The Root

When some people think of Valentine’s Day, they think of the word “love.” I, on the other hand, think of the word “over.” As in: overbooked restaurants, over-hyped specials, over-the-top gestures — over it. Frankly, I’m of the mind that a bottle of good wine and a bag of sour cream and onion chips (I will settle for…Read more...

Over the weekend, multi-hyphenate Jay-Z drew the ire of Wendy Williams, exiled quarterback Colin Kaepernick, and pretty much the rest of the free world when he and Beyoncé decided to remain seated during the Super Bowl’s national anthem.Read more...

As Trump continued his whitewashing of America on Tuesday night’s State of the Union, many of the Democratic women of the House of Representatives (including Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi) once again donned white in protest.Read more...

Animation raised me.Read more...

It’s February, and this year, we have an extra day, thanks to leap year! I mean, black folks still have the shortest month of the year dedicated to us, regardless, but let’s make the most of that extra day with...some black-ass Netflix content!Read more...

I don’t know a lot about white history.Read more...

It’s always sad news when we lose one of our pioneers, especially in a month dedicated towards celebrating them.Read more...

Faith in the American voting process has grown shaky in recent years. With GOP-led states trying their damnedest to suppress the vote, the current president having no problem with Russia hacking our voting systems and the Iowa caucus just being a massive failure, it makes sense. Unfortunately, tonight’s news will…Read more...

I feel like every Black History Month over the last decade has been equal part celebration and dismay. For every great moment in black history to celebrate there is some ignorant headassery that must be addressed. Tonight, we will be going into the latter.Read more...

Tonight, Donald Trump will face the nation and do what he does best: lie, exaggerate, and self-aggrandize...with the added boost of an almost sure acquittal by his sycophant Republican Senate. It’s pretty much guaranteed to be a shitshow, so if you’re planning to watch, buckle up, Buttercup.Read more...

As black folks throughout the world can attest, white people far too often have an extreme degree of difficulty telling us apart. Footage of LeBron James was somehow included in broadcasts covering the death of Kobe Bryant and, not too long ago, both Fox News and CBS were forced to apologize after mistaking the late…Read more...

Eight house Democrats announced Tuesday that they will not attend President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address, citing a lack of trust in the president and the Senate trial that is expected to acquit him of all impeachment charges on Wednesday.Read more...

Looks like a random group of white people in red hats were in Iowa just long enough to fuck up the Democrats’ caucus results and were back on what appears to be a plane (although bus segregation still seems to apply here) heading to wherever it is that one can proudly wear those red MAGA hats (which feels like they…Read more...

Prepworks Berry Keeper | $6 | AmazonRead more...

Yesterday, Black Twitter lost its entire and collective mind after hearing that a beautiful, accomplished, and S-I-N-G-L-E 24-year-old black woman spent a weekend partying in Miami, in which she casually tolerated being worshipped by a visibly enamored white guy. If you don’t spend as much time on Twitter as I and…Read more...

Here’s what happens when you go to the doctor. You have an ailment, you go to the doctor’s office, you see a physician, most likely a general practice doctor who listens to your symptoms and then provides a diagnosis. All the schooling makes doctors the best at recognizing what might be troubling you. It’s not an…Read more...

A Pennsylvania court gave law enforcement officers access to the world’s largest DNA database in the world. We don’t really know when this happened or why the cops wanted the data. Ancestry.com, however, refused to comply with the warrant and the issue hasn’t really been settled so…I’m sure everything will work out.

On Tuesday at 9 p.m. ET, President Trump is set to make his third State of the Union speech amid the backdrop of impeachment. Two fictional, yet, still unnamed sources sent parts of Trump’s State of the Union speech to The Root offices.

Talladega College, an Alabama-based historically black college, will be the new home for a collection of paintings that recount the story of the Amistad slave ship mutiny.Read more...

It’s awards season and that means your blood pressure and sugar levels are likely to go up and down if you spend any time paying attention to who is winning the various awards at the various awards shows. The “biggest nights” in music and movies, though, often do a fairly terrible job of acknowledging the work and…Read more...

Global music and fashion icon, business entrepreneur, and philanthropist Robyn Rihanna Fenty—a woman of and for the people—will be receiving the President’s Award during the 51st NAACP Image Awards, which will broadcast live from Pasadena, Calif., this month.

I’ll never forget the day I found out that John Singleton died.

In a follow-up to Suicide Squad, D.C. Comics is continuing the saga of Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie) after her epic split with the Joker as she “joins superheroes Black Canary, Huntress and Renee Montoya to save a young girl from an evil crime lord.”Read more...

On Feb. 16, teams led by superstars LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo will go head-to-head in the NBA’s All-Star Game, which has been completely overhauled this year in order to honor the life and legacy of five-time champion Kobe Bryant.Read more...

