If you ask me to tell you my favorite event of Essence Fest 2019, it might surprise you. While I still can’t believe I got to be a part of the amazing energy in the Superdome when Michelle Obama appeared or had a front row seat to see Kamala Harris chop it up with straight-shooter Jemele Hill for Spotify, my favorite…Read more...

Sometimes, wrapping yourself in a cocoon of blankets is simply not enough. In those moments, reach for this cozy, reversible Comfy Original Blanket Sweatshirt, now on sale for $35.

It appears that Rober “R.” Kelly’s enablers are having a call of conscience as ex-employees reportedly turned over more than 20 sex tapes to federal authorities.

Superman has lost a fight. So has Wonder Woman. And Iron Man.

In August Richie Incognito walked into the funeral home in charge of burying his father and told those working that he needed access to his dead father’s body so he could cut off his head.

A refurb Dyson Ball Animal 2, discounted Tile Pro 4-pack, and on-sale ASICS sneakers lead off Saturday’s best deals from around the web.

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee tipped his hand, and it’s racist AF.

As a people, we’ve been known to make it out on top in some of the most unfortunate circumstances. With all that we have been through, we still manage to find a way to celebrate the beauty that comes with being black. Even when you trod us down into the dirt, still we rise and celebrate our black excellence.Read more...

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A video of an encounter between Donald Trump and a then campaign aide clears him of her claims that he kissed her without consent, lawyers for Trump say, while the woman’s attorney says otherwise.

The visibly anguished parents of an alleged victim of R. Kelly confronted a spokesman for the singer Friday during a news conference held following Kelly’s latest arrest on new federal child pornography and racketeering charges.

Four Democratic congresswomen shared harrowing accounts about conditions facing migrant detainees at the southern border before a House panel Friday, including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who took the unusual step of asking to be sworn in before testifying after Republicans challenged her report of the horrors.

I have gone this far in 2019 without wondering even once what Jermaine Dupri thought about anything. Unfortunately, on Thursday, that streak came to an end when Dupri decided to share a wadded up Kleenex masquerading as a thought on his feelings about women rappers.Read more...

In the criminal justice system, the people are represented by three separate yet equally important groups: the police, who investigate crime; the district attorneys, who prosecute the offenders and the victims’ family, who often wish they could offer a can of whoop-ass to the defendant.Read more...

Seven months after protests shut down the Alabama mall where a police officer shot and killed EJ Bradford, prosecutors are seeking justice against the troublemakers who disturbed the way of life in the idyllic southern suburb…Read more...

American Airlines has formally apologized to Dr. Latisha “Tisha” Rowe for pulling her off a flight from Jamaica to Miami because her romper was deemed inappropriate by a flight attendant. But in an interview with Good Morning America on Thursday, Rowe reiterated that the apology wasn’t enough, calling for a full…Read more...

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In April, we learned of Nigel Shelby—the 15-year-old Huntsville High freshman who allegedly took his own life after relentless homophobic bullying drove him to despair. His tragic fate became headline news as mourners throughout the world struggled to come to grips with this devastating loss.Read more...

It’s mid-July, which means it’s almost August, which means it’s almost fall, which means it’s almost that time of year when everything dies, which means you’ll soon be contemplating your own dwindling mortality and inevitable death. Since we don’t have much time left, we need to spend as much of it as possible living…Read more...

Welp, welcome to the slippery sleazy slope that comes with billionaire Jeffrey Epstein’s recent arrest for child sex trafficking.

Buy Committee, Ohio’s (newest) favorite son and dealmaster Shep McAllister needs your help with his closet.Read more...

Just when you thought you were tired of “Old Town Road,” Lil Nas X has dropped yet another remix that threatens to give the 14-week number 1 an even longer run at the top of the Billboard Hot 100. This time, Young Thug and Mason Ramsey (you know him as the Walmart yodeling boy) hopped on the viral hit.Read more...

Republicans have been big mad since Nike decided to pull its Betsy Ross-inspired Air Max 1 USA sneakers. But it turns out that being on the right side of history just netted the footwear and apparel company a cool $3 billion in market value.Read more...

ICYMI: Hot girl summer is on and popping.Read more...

There is a saying in the streets for when someone talks trash about a person they were scared to fight after that adversary isn’t around to harm them.Read more...

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Fighter Pass, a Breville Barista Express Espresso Machine, and a YETI Sale lead off Friday’s best deals from around the web.Read more...

