As concerns continue to grow about dangerous lead in Newark, N.J.’s drinking water, Mayor Ras Baraka, along with county and state officials, announced a plan to speed up replacement of the city’s lead pipes to about two years—down from about 10.

A North Carolina man says he was humiliated and thought he was going to be killed when police dragged him out of his house wearing only his boxers after his home security alarm was tripped accidentally.

Despite overwhelming evidence by prosecutors that a man sitting in a Missouri prison was wrongfully convicted of murder, a judge has denied a bid for a new trial saying, essentially, that the request comes 24 years too late.

On Monday, Althea Gibson—the woman who broke the color barrier at tennis’ highest levels—received long-overdue recognition: a granite sculpture in her likeness at Arthur Ashe Stadium in Queens, N.Y.Read more...

Former Vice President Joe Biden is learning quickly that he’s not President Trump and he can’t just run out here saying anything and still get elected. Recently, America’s dumb-ass Uncle Joe came out of his face to ask a crowd to imagine if America’s first black president, would’ve been assassinated.

After years, maybe decades, of family fare by the way of The Klumps, or Shrek’s donkey, genius comedian Eddie Murphy will be bringing that heat, and on the stage where he began as a 19-year-old, on a little show called Saturday Night Live.

Violence is as American as apple pie, and as we wake up every morning fearful to learn about another mass shooting, or the latest hashtagged black man gunned down by trigger-happy police, what’s become abundantly clear is that gun reform in America is long overdue.Read more...

We see a lot of deals around the web over on Kinja Deals, but these were our ten favorites today.Read more...

‪Somewhere on Beyoncé’s internet, it is written that your life will never be the same after Jidenna dances with you. ‬Read more...

Despite valiant attempts by friends, girlfriends and family members, I have yet to partake in a single episode of the cultural phenomenon known as Power.Read more...

I want pizza. I don’t care what kind: New York-style, Chicago-style, flatbread, french bread, personal, pan, I don’t care. I just want pizza. No, let me be absolutely clear: I want pizza that doesn’t taste like cardboard slathered with tomato sauce and topped with school paste.

Former Pro Bowl fullback Le’Ron McClain couldn’t hold it in anymore, so he let the world know that he’s in pain and he needs help.

We made it. After eight full weeks of Twitter spats, campaign gossip, polls and memes, we’ve reached our first bye week of The Root’s Presidential Black Power Rankings. Not only have the power rankings been a rousing success, with people eagerly anticipating each week, the engagement we’ve engendered (which is a…Read more...

In the latest development in the deeply disturbing incident where Donald Neely was arrested on Aug. 3 for misdemeanor trespassing, the city of Galveston has asked the Texas attorney general’s office if it can stop the release of the officers’ body camera recordings. Also, the so-called “mounted patrol policy” that the…Read more...

Women’s Equality Day remains a bittersweet anniversary for those of us still on the losing end of too many equality battles—including pay equity, workplace bias and even hair discrimination. And as last Thursday’s Black Women’s Equal Pay Day sadly demonstrated, increased awareness isn’t moving the needle on progress;…Read more...

A Florida woman has filed a paternity case naming Future as the father of a 4-month-old girl. If true, the child would be the rapper’s seventh.Read more...

Who are we kidding: Melania Trump is a citizen now, so she can stop acting like she loves her soggy sweat sock of a husband just to stay in the country. Sure, she does that thing where she poses with her saggy-skinned husband during photo ops. Her moves have become so mechanical that there is literally an argument on…Read more...

Dog toys are a wonderful way to keep your pet entertained for hours. That is if you don’t have a dog that rips their toy to shreds in a matter of minutes (maybe even seconds). If your dog is a super chewer, you know that not all toys are made equal. This week’s co-op is inspired by my very own dog, Tyrone. He has yet…Read more...

She has opened and closed runway shows for Chanel and Valentino, is on the cover of three global editions of Vogue this September alone and is considered one of the faces pushing black beauty ever forward, but Adut Akech Bior (best known in the fashion world as Adut Akech) recently suffered a major indignity on the…Read more...

Men’s and Women’s Dr. Martens Flash Sales | Nordstrom RackRead more...

Lizzo, also known as our bad bitch-in-chief, wants you to keep focused on the things that matter this (endless) election season, and according to her, age ain’t one of those things.Read more...

On Sunday, Dave Chappelle and Kanye West descended upon Dayton, Ohio, to deliver a pair of free benefit concerts in honor of those affected by the recent mass shooting on Aug. 4.Read more...

