Illinois ‘Super Mayor’ Tiffany Henyard’s Drama, Rickey Smiley’s Advice For Undecided Voters, Black America Gets Annoyed With Walz’s ‘Minnesota Nice,’ Nevada GOP Congressman Calls CBC ‘Racist’ And More

A collection of The Root’s most important political stories from the week.

Illinois ‘Super Mayor’ Tiffany Henyard is Facing an Immediate Problem Amid Her Spending Scandals

Screenshot: FOX 32 Chicago

More bad news for Dolton, Ill.’s self-proclaimed “Super Mayor” Tiffany Henyard. Amidst federal probes into her spending habits and outstanding balances, it appears she forgot to pay the bill that probably matters the most. – Kalyn Womack Read More

Video will return here when scrolled back into view
Elon Musk is Leaving the Trump Administration and Black Twitter is Buzzing

After Speaking With Kamala Harris, Rickey Smiley Has a Message for Undecided Voters

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – JULY 07: Rickey Smiley attends the 2024 ESSENCE Festival Of Culture™ Presented By Coca-Cola® at Ernest N. Morial Convention Center on July 07, 2024 in New Orleans, Louisiana. Photo: Getty Images Marcus Ingram

With just over 30 days before the 2024 presidential election, Vice President Kamala Harris continues to make the case for her campaign. Although 84 percent of Black registered voters say they would vote for the Vice President if the election were held today, according to a Pew Research study, she’s doing everything she can to bring Trump supporters and undecided voters on board as well. – Angela Johnson Read More

Black America Is Annoyed With Walz’s ‘Minnesota Nice’ Debate Demeanor While Vance Shocked Everyone

Photo: Getty Images Chip Somodevilla

Black group chats were blowing up last night during the only vice presidential debate between J.D. Vance and Tim Walz. Some might say the debate showcased a tale of two different Americas, one progressive and one regressive, but that’s not exactly why Black America took to the social media app X to express their frustrations. – Candace McDuffie Read More

Kamala Harris May Be Leading Trump In The Polls, But Here’s Why Her Supporters Should Be Nervous

Photo: Getty Images Taylor Hill

As November and the presidential election continues to get closer, Vice President Kamala Harris is still leading in the polls. According to the latest average of national polls—collated by FiveThirtyEight—Harris has a 2.8-point lead over Trump. – Candace McDuffie Read More

The Harris-Walz Campaign Has Given Its Own Version of Trump’s “Concept of a Plan” For Healthcare

Photo: Getty Images Jeff Swensen

In a move that calls back to the last presidential debate, the Harris-Walz campaign has gone into attack mode against the Trump-Vance ticket on the topic of healthcare. – William Ketchum Read More

LISTEN: Nevada GOP Candidate Calls Congressional Black Caucus ‘Most Racist People In The World,’ And It’s Not the First Time…

Photo: Las Vegas Review-Journal

In new, disturbing audio obtained by HuffPost, Republican congressional candidate John Lee stated that he’s “not worried about Black people” in his impending Congress bid. – Candace McDuffie Read More

Straight From The Root

Sign up for our free daily newsletter.

Latest from The Root

Best Red Carpet Looks of the 2026 NAACP Image Awards

Best Red Carpet Looks of the 2026 NAACP Image Awards

A closer look at the fashion and significance of the 57th annual ceremony featuring Salt-N-Pepa, Colman Domingo, and more …
The Most Positive Events That Happened During Black History Month

The Most Positive Events That Happened During Black History Month

Here’s a list of postive things that have happened since Black History Month was founded in 1926 …
Latino Man Threatens To Call Trump On Black Family For Being At Their Home

Latino Man Threatens To Call Trump On Black Family For Being At Their Home

After a Latino man harassed a Black family for moving into the neighborhood, social media is pointing out that Black folks will always be the most targeted by White Supremacy …
2026 NAACP Image Awards Best Moments and Surprises

2026 NAACP Image Awards Best Moments and Surprises

The 57th annual NAACP Image Awards went off without a hitch and was truly home to some much-needed blackity-black surprises and highlights! Let’s get into it! …
Why the 2026 Awards Season Is So Exciting for Black People

Why the 2026 Awards Season Is So Exciting for Black People

Withv the 2026 NAACP Image Awards, the Actor Awards (f.k.a. the SAG Awards) happening back to back to close out February and welcome in March, respectively, and then the Oscars on March 15—let’s take a quick look back on some of this seasons Blackest moments …
The 5 Saddest Revelations About Lamar Odom's Addiction

The 5 Saddest Revelations About Lamar Odom’s Addiction

Two-time NBA champion Lamar Odom has a storied relationship with substance addiction. He digs into it all in a new documentary …
We All Hate Tipping Culture, But Did You Know It's Rooted in Slavery?

