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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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Thanksgiving and Chill: All the Shows to Binge-Watch Before You Get ‘The Itis’
It’s that time of year again. White folks are clamoring at Starbucks for their pumpkin-spice lattes, and black folks are calling around to make sure Aunt Sheila is still making her signature turkey this year … it’s Thanksgiving! And while many of us side-eye the massacre and theft masquerading as a family-friendly holiday, we’ve managed…
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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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Don’t Let the Smile Fool You. I’m Cringing on the Inside
In all truth, I was originally never going to tell this story. Because for the longest time, I didn’t even know if there was a story. I didn’t take what had happened to me seriously. Sexual harassment, unwanted sexual attention, grabby or flirtatious old men; we’re taught as women to make excuses for them, especially…
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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…
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Judge of Characters: Tyrese … Lord Have Mercy, We’re Praying for You
Tyrese Gibson has been on my mind and in my heart this week. And as a woman of the Lord, I must say that my prayer list has been edited to move Tyrese to the top. The Fast and the Furious actor has been just that—fast and furious—as negative headlines swarm around him. From harassing…
