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The Friend of My Enemy Is … Van Jones?
I like Van Jones. I like Van Jones in the same way I like Cardi B, Barack Obama and grits, which is to say I like the idea of Van Jones. I’ve agreed with a lot of his commentary on CNN, and I support his efforts on criminal justice reform, most recently as CEO of…
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Crazy Wisconsin Candidate Claims Racist Text Messages Were Sent By Imaginary Friend
A Wisconsin political candidate who has been involved with numerous restraining orders and accusations of harassment now claims that racist and annoying text messages attributed to her were actually sent by an imaginary pal who she apparently inadvertently added to her Invisible Friends and Fucked-Up Family cell phone plan. Christina Seaman is running for alderman—essentially…
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The Root’s Clapback Mailbag: The Racism Vaccine
Today’s mailbag only contains two pieces of mail. I just wanted to point that out up front before someone asks for their money back. It’s not because we’re running low on hate mail. It’s because we are running low on new kinds of hate mail. In the two years that we have been responding to…
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The Definitive List of Get-Out-of-Racism Free Cards
Last night, during a run, I looked up and enjoyed the view. The stars sparkled against the backdrop of the cloudless indigo night sky, allowing me to easily identify the Big Dipper and Orion’s Belt. According to white people, I am now an astronomer. Although I have resisted applying for Neil Degrasse-Tyson’s job, people who…
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Colorado High School Backtracks After Allowing Students to Opt Out of Black History Month
Administrators at George Washington High School in Denver decided to reverse its policy on optional assembly attendance after parents expressed their disapproval of a letter allowing students to opt of the school’s Black History Month Program. The Denver Post reports: On Tuesday, George Washington parents were sent an emailed newsletter that referenced the school’s “African-American…
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Florida Cops Charged After Slapping Handcuffed Teen, Trying to Destroy Video of the Incident
Officials in Florida charged two Miami-Dade officers after they discovered an alleged assault and cover-up involving the tag team rogue cops. Even though the incident happened nearly a year ago, and no one knows how many other people these cops may have assaulted or how much evidence they may have destroyed, people must understand that…
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Why Everyone’s Talking About Reparations, Explained
Hello again, Racist Baby! What are you doing here? Wait … Who told you Jesus is coming back? And why would he only come back for black people? No, Racist Baby. Those people aren’t talking about Revelation, the last book of the New Testament, they’re talking about black reparations. Reparations is “the making of amends…
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Lawmaker Stricken By Rare, Selective Amnesia That Makes Her Forget Saying the N-Word in Front of Black Colleagues
It happens to us all. Even the smartest people have momentary lapses of memory when they misplace the car keys; can’t recall if they unplugged the iron or forget when they called a majority black county the n-word in public. Well, that’s what happened to Maryland Democrat Mary Ann Lisanti, who, according to the Washington…
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Lisa Bonet’s ‘C’mon, White People’ Eyeroll, Explained
You can literally feel the anxiety enveloping Bonet like a racism boa constrictor.
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What It Means When White People Call You Racist
The angriest I’ve ever been was when my cousin failed to show up after promising to give me a haircut on the day of my senior prom. Coming in at a close second is the day I gave Gray Segal (not his real name, but close) a black eye. Gray and I had gym together…
