-
Juneteenth Is Finally Entering the Mainstream American Consciousness. Now Make It An Official Federal Holiday
Forget the 4th of July! Juneteenth is the day that should be celebrated by all as a pivotal point in America’s freedom story. One-hundred-and-fifty-five years ago this year, the last of the enslaved black population in Galveston, Texas received word that they were officially free. Despite the passing of the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, which…
-
COVID-19's Impact on the Black Community: Remembering Those Who Have Lost Their Lives [Updating]
The coronavirus has—and will continue to—affect people from all walks of life, at every age, background and socioeconomic status. As COVID-19 spreads across the country, we at The Root are committed to chronicling its impact on the black community. We will continue to write stories of noted individuals who’ve lost their lives to this deadly…
-
Booked, Busy and Black: The Root's Favorite Reads of 2019
With all the writing we do here at The Root, it’s a wonder we find time to read. But for many members of our staff, books remain our first love, so while we reflect on the highlights of 2019, we’re also reminded of some of the great reads we encountered this year. From memoirs to…
-
![Leaving Neverland Accused of Key Discrepancy, Michael Jackson Estate Issues Statement [Updated]](https://assets-server.theroot.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/29101451/ipsepzrbpam8fgdntci6-1024x575.png)
Leaving Neverland Accused of Key Discrepancy, Michael Jackson Estate Issues Statement [Updated]
The premiere for Leaving Neverland has come and gone, but the saga surrounding it continues. And for those of us who have seen the documentary, so has the impact of James Safechuck’s and Wade Robson’s graphic claims. In the film, there was one particular account shared by Safechuck regarding an alleged abusive encounter occurring at…
-
An Analysis of Sen. Cory Booker's Failed Black Handshake With CNN Host Don Lemon By The Root's 'Dap Analysis Pack'
There are only a few holy tenets that all black boys must know by a certain age. One is learning how to tie a durag properly so that you don’t have lines embedded in your waves. Another is learning how to properly care for your sneakers. Arguably the top of this list would be dap;…
-
2019 Young Futurists: For These 25 Game Changers, the Future Is Now
Whoever said youth is wasted on the young, clearly didn’t know the 25 brilliant, creative and passionate young people who make up this year’s Young Futurists list. Since 2011, The Root has celebrated 25 exceptional African Americans who’ve excelled in the fields of arts and culture; enterprise and corporate innovation; green innovation (the environment); science…
-
Bad and Boujee: Atlanta Takes the Title of America's Blackest City
The readers have spoken, and they’ve named Atlanta America’s blackest city! In our utterly unscientific but completely black-ass poll that capped our monthlong series in which we challenged writers to explain why their city deserved the title of blackest city in America, Atlanta collected slightly more than 21 percent of the votes (the second highest…
-
Where Is America's Blackest City?
How do you define the blackness of a city? For Black History Month, we challenged writers to explain why they think their city deserves the title of blackest city in America. And man, did they rep their cities hard. So now, we’re asking you, our readers, to vote for who made the strongest case. Here’s…
-
Beyoncé’s Ivy Park Has a New ‘Cheerleading-Inspired’ Collection—and The Root Crew Has Jokes
Before we begin, we need to state something for the record: We love Beyoncé. Most of us here at The Root grew up alongside her, “ambivalent” is literally the worst feeling anyone on our staff has toward her, and a few staff members are even superfans. Basically, Bey is like fam, which means we pretty…
-
2019 Young Futurists: Nominate the African-American Leaders Who Aren’t Waiting to Change the World
Do you know any young activists who are working to bring social justice to their communities? The bookish, nerdy kids who are using their skills to create what could be that next big thing in science and tech? That young, savvy entrepreneur who has gone beyond the lemonade stand to create his or her own…
