Culture

Dr. King's Favorite Pastime and More Little Known Facts on MLK Day

Dr. King’s Favorite Pastime and More Little Known Facts on MLK Day

On this Martin Luther King Jr. Day, take a closer look at little known facts about the life and legacy of one of the most famous men in history.
Bernice King Calls On Black Church to Lead Ahead of MLK Day

Bernice King Calls On Black Church to Lead Ahead of MLK Day

EXCLUSIVE: Dr. Bernice King has never shied away from her father’s legacy. Now, decades after
This Red State’s Only Predominantly Black Institution Is Set to Close Amid Financial Troubles

This Red State’s Only Predominantly Black Institution Is Set to Close Amid Financial Troubles

Just one year after Republican Gov. Mike Braun left Martin University out of the 2025–27
4 Powerful Things to Do on Martin Luther King Jr. Day 2026

4 Powerful Things to Do on Martin Luther King Jr. Day 2026

MLK Day isn’t just a federal holiday that gets you a free day from work,
  • The Next Generation of Black Medical Genius

    In part of a regular conversations series for The Root on the new black visionaries, famed neurosurgeon Dr. Ben Carson, has a conversation with his young protege, Dr. James Frazier. The colleagues at Johns Hopkins Medical Center discuss everything from what every child should know, to how to pay it forward to why Carson rarely…

  • The End of Black History Month (?)

    A multicultural swirl of faces came to the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History for The Root Inaugural Ball to fete the arrival of our new president. The iconic setting and diverse crowd of revelers begged the question: Is it time to end the segregation of teaching history? Watch as The Root correspondents Helena Andrews…

  • The New Visionaries: Dr. Ben Carson and Dr. James Frazier

    The Root’s ongoing video series in the newest generation of black thought leaders.

  • Bush, The Lincoln Bedroom, and Me

    In this segment of the PBS special, ‘Looking for Lincoln,’ premiering on Feb. 11, The Root’s Editor-in-Chief Henry Louis Gates Jr. gets a White House tour from President Bush and the two men compare the 16th and 43rd presidencies. In other segments, Doris Kearns Goodwin explains how Lincoln co-opted his rivals, and Gates touches the hat of the…

  • How Lincoln Tamed His Rivals

    In this clip from the PBS series ‘Looking for Lincoln,’ The Root’s Editor-in-Chief Henry Louis Gates Jr. talks to “Team of Rivals” author Doris Kearns Goodwin about how Lincoln used his political instincts and powerful oratory to co-opt his rivals.

  • Walking in the Front Door

    Many of us today can remember when it was a huge deal for a black person to enter the White House through the front door, and not through the servants’ entrance. As the Obama family takes up residence at the White House, Henry Louis Gates Jr. gives the history of this remarkable journey.

  • Tour of Echoes

    From the slaves who built the Capitol to King’s dream and the Million Man March, watch as Henry Louis Gates Jr. recalls the myriad voices ringing out from history along Barack Obama’s inaugural path. READ THE ‘TOUR OF ECHOES’ TRANSCRIPT HERE. Back to MSN.com

  • AKA Dedication

  • India Arie: The Root of My Success

    WATCH a Mother’s Day video exchange between India.Arie and her mom, Simpson, on tradition, independence and fabulousness.