I don’t know what prompted me to go into my parents’ bathroom and look for some lotion when I was around 10 years old. I was a boy after all, and I don’t remember my parents ever stressing me about the finer points of proper moisturization. Hell, I vividly remember times I jumped right out of the bathtub into some…

A major battle was recently won in the war on colorism, with the biggest retailer in the world cracking down on the sale of skin-bleaching products. As reported by the Washington Post, after over a year of lobbying by Minnesota-based nonprofit The Beautywell Project, Amazon has agreed to remove skin-lightening…

The Virginia Department of Corrections has publicly apologized after it’s been revealed that an 8-year-old visiting her father at a state prison was subjected to a strip search.

Mo to the, E to the, up in the morning, a new day is starting and Brandy Norwood is realizing her responsibility, which is to let us know (again) Moesha is being rebooted!

Robert “R.” Kelly’s illegal chickens are absolutely coming home to roost.

A former Kennesaw State University cheerleader who took a knee during the national anthem at a KSU football game has reached an out-of-court settlement with the school.

I don’t know what is wrong with former Vice President Joe Biden, but I swear he’s becoming the living, breathing version of those Obama BFF memes. Remember those memes, in which a Crazy Joe spouts out silly shit and Obama has to tell him to calm his old ass down?

It’s not my fault. I’m a victim.

There are two undeniably difficult things in life: getting up to go to work on Monday morning after a four-day weekend and imagining Bad Boys without Will Smith and Martin Lawrence.

The time has come—Megan Thee Stallion has graced us with an NPR Tiny Desk concert, y’all! Giddy up!

While Colin Kaepernick’s NFL workout in November has since been proven to be nothing more than a farce, it has been fruitful for one of the players hand-picked to participate.

It’s no secret that melanin is the source of our superpowers as Black people. But if you let idiots like sports announcer Tim Ryan tell it, it also gives black NFL players like Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson an unfair competitive advantage.

Walking into Greer Stationery is like walking into the fondest of memories—at least, that’s how I felt when The Root’s Managing Editor Genetta Adams (a longtime fan of the brand) insisted we visit their Chicago location last summer. The moment I entered Chandra Greer’s jewel box of a shop in the city’s upscale Lincoln…

A controversial new Trump administration rule finalized Wednesday would cut nearly 700,000 people from Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. The decision, part of a larger-scale effort to push millions of people off SNAP benefits, comes despite vehement and bipartisan opposition to the rule.

One of my fondest memories of grandma involves sitting betwixt her fair-skinned and veiny legs as she slathered Royal Crown grease over my thick follicles. She’d braid (or more accurately, plait) my soft tendrils into two or three ponytails and wrap each one into what I just learned is technically called a “hair bobble

Former Vice President Joe Biden may be the designer imposter fragrance version of Donald Trump, but damn if he didn’t release a fire ad torching the president.

Congress held public impeachment hearings last week on whether President Trump abused his power to enlist a foreign government in smearing his political opponent. While some may see this process as far removed from their day-to-day lives—a parade of old white men being accused of crimes, defending other old white men…Read more...

After successfully passing in California and New York with at least six more states pending, the CROWN Act (Create a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair) may soon be signed into law nationwide—that is, if presidential hopeful Senator Cory Booker (D-N.J.) and several of his congressional colleagues have their…Read more...

It looks like we got a little bit ahead of ourselves here.Read more...

White Fox Pattern Kids Weighted Blanket, 5 Pounds | $30 | Amazon

I will admit that my job requires me to watch all of the congressional hearings, all of the pundits rattling off reasons as to why the world and the economy aren’t going to collapse. I’m literally paid to watch members of Congress fumble over themselves to support one of the most corrupt presidencies America has ever…Read more...

Of Shakespeare’s many works, perhaps none is more famous than Romeo & Juliet, and the bard’s teenaged heroine is the muse for the 2020 edition of the always-anticipated Pirelli calendar, this year photographed by the legendary Paolo Roversi, and themed “Looking for Juliet.” The question posed: how do modern muses…Read more...

During a week in which future NBA Hall of Famer Dwyane Wade made headlines for demonstrating his love and support for his child Zion, on the other end of the spectrum we have Evenaud Julmeus of Haines City, Fla., who did the unthinkable when he allegedly abandoned a boy on the side of a highway after an argument over…Read more...

When it comes to black women and hair texture, The Glow Up has always maintained that it’s a personal concern—in fact, we launched on the stance that we’re #TeamNeutral. Unfortunately, a new report published on Wednesday in the International Journal of Cancer indicates that hair texture may also be a health concern,…Read more...

