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A Clapback to Russian Trolls
The black community shares a special sense of solidarity in modern-day America. We speak out in dismay at injustices inflicted on our brothers and sisters, who are related not necessarily by blood but by common experience. We root for others in the community, even when we haven’t met them. When black people congregate—at family reunions,…
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Preparing for Outbreaks Like Coronavirus Is Always Difficult. For Marginalized Communities, It’s Crucial
In the last few days, there have been a number of shifts in the current COVID-19 outbreak that have put the world on even greater alert and made the declaration of a pandemic almost inevitable. At the time I write this, there have been more than 80,000 cases confirmed across the globe (pdf). Brazil has…
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Livestream: Kobe and Gianna Bryant's Memorial at the Staples Center
A month after Kobe Bryant and his 13-year-old daughter Gianna died tragically in a helicopter crash, thousands of fans will get a chance to say goodbye at a memorial ceremony at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Monday. Hours before doors opened for the 1 p.m. ET memorial, fans started to gather outside the…
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Katherine G. Johnson, the Groundbreaking NASA Mathematician Featured in Hidden Figures, Has Died at 101
Katherine G. Johnson, the NASA mathematician who played a key role in helping America win the space race and whose story was featured in the 2016 film Hidden Figures, died Monday. She was 101 years old. From the moment she learned how to count, Johnson fell in love with numbers. “I counted everything. I counted…
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Dr. King Understood the Power of Unions
On what would have been his 91st birthday, we celebrate the towering legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.—his moral force as a faith leader, his devotion to nonviolent resistance and, of course, the sacrifices he made to end legalized segregation in the South. But there is an often-overlooked aspect of his work: Dr. King…
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The Root’s Young Futurists 2020: Nominate the Leaders Who Are Ready to Change the World
The 2020 election is shaping up to be one of the most consequential elections in American history, and frankly, many of us are stressed just thinking about choosing a new leader (and getting rid of the old one). But what if you had a chance to choose the leaders of tomorrow? We’re looking for the…
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Elijah Cummings Is Still Setting an Example We Need to Follow
“Donald, EEC passed away.” That was the text message I got from my friend and former colleague just before 6 a.m. on Oct. 17, 2019, alerting me that my former boss, Rep. Elijah E. Cummings, had succumbed to longstanding health challenges just 10 months into his tenure as chairman of the House Committee on Oversight…
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In 2020, We Must Demand a Black Education Agenda
As a black woman, mother and grandmother, the words I want to hear from presidential candidates on “public education” are this: How do we innovate for, build true academic progress around and save trapped black students from dysfunctional education systems? Full stop. Instead, what I’ve heard as candidates discuss education on the campaign trail—like what…
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How a Black Family Talks About Impeachment During Thanksgiving
Whoever said politics don’t belong at the dinner table has never been to a black Thanksgiving. With food, family and maybe a sip of something, very few topics are out of bounds at my Aunt Sara’s house. Like my mom, Aunt Sara is from Tuskegee, Ala. A child of the civil rights movement, her activism…