DES MOINES, IOWA—After a night of technical glitches, low turnout and campaigns decrying the caucus process, Iowans woke up this morning without knowing who won the highly contested Iowa caucuses.Read more...

A Fresh Step kitty litter Gold Box, drill brush, and under-the-bed storage lead off Tuesday’s best deals from around the web.Read more...

After Oprah Winfrey and Apple TV Plus backed out of plans to back a documentary film on the women accusing hip-hop mogul Russell Simmons of sexual misconduct and assault, HBO Max has stepped in, saying it will stream the film on its service that launches in May.Read more...

White people are going to vote for Donald Trump.

I’ve got this feeling that even in 2049, after the country has been turned into a wasteland as a result of late capitalism and unchecked climate change, Republicans will still be bitching about one thing: Obamacare.Read more...

DES MOINES, IOWA—Greetings from the Hawkeye State! The Root will be here in the capital covering the caucuses live and will update this blog with information as it becomes available to us.

On Sunday, the Kansas City Chiefs took home their first Super Bowl trophy in 50 years. Defensive tackle Derrick Nnadi decided to celebrate in an unconventional albeit very sweet way.Read more...

It has only been three days and Black History Month has already gotten off to a solid start this year.Read more...

Oh, Awards Season 2020. You have been, for the most part, a sadly predictable parade of white talent celebrating other white talents and, well, as Joaquin Phoenix noted while accepting his award at the 73rd annual British Academy of Film and Television Awards (better known as the BAFTAs), that’s on y’all.Read more...

In a perfect world, being an unrepentant racist would disqualify people like Minerva Zanca from ever working in the public school system. Sadly, not only was she gainfully employed, but she was the principal at Pan American High School in Queens, N.Y.—and her alleged racist behavior just cost the city more than a…Read more...

When the race for president began with Sens. Kamala Harris and Cory Booker and former Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Julián Castro, it was hailed as the most diverse Democratic presidential field in history. By the end of January, damn near every candidate of color had withdrawn from the race. And all of…Read more...

In the great circle of strife known as modern Hollywood, we have a routine awards ceremony filled with progressive calls to action made by rich liberals who dare to rebel against the non-political speech taboo. Sometimes, [insert marginalized group here] gets to take home a shiny award or two!Read more...

What’s more exciting than any work of fiction? The news that one of our favorite essayists, colleagues and play cousins is being recognized for his brilliance! As reported by Publisher’s Weekly (and our work Slack), Damon Young’s debut book of essays, What Doesn’t Kill You Makes You Blacker, was recently named the…Read more...

Here’s a question: Why is Wendy Williams still here?Read more...

Following last week’s debacle at the Washington Post over a staffer’s Kobe Bryant tweets, a new article published Monday morning from the Daily Beast establishes that the Post has had ongoing issues over its stringent social media policy.Read more...

On Saturday, in what came as a surprise to absolutely no one, Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson was named the NFL’s Most Valuable Player.Read more...

In her hit song, “Cherish the Day,” Sade croons about “deep love” and how she won’t be caught “running” from it. Easier said (or sung) than done, right?

The day after Super Bowl LIV is just a reliving of all the things that happened the night before. The winning team talks about their awesomeness and what they are going to do next. The losing team sulks about what they should’ve done. No one actively watches this, but those on the winning side are more inclined to…Read more...

Jay-Z and Beyoncé are taking a stand…or actually, taking a seat.Read more...

Around 10:15 p.m. EST on Sunday, with Super Bowl LIV all but over, Nordic Bastardwitch, the 13-year-old Trump staffer who polices Trump’s tweets, was settling into his bed, having already agreed with the president—who was openly sobbing—that the last tweet was going to be sent to San Francisco 49er Nick Bosa and it…Read more...

As a lifelong Denver Broncos fan, part of me is disgusted that our division rival, the Kansas City Chiefs, won their first Super Bowl in 50 years on Sunday night. But the rest of me is elated for two very specific reasons: For one, a black quarterback—generational talent Patrick Mahomes—emerged victorious in an…Read more...

It’s Black History Month and The Root is here to give you the most adorable inspiration ever.

Valentine’s Day Chocolates | Gold BoxRead more...

DES MOINES, IOWA—Barbara Smith, founding member of the black feminist Combahee River Collective that coined the term “identity politics,” has endorsed Sen. Bernie Sanders for president, The Root has learned.

Billy Porter went from one of the world’s most famous streets to another.Read more...

“I think it pisses God off when you walk by the color purple in a field and don’t notice it,” Shug Avery famously says during a watershed moment in one of the best movies ever, which was adapted from one of the best books ever.