The Root

George Clinton's contributions to the culture are undeniable. Known for colorful costumes and exhilarating performances, he's a hit-making artist whose tracks are just as funky today as they were in the 1970s. If you don't believe me, I dare you to try to sit still when Flashlight" comes on.

A winter storm pummeled Portland, Ore. this week, leaving the city streets and walkable paths covered in ice. On Wednesday morning, a day before Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek declared a state of emergency, 18-year-old Majiah Washington pulled her blinds down only to witness absolute horror.Read more...

Being a nepo baby" helps, doesn't it?Read more...

The Wiz" is an essential part of Black culture. It takes the classic The Wizard of Oz" tale and gives it a soul and R&B vibe. I know people consider the original a classic, but The Wiz" is a far more compelling story. Dorothy's journey to finding her self-confidence, and in turn helping her new friends discover...Read more...

Representative Barbara Lee (D-CA) was unceremoniously tossed out of a committee hearing by Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar (R-FL) on Thursday - after voicing her opinion on the relationship (or lack thereof) between the United States and Cuba.

Lauryn Hill's family knows how to throw one hell of a party. Her daughter, Sara Marley, looked stunning as she celebrated her Sweet 16 at the Cipriani Ballroom in New York City. She is the daughter of the legendary singer and Rohan Marley.Read more...

If you thought this former San Jose, Calif. officer's I hate Black people" texts were bad, just hold onto your seat. In the pending lawsuit against him, he was exposed for 300 additional racist text threads and accused of destroying some of them.

A cast member of a Broadway musical is taking legal action against a production company,claiming she experienced racial discrimination and retaliation while on tour.Read more...

If you thought Malia Obama was just Barack and Michelle's eldest daughter-think again! She's also an emerging TV/film creative who just debuted her first short film at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival.Read more...

The Color Purple" star Taraji P. Henson has had enough of the rumors about a feud between her and Oprah, and she's finally speaking out about them and telling people that they should focus more on the film's message.Read more...

Between Katt Williams' scorched-Earth appearance on Shannon Sharpe's Club Shay Shay" podcast and the controversy revolving around recent awards show hosts, it's a wild time for comedians. While some have ignored the craziness and just kept it moving, others have very clear opinions on the chaos.

Kanye West is such an interesting figure. Despite his constant controversy, he has an insane amount of fans who'll continue to buy into whatever he does, whether it's selling $200 socks or attending an unorganized listening event.Read more...

It's hard to believe we're already into the second month of 2024. But February is coming in hot with great titles for book lovers of all ages, including historical fiction, poetry collections and a beautiful children's book about climate change. And of course, because it's February, there are some great romances too.Read more...

Winners for the 2024 African-America Film Critics Association (AAFCA) Awards are here and as you might have guessed it-a handful of our faves made the cut.Read more...

In a disturbing petition filed Friday in Los Angeles Superior Court, Doja Cat's mother-Deborah Sawyer-alleged that the star's older brother verbally and physically abused her. Sawyer sought a restraining order and wanted to make sure that Doja would also receive protection.Read more...

Tiffany Cross, Angela Rye and Andrew Gillum teamed up on a new podcast, Native Land Pod," and they're spilling all of the tea. During a testimony" segment on the latest episode of the show, Cross shared the story of her split from MSNBC - and she didn't hold anything back.

It's happened again.Read more...

Back in December, we told you about the shocking gang rape allegations hip-hop mogul Diddy was facing.Read more...

Black women in Washington are standing by Dr. Claudine Gay after her resignation as Harvard University's first Black woman president. On Martin Luther King Jr. Day, they delivered a letter in an act of solidarity. Her six month stint as the school was sadly the shortest in their history.Read more...

Fitness expert Jillian Michaels is throwing shade at Oprah Winfrey, accusing her of benefiting financially from using Ozempic to drop pounds.Read more...

Look, we all know Taylor Swift is probably winning everything at the 2024 iHeartRadio Music Awards. However, there are still several high-profile Black artists nominated for Artist of the Year and Song of the Year. Of course, the Hip-Hop and R&B categories feature fan favorites like Drake, 21 Savage, SZA, Usher and...Read more...

A Black man was accused by a nosey (male) Karen of harassing a homeless person when it was revealed in court that the homeless person was the one acting erratically. The incident ended up in the Black man getting charged, but luckily a jury saw through the bull.

Spelman College received a historic $100 million donation - reportedly the largest donation ever given to an HBCU.

Usher's first VOGUE cover has become one of the most memorable moments of his career-but for all of the wrong reasons.Read more...

A social media sensation who went viral after allegedly being assaulted with a brick is now facing her own scandal: accusations of scamming.

