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Federal Court Rules Cops Can't Arrest You for Secretly Filming Them
Contrary to popular belief, in many states, recording the police is a crime. Laws in 38 states plainly allow citizens to openly film the police in public. However, there are 12 states–California, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, and Washington–where wiretap laws prohibit citizens from secretly recording police. These states…
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Confronted by Black Lives Matter Activist, Tennessee Governor Says He’s Considering Clemency for Cyntoia Brown
Questioned by a Black Lives Matter activist during a recent speaking engagement, Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam announced that his office is considering offering clemency to Cyntoia Brown, a sex trafficking victim currently serving a life sentence for first-degree murder. Tennessee’s outgoing governor gave a speech on Monday at the Nashville Public Library on the importance…
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Kevin Hart’s Comedy Is a Stupid Hill to Die On
“I’m an artist and I’m sensitive about my shit.” – Erykah Badu text “If you can’t take the heat, eat bologna.” – My mama text A brief list of names I’ve been called: Coon The real racist “Secret KKK collaborator” Anti-white “The Sellout writer for The Root” I believe those things as much as I…
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Teacher Apologizes After Banning Afros, Other ‘Outlandish Hairstyles’ From Student Concert
District officials at an Ohio middle school have clarified their dress policy after a teacher’s letter banning Afros, barber’s designs and other “outlandish” hairstyles from an upcoming student performance sparked outrage. Parents at Pleasant Run Middle School outside of Cincinnati received a memo from vocal music teacher Steven Reeves, who is black. The letter outlined…
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A Couple Photographed Themselves Having Sex at the Great Pyramid and I Have Questions
A couple who took selfies while engaged in what appears to be a sexual act atop one of the Eight Wonders of the World (my aunt Phyllis’ fried chicken was recently approved by the World Wonder sanctioning body) has sparked international outrage and prompted a necessary question: Why, though? According to the Guardian, Danish photographer…
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Why They Kneel: Why Don’t Police Kill More White People?
To examine the injustice and inequality that prompted some NFL players to protest during the national anthem, each week, for the remainder of the NFL season, The Root will explore the data behind racial disparities in the two cities represented in the National Football League’s premiere matchup—Monday Night Football. Tonight, the Minnesota Vikings travel to…
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'Slave Bible' Converted Slaves to Christianity by Omitting Parts That Could Lead to Uprising
A new exhibit at a Washington, D.C., museum featuring an abridged version of the Bible sheds light on how Christian missionaries converted enslaved Africans to Christianity by teaching them the Gospel… except the parts about freedom, equality and resistance. According to NPR, Parts of the Holy Bible, Selected For the Use of the Negro Slaves,…
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I Told Y’all: Donald Trump Can’t Read
The opinions expressed in this article are the sole opinions of Michael Harriot. This is in no way meant to demean the puss-filled presidential wart fucking up America’s face. Anyone thinking of attributing these thoughts to someone else should note that this is typed in italics which, I’m pretty sure, makes it legally binding. In…
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If This Is Not Murder, Then What Is? Cop Who Killed Unarmed Dennis Jeffrey Will Not Face Charges
Richard Nicoletti is not a murderer. Let’s be clear about that. Pennsylvania law describes first-degree murder as an “intentional killing” and second-degree murder as a criminal homicide “committed while [the] defendant was engaged as a principal or an accomplice in the perpetration of a felony.” So when Officer Nicoletti, a 29-year-veteran of Philadelphia’s police force,…
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The Root’s Clapback Mailbag: What the FAWQ?
Don’t you hate when you go see one of your favorite artists in concert, but instead of the hits, they play songs from their new project? Well, you don’t have to worry about that with today’s mailbag. Today, we are just playing the classics. This week’s selection of emails, tweets and direct messages answer two…
