-
Is Racism the Reason Why HBCUs Have to Pay More for Loans Than Other Schools?
If you want to see how systemic—and endemic—racism in the U.S., follow the money. You’d see the racial wealth gap—a phenomenon that has only gotten worse, even as unemployment rates for black Americans dip. You’ll see predatory loans, which disproportionately affect people of color (and which helped fuel the housing crisis). You’ll also see that…
-
Man Accused in Nia Wilson's Killing Gets Upgraded Charge, Could Face Death Penalty
The 27-year-old white man who is accused of stabbing and killing 18-year-old Nia Wilson at a BART train stop in Oakland, Calif., in July will likely not get hit with hate crime charges—but may still get the death penalty. On Wednesday, the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office hit John Lee Cowell with a special circumstance…
-
St. Louis Teen Shot Shortly After Posting 'I Made it to 17' on Facebook Page
St. Louis, Mo., police are still looking for a suspect in the case of a black 17-year-old boy who was shot and killed on his birthday last weekend. According to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Armond Latimore was shot outside of a chop suey restaurant, Bing Lau, on Saturday, where he had gone to pick up…
-
Phenomenal Women: On the Transformative Power of Black Women
Editor’s note: This story was written for an event where The Root was a media sponsor. On a rainy afternoon in August, Valerie Jarrett, April Ryan, Alicia Garza and the Rev. Dr. Renita Weems—truth-tellers, as I refer to them—descended on Lola’s in Martha’s Vineyard to discuss the intersections of race, gender and power in America.…
-
Your Lifetime Woman Crush, Janet Jackson, to Receive Honor at Black Girls Rock
Here’s another opportunity to brush off that Rhythm Nation choreo you practiced in your bedroom. Janet Jackson, the original queen of leveling up, will be gracing our TV screens soon to receive the Phenomenal Woman in Music award at Black Girls Rock. The annual show will be hosted by Queen Latifah this Sunday, and BET…
-
Southeast D.C. School Finally Removes Slaveholder's Name
As another school year begins in Washington, D.C., one elementary school has undergone major changes. Like many older schools, it will now be housed in a new, updated building. But this primarily black Southeast D.C. school will also be shedding its’ decades-old name: Benjamin Grayson Orr elementary, named for the city’s fourth mayor and a…
-
Jury Finds Getaway Driver Guilty in Chicago Teen Hadiya Pendleton's Murder
It took a Cook County, Ill., jury less than three hours to find Kenneth Williams guilty on all charges related to the 2013 killing of 15-year-old Hadiya Pendleton, a King College Prep High School student who performed as a majorette for Barack Obama’s second inauguration. According to the Chicago Tribune, Williams was convicted on one…
-
Peak Beckery: Brooklyn Woman Steals from Local Black-Owned Bakery, Then Calls Her Actions ‘Harmless’
We know, we know, we throw the word “Becky” around a lot in these parts. But sometimes, there really is no other word that qwhite captures that particular blend of Caucasity, entitlement, split ends and aggressive victimhood. “Becky” is such a thing that Merriam-Webster (a.k.a. the damn dictionary) says they’re keeping their eye on the…
-
Kansas City Reporter Lisa Benson Says She Was Fired From TV Station for Sharing an Article About White Privilege
Earlier this year, Ruby Hamad wrote an article that struck a nerve. “How white women use strategic tears to silence women of colour,” published by the Guardian, delved into the ways white women weaponized their emotions against their women of color counterparts when they aired legitimate grievances. Many women of color shared the article, some…
-
'Wakanda and Chill' Will Soon Be a Reality
In less than two weeks, Black Panther (and Killmonger, and Shuri, and M’Baku, and Nakia, and Okoye, and Forest Whitaker’s Zuri accent) will be available on Netflix, permanently killing any hope you had of finishing your Netflix queue. The beloved Marvel movie’s arrival to the streaming platform was officially announced on the Twitter account, “Strong…
Black News and Black Views with a Whole Lotta Attitude
