Protecting Black Girl Genius

March 11, 2013

On the Feminist Wire, Salamishah Tillet writes that 2012 was the year of the black girl, but also was not without society's attempts to tarnish the joy.

The Problem of Django's Exceptionalism

CNN contributor Salamishah Tillet writes that what makes Tarantino's lead character special also makes him problematic, if he's used as a stand-in for all African Americans.

My American Dream Sounds Like Nina Simone

In a piece for NPR, Salamishah Tillet reflects on the singer's legacy and concludes that her aspirations for this country still haven't been achieved. 

Will Lawmakers Leave Abused Women Defenseless?

The Nation's Salamishah Tillet examines the latest changes to the Violence Against Women Act.

'Girls': Real Problem Is Racial Segregation

The Nation's Salamishah Tillet says that housing and school segregation are why the cast of HBO series is all white.

20 Years of Black Lesbian Cinema

A slew of unheralded but significant films helped pave the way for critically acclaimed Pariah.

Spike Lee's 'She's Gotta Have It' Turns 25

Grown and sexy: The director's daring film changed the game in Hollywood -- and assumptions about black women's sexuality.

The Root Review: 'Mooz-lum,' a New Spin on an Old Tale

At times overwhelming in scope and pace, the new film Mooz-lum offers a new twist on a familiar tale of tolerance.

George Washington and His Runaway Slave

A new Philadelphia museum, the President's House, dramatically illustrates how the nation's first president tried to thwart his slave's quest for freedom. But Oney Judge prevailed.

The Root Review: 'Night Catches Us'

Starring Anthony Mackie and Kerry Washington, Tanya Hamilton's moving debut takes us back to 1976, when Jimmy Carter was about to be president, funk was king and the Black Panthers were trying to pick up the pieces.