Opinion
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The Root's Clapback Mailbag: The Unreasonable Black Man
I believe most people are reasonable. In fact, there is an objective legal test called the “reasonable man” theory. Basically, when a judge or jury is trying to determine whether or not someone is guilty of a crime—especially negligence—the judge or jury must ask themselves if a reasonable man would act this way. If the…
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Auntie Unfiltered Catches Up With the Legendary MC Lyte
Hey nieces and nephews! Have I got a treat for you this week. How many of you are fans of hip-hop? I mean real fans, like you know the history and who came when and that type of stuff? I recently had the opportunity to sit down with Ms. Lana Michelle Moorer, known the world…
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All I Want for Christmas Is Malcolm Gladwell's Masturbation Bible
Jerking off is good! It can relieve stress. It can pass time. It can induce sleep. It can even help you finish your tax returns. Jerking off in front of people without their permission is bad! And jerking off in front of people without their permission while you’re at work is worse! There doesn’t seem…
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The Baffling, Years-Long Beef Between Kyrie Irving and NBA Media, Explained
When it’s a sport’s offseason and an athlete’s name trends as often as Kyrie Irving’s does—well, an athlete not named LeBron James—it’s usually because of an injury, a trade, or perhaps even some legal issue. Kyrie, however, seems to always be in the news because of…a podcast and a couple of creatively punctuated pre-written statements…
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The Root's Clapback Mailbag: Empathy for the Devil
Please allow me to introduce myselfI’m a bag of white hot hateI’ve been around for four long yearsYou can read me every Friday I answer emails, DMs and tweetstrying to help you understand raceAnd when you call me the n-wordI don’t fly into a rage Pleased to meet youCan you guess who I am?Here’s a…
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Auntie Unfiltered Talks Holiday Cheer With Niecy Nash
Hey nieces and nephews! Can you believe we are just two weeks away from Christmas? Three weeks away from the new year? What the hell is time and what the fuck is happening here? The year 2020 has been on one, literally and figuratively, and we have been coasting along with it, trying not to…
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Euphoria and Colman Domingo Delivered the Best Phone Call Scene I've Ever Seen, and I Still Can't Get It Out of My Head
So, during my conversation with Ta-Nehisi Coates earlier this week, he mentioned that he wants his work to “haunt” those who read it, where (paraphrasing) it sticks in their heads and they can’t extract it. I’ve had similar conversations with other writers—and others across the creative spectrum—and this feeling is universal among them. Us, I…
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A Short Blog About a Confused Dipshit in My Neighborhood With Trump Flags in Their Windows
In 2004, City of Asylum/Pittsburgh opened its doors on Sampsonia Way in Pittsburgh’s Northside neighborhood with a specific mission: to provide sanctuary to literary writers who were exiled and under threat of persecution. For two years we provide an exiled writer (and family) with a house, a stipend, and medical benefits, as well as a…
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On Finding Joy Where You Can During This Pandemic, Despite These Less Than Ideal Circumstances
I think it’s safe to say that it’s been a challenging year. Unlike countless others, I’ve been extremely fortunate to remain gainfully employed and have somehow eluded the coronavirus entirely as it continues to wreak havoc upon so many I hold dear. But while I’ve made it a point to count my blessings and remain…
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20 Spoiler-Filled Questions After Finally Watching HBO's The Undoing
I watched HBO’s The Undoing, and I have questions. 1. Why would he try to burn the murder thing in a janky outdoor fire pit when the whole ass ocean is literally right there? 2. Do rich whites (“the wich”) just not have ceilings in their homes? 3. Is there a ceiling-less house level of…