Taraji P. Henson Finally Addresses Those Rumors of Drama With Oprah During ‘The Color Purple’
Spoilers! Now That Sinners is Streaming, Here’s Symbolism You Probably Missed
Marvel’s New Black Panther Is …White, Explained
The Best ‘106 & Park’ Performances, Moments Over the Years
-
'I'm Part of the Problem': Joaquin Phoenix Calls Out BAFTA's Diversity Problem—Will Hollywood Actually Take Action or Is the Joke on Us?
In the great circle of strife known as modern Hollywood, we have a routine awards ceremony filled with progressive calls to action made by rich liberals who dare to rebel against the non-political speech taboo. Sometimes, [insert marginalized group here] gets to take home a shiny award or two! And then…we go back to regularly…
-
VSB's Damon Young Wins Barnes & Noble's Discover Great New Writers Award for What Doesn't Kill You Makes You Blacker
What’s more exciting than any work of fiction? The news that one of our favorite essayists, colleagues and play cousins is being recognized for his brilliance! As reported by Publishers Weekly (and our work Slack), Damon Young’s debut book of essays, What Doesn’t Kill You Makes You Blacker, was recently named the nonfiction winner of…
-
Cherish The Day: Ava DuVernay, Xosha Roquemore and Alano Miller Discuss the Day that Changed Their Lives
In her hit song, “Cherish the Day,” Sade croons about “deep love” and how she won’t be caught “running” from it. Easier said (or sung) than done, right? Cue OWN’s upcoming love anthology, aptly titled, Cherish the Day. Late last year, a group of journalists were invited to the lovely ARRAY Creative Campus in Los…
-
What’s Better Than One Billionaire Remaining Seated During the Super Bowl National Anthem? Two
Jay-Z and Beyoncé are taking a stand…or actually, taking a seat. “I think that we forget that Colin’s whole thing was to bring attention to social injustice,” Jay-Z said at the widely-viewed press conference announcing his partnership with the National Football League this past summer. “In that case, this is the success. This is the…
-
First Look: The Children Are Our Future In HBO's We Are the Dream: The Kids of the Oakland MLK Oratorical Fest
It’s Black History Month and The Root is here to give you the most adorable inspiration ever. Growing up black meant realizing that the most important speech ever uttered was by a man named Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Four words, “I Have A Dream,” would be embedded in the minds of every black kid…
-
Billy Porter Graces Sesame Street with Legendary Academy Award Tuxedo Gown and Pro-Life Petitioners Go Apes**t
Billy Porter went from one of the world’s most famous streets to another. The Broadway superstar will be making an appearance on Sesame Street during its 51st season. And the Emmy, Grammy and Tony Award-winner has taken his famous frock along for the journey. He will be wearing his showstopping 2019 Oscars outfit—a tuxedo gown,…
-
The Color Purple Returning to the Big Screen for Black History Month
“I think it pisses God off when you walk by the color purple in a field and don’t notice it,” Shug Avery famously says during a watershed moment in one of the best movies ever, which was adapted from one of the best books ever. Stephen Spielberg’s masterful adaptation of Alice Walker’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel…
-
'The Game' Over Before It Was to Begin Again? The CW Will Not Move Forward With Mara Brock Akil's Beloved Sitcom
Looks like The Game has been called off; at least for the time being. Fans who have been anticipating the reboot of Mara Brock Akil’s popular sitcom The Game will have to wait much longer because according to Deadline, the CW network—on which the original show aired—has decided not to move forward with the one-hour…
-
Diddy, to Grammys Academy: Y'all Are Shady to Rap and R&B. Mase, to Diddy: But Did You Hold Me Down, Though?
Wow, Diddy, I guess mo’ money really does come with mo’ problems. One of those problems just happens to be one of your fellow artists calling you out on your hypocrisy. At Clive Davis’ annual pre-Grammy gala, Diddy made waves when he decided to “get real” about the Recording Academy’s propensity to sideline the rap…
-
Sundance 2020: Insecure Is Very Secure in How It Truly Showcases Diversity on Set
In addition to settling into a dark theater to watch a bunch of independent films, Sundance Film Festival is a time to network at a bunch of exclusive dinners and parties. Since we’re about that black-ass life over here, I decided to make sure to poke my head into events dedicated to black folks. The…