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Obama is wrong when he says the U.S. tortured prisoners.
No Evidence of Torture -
For Earth Day, The Root is going deep on the ties between black people and the earth. We dig in to everything from Michelle Obama's potential impact on farming to how to plant gardens on housing project rooftops to creating green jobs in black neighborhoods. Guest writers Majora Carter, Phaedra Ellis-Lamkins and Sen. John Kerry weigh in on the green movement's need to go brown. And we shine a spotlight on 10 community organizers -- The Root's Green Collar Heroes -- who are making a difference at the grassroots, literally. Plus, for those of you who think it's not easy being green, we offer seven easy tips to help you get started.
So plow into our entire Earth Day package. Once you go black and green, you'll never go back!
The Root Goes Green -
As Jacob Zuma prepares to become president of South Africa, the world is watching to see if he can steer the country clear of the kind of tumult that has been the hallmark of his own life.
Who is Jacob Zuma? -
In one weekend, President Obama completely transformed American relations with Caribbean and Latin America. Strategy: Play nice with others.
Obama Charms and Disarms Summit of the Americas -
The U.S. isn't post-racial—but neither is anyone else! Why Obama should have taken that message to Geneva.
Forfeit on the Race Conference -
Failure to prosecute could leave the impression that the law can play favorites and that the options differ depending on your station in life.
Why We Should Indict the Memo Writers -
Barack Obama has gone to great lengths to distance himself from the Bush administration. So why is he taking a page from the Bush playbook and threatening to boycott the United Nations Conference on Racism?
Don't Boycott the United Nations Conference on Racism -
Why Barack Obama hasn’t heard the end of Cuba—and why he should.
Cuba: The Phantom Menace -
In Europe, Barack Obama was the one asking for help. At this weekend’s Summit of the Americans, the president will be the one asked to deliver.
Summit of the Americas in Trinidad and Tobago -
The new book Dead Aid takes dead aim on Western aid to Africa and argues—convincingly—that white benevolence has done more harm than good to Africa’s struggling economies.
Why Bono, Madonna and Brangelina Cannot Save Africa
TOP OF THE TREE
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Oprah's Blackest Moments
by The Root ContributorsOprah Winfrey recently announced plans for retirement in 2011. The talk show host may have a stronghold on white, suburban housewives, but The Root contributors remember moments when Oprah kept it real—black.
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What Kobe, LeBron and Dwyane Owe Spencer Haywood
by Martin JohnsonForty years ago, Haywood became the first player to leave college early and go to the pros—proving that young players got game, too.
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Shaniya's Shame
by Malika Saada SaarThe murder of 5-year-old Shaniya Davis highlights a disturbing and growing trend in the U.S.: the trafficking of young girls into sexual slavery.
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Storming the Court?
by Sherrilyn A. IfillWhen it comes to appointing federal judges, President Obama shouldn’t try to play center. Centrist judges will not balance judges on the right. Left balances right.
VIEWS
- SEE ALL VIEWS
The (Not So) New World Order
Yinka Shonibare MBE’s career retrospective at the Smithsonian just goes to show how strange things get when the empire strikes black.
Maybe Your Great-Grandmother Really Was Cherokee
A new exhibit at the National Museum of the American Indian traces black-Native American relations from the 1500s to the present.
Is the USDA Still the Last Plantation?
During the Bush administration, 13,999 racial discrimination cases were swept under the rug at the Agriculture Department. What will Secretary Tom Vilsack do about it?
Rakim's Back
Def Jam is 25. "Rapper’s Delight" is 30. And Rakim is 41. But with his latest album, The Seventh Seal, hip-hop heads can remember the best of the golden age.
Color-Struck Around The Globe
Sammy Sosa’s new vampire complexion is a jarring reminder that, from the Dominican Republic to Dakar to New Delhi, white is still right, yellow is still mellow and if you’re black, get back.









