It’s Lit
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'Shame Stifles You': The Root Presents: It's Lit! Rejects Shame With Tarana Burke and Tanya Fields
Shame is a universal condition—no one is immune. In fact, it might be argued that shame is also one of the strongest drivers of human behavior, often causing our worlds to revolve around it. We have it inflicted upon us—especially those of us in already marginalized groups—and in turn, inflict it upon others. We live…
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Wanna Bumble With the Bee, Huh? Well, Here's Your Chance—Lil' Kim's Memoir Is Coming in November
Bzzzzz—you hear that? That’s the sound of Lil’ Kim reclaiming her time! That’s right folks, the Queen Bee is about to give you some “real shit, shit to make you feel shit” in her own words. According to People, the 46-year-old rapper has announced an upcoming memoir, written along with Kathy Iandoli, aptly titled The…
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'You Can’t Be Pro-Black and Anti-LGBTQIA+': The Root Presents It's Lit! Talks The Prophets With Robert Jones Jr.
In a country where Black lives are consistently under threat, it is in some ways understandable that many of us are weary of revisiting America’s original sin, chattel slavery. The legacy of that painful history remains so evident in our daily lives that ruminating on its brutal beginnings is often too much bear—but for writer…
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The Root Presents: It's Lit! Learns How to Get Good With Money With Tiffany Aliche
How’s your money these days? It’s a loaded question ask, but given the impact of the ongoing global pandemic upon our physical, mental, and financial health, it’s a necessary one. Too many of us are stuck, running at a deficit, or at a loss on how to achieve financial stability—especially when the world feels anything…
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PageTurners: How Trauma and Love Converge at a Literary Point
How does trauma affect the way we live our day-to-day lives? Is inherited or intergenerational trauma more significant than a trauma—or traumas—experienced firsthand? There are perspectives and arguments to consider for each side: Dealing with inherited trauma is multilayered, convening in a complex web of emotions. Being exposed to or experiencing an immense trauma can…
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'Hey, Democrats, Pay Attention!' The Root Presents: It's Lit! Talks The End of White Politics With Zerlina Maxwell
On-screen, on the air, and now, on the page, Zerlina Maxwell is a force. Having held positions on both Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton’s campaigns, an activist on issues of race, gender and sexual violence, as well as years in the game as a commentator for the likes of CNN, MSNBC, and now as host…
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PageTurners: Black Magic, in This World and Others
Magic. What is it exactly? Some will debate wholeheartedly that the confines of magic exist in fantasy novels and movies and television shows—you know, fictionally. I’m not going to lie; I agree with this, but I think it’s deeper. I think magic can exist within a very real world and still have all the impact,…
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Anti-Racism Titles Are All Over the List of 10 Most Challenged Books in 2020
While 2020 marked an inflection point in the nation’s awareness of issues of racial injustice, it also quickly ushered in heaps of backlash against anything to do with acknowledging the pervasiveness of racism in America. Critical race theory, the New York Times’ 1619 Project, the phrase Black Lives Matter and anti-racism training have all been…
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'Cosmology Is Black—It’s Blackity-Black': The Root Presents: It's Lit! Explores The Disordered Cosmos With Chanda Prescod-Weinstein
Real talk? The Root’s Editor-in-Chief Danielle Belton and I consider ourselves to be pretty smart people—but scientifically minded, we are not. So when we received a pitch to review and speak with cosmologist Dr. Chanda Prescod-Weinstein on her first book, The Disordered Cosmos: A Journey into Dark Matter, Spacetime, and Dreams Deferred, we were both…
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PageTurners: The Lyrical, the Literal and the Literary Worlds of Black Performance
Performance occurs in a myriad of ways, from spoken and written poetry to taking the stage, to playing a game of spades. In fictional universes, particularly in fantastical worlds, a character’s performance can range from their abilities to their descriptions. This week, the intricate tapestry of Black performance is explored through many different lenses in…