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The Significance of 'I'm Speaking'
Now that we have your attention. We can talk about the fly, the facts (or lack thereof), the facial expressions, or the ineffectualness of yet another debate moderator, but what should never be forgotten in the midst of the many eyebrow-raising moments in Wednesday night’s vice-presidential debates is that no matter what you think of…
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Could Barbie Be the White Ally Capable of Helping Kids Better Understand Racism?
One of the more unfortunate but often obligatory aspects of raising Black children is “The Talk”—that painful yet often inevitable moment when Black parents and caregivers feel compelled to kill a little of their children’s innocence for the sake of their own protection. But how do well-meaning white parents prepare their children to recognize racism…
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One Lucky BIPOC Designer Will Design a Banana Republic Collection, Thanks to Harlem's Fashion Row
“Black is the new black” announced Harlem’s Fashion Row (HFR) founder Brandice Daniel as the theme for this year’s annual runway event—gone virtual for 2020 on September 9. With major sponsors like Nike (among others), an ongoing partnership (and $1 million grant) from the Council of Fashion Designers of America, and an upcoming collaboration set…
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Destiny's Child: Kelly Rowland Announces Her Second Pregnancy on the Cover of Women's Health
“SURPRISE!!,” Kelly Rowland posted on Instagram Wednesday morning, captioning one of her two November covers for Women’s Health—the magazine’s first-ever Music Issue—in which Rowland also proudly displays a baby bump. The now 39-year-old Rowland is already mother to son Titan, who turns six in November. As she tells the magazine, her pandemic pregnancy was at…
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She Is Legend: Style Icon June Ambrose Launches a Collaboration With Puma
There is no conversation about the intersection of hip hop, R&B and streetwear that doesn’t include legendary “style architect” June Ambrose. While the image-maker, who has counted Jay-Z, Mariah Carey and countless other celebs among her clientele, is equally well-versed in haute couture, her now decades-long mark upon street styles is indelible and always incredibly…
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Yashica Olden Will Be Condé Nast's First-Ever Global Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer, Says 'It’s Everybody’s Job'
With a 111-year history and over two dozen print and digital imprints worldwide, it’s somewhat shocking that Conde Nast hadn’t placed a global emphasis on diversity and inclusion before this year. But like so many media and luxury conglomerates—and amid its own fairly public reckonings at Bon Appetit and Vogue editor-in-chief and Condé Nast Global…
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Rihanna's Savage X Fenty Show Under Fire for Including Islamic Hadith in Soundtrack [Updated]
Rihanna’s Oct. 2 Savage X Fenty show won raves for its diversity and inclusion (including from us), but several Muslim viewers maintain one aspect shouldn’t have been included. A segment of the hourlong production was set to a musical track that reportedly included an Islamic Hadith—otherwise known as a “record of the traditions or sayings…
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Ananda Lewis Reveals She Has Stage 3 Breast Cancer, Urges Mammograms for Early Detection
If you are a person of a certain age, there’s a high likelihood that you once either emulated or had a full-blown obsession with one-time MTV veejay and host of BET’s Teen Summit, Ananda Lewis. Now 47, the former daytime talk show host has been laying low as of late, but on Thursday, she gave…
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'We Can't Be Afraid to Challenge Our Own People': The Root Presents: It's Lit! Gets Crunk With Brittney Cooper
“There is no Black Freedom Project if you don’t care about Black women.” If there’s one belief upon which “crunk feminist,” author, scholar and educator Brittney Cooper has based her life’s work, it’s this core tenet of Black feminism, as previously maintained by brilliant minds from the Combahee River Collective to 19th-century pioneers like Maria…
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Making Good on Its Promise to BIPOC Beauty Brands, Sephora Is Centering Them in Its 2021 Accelerate Program
Beauty emporium Sephora just took another step in fulfilling the promise it made this June when it agreed to dedicate at least 15 percent of its shelf space to Black-owned brands as part of Aurora James’ 15 Percent Pledge. In response, the retailer revamped its Accelerate incubation program for 2021, with an exclusive focus on…
