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Protesters Challenge NFL’s National Anthem Rule in Front of the Master’s House
Tamika Mallory didn’t leave any wiggle room for misinterpretation when she took the mic after Minister Kirsten John Foy asked the crowd gathered in front of the NFL’s New York City headquarters to be respectful and not to use any foul language. Foy, Northwest regional director for the National Action Network, said that he and…
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Why I Don’t Regret Taking Medication to Cope With My Depression
Editor’s note: Until recently, mental health and illness were taboo subjects in the black community. But thanks to the efforts of those brave enough to speak on it, that’s changing. In that vein, The Root team is taking this week during Mental Health Awareness Month to write about how mental health has touched our lives.…
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This Cynthia Nixon Marijuana-Reparations Drama Is Dumb
There are a lot of issues on which you can challenge Cynthia Nixon, but chiding her for saying that weed legalization should be considered a form of reparations for black folks shouldn’t even register. Not only that, but she clarified her words last week. Yet a group of black pastors felt the need to call…
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Tarana Burke: Black Community Needs to Have Uncomfortable Conversations About Sexual Violence
I caught up with Tarana Burke at the New York City Alliance Against Sexual Assault annual awards on Monday in New York City, where she picked up yet another award for her years of activism, most notably #MeToo. Over the past year alone, Hollywood and media luminaries like Harvey Weinstein, Bill Cosby, Matt Lauer and…
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Bernie Sanders Is Trying to Get Race Right
One of the biggest criticisms against Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) in 2016 was that he didn’t talk enough about race and racism. While he was ever cognizant and well-read on the intricacies of economic inequality, Sanders’ racial analysis, in comparison, was severely lacking for the most part. But on Friday at an invitation-only roundtable focused…
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Exclusive: Cynthia Nixon Campaign Hires L. Joy Williams as a Senior Adviser for Gubernatorial Race
L. Joy Williams will join Cynthia Nixon’s New York gubernatorial campaign as a senior adviser, making decisions on everything from voter outreach, policy, fundraising and communications. “We are thrilled to welcome L. Joy Williams as a senior adviser to the campaign. She has a long history of advocacy on issues of social justice and economic…
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Bernie Sanders Spoke to a Crowd of Black Folks and He Didn’t Screw It Up This Time
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) not only rocked the house here at the National Action Network Convention on Friday morning but also may have been the crowd favorite among politicians who’d stopped by over the past three days. Audience members shouted, “Ber-nie! Ber-nie!” as the Rev. Al Sharpton escorted him to the podium. The atmosphere had…
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Chirlane McCray Is Making Mental Health an Open Discussion, and We’re the Better for It
New York City’s first lady, Chirlane McCray, told the audience here at the National Action Network Convention on Wednesday that “we all deal with mental illness, but we don’t talk about it.” People nodded their heads, saying, “That’s right”and “Mmm-hmm,” as she talked about shattering the stigma of discussing mental health publicly. The session was…
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Eric Holder Talks Like He’s Running for President
Eric Holder didn’t announce his candidacy for president in 2020 this morning, and he didn’t need to. His words at the National Action Network Convention in New York City pretty much suggest that he likely will. The former U.S. attorney general had the audience captivated on Wednesday before he stepped to the podium to say…
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John Lewis Is a Living Legend, and We’d Better Cherish Him While We Can
Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.) is a living legend of the civil rights movement and we get to take selfies with him. We can touch him. Wrap our arms around his shoulders. Most importantly, we get to listen to his speeches and live-tweet them. And after he is finished, we can say that, just for a…
