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Judge of Characters: Black Lives Don’t Matter
There’s something so beautiful about the students-turned-activists who have emerged from the awful tragedy of the Parkland, Fla., school shooting. Instead of being victims, these kids became champions for human rights and gun control, reflected in the March for Our Lives on Saturday. They have been fully embraced by almost everyone. However, the Black Lives…
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Will Smith Lends His Voice to One Strange Rock, a Thrilling Series About the Wonders of Earth, With a Dope Spin
This world we live in has proved to be … one strange rock, which is the name of the new National Geographic series that shows us all the wonders of the world. The cherry on top is that we get to learn about these wonders from the authoritative yet soothing voice of Will Smith. Smith…
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Watch: Who Is Feminism For?
For Women’s History Month, Jezebel and The Root are partnering for JezeRoot, a series that focuses on women of color, domestic workers and sex workers. The textbook definition of feminism is a movement or a set of ideas that champion equal rights for women. However, feminist activists over the last 50 years have struggled to…
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Anita Baker Slayed My Life, Fantasia Inspired an Altar Call and Trick Daddy Was King at Jazz in the Gardens Music Festival [Updated]
Updated, June 18, 2018 8:30 a.m.: The Root was a media sponsor of this event. “It’s the world’s biggest outdoor house party!” Kid from ’90s rap duo Kid ’n Play said when I caught the icons backstage at the Jazz in the Gardens Music Festival this past weekend. The two were part of the festival’s…
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David Oyelowo Opens Up About Racism in Hollywood in the Most Vulnerable Conversation Ever
David Oyelowo is often mistaken for an Oscar winner. Right now you’re probably like, wait, he doesn’t have an Oscar? And you’re checking Google. And … nope, no Oscar. But he does have several accolades that make him a trusted piece of Hollywood royalty. In fact, his besties Ava DuVernay and Oprah Winfrey co-sign his…
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I’m Seeing Anita Baker, Y’all, and You Can, Too, at Jazz in the Gardens This Weekend
When someone asks you to attend a concert featuring Chaka Khan, Anita Baker, Fantasia, Smokey Robinson and more, what do you do? You graciously accept the invite! And that is the story of how The Root became a media sponsor for the 13th annual Jazz in the Gardens Music Festival. As the fastest-growing jazz and…
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(Mrs.) Who Said It: The Cast of A Wrinkle in Time Quotes Oprah, Outkast and Rumi
Ava DuVernay’s A Wrinkle in Time is a fantastical journey. As we watch the star, Storm Reid (Meg), navigate an alternate universe in search of her father, we can’t help being in awe of her guides, the Mrs. These women—played by Oprah Winfrey (Mrs. Which), Reese Witherspoon (Mrs. Whatsit) and Mindy Kaling (Mrs. Who)—who offer…
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Watch: How Oprah and Ava DuVernay Escape the Darkness
One of the major themes of A Wrinkle in Time is the darkness and how it can consume you if you let it. But all it takes is just a little bit of light and some belief in yourself to make it out of the dark. Full Disclosure: Disney spent all the coins to invite…
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Meet the Mayor of Miami Gardens, Fla., One of the Largest Black-Run Cities in the Country
“Every night in my sleep, I need you beside me.” Imagine this line sung in the style of Celine Dion’s “My Heart Will Go On,” off-key but with the same amount of confidence that Dion’s golden vocals boast. That’s how Miami Gardens, Fla., Mayor Oliver Gilbert started our interview. Clearly, I was in for a…
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Judge of Characters: George Washington Took Teeth From the Mouths of Slaves
I’ve always been taught that the first president of the United States of America had wooden teeth because his gums were not fertile ground for strong, pearly whites. It was just common knowledge. But recently, writer Michael Coard revealed something that’s widely unknown: Washington’s dentures were made not of wood but of elephant/walrus tusks and,…
