Culture

Everything to Know About Artist Jean-Michel Basquiat on His 65th Birthday

Everything to Know About Artist Jean-Michel Basquiat on His 65th Birthday

In honor of what would have been his 65 birthday, we’re looking at some of the most fascinating facts about artist Jean-Michel Basquiat.
Michelle Obama On How That Famous 2008 New Yorker 'Fist Bump' Magazine Cover Changed Everything

Michelle Obama On How That Famous 2008 New Yorker ‘Fist Bump’ Magazine Cover Changed Everything

In a new interview with Jonathan Capehart, Michelle Obama talks about the moment she decided
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    Media Attention Turns to Laws That Excuse Fatal Police Shootings

    Columnists Raise Issue After Stephon Clark Death Poynter to Boost News Literacy for Students of Color 37% of New Hires at N.Y. Times Were of Color ProPublica to Formalize ‘Rooney Rule’ on Hiring ASNE Honors Stories on Harassment, Border Wall Newsroom Harassment Bigger ‘Than Anyone Thinks’ Indian Country Isn’t Into #DeleteFacebook Ethiopia Rearrests Freed Press-Freedom…

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    MLK’s White Girlfriend Speaks Out After All These Years

    Those of us who study black history have always heard rumors of an alleged relationship between Martin Luther King Jr. and a white woman in his younger days.

  • Watch: Patti LaBelle Is Everyone’s Favorite Mom

    There’s something about Mrs. Wayne from A Different World. She was a black mother personified: Adele Wayne would put you in check, was protective of her kin (Chipmunk!), witty and intelligent, and boy, could Mrs. Wayne cook. In her role as Adele Wayne, Patti LaBelle did that. Over the decades, the legendary singer has played…

  • Watch: This Is How New Legislation Puts Sex Workers in Danger

    For Women’s History Month, Jezebel and The Root are partnering for JezeRoot, a series that focuses on women of color, domestic workers and sex workers. Earlier this month, a bill passed that can significantly impact the safety of U.S. sex workers. The Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act cleared the House and Senate on March 21…

  • Judge of Characters: Black Lives Don’t Matter

    There’s something so beautiful about the students-turned-activists who have emerged from the awful tragedy of the Parkland, Fla., school shooting. Instead of being victims, these kids became champions for human rights and gun control, reflected in the March for Our Lives on Saturday. They have been fully embraced by almost everyone. However, the Black Lives…

  • Watch: Literary Giant Walter Mosley Doesn’t Need Inspiration to Write

    Literary giant Walter Mosley needs no inspiration to write. “I don’t need inspiration because I love to write,” Mosley told The Root. With a three-decades-long career and over 50 books published, as one would imagine, Mosley’s love for writing runs deep. In fact, writing has become a discipline and an integral part of his life—Mosley…

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    In the Realm of Black Journalism, ‘We Are Losing Our Lions’

    Les Payne Praised for Linking ‘Fairness,’ Journalism In Givhan Flap, Post Won’t Reimburse BET Heather Vincent Holley, Network Exec, Dies at 58 Tanzina Vega to Host Public Radio’s ‘The Takeaway’ PBS Cites a Dozen Complaints About Smiley Podcast Examines Cold Cases From Civil Rights Era Haitians Plan March Over Missing Journalist Mourners and celebrants at…

  • Watch: Strange Case Has Michael Bennett Facing Up to 10 Years in Prison

    The Root 100 honoree and NFL star Michael Bennett posted bail after turning himself in Monday in Houston. He was indicted last week on a felony charge of causing injury to the elderly during the 2017 Super Bowl. The Philadelphia Eagles defensive end allegedly injured the shoulder of a 66-year-old paraplegic woman at the event…

  • Watch: The Barbershop Books Program Is Changing Lives

    By the fourth grade, more than 80 percent of black boys in many of the nation’s school districts have fallen behind their peers in reading. This staggering figure not only highlights the shortcomings of America’s school system but also emphasizes the need for new ideas on how to approach and address the needs of students…

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    Black Journalists Group Backs Reporter Over Furious BET

    Givhan Was Part of Event With Michelle Obama Byron Allen Acquires the Weather Channel One Cop in Fatal Sacramento Shooting Is Black Some Led Readers Astray During Austin Bombings Where Are the Black Photographers? Detroit Anchor Out After Harassment Charges Don Imus Retiring After 50 Years in Radio Fourth Mexican Journalist Killed This Year In…