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A Forgotten First: Before There Was Kamala, There Was Charlotta Bass
We, as a people, love “firsts”—even when we recognize that they are long overdue. This week, many have been celebrating the announcement of Senator Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) as Joe Biden’s running mate as a historic first: the first Black—and Asian—woman to be nominated for vice president of the United States. But as the Washington Post…
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From 'WAP' to 'DAP' and Beyond: Michelle Obama's Latest Podcast Talks Women's Health, Aging and Menopause
It’s not an understatement to say we’re currently living in the age of “WAP,” an unadulterated (and very adult) celebration of the sexual agency and well-lubricated pleasure of women. To be clear, though these are issues pertinent to all women, the discussion—and attendant debate—have primarily defaulted to young, cis women, as the creators of this…
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In the Aftermath of Black Women's Equal Pay Day, Let's Consider How Our Votes Impact Our Paychecks
Black women are well known as the backbone of our democracy—and, as of this week, a Black (and Asian) woman could well be on her way to making history as our country’s next vice president. As one of the most active voting blocs in America (h/t Center for American Progress), Black women are already well…
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The State of Black Women in Corporate America: Why Achievement Can't Close the Gender Wage Gap
As long as pay disparities for Black women continue, inevitably so will the respectability politics that insist that we are somehow culpable for those inequities—you know, the “pull yourself up by your bootstraps” mentality that is the hallmark of so many of America’s suppressive policies and longheld beliefs about mobility. However, as all too many…
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!['There Is Literally No Way to Catch Up': Black Women Speak Candidly on the Cost of Racism, Sexism and Pay Inequity at Pinterest [Updated]](https://www.theroot.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/mqzyvtvrqcjtsegutfmp-1024x527.jpg)
'There Is Literally No Way to Catch Up': Black Women Speak Candidly on the Cost of Racism, Sexism and Pay Inequity at Pinterest [Updated]
I used to joke that “Pinterest saved my life.” Not literally, of course, but during an especially dark period in 2011, the platform best associated with “Mormon women and Midwestern moms” (as recently noted by the Washington Post) became an unexpected lifeline out of depression and back into my creative self. Ensconced in the emotional…
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This Black Women's Equal Pay Day, Addressing the Gender Gap Is Essential Work
It’s once again Black Women’s Equal Pay Day—the day that marks approximately how much longer a Black woman must work to earn as much as her white, non-Hispanic male counterparts earned the previous year. Reaching “parity” by August 13 means that as of 2020, Black women still earn 62 cents on the dollar (compared to…
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Jodie Turner-Smith Reflects on 'the Sacred Process of Creating a Family' Amid 'Systemic Racism' in New Essay
The prospect of giving birth as a Black woman is currently as daunting as it is joyful. Black maternal health has become a major topic of discussion in recent years—one we’ve covered extensively here at The Glow Up—as mortality rates for Black mothers have risen to three to four times those of their white counterparts;…
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Since We Know You Were Wondering, No, the Sussexes Aren't Still Holed Up at Tyler Perry's House
We know you’ve been losing sleep over this for months now, but the chances of Tyler Perry announcing Meghan Markle as the lead in his next film just decreased exponentially. The actress-turned-duchess and her immediate family have apparently moved on from Perry’s Beverly Hills mansion, where they’ve been staying since relocating to California post-Megxit. If…
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Three Men Connected With R. Kelly Charged With 'Threatening and Intimidating' Female Accusers
Justice may have moved frustratingly slow in holding R. Kelly accountable for countless allegations of sexual abuse and exploitation, but life is coming at several of his alleged enablers fast. On Wednesday, the Associated Press reported that federal prosecutors have announced charges against three men accused of “threatening and intimidating” women who have come forward…
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'They Were My Balm': Tina Knowles Says Beyoncé and Solange Got Her Through the Difficulty of Divorce
When Mathew and Tina Knowles divorced in 2011, it was more than just a high-profile breakup. It was the dissolution of a family dynasty; one which birthed not only two beautiful and talented daughters but one of the most successful girl groups of all time, Destiny’s Child (which released their last album in 2006), of…
