Everything to Know About Artist Jean-Michel Basquiat on His 65th Birthday
Navy SEALs Who Harassed Black Teammate With Racist ‘Slave’ and ‘Monkey’ Memes Finally ‘Disciplined’
Michelle Obama On How That Famous 2008 New Yorker ‘Fist Bump’ Magazine Cover Changed Everything
Atlanta Nightlife Insiders Respond to 21 Savage’s Claim That the City’s Club Scene ‘Grooms’ Children
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Watch: Like Simone Biles, How Many More Will Say #MeToo?
If there’s one fact I’ve learned over and over again in my 26 years on this planet, it’s that as a woman, I’m never safe, and the world could not give a damn about changing that. In the past few months, droves of women have bravely come forward to detail their experiences of sexual assault.…
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Watch: Patrisse Khan-Cullors on Being Under Extreme Surveillance
As an activist, Black Lives Matter co-founder Patrisse Khan-Cullors says that her home was first raided by Los Angeles police in 2013. “Surveillance tactics have been used against me,” Khan-Cullors told The Root.While this raid was years before the FBI’s 12-page “Black Identity Extremist” report—which vilifies black activists—was leaked, it’s clear that members of the…
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Watch: Is MLK’s Legacy Under Attack?
In November, President Donald Trump’s administration released declassified FBI documents on President John F. Kennedy’s assassination. But the release also included a batch of Martin Luther King Jr. documents filled with allegations of “abnormal” sexual behavior and of being a “slow thinker” and a “Marxist” (pdf). The Root spoke with Clayborne Carson, the Martin Luther…
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White Male Privilege a Problem? #MeToo, Say Women of Color
Women of Color Want Links Between Movements Smiley, Suspended by PBS, Announces New Projects Imprisoned Sexual Abuse Victims Have No Voice Bezos Gives $33 Million for ‘Dreamer’ Scholarships Press Played Role in Rape Case Oprah Publicized Daily News Owns Up to Late Columnist’s Smear Harvard Crimson Latinos on ‘Micro-Aggressions’ Short Takes People of color and…
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Baggage vs. Experience: What Do You Take With You and What Do You Leave Behind?
On a recent The Root After Dark Twitter chat, I asked people to tell me how quickly they fall for people and how soon after that they reveal their feelings. The responses were wide and varied, but there was a recurring theme: A lot of people said that even if they felt something right away,…
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The Day It Became Easier to Say He’s Racist
The three television network evening news programs led Thursday with President Trump’s reported statement calling Haiti, El Salvador and African nations “shithole” countries and saying the United States should instead bring more people from countries such as Norway. From there the outrage grew in online commentary, in print and on cable talk shows, as well…
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Judge of Characters: So You Think You Can Use Racism to Sell Clothing?
The “Coolest Monkey in the Jungle” ad featuring an adorable young black boy has certainly made its way into your feed this week. While it’s not surprising that racism has a casual place in advertising, it is surprising that people don’t understand the deep-rooted emotional racism attached to calling black people “monkeys.” It is not…
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Watch: Taraji P. Henson Kills (People) in Her Latest Role in Proud Mary
Taraji P. Henson is a stellar actress, but sadly, most people recognize her from Empire. Maybe they were under rocks for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Hustle & Flow, Hidden Figures, Baby Boy or any of the other silver screen hits in which she’s appeared.. And while Henson has made her Empire character, Cookie,…
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Watch: The Last Dragon’s Taimak Talks Appropriation vs. Appreciation Within Black and Asian Cultures
The Last Dragon is a cult-classic film that features ridiculous stereotypes flipped on their head. We got to see Chinese men talking like they’re auditioning for the latest blaxploitation film, and Bruce Leroy himself adopt a quiet and quirky kung-fu-master attitude. With all of the culture swapping going on, my favorite video producer and editor…
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How Do You Label Your Sexuality? How Do You Define It?
When it comes to sexuality or sexual orientation, “straight” and “gay” have become somewhat simplistic in a sea of new terms that provide complex definitions for the varying ways in which people describe themselves. You can be gay and monogamous or straight and polyamorous. The way we define our sexuality is as unique as the…