Culture

The Tragic and Inspiring Story of WNBA Coach Dawn Staley

The Tragic and Inspiring Story of WNBA Coach Dawn Staley

From losing both of her parents to suffering her own personal tragedies on and off the court, it’s time we get to know more about Staley. Here’s your reintroduction!
The African Pope Behind Easter That You Never Heard of

The African Pope Behind Easter That You Never Heard of

African-born Pope Victor I (c. 189–199 AD) pushed for Easter to be celebrated on Sundays
  • ,

    Russia’s Luring of Donald Trump Jr. Sounds Familiar

    Former Moscow Reporter Says He Too Was a Target Paper Sees ‘A Sliver of Hope’ That Ex-Cop Will Pay Education Writers See Role in Furthering Diversity 5 to Be Inducted into NAHJ Hall of Fame Portrait of Dallas’ Working Poor La Raza Changes Name; Will That Stop the Hating? Congo Now Top Nation Sending Refugees…

  • Watch: Jessica Williams Serves Up a Quirky Black-Girl Rom-Com You Will Love

    It’s refreshing to see a complicated, funny, awkward, honest and caring black woman at the center of a romantic comedy. Comedian Jessica Williams is doing just that in her new Netflix movie, The Incredible Jessica James. In the film, Williams’ character tries her best to navigate the world of dating after breaking up with her…

  • Watch: Everything I Need to Know About Life, I Learned From Black ’90s Movies

    They just don’t make ’em like they used to. Yeah … I’ve actually said that sentence in reference to movies; specifically, black movies. Everyone knows and boasts about the ’90s being one of the best decades for blackness on the big screen, and it’s true. Think about it. There was Boomerang, CB4, The Five Heartbeats,…

  • Judge of Characters: White Gloves and Whiter Lies

    This week I learned that Donald Trump Jr. earned his name fair and square and tweets just like his daddy! And it’s a good thing I learned that when my special guest, political strategist and #WokeBae Angela Rye, joined me on Judge of Characters, because how else would I have been able to unpack his…

  • ,

    Journalist John Quinn, Who Insisted on Diversity, Dies

    Gannett Exec Boosted Students, Journalists of Color NABJ Awards Thumbs Down to Ebony, Fox News Dana Canedy Named Pulitzer Administrator Rochelle Riley to Receive Ida B. Wells Award Urban Uprisings Helped to Change Newsrooms Dow Jones to Tackle Gender Issue Now, Race Later Short Takes John C. Quinn, described by one of the editors he…

  • Watch: ‘Yo Soy Afro-Latina

    If there is one thing that Sammy Sosa, an Afro-Latino man, and his skin-bleaching fiasco has taught us, it’s to be proud of who you are. The term “Afro-Latino” (or the gender-neutral “Afro-Latinx”) is used to refer to African descendants from Latin America. For many growing up, being black and Latinx was not always beautiful.…

  • Watch: Angela Rye Says Black People Shift the Culture

    Here at The Root, we have a new video series we want to share with you all, and it’s called Black and Proud. In it, we get the chance to chat with a lot of our favorite black celebrities, tastemakers and thought leaders, so we decided to ask them about their pride in being black.…

  • Watch: Filmmaker Shaka King Is Making Sure We Really See the Black Experience

    Director and writer Shaka King is busy in the TV-and-film industry at the moment, but that wasn’t always the case. “It took a while, but once I started getting the work, it kept coming in. For a while I wasn’t getting shit, but ‘Mulignans’ really did a lot for my career,” says King, who hails…

  • Watch: Color Complex: Untangling Black Women’s Hair

    Skin color both unites and divides us. Whether you live in India, East Africa or Japan, the color of your skin shapes your identity and opportunities. Color Complex is a narrative series that explores how people of color around the world struggle for visibility and learn to navigate the prejudices and social hierarchies associated with…

  • Watch: Philly’s Real-Life Superhero

    The first time Ariell Johnson imagined herself as a superhero was when she laid eyes on Storm of The X-Men. “I just saw this white-haired, white-eyed black woman flying around shooting lightning at people and I was like, ‘Who is this?’” she says. “I felt like I was just kind of watching other people’s adventures…