The principal of a Baltimore-area high school is claiming that a voice recording of someone making racist and antisemtic remarks about students is artificial intelligence-generated.Read more...

Halle Bailey is not playing the role of a young actress navigating burgeoning fame and constant scrutiny - she actually is that person. When fans see her on the big screen as Ariel, it's easy for them to forget this. Over the summer, The Little Mermaid" star discovered how hard it is to balance this new level of fame...Read more...

If we're being honest: We never expect much from the BAFTAs. The British Academy Film Awards don't usually have a lot of space for Black nominees. And this year is no different. Early Thursday morning, Naomi Ackie (Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance With Somebody") and Kingsley Ben-Adir (Bob Marley: One Love") announced...Read more...

Attention students, teachers, and everyone in between: Abbott Elementary" is on its way back!Read more...

In a devastating yet somewhat predictable turn of events, Florida's State Board of Education shared Wednesday that there will be strict regulations" to restrict public funds being used for anything related to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in 28 state college campuses.

In case you were wondering who we have to thank for the 75th annual Primetime Emmys ending promptly at 8p.m.PT/11p.m.ET on the dot Sunday instead of dragging over its initially intended three-hour slot-it's Anthony Anderson's mother, Mama Doris Bowman.Read more...

At Sunday's 75th Primetime Emmy Awards, one star had everyone talking, and they weren't from Succession," The Bear" or BEEF."Read more...

Today is James Earl Jones' 93rd birthday! The legendary actor has starred in some of our favorite films going back to the 1960s. From being the original voice of Darth Vader in Star Wars" to King Jaffe Joffer in Coming to America," Jones has shown a never-ending range of talent. Here's just a peek into some of the...Read more...

Former NFL player Dez Bryant just opened up on The Pivot" podcast in a way that we don't usually get to see Black men open up and be emotional.Read more...

We all know Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley is a few cards short of a full deck. As a woman of color, her denial of racism has been nothing short of nauseating. Just last month, she played dumb about the Civil War, omitting slavery as the primary cause.Read more...

The Missouri police have dug their heels into the sudden vanishing of four adults and two children believed to be in association with an online cult member who is currently behind bars. Their latest finding, however, suggests the group went off-grid on purpose.

Since 2010, Harvey has been the host of Family Feud," the hilarious game show that asks families to guess the most popular answers to survey questions for the chance to win cash and a new car. And their answers, which can be both hilarious and ridiculous, often go viral on social media. The show, which has spent five...Read more...

On Feb. 11, R&B superstar Usher will take over one of the biggest stages in the country to perform on one of football's biggest nights: the 2024 Apple Music Super Bowl LVII Halftime Show.

Katt Williams is multi-talented.Read more...

Alleged cult leader Paul Mackenzie faced charges on Wednesday - following an investigation into hundreds of deaths in the isolated Shakahola forest in Kenya.Read more...

As if this case couldn't get anymore frustrating, the three Washington state cops who were just acquitted in the killing of Manuel Ellis are also set to receive a hefty bag in exchange for their resignation from the department.

The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City" star Mary Cosby shared a bit too much about her son's personal life on last night's season four reunion episode.

The 35th Annual GLAAD Media Awards feature an eclectic group of nominees celebrating positive presentations of the LGBTQ+ community in film, television, journalism, comic books and graphic novels. In addition to critically acclaimed movies like American Fiction" and Rustin," TV series including Harlem," Black...Read more...

I'm won't lie...I'm not totally ready to let go of Michelle Obama as America's First Lady (no offense, Dr. Jill Biden). The epitome of grace and class, she commands every room she enters and looks amazing while doing it. Whether she's encouraging young people to eat a healthy diet or advocating for veterans and their...Read more...

A young Black female airport store worker was fired after her violent outburst was caught on camera. The fight happened on Jan. 13 at Harvest & Grounds at Concourse D at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport-and has since gone viral.Read more...

The category is... Wild Wild West

Katt Williams has his hand in everything nowadays. Not only has he been the most talked about comedian over the last two weeks, but now he has his sights set on the music industry with alleged plans of releasing a new 2Pac album.

As the country celebratedDr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s 95th birthday yesterday, you probably saw the 2014 film Selma" airing on one or more channels. Star David Oyelowo recently reflected on the turmoil surrounding the movie's release, revealing that it was one of the project's famous producers who gave him advice on...Read more...

Whether you've been a fan since she was Penny on Good Times," or you're new to the party, Janet Jackson is an icon. Her music is literally the soundtrack to our lives. As she prepares to head out on a new summer tour with Nelly, we're celebrating Janet-Ms. Jackson if you're Nasty-by highlighting our favorite jams.