We All Hate Tipping Culture, But Did You Know It’s Rooted in Slavery?

Wealthy American started the tipping culture in the mid-1800s, beginning a restaurant culture that remains steeped in the roots of slavery …
New Development After White NYC College Professor Makes Racist Comments on Work Zoom When She Thought She Was on Mute

New Development After White NYC College Professor Makes Racist Comments on Work Zoom When She Thought She Was on Mute

Allyson Friedman has identified herself as the college professor caught spewing racist language during a virtual council meeting …
A Full Timeline Of Singer D4vd's Mysterious Case of Celeste Rivas' Death

A Full Timeline Of Singer D4vd’s Mysterious Case of Celeste Rivas’ Death

D4vd was named a “target” in the investigation into the death of Celeste Rivas. Now, we’re catching you up on everything you might’ve missed until now …
Teyana Taylor Just Hit Another <i>Major</i> Milestone

Teyana Taylor Just Hit Another Major Milestone

Teyana Taylor keeps cementing her status in Hollywood and this year’s awards season. And this latest accomplishment from TIME Magazine is further proof of that! …
Black Folks Respond to the Clintons' Epstein Testimonies, and Phew!

Black Folks Respond to the Clintons’ Epstein Testimonies, and Phew!

After President Bill Clinton was named in the Epstein files, him and his wife were called before Congress …
Chicago Woman Smiles in Mugshot After Allegedly Killing Uber Driver During Carjacking—But It Gets Worse

Chicago Woman Smiles in Mugshot After Allegedly Killing Uber Driver During Carjacking—But It Gets Worse

Montoya Perry allegedly carjacked an Uber driver in Chicago, killing him as she fled. It’s what she allegedly did after some are calling sinister …
Black Experts Reveal Maternal Health Secrets You Need To Know

Black Experts Reveal Maternal Health Secrets You Need To Know

Exclusive: Experts At 5th Annual Day of Reckoning Conference in Birmingham Reveal Maternal Health Secrets You Must Know …
Expert Breaks Down How Trump Has Skated the Law for His MAGA Agenda in His Second Term

Expert Breaks Down How Trump Has Skated the Law for His MAGA Agenda in His Second Term

A foreign policy expert explains the consequences of institutions failing to check Trump as he celebrates one year in office …
A Nebraska Doctor Opens Her Home and Her Heart to a Black Child in Need

A Nebraska Doctor Opens Her Home and Her Heart to a Black Child in Need

A Nebraska anesthesiologist went out of her way to help a patient with a congenital heart condition …
Why Gov. Gavin Newsom's Latest Statements Could Be His Political Suicide

Why Gov. Gavin Newsom’s Latest Statements Could Be His Political Suicide

Gavin Newsom’s recent remarks upset quite a few folks, including many liberals accusing the governor of spewing Republican talking points …
Lupita Nyong'o Wants to Talk About Uterine Fibroids, Here's Why We Should Listen

Lupita Nyong’o Wants to Talk About Uterine Fibroids, Here’s Why We Should Listen

Actress Lupita Nyong’o is sharing her personal experience to raise awareness around the issue of fibroids in women …
More Devastating News About Black Hair Extensions and  Health Risks

More Devastating News About Black Hair Extensions and Health Risks

Braid wearers assume human hair and “non-toxic” synthetic braiding hair are safe options, but a Consumer Reports study showed that they, too, come with risk …
Late Comedian's Famous Joke About How Racism Keeps Poor People Divided Resonates Now More Than Ever

Late Comedian’s Famous Joke About How Racism Keeps Poor People Divided Resonates Now More Than Ever

Comedian Ralphie May once made a joke that racism is hologram to keep poor folks fighting, and his words are truer than you might realize …
Black Actress Blames Harvard For Hair Nightmare

Black Actress Blames Harvard For Hair Nightmare

Nike Imoru suffered unimaginable hair loss as a result of her recent theater experience and now, she’s taking matters into her own hands! …