-
Wynton Marsalis Talks Race in America, Jazz and Keeping Music ‘Ever Fonky’
Some might call nine-time Grammy Award winner Wynton Marsalis a musical genius. But that’s not a label Marsalis is interested in wearing. “Well, I don’t know anything about genius, but I know to try to be serious about it [making music],” Marsalis told The Root. “I don’t know about no genius.” The decorated jazz musician…
-
LGBTQ Icons Define What ‘Pride’ Means to Them
Editor’s note: For Pride Month, The Root and Jezebel are teaming up once again for JezeRoot, with content by writers of color around everyday life for LGBTQ individuals. Pride Month is here, and JezeRoot is back! This month, we celebrate the beauty and vastness of the LGBTQ community and its contributions to this world—and what…
-
Eagles ‘Disinvited’ From the White House Because Trump Is Petty
The Philadelphia Eagles were recently disinvited from the White House. A recent statement from President Donald Trump said that the 2018 Super Bowl champions were “unable” to come to the White House because “they disagree with their president” about standing during the national anthem. Here are the facts: Fewer than 10 Eagles had planned to…
-
Here’s Why Black Women Take the High Road
This week, Roseanne Barr—a bona fide racist—was outed, fired and hung out to dry. Former Barack Obama adviser Valerie Jarrett was the butt of a tasteless, racist joke. And at MSNBC’s Everyday Racism town hall, Jarrett had a few words for Barr. “I think we have to turn it into a teaching moment,” Jarrett said.…
-
Was the Starbucks Anti-Bias Training a Fail or Nah?
On Tuesday, Starbucks closed 8,000 of its locations for anti-bias training. The training is a response to the nationwide uproar following an incident at a Philadelphia Starbucks, in which an employee called the police on two black men for allegedly loitering. But was the training a fail or nah? “You can’t fix racial inequality, 400-plus…
-
Black People Created Memorial Day—Literally
Memorial Day is here. Think barbecues, lemonade. A precious three-day weekend full of sun, sales and slacking off. But this is The Root, and you know there’s another part of this story. Little-known fact: African Americans created Memorial Day. Rewind to the end of the Civil War. In 1865, Charleston, S.C., was in ruins, and…
-
Fox & Friends Tried to Come for Jemele Hill. Our Suggestion? Don’t
Jemele Hill was recently named the 2018 Journalist of the Year by the National Association of Black Journalists, and Fox & Friends tried to come for her. Surprise, surprise. The folks on the Fox News show took multiple shots at Hill, namely saying that she’s jobless. “The bottom line is that she’s unemployed from hosting…
-
White Woman Calls Police on Bob Marley’s Granddaughter After She Didn’t Smile. Now the Filmmaker Wants Justice
After someone called the police, seven cop cars rolled up on a group of black filmmakers, including the granddaughter of Bob Marley, Donisha Prendergast. The group was renting an Airbnb in Rialto, Calif. Now they want justice. Prendergast recently spoke out at a New York press conference. “Just because I wasn’t bowed and handcuffed against…
-
Misty Copeland on How She Ended Up in Drake’s ‘Nice for What’ Video
Misty Copeland is making boss moves. In 2015 she charmed the world as the first black woman to become a principal dancer for the American Ballet Theatre. She won the hearts of little black girls as the Firebird Barbie. And the ballerina made her foray into fashion four years ago when she partnered with athletic…
-
Ava DuVernay, Gloria Carter and Samira Wiley Honored at GLAAD Awards Because Black Women Stay Winning
For Gloria Carter, a closeted gay black woman with four kids, life was not horrible. But it was “different.” “I chose to protect my family from ignorance. I was happy, but I was not free,” said Carter at the 29th Annual GLAAD Media Awards in New York City on Saturday. Carter, whose youngest son is…
