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Somewhere between a raspy Somalian rapper, a Palestinian poet and a Debbie Allen-directed dance performance, the American idea of what it means to be Arab begins to grow.
Arab Identity in America -
Africhic is hitting the runway! African designers are making their mark on the fashion world by taking African traditions and giving them a modern flair.
Not Your Grandpa’s Dashiki -
It may hurt local textiles, but being fashion-forward is all about fusing the old and new.
Why I'm Sending My Tutu to Ghana -
Alan Keyes is an embarrassment to the Republican Party with his rants on President Obama’s citizenship. So why aren’t responsible Republicans shutting him up?
Alan Keyes on Obama's Citizenship -
The “voodoo priestess of comedy” speaks out about segregated Carnival traditions, how she will feed 2,500 guests today and moving into her dream house along the “white” side of the parade route.
Mardi Gras with Ms. Dupre -
People are criticizing Attorney General Eric Holder’s speech on race, calling it blunt and accusatory. Nope. It was just honest. On this one, America’s new top cop takes us where “hope and change” rarely go.
Eric Holder's Race Speech -
Throughout the '80s and '90s, a growing number of people around the world were able to express themselves and organize without fear of reprisal. Today, there are disconcerting signs of a retreat.
Not Free At Last -
After 100 years of service, the NAACP has been at the forefront of the struggle for racial justice. And 200 years after Abe Lincoln was born, Julian Bond links the oldest civil rights organization to the Great Emancipator.
NAACP: We Are 100 -
Is the nation’s oldest civil rights organization equal to the task ahead?
NAACP Centennial -- 'Crisis' -
The Root contributor Rebecca Walker has edited a new anthology called "One Big Happy Family" on love, marriage and what makes a family work. In this chapter, Paula Penn-Nabritt discusses the ups and downs of homeschooling.
How Homeschooling Made Our Home
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
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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.









