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Judge of Characters: Oh God, Wait … Am I a Hotep?
This week, besides having to scroll through all things Rumi and Sir Carter, I learned that Madame Tussauds doesn’t care about black people, particularly Beyoncé, Prince, Denzel Washington and any other black wax figure they’ve made. Dr. Umar Johnson may just be a doctor after all. It took some digging from The Root’s Michael Harriot,…
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Girls Trip Is the Most Hilarious and Heartfelt Dive Into the Complexities of Black Girlfriends
The bonds between black women are not something you can watch on reality-TV shows or easily catch on any TV shows right now, except maybe Insecure. (Shoutout to Issa and Molly!) Black women’s friendship is more than boozy brunches, epic catfights and screaming “Yasss Queen” to one another. I mean, don’t get me wrong—all of…
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Watch: The Women of Girls Trip Share Their Uplifting Mantras
In the heavily anticipated movie Girls Trip, one of the stars of the movie, Regina Hall, plays Ryan Pierce, a strong black woman who’s created a conception of her life as the one who “has it all.” We quickly learn that Ryan’s fantasy life is a fantasy even to her. Without spoiling anything (because you…
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Watch: Color Complex: Meet Jayne Waithera, the Extraordinary Kenyan Woman Giving a Voice to Albinism
Skin color both unites and divides us. Whether you live in India, East Africa or Japan, the color of your skin shapes your identity and opportunities. Color Complex is a narrative series that explores how people of color around the world struggle for visibility and learn to navigate the prejudices and social hierarchies associated with…
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Watch: Jay Ellis and Yvonne Orji of Insecure Talk About That Infamous ‘Best Buy Polo’ Scene
It was the swinging hanger heard around the world. I remember it like it was yesterday … Issa Rae’s character Issa in Insecure rushed back home to Inglewood, Calif., to reconnect with her estranged (and fresh) ex Lawrence (played by Jay Ellis), only to find that he wasn’t there and he’d left something for her:…
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Watch: Girls Trip Scene-Stealer Tiffany Haddish Loves Her Booty, Skin and Lips
Black and Proud is a new video series on The Root that focuses on the pride that our favorite black celebrities, tastemakers and thought leaders feel about being black. Many of them talk about our resilience and strength throughout history, some talk about our undeniable talents, while others mention our dance skills, dopeness and more.…
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Watch: Larenz Tate Gives Us a Taste of Love Jones 20 Years Later
Say, baby, what if I told you Love Jones is 20 years old? Would you do your Googles to prove me wrong because Love Jones just came out yesterday, Larenz Tate and Nia Long still look the same, and you feel old? Yeah … same. I did my own Googles to make sure because I…
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Watch: Jada Pinkett Smith Says You Can’t Diminish the Black Spirit
Black and Proud is a new video series on The Root that focuses on the pride that our favorite black celebrities, tastemakers and thought leaders feel about being black. Many of them talk about our resilience and strength throughout history, some talk about our undeniable talents, while others mention our dance skills, dopeness and more.…
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Watch: Jessica Williams Serves Up a Quirky Black-Girl Rom-Com You Will Love
It’s refreshing to see a complicated, funny, awkward, honest and caring black woman at the center of a romantic comedy. Comedian Jessica Williams is doing just that in her new Netflix movie, The Incredible Jessica James. In the film, Williams’ character tries her best to navigate the world of dating after breaking up with her…
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Watch: Everything I Need to Know About Life, I Learned From Black ’90s Movies
They just don’t make ’em like they used to. Yeah … I’ve actually said that sentence in reference to movies; specifically, black movies. Everyone knows and boasts about the ’90s being one of the best decades for blackness on the big screen, and it’s true. Think about it. There was Boomerang, CB4, The Five Heartbeats,…
