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Mississippi Appoints 1st Black Clerk of Highest Court
Mississippi Supreme Court Clerk Kathy Gillis has tapped Muriel B. Ellis to succeed her once she retires June 30, thus making Ellis the first African-American clerk of the Mississippi Supreme Court and Court of Appeals. “It will be an honor to serve as the clerk of the Supreme Court,” said the 53-year-old Ellis, Fox News…
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Paying Tribute to 3 Jazz Legends
On the occasion of the announcement of the 2015 class of NEA Jazz Masters—the nation’s highest honor for jazz artists—let’s take note of three recently departed NEA jazz masters: trumpeter Joe Wilder, singer Jimmy Scott and pianist-composer Horace Silver. Each of these soft-spoken, graceful men was a musical stylist of originality. Wilder carved a path…
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The Cost of Weddings Shouldn’t Be Why People Opt Out of Marriage
Anyone who follows my work knows I have written about the impact of out-of-wedlock births in the black community, but a new study, which you can read here (pdf), takes a wider look at the impact across racial lines. The analysis raises some interesting points worthy of consideration, namely the role society plays in deterring some…
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Members of Congress Join Hands to Sing ‘We Shall Overcome’
A rare moment took place on Capitol Hill Tuesday. Congressional leaders posthumously awarded the Congressional Gold Medal, Congress’ highest honor, to Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King. Afterward, the congress members joined hands and sang a harmonious rendition of “We Shall Overcome” to honor the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Civil…
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Voting Rights Are in Peril, and Democracy Hangs in the Balance
The 2014 fall midterm elections are gearing up to be among the most significant in decades, since they have the power to determine the balance of U.S. political power. Yet new laws and election changes across the country—from photo-ID requirements and early-voting cutbacks to the removal of polling places and changes in election procedures—may block…
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NAACP LDF’s President Argues for VRAA Passage 1 Year After Shelby v. Holder
Editor’s note: On the one-year anniversary of the Supreme Court’s decision in Shelby County, Ala. v. Holder, which gutted key provisions of the Voting Rights Act, Sherrilyn A. Ifill will testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee and urge Congress to pass the Voting Rights Amendment Act, S. 1945. Below is a portion of Ifill’s testimony to the committee.…
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The Impact of Freedom Summer by the Numbers
Those familiar with Freedom Summer know that it was pivotal in putting pressure on the segregated Deep South and setting the tone for legislative change. But exactly how transformative was the summer of 1964? From the number of arrests to the number of African Americans who registered, The Root breaks down the statistics of Freedom…
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It’s Not Crazy for African-American World Cup Fans to Root for Ghana
In Team USA’s World Cup game against Ghana, I found myself cheering for Ghana. On Twitter I was accused of being unpatriotic, including by some people I respect. It’s hard to explain, but what can I say? I wanted the African team—or maybe the brown(est) team—to win (I’m black). Am I wrong? —World Cup Worries…
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Men, Don’t Let Your Feelings Be Hurt by #PrisonBae
Fact: Jeremy Meeks is fine. OK, technically that’s an opinion, but it seems the vast majority of people—including a couple of modeling agencies—share it, so let’s just say it’s close to fact. Meeks—the convicted felon with chiseled features, eyes the color of a Caribbean ocean and a café au lait complexion who has drawn the…
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Guerrilla Artist and Professor Installs Hidden Monument to Trayvon Martin
One associate professor at the Massachusetts College of Art and Design wants to make sure Trayvon Martin, the unarmed African-American 17-year-old gunned down in Florida by George Zimmerman in 2012, will be remembered in perpetuity in Boston’s Jamaica Plain neighborhood. Matthew Hincman for years had been eyeing a lamppost as a potential art space before…
Black News and Black Views with a Whole Lotta Attitude
