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Misty at The Met: Misty Copeland Twirls and So Do Little Black Girls
On a hot, muggy summer day earlier this month, there were two lines stretching from the doors of New York City’s Metropolitan Opera House to its iconic fountain. The Met wasn’t giving out free ice cream and Cardi B had canceled all of her performances until September, so what could have caused such a mammoth…
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Are Black Women Fighting Other People’s Battles?
Therese Patricia Okoumou, an immigrant activist from the Republic of Congo, climbed the Statue of Liberty to protest the separation of migrant children from their families. But what’s that got to do with black folks? Despite misconceptions, immigration in America has plenty to do with black people. In fact, black immigrants in the United States…
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Mona Scott-Young’s Major Keys to Success
Love her or hate her, one thing’s for sure: Mona Scott-Young is a boss. The music turned television executive has built an empire in a space that is dominated by men; but in Scott-Young’s world, there are women on both sides of the camera—putting in work. “Women, especially women of color, have always been the…
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The National Anthem Is Racist, and We Made a Video in Case You Forgot
One thing that hasn’t changed: The Star-Spangled Banner is still racist. Initially titled “Defence of Fort M’Henry,” the anthem was written in 1814 by a white dude named Francis Scott Key—a man who owned slaves and thought that they were an “inferior race of people,” who were untrustworthy and indolent. As a lieutenant in the…
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RuPaul’s Drag Race’s Monét X Change Spills the Tea
Growing up in the Caribbean, Monét X Change saw no LGBTQ representation. But then there was St. Lucia Carnival every summer. “There was this one tall gay dude. His name was Sharmark. He was, like, 6 feet 5 and he would be in, like, a woman’s garment. It was, like, the bra and the panties…
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Can We Live While Black?
It’s no secret that there’s a fear of a black planet. This fear is so pervasive, so insidious, that black people are being reprimanded for merely living. Recently, #WhileBlack has taken off. Social media is bringing attention to various overtly racist instances when existing in white spaces is perceived to be a threat. “I don’t…
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Meek Mill Shines Light on Racial Injustice in America With Debut of ‘Stay Woke’ at the 2018 BET Awards
After much speculation, Philly’s own Meek Mill debuted a new single, “Stay Woke,” at the 2018 BET Awards. Meek was introduced by a group of Philly natives: Black Thought, Questlove and Lil Uzi Vert, along with the 76ers’ Markelle Fultz and comedian Kevin Hart. The group started by sharing damning statistics, which were also included…
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Meek’s Clues: Does Meek Mill Have New Music Coming or Nah?
As you’ve heard by now, The Root is holding it down at the BET Awards in Los Angeles. We’re accompanied by birds, young folk and celebrities alike. Among the famous is one of our faves, Meek Mill, and he’s dropping hints about something big.The Philadelphia native, who was released from prison on bail in April,…
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XXXTentacion: Martyr or Monster?
This week, rapper XXXTentacion was shot and killed in Deerfield Beach, Fla. The 20-year-old was at the height of his career, but his life was mired in legal troubles and abuse allegations. Celebrities and fans have been honoring him on Twitter, and some even appear to be making him out to be a martyr. Why…
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Meek Mill’s Case Is Just 1 Example of How the Criminal-Justice System Fails Black People
As long as there has been freedom for black people post-slavery, there has been a criminal-justice system that has been committed to caging them again. From the convict-lease system, even slave catchers before the emancipation, there’s always been a system designed to watch black bodies, to catch black bodies, to exploit black bodies by incarcerating…
