• 5 Useless Fees That are Wasting Your Money

    Did you ever have to pay your bank a monthly maintenance fee because you let your checking account balance slip below a certain amount? The fee, which can run anywhere from $12-$15, might not seem so bad if it allows you to access all your money when you need it. What about that early termination…

    By










  • Los Angeles Raises Its Minimum Wage to $15 Per Hour 

    The Los Angeles City Council voted Tuesday to raise the city’s minimum wage from $9 per hour to $15 per hour by 2020, the New York Times reports. According to the Times, the vote is a huge symbolic win for labor groups and unions that have been pushing for minimum wage increases in cities and…

    By










  • St. Louis Officer Who Fatally Shot VonDerrit Myers Acted in Self-Defense and Won’t Be Charged

    The St. Louis prosecutor’s office has closed the chapter on the fatal shooting of 18-year-old VonDerrit Myers and announced Monday that Police Officer Jason Flanery will not be charged for killing Myers, USA Today reports. Myers, an African American, was shot to death by Flanery, a white police officer, in October. The incident sparked outrage…

    By










  • My Baby Daddy Refuses to See His Child Unless We Sleep Together

    Dear Demetria:  I am currently single and dealing with the father of my daughter. We were never in a formal relationship, but he refuses to see our daughter unless there is sex involved. He also has other children, with multiple women, whom he sees and acknowledges. I don’t want anything to do with him, but…

    By










  • Calling All Men in Atlanta to Attend The Root’s manCODE Event

    We’re calling on the men of the Atlanta metropolitan area to join The Root for an empowering evening of brotherhood, dialogue and learning. After a successful event in New York City, The Root’s annual manCODE series moves south to Atlanta with a dynamic men-only conversation on June 17. For those who are unfamiliar with manCODE,…

    By










  • What Every 30-Year-Old Should Know About Money

    Harriette Cole is the author of the book of meditations 108 Stitches: Words We Live By and a contributing editor at The Root. Follow her on Twitter. 

    By










  • Is Being Mentally Ill in America a Crime?

    In March, Dallas police were called to the house of a black family where a man, a member of the family, had a screwdriver. Police were told that the man was mentally ill, yet the police did not act in accordance with the established protocol of talking and calming. Instead they shot him dead. While…

    By










  • Study: Suicide Rate Among Young Black Boys Increases

    The suicide rate among elementary school children has been stable over the past 20 years, but according to a new study, a closer look reveals that there has been a significant increase in the number of young black boys committing suicide, Raw Story reports. That uptick has been masked by the proportionate decrease in the…

    By










  • NYC Twin Sentenced to 1-4 Years for Robbing 85-Year-Old ‘Sugar Daddy’

    A judge has issued one sentence in the case of a pair of New York City twins who were charged after they reportedly tied up and stole cash from a 85-year-old “sugar daddy” they met through a dating website that matches older, wealthier men with younger women. According to the New York Daily News, 17-year-old…

    By










  • Ala. Man Receives Death Threats for Removing Confederate Flags From Grave Sites

    Myron Penn, a prominent attorney in Union Springs, Ala., removed small Confederate flags that were placed at the grave sites of Confederate soldiers in a local cemetery, WSFA reports. As a result, he has drawn the ire of some locals. Penn explained why he felt compelled to remove the flags. “The reason why we picked…

    By