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Meet ‘Angela,’ One of the 1st Slaves to Arrive in America
What if we could put names and faces to the Africans who were brought over to America as slaves in 1619? Would it humanize slavery instead of making it a category in American history that people love to conveniently forget or urge black folks to “just get over it”? The first Africans arrived at Point…
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Judge of Characters: The Beauty of Black Royalty
Most of Black Twitter, if not all of it, was hella excited that actress Meghan Markle secured the royal bag and is now engaged to Prince Harry—myself included. I mean, I’m hype, but not hype like I received a “Save the date.” It’s exciting to see a black princess. Markle, however, isn’t the only one,…
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We Should All Live by ‘The Gospel According to Shug Avery’
You should know the name Shug Avery. She’s only one of the biggest and boldest characters from one of Alice Walker’s most famous works, The Color Purple. There are certain movies that stand the test of time, and The Color Purple is one of those classics. There’s something so special about gathering with family for…
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Judge of Characters: Thanksgiving While Black
While we are all fully aware of the foundation of lies that Thanksgiving was built on, we’ve managed to turn the holiday into a celebrated time with food and family. [Whispers.] But we’ll never forget. First of all, there are generations of beautiful blackness all in one house, whether it’s Grandma’s house or, in my…
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Judge of Characters: Trump Helps Black People Now?
To hear the authorities tell it, UCLA basketball players LiAngelo Ball, Jalen Hill and Cody Riley all decided that stealing from a store while their team was in China was the best idea ever, and they were subsequently caught, arrested and faced 10 years in a Chinese prison. But then the impossible happened! Your president,…
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Mudbound Is Another Exhausting Tale of Inequality and Racism in America, but at Least It Was Executed Properly
When there’s historical blackness in film, it’s usually displayed through slavery or Jim Crow. There’s never really any in between. But there is a very palpable significance in remembering, reliving and recognizing black history and respecting how far we’ve come (even though 2017 mirrors the past more times than we’re comfortable with). I guess that’s…
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Watch: Gabrielle Union: ‘Hollywood Is Very Segregated’
I’ll take “What We Already Know” for $1,000, Alex (as in Trebek, as in Jeopardy). It’s no secret that Hollywood carries a (tiki) torch for racism and that when movies feature a predominantly black cast, they’re considered “black movies,” and budgets and expectations are lower. Superstar actress Gabrielle Union stopped by The Root to talk…
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The Root 100 Gala Is an Unapologetic Celebration of Black Brilliance, and This Year the Revolution Will Be Televised
The Root 100 celebrates the best, brightest and most brilliant forms of black excellence across every field you can think of: entertainment, activism, the arts, sports, media, politics, business, and science and technology. Every year we put out the list of amazing and influential black people, and every year we celebrate our list with a…
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Judge of Characters: We’re Just Out Here Making America Great … for Once
The 2016 election took the wind out of most of our sails because it led us into a presidency that’s just so … orange. But not all hope is lost. It’s been a year since y’all elected Toupee Fiasco as president, but this year’s elections proved that maybe—just maybe—Americans know how to vote for change.…
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Judge of Characters: It’s Time to Trust Black Women
The stories of black women are often met with closed ears. And if the ears happen to be open, oftentimes we’re regarded as liars. From Rep. Frederica Wilson to Lupita Nyong’o and every black woman in between, our lived experiences are challenged in a way that says there’s no way anything we say could or…
