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'The Truth Often Gives Fiction a Run for Its Money': The Root Presents: It’s Lit Talks Justice and Romance Novels With Stacey Abrams
Spring is in full swing and a mask-free life is on the horizon—are you feeling that new energy yet? Here at The Root Presents: It’s Lit!, we’re feeling kinda new ourselves, with a new logo that reflects this writer’s new solo status as host of The Root’s literary podcast (we’ll miss you, Danielle!). If you…
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Prince Harry Says Cycle of 'Genetic Pain and Suffering' in the Royal Family Compelled Him to Leave, Not Meghan
OK, we can all retire the term “Megxit” now—yes, us here at The Root, too—even in jest. Meghan Markle’s difficult induction into the royal family and brutal treatment by the British press has long been presumed to be the impetus behind the Sussexes’ exodus from the England to California, and understandably so. But as Prince…
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Gayle King Announces ViacomCBS' $1M HBCU Scholarship, a 'Commitment to Elevating Black Excellence in Journalism'
If you prefer Black voices delivering your news (which you clearly do), there may soon be many more qualified voices entering and rising in the ranks of modern media. On Thursday, during the virtual celebration for the prestigious University of Southern California Annenberg School of Communication and Journalism’s Class of 2021, co-host of CBS This…
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If You're Still Holding Out for the Tubman $20, You Can Soon Make Change With Some Angelous
She’s been immortalized on a stamp (albeit amid some controversy), as a Barbie, as the subject of a Broadway-bound script, and even a Google Doodle. And of course, writer-activist Maya Angelou lives eternally in our literary imagination. Now, the renaissance woman will be one of the first American women to appear on a series of…
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Kerby Jean-Raymond Will Be the First Black American Designer to Present During Paris Haute Couture
It has been nearly 48 years since designer Stephen Burrows brought Black American influence to France in the famed Battle of Versailles in November 1973—and eight years since Kerby Jean-Raymond launched his highly acclaimed label, Pyer Moss. This July, the CFDA Award-winning founder and creative director will make his own transatlantic mark on the fashion…
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She's an Original: Yara Shahidi's Heritage Inspired Her First Adidas Originals Collection
“Y’all knew this was coming,” Yara Shahidi captioned a post on Instagram last week, as she grinned from ear-to-ear, wearing a saffron yellow Adidas track set trimmed in dark green with the label’s signature trio of stripes in white. And we likely should’ve; Shahidi’s been a devotee of the sportswear brand for years (as has…
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With a Focus on Gender Equality and Inclusion, the Sussexes Partner With Procter & Gamble to Create 'More Compassionate Communities'
At this point, is there a major partnership the Duke and Duchess of Sussex haven’t inked since relocating to America? In the past year, we’ve counted Netflix, Spotify, Apple TV+ and Oprah, a major speakers’ bureau and more among their lucrative deals…not to mention Harry’s new job with mental health startup BetterUp and countless philanthropic…
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Homecoming Queen: Phylicia Rashad Is the New Dean of Howard University's College of Fine Arts
“You learn something once, and it’s yours for life…you’ve got big dreams, you want fame. Well, fame costs, and right here is where you start paying—in sweat.” OK, so it was Phylicia Rashad’s younger sister Debbie Allen who famously said those lines to a (fictional) classroom of young aspiring talents—but it will be Ms. Rashad…
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For the Love of You: After a Year in Lockdown, These Black-Owned Brands Have the Gift of Self-Care on Lock
After over a year of isolation, largely indoor living and ever-blurring boundaries between home and work (what is this “work-life balance” you speak of?), you’re likely in need of a little care right now. And while things may be looking brighter, warmer, and hopefully a little bit healthier, you may not know where to begin…
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Florida School District Drops Tamir Rice-Inspired Novel After Police Union Labels It 'Propaganda'
How dare we tell children anything close to the truth about race in America? That’s the takeaway after a Florida school district—the second-largest in the state—suspended Dr. Jewell Parker Rhodes’ award-winning young adult novel Ghost Boys from a fifth-grade curriculum after a local police union complained it was anti-police “propaganda.” A partial synopsis of the…
