The 2015 prime-time Emmy Awards have set a record, with 18 nominations for black actors and actresses this year. If this weren’t already huge enough, Viola Davis and Taraji P. Henson have both been nominated in the Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series category for their performances in ABC’s How to Get Away With Murder and Fox’s Empire, respectively. If either of these two stars…

Over the past year, shows like Black-ish, Empire and How to Get Away With Murder helped usher in a new level of entertainment-industry interest and confidence in shows featuring more diverse actors in key roles. Some people even expressed concern that the industry might overcompensate for years (decades) of lack of diversity with too much of it in the next TV-pilot season. Gasp!…

Last year, ABC’s Black-ish introduced audiences to the lovable Johnson family and became the first sitcom to feature a black family on network television in years. While comparisons have been made to The Cosby Show, Black-ish creator Kenya Barris has consistently highlighted a critical difference between the two shows. “The Cosby Show was about a family that sort of happened to be black…

At the first-ever Blackout Music & Film Festival, held Saturday at the Grammy Museum in downtown Los Angeles, artists, activists, celebrities and everyday citizens convened to highlight and explore the ways in which artists are using their art to address human rights violations and injustices. The daylong festival featured screenings of 3 1/2 Minutes, Ten…

As graduates across America bask in the pomp and circumstance of commencement festivities, I have tried to reflect on the indispensable words of wisdom famed news anchor Dan Rather shared with my fellow classmates and me during his commencement address to the University of Texas, College of Communication, Class of 2002. … As it turns out, I…

As we prepare for the season 1 finale of ABC’s Black-ish, let’s take a look back at how Black-ish quickly became one of America’s favorite new sitcoms. 1. Remember when the Black-ish trailer first aired, promising the story of a well-to-do African-American father grappling with how to ensure that his family maintains a sense of cultural identity in the face…

The Scandal season 4 finale picks up with right where we left off—with Papa Pope masquerading as a big-money donor who wants to support Mellie’s campaign. Mellie should have known something was amiss when he introduced himself as “Demascus Bainbridge.” I guess when creating an alias to use right before ruining someone’s life, you should have some fun with it.…

Before we head into the season 4 finale of Scandal, The Root sat down with Scandal writer Raamla Mohamed to talk about how she began her TV writing career, what it’s like working with Shonda Rhimes and her thoughts on the importance of diversity in TV writing. I was introduced to Mohamed by a mutual friend when I moved to Los Angeles from…

With only one episode left, last night’s Scandal loaded the bases and prepared to bring us home. “We Don’t Condone Rape!” During a photo op on a Navy ship, Vice President Susan Ross notices that a female ensign, Amy Martin, shows signs of sexual assault, so naturally, Susan takes Amy from the ship and straight to President…

Operation Save Jake JAKE IS ALIVE! Somehow, Russell stabbed Jake 22 times, but missed all his major organs. Nonetheless, Jake is barely hanging on, so B613 agent Charlie calls a Russian doctor to stitch Jake back together in an underground dungeon (because rogue B613 agents don’t qualify for Obamacare). However, the doctor won’t save Jake…