-
Look Back At It: Forget the 53 Percent—This Was the Decade of #BlackGirlMagic
Recently, my brethren here at The Root made a healthy argument for how white women have spent the decade between 2010 and 2019 “doing the most” (and the least)—and to a certain extent, they’re right. But as The Root’s editor of all things black woman-related, I’d like to pose a counterargument. Though the storied 53…
-
Love, Loss, and Living to Tell the Tale: Lindiwe Is a Celebration of Song Wrapped in a Familiar Story
Perhaps the best way to approach a play like Lindiwe, a Love Story is not to ask it to be a play at all—at least, not in the conventional sense. After all, the script was largely written to reunite legendary music group Ladysmith Black Mambazo with the equally famed Steppenwolf Theatre in Chicago; a relationship…
-
The Glow Up's Guide to Giving: This Holiday, Do the Right Thing for the Cinephiles in Your Life
It’s hard to believe it’s been 30 years since Spike Lee’s groundbreaking film, Do the Right Thing hit cinemas, but we recently got a reminder that the film many consider Lee’s magnum opus is older than many of our readers (making those of us who saw it in theater feel…well, let’s just say it still…
-
CLEO Speaks: Celebrating a New Network in Black Woman-Centered Media
Can a sister circle exist on a cable network? That’s the question posed by CLEO TV, Xfinity Black Film & TV’s entry into the growing arena of aspirational lifestyle and entertainment media content created specifically created for women of color—with a particular emphasis on millennial and Gen X black women. The network officially launched in…
-
The Glow Up’s Guide to Giving: Give Them Their Kicks
A funny thing happened this year at ComplexCon Chicago: I was turned into a late-blooming sneakerhead. Don’t get me wrong: I have plenty of sneakers, and I know what I like. And of course, I’m no stranger to the culture—though I may not have considered myself a “sneakerhead,” per se, The Glow Up has watched…
-
Luna Legend Meeting Misty Copeland Is the Feel-Good Moment We All Need This Monday
In a world full of uncertainty (and impeachment hearings, and climate change, and presidential campaigning, and voter suppression, and…) there is something we can always depend on, other than staying black, death and taxes: Monday will inevitably always be the most challenging day of the week. That’s why we welcomed the adorable reprieve provided by…
-
Doin' Big Thangs: The Root's Michael Harriot Inks a Two-Book Publishing Deal; Will Bring 'Wypipology' to the Masses
He has clapped back at our hate mail weekly; regularly educates us on the inextricable links between American history and racism; has called out Pete Buttigieg on the biases and policies that most affect black America (prompting a sit-down with the presidential hopeful himself); and just this past weekend, The Root’s Michael Harriot broke Black…
-
From Here to Eternity: Fashion Icon Bethann Hardison Proves Her Slay Is Timeless in Gucci's New Lookbook
When it comes to fashion influencers, there’s one who’s been at it since before Instagram was a twinkle in its creators’ eyes. Advocate, activist, agent, influencer and prodigal model Bethann Hardison began her approximately 50-year career in fashion as a merchandising student who failed to graduate from New York City’s Fashion Institute of Technology (h/t…
-
The Glow Up’s Guide to Giving: This Season, Help Them Spoil the Skin They’re In
If you, like me, aren’t blessed to live in a warm climate during the winter months, no doubt skincare rises on your list of concerns on a seasonal basis. As the temps drop, our melanin is more vulnerable than ever to ashiness—not to mention the inevitable chapped lips and windburned cheeks. While skincare may not…
-
Forbes Just Published Its List of the World’s 100 Most Powerful Women—With the Glaring Omission of Michelle Obama
“In 2019, women around the globe took action, claiming leadership positions in government, business, philanthropy and media,” writes Forbes in the introduction to its 2019 list of the World’s 100 Most Powerful Women, published Thursday. “These trailblazers are not to be messed with,” they add. Many of the names are familiar—for instance, German Chancellor Angela…
