to come check me out in Jesus Christ Superstar?’”…Read more...

If you are a regular reader of The Root (or any of the G/O Media sites), then you might be familiar with the ghetto section of our sites that we term “The Grays.” The Grays is the area containing comments that are “pending approval” and appear as grayed out, unlike the good, white comments.Read more...

As COVID-19 has spread through the country, so too has misinformation. To combat this, politicians and celebrities have been holding virtual town halls to provide accurate information to the public. Now, Diddy is the latest to step up.

Giving honor to Editor-in-Chief Danielle Belton, Managing Editor Genetta Adams and all of the saints at The Root Apostolic First Nazareth Pentecostal Church of Blackness.Read more...

I love my kids. I really do. They’re a riot when they’re not trying to end me. Or when they’re not forcing me to listen to songs I’ve learned to hate over and over again. They’re a complete hoot when I don’t step on their shit in the middle of the night.

Last weekend’s epic producer battle between crunk overlords Lil Jon and T-Pain gave us much more than just nostalgia; it also presented the perfect opportunity to premiere new music in front of a global audience.

It didn’t take long for U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams to dip into personal responsibility talking points—and some other questionable rhetoric—in remarks given to the press today about the disproportionate impact the novel coronavirus has had on black communities and other communities of color.Read more...

The president of the United States—the one whom his believers link to Jesus, or, more modestly, God—just wished everyone a “HAPPY GOOD FRIDAY” because he’s not only a fake Christian, he doesn’t understand how any of this works.

With a global pandemic keeping billions of citizens confined to our homes, TikTok has provided the perfect escape from mounting fear and uncertainty. And in its efforts to help return the world to normalcy, the popular video-sharing platform announced that it’ll be donating some serious cash to COVID-19 relief…Read more...

TGIF.

The family of a beloved Mississippi barber who recently passed away from COVID-19 is making a plea to anyone who will listen: Stay at home.Read more...

I know that what I’m about to type may be blasphemous—I’m sheltering-in-place with a toddler who can’t stop watching a video of Hickory Dickory Dock, so I could be delusional—but Ron DeSantis might be the dumbest man in America who doesn’t have the last name “Trump.”

In a pivotal scene from the 2000 film Remember the Titans, team captain Gerry Bertier confronts new teammate Julius Campbell. Bertier, in awe of Campbell’s talent, believes he’s throwing it away with his unwillingness to be a team player and his bad attitude. After chronicling all the ways Bertier failed to step up as…Read more...

Rihanna has been keeping a relatively low profile (well, for Rihanna) since the coronavirus officially became a global pandemic last month. Save for a British Vogue cover and the release of her Fenty faux leather capsule collection (both of which were months in the making), Rihanna has mostly kept mum on social media:…Read more...

No matter the circumstances–whether it’s targeting Muslims after 9/11 or blaming anyone of Asian descent for the coronavirus—white people can’t seem to stop white people-ing.Read more...

Hollywood heavyweights and the Atlanta beauty community alike are mourning the death of Emmy-nominated hairstylist Charles Gregory Ross, who succumbed to complications from COVID-19 weeks after announcing his diagnosis on March 25, when he warned others to take the pandemic seriously.Read more...

Dr. Ben Carson is a world-renowned surgeon who may go down in history as one of the best to ever wield a scalpel. He’s currently a member of the Trump administration, and his position? He’s the doctor of housing. He may have been the only hope in terms of flattening the curve of idiocy inside the Trump administration,…Read more...