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'When You Love Someone, You Hold Them Accountable': Sil Lai Abrams Speaks Her Piece on The Breakfast Club
Exactly one week after their interview with Russell Simmons, The Breakfast Club confirmed that Sil Lai Abrams, one of his accusers and participants in HBO’s doc On The Record, would be appearing on the show. On Wednesday, the writer, essayist, cultural commentator and activist sat down with co-host Angela Yee to discuss the documentary, her…
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Exclusive: Issa Rae's Raedio, HBO and Tenderfoot TV to Donate $30K to the Black and Missing Foundation
As we reminisce on the rollercoaster ride that was season 4 of Insecure, we also appreciate the series’ continued tradition of providing a well-produced show-within-a-show. This season was the witty true crime series, Looking For LaToya (in which SZA portrays the titular character). In a satirical look at today’s society, the internal show offered cultural…
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'Performance Doesn’t Fix Systems and Structures': Ava DuVernay and More Get Honest About Hollywood
Being black in entertainment means knowing what it’s like to be the only black person in the room, taking on the responsibility of being a role model to aspiring black creators, pushing the envelope on substantial representation, and much, much more. Today, as we watch a sort of “reckoning” happening in the industry, we must…
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The Insecure Season 4 Finale Was a Lot, but This Issa Rae-Luther Vandross Mashup Will Never Be Too Much
As we all simmered down from the big cliffhanger that dangled at the end of Insecure’s Season 4 finale, fans reflected on the fact that the television show had served as a necessary escape from the hellscape we’re currently living in (while also serving as a poignant reminder of the pre-pandemic days). Our Sundays are…
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Oscars 2021 Ceremony Pushed to April—How Will the Move Affect Black Filmmakers and Actors?
The world is shifting as we attempt to adjust to a post-COVID era—and Hollywood certainly isn’t exempt. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) and the ABC Television Network announced on Monday that the 93rd Academy Awards will be pushed to Sunday, April 25, 2021. The ceremony was originally scheduled to occur on…
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Emancipation: Will Smith to Star in Film Based on Historic Photo of Enslaved Man 'Whipped Peter' Gordon
Will Smith has a new upcoming project and it appears to be a brutally honest look into America’s history. According to Deadline, Smith will be starring in Emancipation, an action-thriller chronicling the escape of enslaved man Peter Gordon, who is “forced to outwit cold-blooded hunters and the unforgiving swamps of Louisiana on a tortuous journey…
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Exclusive: HBO to Host Insecure Season 4 Finale Pre-Show On IG Live in Support of Black Lives Matter
We’ve just about made it to the season 4 finale of Insecure and I’m lowkey (OK, highkey) excited to see what will happen. Well, Issa Rae and Yvonne Orji will be here with the pre-game for those of us who are on the edge of their seat in anticipation. The Root has exclusively learned that…
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Da 5 Bloods: Spike Lee on Black MAGA Supporters Drinking the 'Orange Kool-Aid' From 'Agent Orange'
Making a film about black soldiers in the Vietnam War is always relevant as there isn’t as much spotlight on them as it is their white counterparts, but Spike Lee’s latest joint, Da 5 Bloods is even more timely than any of us could’ve imagined. Here’s what’s going down in the film, per Netflix’s press…
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This Is Her: Writer Jas ‘JasFly’ Waters Dies at 39; Hollywood and Hip-Hop Insiders Celebrate Her Life
On Wednesday afternoon, a dark cloud covered the Black Twitter timeline as news was released that Jas “JasFly” Waters (NBC’s This Is Us, Showtime’s Kidding) had died. The official This Is Us writers’ room account confirmed the tragic news in a tweet. “The entire #ThisIsUs family was devastated to learn of Jas Waters passing,” the…
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Gabrielle Union Options George M. Johnson's All Boys Aren't Blue Memoir for Series Development at Sony TV
It’s Pride Month—and writer George M. Johnson has something additional to be proud of! According to Deadline, Gabrielle Union’s I’ll Have Another Productions has optioned Johnson’s memoir All Boys Aren’t Blue for series development at Sony Pictures TV, where Union has a first-look deal. Deadline breaks down the book synopsis: The title of the memoir…
