Opinion
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Finding Black Joy in Times of Crisis
The other week, I cried. For some, shedding tears in times of chaos and terror seems quite normal. Anticipated, even. To me, it felt strange. I am a black woman. As a journalist and a ‘student of the game,’ I am keenly aware of the systems of racism that—from this country’s inception—were created to oppress…
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Karen the Kop Kries Kause She Had to Wait in the McDonald's Drive-Thru
Another day, another Karen exhibiting her white privilege and weaponizing her white woman tears to show how the world is so down on and against her…kind. No, but for real. Have y’all seen this? A white female cop recorded herself crying in the McDonald’s parking lot because her order wasn’t ready and they had her…
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Yes, the Police Are Racist
Why does everyone think the Nazis were racist? Sure, Hitler was definitely racist. He ordered the extermination of the Jews from Germany and later from all over Europe once he became chancellor of Germany. Sure, He built the Third Reich—a political, social and economic regime based on the idea of Aryan supremacy. Sure Nazi soldiers…
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The Root's Clapback Mailbag: The Evidence of Things Not Seen
Nigga, I ain’t shitI just know how to rhyme a lil’ bitI’m just trying to squeeze fit my fat ass in wherever I can fit. — Cee-Lo Green Ninety-nine percent of the time, I already know what I’m going to say before I even begin to write the Clapback Mailbag. Today is the other one…
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Auntie Unfiltered: Black People Can’t Save You; We Tryna Save Ourselves
Attention white people: It is not up to black people to educate you and help you understand racism. It is not up to black people to tell you what you need to say to your white racist friends. It is not up to black people to undo racism. It is not up to black people…
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A Letter Not From a Birmingham Jail
“If it falls your lot to be a street sweeper, sweep streets like Michelangelo painted pictures, sweep streets like Beethoven composed music, sweep streets like Leontyne Price sings before the Metropolitan Opera. Sweep streets like Shakespeare wrote poetry. Sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will have to pause and…
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White-on-White Violence: Piers Morgan and Rudy Giuliani Engage in the Worst Verszuz Battle Ever
I don’t know what started it, and truthfully, I don’t care. But at some point during an interview between antifa and the Proud Boys, the mud started slinging, the wheels fell off the wagon and mayonnaise went flying everywhere. In what can only be called white-on-white violence, Piers Morgan and Rudy Giuliani got into a…
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Wypipo Wite-Out: K-Pop Fans Use Social Media Privilege to Drown Out #WhiteLivesMatter Hashtags
We have to admit—#BlackOutTuesday didn’t go the way its originators intended. Though we tried to alleviate a bit of confusion with a quick explainer that morning, some of the spiraling was unavoidable and unfortunately, the intended message was lost in the muddled mess. However, today is a brand new day and a new opportunity to…
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And the Pulitzer Prize for Caucasity Goes to…
This weekend, as I watched COVID-19’s racial disparities blow a 104,600-point lead to extrajudicial police killings, I pondered the effectiveness of nonviolent protest versus “riots.” I imagined strategies that might deter police brutality. I even considered if chaos was a good thing. But, of all the things that crossed my mind, there was never even…