We’re just short of a year away from officially naming a Democratic nominee to face off against Donald Trump in 2020, but the candidates have been wasting no time presenting their platforms; many of them wisely lobbying for support at last weekend’s Essence Festival in New Orleans.Read more...

Of all the things I have ever written for The Root, there are a handful of articles that inspired the most material for the weekly Clapback Mailbag. If I had to rank them from lowest to high in terms of hate mail received, the order would go as follows:

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Looks like embattled singer R. Kelly has caught a federal case.

In a major setback for Planned Parenthood, a federal appeals court ruled Thursday that a Trump ban on funding clinics that refer women to abortion providers can take effect while the court weighs the overall merits.

Veteran African-American Democrats in the House are taking freshman Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to task over how she’s come for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and comments AOC’s chief of staff made comparing moderate Democratic caucuses to Southern pro-segregationist Democrats of old.

Forget the census, Donald Trump conceded Thursday. The administration will get the citizenship information it wants by scouring existing federal records.

A former sheriff’s deputy in Florida has been arrested and unceremoniously dismissed after an investigation uncovered his penchant for pulling over drivers for minor traffic violations and planting drugs inside of their vehicles.Read more...

Coming out is, in and of itself, a journey. When you’re the child of a famous father multiply accused of sexual abuse and predation, one can only imagine how much more difficult that journey becomes.Read more...

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

It’s not exactly a secret that Twitter has hate speech and harassment problems, though the lengths CEO Jack Dorsey has gone to dismiss the abusive antics and incendiary rhetoric that fester on the popular social media platform have drawn sharp critique.Read more...

Along with discussing his upcoming film, I Got The Hook-Up 2, Master P recently appeared on The Breakfast Club to discuss Nipsey Hussle’s posthumous Humanitarian Award presented at the 2019 BET Awards. The 49-year-old rapper mentioned BET Networks’ Executive Vice President and Head of Programming Connie Orlando’s June …Read more...

This week’s Root 2020 Presidential Black Power Rankings is full of surprises. We have a new No. 1 after several candidates forgot that black people still matter, and a special guest power-ranking judge. This week, me (Dr. Jason Johnson, Politics Editor at The Root) and Marcus Ferrell, former African American Outreach…Read more...

Department of Homeland Security officials have told the New York Times that mass arrests of undocumented immigrants will hit at least 10 U.S. cities on Sunday. The Donald Trump-sanctioned operation had been postponed weeks ago, though the president recently hinted that immigration raids would begin soon.Read more...

Fun fact: Anywhere one or more athletes are gathered, major fashion moments are bound to follow. That’s why, despite marginal interest in “the sports” (unless it’s a playoff, the Olympics or Serena’s involved) we’re always interested in the ESPYs red carpet. As some of the sports world’s finest assemble to celebrate…Read more...

The comments got worked up into a lather, but once the hot water ran out, only one drinking vessel was worthy of being called our readers’ favorite for drinking in the shower.

It’s no secret that black women invented style.Read more...

A fundraising email sent by the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) appears to show a darkened image of former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick, but the NRCC swears they didn’t darken the image.

The year was 1994, and a Tiny Tonja sat in a crowded theater to witness what would become her favorite Disney film, and one of her favorite films of all time. Twenty-five years later, that same film would be reimagined using CGI-animated technology that the younger version of Tonja could’ve never fathomed.

Later this month, my wife and I will celebrate our five year anniversary. Which feels like an accomplishment. Not because getting and staying married makes you any specialer than those who ain’t either of those things, but because I think we know each other well enough now to make a pragmatic decision on whether to…Read more...

The streets of New Orleans were flooded Wednesday night as a slow-moving storm system approached the city. But with even more rain expected to deluge the Crescent City over the next three days, concerns are growing that the worst is yet to come.Read more...

On Wednesday, President Horseshoe Von Dingleberry signed an executive order to aid those suffering from kidney disease in hopes of reducing the life-threatening disease by 25 percent over the next 11 years.

What does a free black woman look like? After the coming out party that was Dirty Computer, she might look like Janelle Monáe, who liberated herself and countless fans with not only a stellar album in 2018, but the admission that she considers herself pansexual. And as the cover star of the 2019 edition of InStyle…Read more...

On Wednesday night, some of the most celebrated athletes and entertainers converged at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles to celebrate the year that was in professional sports at the 2019 ESPY Awards.Read more...