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Nia Long: 'I’ve Watched a Lot of Men Get Rich Off of the Films That I’ve Done'
Nia Long deserves her coin. “I’ve watched a lot of men get rich off of the films that I’ve done, and I was being paid peanuts,” actress Nia Long said. At an August event for the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, the iconic actress with a decadeslong career spoke out. Long’s message: Pay women fairly. The…
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AfroPunk Trivia: Separating the Afros From the Punks
AfroPunk 2018 came and went, and The Root was in the house to make sure that black trivia was popping. In the midst of the wave of beautifully melanated millennials (well, mostly), we had to figure out who was really about that “afro” life. The Root rolled up on some AfroPunk 2018 attendees to separate…
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Fatayi Jomoh Was Handcuffed for Bouncing a Basketball, Now His Mother Is Speaking Out
We live in a country where a black child was placed in handcuffs for bouncing a basketball. In a gym. This child’s name is Fatayi Jomoh, and he was bouncing a basketball at his local Police Athletic League. Earlier this month, The Root reported on the incident, and while Fatayi was not arrested, the incident…
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1-800-WYPIPO: Breaking Down Trump’s Tweets About Black Folks
Why does Donald Trump keep coming for black folks? Here at The Root, we’ve been keeping an eye on the internets, and it looks like Trump has something disparaging to say about black folk, like, all of the time. He’s called Omarosa a dog; called LeBron James and Don Lemon dumb; not to mention his…
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White Privilege Is a Thing. Here’s How It Works
From the moment a white person is born they are afforded certain privileges. While the extent and nature of those privileges vary, one thing’s consistent: If you’re white, society says, “You’re out here winning.” Peggy McIntosh, a white scholar who started studying white privilege in the 198os is credited with introducing this concept (pdf) to…
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Meet the 35-Year-Old Who Wants to Be Nigeria's Next President
What does it take to become the next president of Nigeria? Thirty-five-year-old Chike Ukaegbu wants to find out. Ukaegbu—who made history as Nigeria’s youngest presidential candidate when he announced his candidacy in June—grew up in the West African Nation. In fact, Muhammadu Buhari, the current president of Nigeria, took over as a military dictator the…
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International I Love Braids Day Brings Black Self Love to Brooklyn
Debra Hare-Bey is a proud and self-proclaimed “braider”—by trade and tradition. In fact, the Brooklyn native has been braiding for decades—she recalls being “that girl,” on the stoop braiding people’s hair. Years later, Hare-Bey decided to make a career out of braiding. After all, braids—and the rich culture and traditions from which the styles come—are…
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Black Bosses Making Moves with VSB and The Glow Up!
On Thursday evening, The Root, Very Smart Brothas and The Glow Up joined forces for a panel in Washington, D.C. The evening’s theme? Boss moves. After all, bossing ain’t easy. The Long View Gallery was standing room only—come through, D.C.! Imagine a sea of beautiful black people joined together to talk about how one can essentially…
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Barack Obama Takes Shots at Donald Trump During Nelson Mandela Lecture
On Tuesday, in a speech in Johannesburg, South Africa, former President Barack Obama said—in so many words—what we’ve all been thinking: Not today, Trump! Obama just gave his biggest speech since leaving office at the at the Nelson Mandela Annual Lecture. Without naming names, Obama took shoots at the current occupant of the White House. “I…
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The World Cup's Last African Team?
The World Cup final is Sunday, and we’re still rooting for everybody black. Well, one of my colleagues was rooting for Germany. But, that’s neither here nor there. Back to black folks. Recently, people have been referring to the French national team, Les Bleus, as the “last standing African team.” With 12 players of African descent…
