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Charlottesville, Va.’s ‘Unite the Right’ Organizer Indicted for Allegedly Lying His Ass Off
The man who organized Nazi-palooza and brought together one of the biggest crowds of racists outside of Donald Trump rallies and Boston sports events was charged with committing perjury on Tuesday. According to the Washington Post, on Tuesday an Albermarle County, Va., grand jury indicted 34-year-old Jason Kessler, the main organizer for Charlottesville, Va.’s Unite…
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#NotRacists Be Like: The Top 10 Phrases Used by People Who Claim They Are Not Racist
This is not about racists. This is about not-racists. You’ve seen them before: the special class of white people who say racist shit and do racist things but declare themselves the “least racist person you know.” Their racism isn’t always intentional. Sometimes it is a byproduct of privilege, sometimes it is a deflection, and sometimes…
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Las Vegas Is Only the Deadliest Shooting in US History Because Black Lives Aren’t Counted
News reporters and anchors have repeatedly referred to the recent tragedy in Las Vegas as the “worst mass shooting in U.S. history.” Like all things that are constantly repeated, the proclamation has become fact. In 2013 a report by the Congressional Research Service defined a public mass shooting (pdf) this way: incidents occurring in relatively…
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Why We Never Talk About Black-on-Black Crime: An Answer to White America’s Most Pressing Question
You’ve heard it before. It is the most frequent response to any accusation of police brutality. It is the repeated sleight of hand used to distract and drown out the voices of Black Lives Matter. It is an oft-used “alt-right” refrain and a sincere query from curious white questioners. It is the weapon of choice…
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Shannon Sharpe Pulled Out a Black & Mild on National TV and We Have Questions
There are few unapologetic moments when people of African descent shed the cloak of respectability and traverse into the territory of impromptu blackness. It is when a grandmother eschews political correctness and pleas to “hold your applause” in order to dance a full Holy Ghost shout at her grandson’s graduation. It is black America gathered…
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We Were 8 Years in Power Moves Ta-Nehisi Coates to Top of Black America’s Draft Board
On Jan. 21, 2004, Comedy Central’s groundbreaking Chappelle’s Show debuted the iconic “Racial Draft” sketch. In it, comedian Dave Chappelle imagined a draft in which each race selected and traded individuals to represent the race. The Asians drafted the Wu-Tang Clan, and Jews picked Lenny Kravitz. The concept quickly became an inside joke that still…
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Please Stop Defending Colin Kaepernick. You’re Doing It Wrong
Now that former San Francisco 49er Colin Kaepernick’s protest has been gentrified by arm locking, kneeling before the anthem and praying (OK, that last one was just one guy, but still … ), everyone has been trying to explain the logic behind “taking a knee.” They say it brings awareness to injustice and inequality. Some…
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An Open Letter From Black America to White People’s Pets
This message is not intended solely for white pet owners. There are a few black pet owners who do this, too. Don’t act like you don’t know who you are. We see you, too. Hey, Chauncey! I’m sorry about the frown, but it’s just weird for me when white people name their pets human names…
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The Root’s Clapback Mailbag: Now With 50 Percent More Clapback … and Racism
Some debate has emerged about The Root’s Clapback Mailbag that should be settled by the readers. Since this is for you, (partially) by you, we need you to decide on a jingle for our Friday mailbag. Two people on The Root (amazingly, independent of each other) revealed that they read it humming the name to…
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Crazy White-People News: A Roundup
Before we begin, we want to make it clear that the enclosed references to “white people” do not literally mean all white people. While I’m sure you are aware that humor is built on the generalization of truths, and intelligent people know that nothing in the universe is 100 percent, there is a distinct subset…
