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#WeWontBeSilent: The Root Creates New Social Media Movement
Like many of you, I was depleted by news of multiple police-involved shootings during the week of July 4. On July 5, Alton Sterling was shot in Baton Rouge, La., and by July 6, social media was ablaze with his name. I Googled him to find out what was happening, already knowing that this hashtag…
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At Least 3 People Dead in Mich. Courthouse Shooting
WZZM is reporting that there are at least three dead and one injured following a shooting in a Berrien County Courthouse in St. Joseph, Mich., an employee at the county prosecutor’s office said. Michigan State Police confirmed the shooting around 2:30 p.m. Monday. The two victims were both court bailiffs, while the third deceased individual…
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It's Not About You: 5 Things That May Not Label You Racist, but Racist Adjacent
It’s official: America is going through something serious right now. There are multiple shootings of black people at the hands of law enforcement that have left many families confused and in mourning; there was a sniper shooting that killed five police officers in Dallas; and I mostly fear that the violent and horrific stories aren’t…
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Black Trauma and Self-Care: How Can Black People Heal After Witnessing Excessive Violence Against Our Own?
Police shootings seem to be a normal occurrence these days. It’s a scary reminder that despite how often we chant “Black lives matter,” for many in law enforcement and people without melanin, our lives are disposable. With the frequency of such shootings, we’ve been bombarded with graphic videos and photos of victims all over our…
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12 of the Best and Brightest Black YouTubers at VidCon 2016
VidCon is the mecca of all things digital video. It’s literally what it sounds like: a conference for video. It took place in sunny Anaheim, Calif.—yes, home of Disneyland—and it was obvious that Mickey Mouse had to move over and make way for a whole new kind of celebrity: internet stars. The best and the…
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This Black Woman’s HIV Story Is a Warning for Everyone
June 27 is National HIV Testing Day. This day was created as an annual observance to promote HIV testing. The theme is “Doing It.” What does that mean? It means that this is a particularly important time for you to get involved and get tested because doing it could save your life. Want to know how…
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The Cast of OWN’s New Black Church Drama, Greenleaf, Reveals Why This Might Be the Best Thing on TV Right Now
The black community, especially the faith-based black community, is known to culturally keep quiet about many issues that happen in life: depression, sexual abuse, domestic violence, homosexuality. All of these things exist in black churches, but it’s very rare that we’re vocal about them. This is exactly the sentiment explored in writer-producer Craig Wright’s (Six…
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The Root Is Celebrating the Start of Summer With #SummerWhileBlack
Summer, summer, summer tiiiiiime! Yes, it is now officially summer, so you know what that means (for us, at least): barbecues and fights over who makes the best potato salad, family reunions, vacations, pool parties (with no one in the pool) and more. It’s the most wonderful time of the year, so of course we…
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7 Cry-Face Memes You Can Retire Now That We Have Ugly-Cry LeBron
Move over, Michael Jordan crying meme. There’s new cry-face material for all the quick-fingered internet addicts, and his name is LeBron James. The stellar athlete just made history with the Cleveland Cavaliers’ win in the 2016 NBA Finals, defeating the Golden State Warriors 93-89 in Sunday’s deciding Game 7. With that win came an ugly…
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Leon Gladly Took a Backseat in His Own Life for His Daughter
Parenthood is no easy feat. You create a human life, you’re in charge of nurturing it, guiding it, protecting it and so much more, and all of those responsibilities never cease. Children will undoubtedly change your life. That’s exactly what happened when actor and lead singer (Leon & The Peoples), Leon Robinson became the father…