In 1955, Rosa Parks became a symbol of civil disobedience when her refusal to relinquish her seat sparked the Montgomery, Ala., bus boycott, a major turning point in the American civil rights movement. Now, Parks is being honored as the icon she is by another iconic brand, as a Barbie created in her likeness makes its…Read more...

According to Atlanta Police, a 58-year-old mother killed her young adult kids before committing suicide last week.Read more...

Teenagers are going to do what teenagers do, but thank goodness for home surveillance systems.Read more...

A big Kindle nonfiction sale, an extra 20% off Amazon Warehouse items, and Samsung’s Frame TVs lead off Sunday’s best deals from around the web.Read more...

Surprise, Surprise!Read more...

All hail Florida!

Houston police are throwing the book at two of their officers who were caught lying about having an informant during a drug raid that left two people dead and five fellow law enforcement officials injured.

Was it wishful thinking? Or just another off-kilter faux pas?

Burrow’s Labor Day sale, Azul, and a bunch of discounted patio torches lead off Saturday’s best deals from around the web.Read more...

RAVPower 10000mAh USB-C PD Battery Pack | $16 | Amazon | Clip the 5% coupon and use code KJBTS173Read more...

Kelty Low-Love Seat | $75 | Amazon | Multiple colors availableRead more...

A California teen who ended up being pummeled by a police officer when cops raided a relative’s birthday party earlier this year is now suing, charging excessive force.

In what seems to be a case of life imitating art, Donald Trump style, immigration advocates charge the Trump administration deactivated a lawyer hotline set up for detainees—after an episode discussing the hotline aired on Netflix’s Orange Is the New Black.

Talk about making a federal case out of something. A Chicago judge on Friday appointed a former U.S. attorney—a fed, y’all—as special prosecutor to investigate what one guesses should be referred to as “Jussie Smollett-gate.”

We see a lot of deals around the web over on Kinja Deals, but these were our ten favorites today.Read more...

Fun fact, unbeknownst to me before attempting the 22 Days Nutrition challenge: according to PETA (who would definitely know), most bread is vegan (clearly, I haven’t been making a lot of bread). It was a fact lost on me, since like much of the rest of America, despite my profound love of toast, I’ve developed an…Read more...

When it comes to shopping for products, I believe in the buying right the first time. If you pick up something terrific, even when it may cost more than you initially wanted, you won’t need to pay more for a replacement quite as soon.Read more...

Earlier this summer, following a disappointing loss at the Wimbledon finals, Serena Williams told reporters, “The day I stop fighting for equality and for people that look like you and me will be the day I’m in my grave.”Read more...

Well, hello there!Read more...

Some truths are undeniable; among them: that Power on Starz is unmatched. The show is brimming with grit, betrayal and ALL the drama. And for this good-ass television, we offer our gratitude to the TV gods.

There is an unfortunate rollercoaster ride concerning Michael Jackson that keeps getting more and more odd as the days roll by.Read more...

When we at The Root note that President Trump emboldens white supremacy, we aren’t just talking about the marching thugs dressed in khakis, wielding tiki torches and punchable faces; we’re also talking about the albino walrus in the highest office using his platform to normalize hate speech.

We stan a celebrity beauty secret, and when it comes to enduring beauty, there are few women who remain as flawless as Angela Bassett, who turned 61 on Aug. 16. While Bassett’s seemingly uncrackable blackness is now as legendary as her acting, the star got transparent about having an occasional tweak or two in a…Read more...

In 1994, Notorious B.I.G. would release his groundbreaking album, Ready to Die. The first single from the seminal hip-hop classic was “Juicy,” a Dickensian tale of a young black man’s ascension from having nothing to having everything, assuming, of course, that young black men can have Dickensian tales. The lyrics of…Read more...

All the White House wanted was their flowers. Apparently, A$AP Rocky doesn’t think that’s his fucking problem.

When the remake of It dropped in 2017, it spawned an influx of memes that included its horrifying star Pennywise creeping in sewers, yellow raincoats and red balloons. Today, in 2019, a clown means something equally as scary: being made out to be Boo-Boo the Fool.Read more...

It’s hard to believe it’s been just over a year since the world lost the voice and unforgettable presence known as the “Queen of Soul,” Aretha Franklin. But as the battle over the diva’s estate heats up, there’s a chance one piece of Franklin’s history may end up outside of the family and in the hands of forever…Read more...

As if residents of Flint, Mich., haven’t endured enough when it comes to the city’s water supply, they now have millions of gallons of raw sewage to contend with.Read more...