-
Free of Prison, Shaka Senghor Looks Back on a Life of Violence, Trauma and Child Abuse
Detroit native Shaka Senghor is a rare voice in the fight against mass incarceration and extreme violence in many black communities. The onetime drug dealer, who was shot at age 17 and sentenced to 40 years in prison for second-degree murder at age 19 with one child and another on the way, has used every…
-
Sterling K. Brown on Playing Christopher Darden, the Man We Called ‘Uncle Tom’ for Trying to Take Down O.J.
In his role as Christopher Darden, Sterling K. Brown has been one of the unexpected delights of FX’s captivating hit The People v. O.J. Simpson. Previously, the St. Louis native and Stanford alum, who shaved his head to portray Marcia Clark’s partner in prosecution, was best-known as Roland Burton on Army Wives, Det. Cal Beecher on…
-
Courtney B. Vance Shows Out as Legal Legend Johnnie Cochran
For those who have been faithfully watching FX’s ratings juggernaut, The People v. O.J. Simpson, and keeping up with recaps on The Root, waiting for Johnnie Cochran has been an exercise in patience. Well, the wait is over. Courtney B. Vance took a few minutes out of his promotional schedule to chat with The Root about…
-
Stephan James on His Breakout Role as Jesse Owens in Race
Perhaps Toronto native Stephan James looks vaguely familiar because of his role as John Lewis in Selma. As the star of Race, the first feature film about Jesse Owens, James is sure to become a lot more recognizable. The Root caught up with James—whose young career also includes credits for The Book of Negroes; The Gabby Douglas…
-
A Magical Presence on the Stage and Screen: Condola Rashad
Condola Rashad is making a name for herself. The young actress, who turns 30 this year, has largely made her mark in theater. For her debut, she nabbed a starring role in Lynn Nottage’s 2009 Pulitzer Prize-winning play, Ruined, and earned a Drama Desk nomination. Subsequent roles in the Kenny Leon-directed Stick Fly and The…
-
Playwright Lynn Nottage Exposes Racial Dynamic of the Eroding Middle Class
For over 20 years now, master playwright Lynn Nottage has created work that has boldly inserted black women into the American theater conversation. Her numerous honors include a MacArthur “genius” grant and the Pulitzer Prize for Ruined, her play centered on Congolese women surviving their nation’s civil war that earned then-newbie Condola Rashad a Drama…
-
Concussion: Meet the Real Doctor Who Took on the NFL and Changed Football Forever
Baseball may still be billed as the national pastime, but football actually surpassed it in popularity a long time ago. So for anyone born and raised in the United States, challenging the NFL is just unthinkable. Dr. Bennet Omalu wasn’t born and raised in this country, however. Had he been, it’s doubtful that the forensic…
-
Watch: Lupita Nyong’o Is a Lifelong Star Wars Fan
So far, there hasn’t been a challenge that Lupita Nyong’o hasn’t mastered. Whether it’s nailing her breakout role as Patsey in the unflinching 12 Years a Slave to Oscar perfection or owning the Broadway stage in Eclipsed, penned by fellow African actress Danai Gurira, her everywomanness has yet to fail. In Star Wars: The Force…
-
Spike Lee Answers the Questions and the Critics of Chi-raq
Even before the trailer for Spike Lee’s latest film, Chi-raq, was unveiled, there was controversy. From the very beginning, there were people who objected to the film’s title as well as to a New Yorker telling such a sensitive Chicago story. No one even seemed to be sure what the film was about. Now all…
-
The Wiz Live! Brings Iconic Musical to a New Generation
As far as iconic black-cast plays and musicals go, few are as universally loved as The Wiz. The initial soulful production of the American classic on Broadway in 1975 won seven Tonys and made Stephanie Mills a star. Her rendition of “Home” is still a classic. In 1978 the film version from Motown and Universal…
