On Saturday, Darrell Wallace Jr. raced his way into cyber-encyclopedias and history books. The 20-year-old is the second black driver to win on NASCAR’s national level and the first in a half-century. He won the truck series race at Martinsville Speedway in Virginia, the Associated Press reports. Driving for Kyle Busch Motorsports, Wallace defeated Jeb…

Chris Brown was reportedly arrested early Sunday in Washington, D.C., and charged with felony assault after a brawl outside of a hotel.  Details are still being sorted out about exactly what happened at about 4:30 a.m. outside the W Hotel at 15th and K, but law enforcement sources told TMZ that Brown began punching an…

Following an uproar, dancer Julianne Hough took to Twitter Saturday to apologize for donning blackface as part of an Orange Is the New Black Halloween costume.  Good for Hough for apologizing. That was not a good look or a good choice for a costume, no matter the intention. Like The Root on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter.  

Hip-hop mogul Jay Z spoke out Saturday, following several days of criticism and questions over whether he would continue his collaboration with Barneys New York after the store was accused of racially profiling two black customers. He made the following statement in a post at his website: This collaboration lives in a place of giving…

On the heels of reports that a Baltimore woman lost her job because of her blonde highlights comes another story about a 24-year-old woman who has been ordered to cut her dreadlocks or be fired. Ashley Davis, of St. Peters, Mo., told Fox 2 St. Louis that a change in policy at the finance company…

Famed music producer Quincy Jones has filed a lawsuit against Michael Jackson’s estate, saying he is owed millions in royalties and production fees on some of the star’s biggest hits, including “Billie Jean,” “Thriller” and “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough.” In the lawsuit filed Friday, Jones seeks at least $10 million from Jackson’s estate…

The floodgates have opened. In the aftermath of high-profile racial discrimination claims against Barneys, the upscale retailer, more incidents are coming to light. Now, actor Robert Brown, star of HBO’s Treme, says he was profiled in June at Macy’s after buying his mother a $1,350 watch. He has now filed a civil suit against the…

Kerry Washington’s role as Olivia Pope on Scandal and Nicole Beharie’s as Abbie Mills on Sleepy Hollow have effectively helped dismantle the age-old television stereotype of the strong, stoic black woman as they portray characters who are allowed to be emotional. “Olivia Pope and Abbie Mills push against the idea of the Strong Black Woman…

A North Carolina county precinct GOP chair resigned under pressure for, well, saying what was really on his mind during a racist interview on Comedy Central’s The Daily Show. Nathan West, a spokesman for the Buncombe County Republican Party, confirmed Don Yelton’s resignation and acknowledged that it was indeed in direct response to the interview,…

(The Root) — Fortune magazine has released its annual 50 Most Powerful Women in Business list, and the good news is that three dynamic African Americans are included in the roundup. Ursula Burns, CEO and president of Xerox; Rosalind Brewer, CEO and president of Sam’s Club; and Shonda Rhimes, creator of hit shows Scandal and…