Trigger Warning: The following article contains details of an alleged sexual assault.Read more...

It’s that special time of the year where I only play Christmas carols and reflect on the previous 300-some odd days before. Fortunately for me, since 2019 is also the end of what’s been quite a decade, I’ve been reflecting a bit more ahead of the year 2020.Read more...

Free Bacon For Life from ButcherBox, a newly discounted Baby Yoda Funko Pop!, and a $10 RAVPower 3-Port 30W Travel Charger lead off Thursday’s best deals from around the web.Read more...

A U.S. Navy sailor shot and killed two civilian Department of Defense employees and wounded a third before turning his gun on himself, according to military officials.Read more...

And so it begins.

In November 2006, my band was in the midst of a European tour. Though we loved exploring unfamiliar cities, we ached for the comforts of home as the holidays approached. None of us were from the same place—we were born in cities spreading from New York to Anchorage, but we shared an understanding of what the holidays…Read more...

Some of the hardest conversations my sister and I have are about our mom.Read more...

It’s the last month of the year and what better way to peace-out the year 2019 than with some black ass content?Read more...

With a career spanning over thirty years, Viola Davis is tackling a new venture to bring awareness to diabetes within the black community.

By now, we’ve made it through Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and even Giving Tuesday; now, it’s “WTF Are We Gifting This Year Wednesday,” otherwise known as time to get our asses in gear for the next round of holidays, because shipping only gets more expensive the longer you wait.Read more...

A roomful of potential rogue cops and prosecutors breathed a sigh of relief Tuesday after the chief law enforcement officer in America issued a thinly veiled threat to black communities, hinting that law enforcement officers might stop protecting people who don’t want to get shot in the face.Read more...

The tangled saga of Gabrielle Union’s departure from America’s Got Talent continues, but the star continues to be bolstered by significant support from both fans and fellow industry insiders. On Tuesday, Tamron Hall added her voice to the chorus calling out NBC’s allegedly discriminatory behavior and “toxic” work…Read more...

We lost many things when we learned of John Witherspoon’s death. One of those things was the ability to see him reprise his role as Grandad in the upcoming revival of The Boondocks.Read more...

Former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julián Castro didn’t mince words when asked about his feelings on the abrupt ending of California Sen. Kamala Harris’ bid for president.

Amid concerns of racial insensitivity, a New York high school has pulled the plug on its upcoming production of Disney’s Tarzan.Read more...

The name’s Lynch—Lashana Lynch.Read more...

Unsatisfied with getting away with murder, the bane of the universe, George Zimmerman, has filed a $100 million lawsuit against attorney Ben Crump and the family of Trayvon Martin.Read more...

One of the biggest barriers to having a fresh Christmas tree or wreath is the blasted pine needles that get everywhere. The thing is: Not only are pine needles a mess, they also pose some very specific problems vis-a-vis vacuums and brooms when it comes to cleaning them up. Here are the best ways to go about pine…Read more...

On Tuesday, Sen. Kamala Harris announced that she was ending her presidential campaign, but because Trump knows nothing about an AKA’s ability to clap back—or how to do anything with grace—he sarcastically tweeted, “Too bad. We will miss you Kamala!”

An investigation is underway after a body camera caught a Los Angeles police officer allegedly fondling a dead woman’s breasts.Read more...

Looks like the next launch from Pat McGrath Labs will truly be out of this world. A short time ago in a galaxy not at all far, far away, the most influential woman in makeup (yes, even beyond Rihanna—McGrath isn’t nicknamed “Mother” for nothing) announced that for her next product release, she’s partnered with Disney…Read more...

World leaders and a fussy baby who keeps telling everyone he won the popular vote are in London for the NATO summit. Unfortunately for America, our representative is a failed businessman-turned-reality TV host who can’t stop whining.

If you having streaming problems, I feel bad for you son, I got 99 problems but listening to Jay-Z ain’t one!Read more...

“Celebs—they’re just like us!” is a phrase we collectively toss around in jest, but every so often a celebrity reminds us exactly how human they are, and awe is replaced by empathy. Lately, actress and activist Taraji P. Henson has been that celeb, pulling back the curtain on her Oscar-nominated, Golden Globe and…Read more...

Capitalism is an interesting thing.Read more...

The theme from last year’s Black AF Gift Guide was self-care; in 2017, it was about being woke. This year, we’re talking “Revolution, Reparations, and Revelry,” because we like alliteration, and because these three go together like greens, yams, and ham (turkey ham, if you don’t swill swine. If you don’t eat meat,…Read more...