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The Pop Up: Sol Development’s ‘Helicopter’ Is a Haunting Tale of Police Brutality in America
The Root is celebrating Black Music Month with stories that dig into the soul of black artistry and with The Pop Up, our new video series featuring in-office performances from black artists we adore. Sol Development are our first performing artists for The Pop Up, and they do not disappoint. The hip-hop/jazz/soul ensemble, based out…
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Judge of Characters: Your President Is Clueless
This week, the orange crayon of a human being proved that he’s just as clueless as we all thought he was. Donald Trump’s list of stupidity starts with champing at the bit to meet with Kim Kardashian West and goes into not knowing the words to “God Bless America,” then extends down to claiming that…
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Energetic and Nostalgic Performances by Bell Biv DeVoe, Tony! Toni! Toné and More Helped the Apollo Spring Gala Raise Over $2 Million
This week the legendary Apollo Theater celebrated the 13 years of its star-studded annual Spring Gala. Every year the iconic Harlem landmark gathers every ounce of black excellence it can find to raise funds for its year-round artistic- and community-programming initiatives. Guess how much they raised this year? No … guess. Over $2 million! Yeah,…
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Is Black Music the Well Many Other Artists Drink From and Profit From More Than Black Artists?
What is black music? For many, it’s soul, funk, R&B, hip-hop and essentially all genres of music that reflect roots in blackness. But the industry doesn’t hear us. Music is very much a culture of “We make it, they take it.” We’ve seen it throughout history in the theft of everything we exclusively create within…
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ColorComm’s Young, Fabulous and Fly Creator Lauren Wesley Wilson Shares Her Goals for Black Women in Business
Black women have always made a way, no matter what. There’s not a lane for us? We create it. There’s not a seat at the table of us? We build the seat and the table. That’s exactly what Lauren Wesley Wilson has done with ColorComm. Wilson once worked at a PR agency and noticed there…
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Judge of Characters: Wypipo Want Everything We Have, Even Our Oppression
Why are we still talking about who can and cannot say the n-word? White people, please hear me out. There will never be any occasion when you will need to use the n-word, ever. Even if Kendrick Lamar invites you onstage and the only word in the song is “nigga,” don’t say it. Censor yourself…
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Cast of Queen Sugar Gets Real About Interracial Dating. Guess Who Was Told, ‘Don’t Bring the Oppressor Home’
It’s the hot-button topic right now: interracial dating and love. Donald Glover faced criticism around the topic after the release of his viral hit, “This Is America.” The video screamed blackness and reminded everyone that all of the art Glover’s been providing lately is also saturated with black culture. So when images of his white…
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‘Rafiki’ Actress Explains Why The Lion King Is One of Broadway’s Blackest and Most Legendary Shows Ever
The Lion King is still one of my favorite Disney movies (and stories) of all time. And I am obviously not alone. The movie has stretched onto the Broadway stage and been slaying for over 20 years! There’s no way this musical would have that sort of staying power if it wasn’t your favorite’s favorite.…
