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Saying Farewell to an Icon: Cicely Tyson, Lenny Kravitz, Angela Bassett and More Honor the Life of Diahann Carroll
How does one say farewell to an icon? On Sunday, the best in black excellence gathered to bid Diahann Carroll adieu. It was a cold and dreary day in New York City, but there was a buzz in the Helen Hayes Theater on Broadway. There were plenty of hugs and handshakes in the crowd—even a…
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Africa's the Future: Why Akon Says That African-Americans Should Invest in the Continent
“When you combine African-Americans and diaspora Africans, that unity itself is what’s gonna make Wakanda actually possible.” —Akon text After his his single “Locked Up,” Akon was determined not to be your run-of-the-mill one-hit wonder. The artist and producer had some foresight, understanding that the shelf life of an artist in a super-fickled entertainment industry…
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She's a 'Lady': Lady and the Tramp's Tessa Thompson Reflects on How Her Dog, Coltrane, Changed Her Life
Beloved Disney film Lady and the Tramp is back! This time, actor Tessa Thompson is the voice of “Lady”—and she has come down with a case of puppy love. While fostering a dog she renamed Coltrane (named in honor of renowned jazz musicians Alice and John Coltrane), Thompson fell instantly in love. Soon after, she decided…
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Gugu Mbatha-Raw and Edward Norton Chat Motherless Brooklyn and Systemic Racism
“Things that we are still grappling with in New York are not things that are happened by osmosis. They actually happened because there was a single individual with a very autocratic and racist approach to the modernization of infrastructure in New York,” —Edward Norton. text Motherless Brooklyn, directed by Edward Norton, is a film based…
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Bish, I Be Running Week 9: Crying? There's No Crying in Training
During last week’s long run, I cried. For those who are unaware, I’m a sensitive person, but I’m tough. As “tough as nails,” per my mother. Abrasion (like, within people) doesn’t really bother me—I can dish it out and take it. I have a high threshold for pain—menstrual cramps have nothing on me. As a…
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Why'd They Kill Tyrone? Unpacking Blackness in Horror Films
Black folks don’t do horror—right?! Wrong. The correct answer: It’s complicated. Blackness and horror are two concepts that until recently, didn’t really seem to harmoniously coexist. After all, who wants to pay to see their play-cousins either be axed first—to flutter around as the magical negro or sacrifice their life so the white savior may…
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She’s Our Hero: In HBO’s Watchmen, Regina King Kicks White Supremacist Ass
Black women do it again. In HBO’s Watchmen, the queen, Regina King, plays Angela Abar, a superhero who kicks white supremacist ass. We stan. For the record, Regina King has always been a superhero in our eyes—only difference is that this time, Hollywood gave her a flyyy (presumably) leather ‘fit, a rosary, and a mask.…
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Black and Indigenous Millennials Are Canceling Latinidad. Here’s Why
Latin America been black and indigenous. After all, indigenous people are by definition native to a particular place. So indigenous people in Latin America—the region in the Western hemisphere South of the U.S., where romance languages are spoken—yeah, they’ve been there. Now onto the black part. For those who are unaware, during the slave trade,…
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Bish I Be Running, Week 5: No Pain, No Gain?
Not sure if y’all noticed, but last week this training diary took a week off. But it was for good reason. In what would have been week four of Bish I Be Running, I sustained a minor injury (read: I got hurt up, y’all). But I’m OK now! Thanks for your concern. Long story short:…
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Wu-Wednesday: The Wu-Tang Clan Play 'Black Ass Game'
It’s Wu-Wednesday, folks! Wu-Tang: An American Saga on Hulu is well underway. Have y’all caught the series yet? What’s the read—are folks feeling it? On this Wu-Wednesday, allow us to offer some levity for that azz. With that, The Root welcomed members of the Wu Tang Clan, as well of some cast of Wu-Tang: An…
