Opinion
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Which One of Y’all Called Heidi Klum a ‘White Woman’?
I don’t know who you are. I don’t know what you want. I can tell you that I don’t have money. But what I do have is a very particular set of skills. Skills I have acquired over a very long career. Skills that make me a nightmare for people like you. So, if you…
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10 Reasons Why Inviting White People to the Mythical 'Cookout' Is Stupid and Silly and Needs to Stop Forever
1. Because it’s stupid and silly. 2. Because you’re fucking goofy for thinking this is cool. 3. Because cookout meat is precious and sacred and not meant to be shared with interlopers, gentrifiers, and Travis Fucking Kelce. 4. Because the bar for what constitutes “cookout invites” is lower than Rush Limbaugh’s life expectancy. 5. Because…
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The Root’s Clapback Mailbag: The State of the Clapback Is Strong
My fellow Americans, I come before you today with good news. For nearly three years, we have addressed our readers’ emails, DMs, tweets, and comments in the weekly Mailbag. And in all those times, I have never shied away from an opportunity to clap back at my haters. But this is not Michael Harriot’s Clapback…
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To Trayvon, on Your 25th Birthday
Dear Trayvon, Today would have been your 25th birthday and, as I write this letter, I am listening to Aretha Franklin sing “Never Grow Old.” If I was predisposed to a belief in an eternal paradise, I would imagine that Queen Aretha hummed this hymn when she spotted you at her welcoming ceremony. Perhaps she…
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Kobe Bryant and the Perils of the 'Transcendent' Athlete
The premature, unbearable death of Kobe Bryant, his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, and seven other souls on board his helicopter last Sunday triggered an outpouring of grief rarely seen on this scale. It’s been a week of mourning and tributes: From the Philippines to Philadelphia, makeshift vigils and elaborate murals have bloomed on sidewalks and storefronts…
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Clapback Mailbag: The Lion's Solution
We interrupt our usual clapback session for a very special Mailbag. I am often asked why my writings don’t contain more solutions. Instead of complaining about racism, I guess I’m supposed to fix white people. It’s like robbing someone and then telling them to stop complaining about their money problems and work harder. But I’m…
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Erika Alexander Reminds David Schwimmer That He Starred in a Lily-White Reboot of Living Single
Imagine spending 10 years playing a character on a lily-white show that was a direct and complete appropriation of a black show already in production for a year when yours started, then pretending to know nothing about that show’s existence. In what can only be described as a case of either lying his white ass…
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Terry Crews Is Ashy
There are, according to my research, three grades of ash; each uncomfortable in its own way, but one a bit deeper and, um, ashier than the rest. First, of course, is literal ash. This is what happens when your skin gets dry and an anti-sheen attacks it, leaving you looking and feeling like you just…
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On Processing My Messy Feelings About Kobe Bryant’s Myth, Life and Death
The first time I saw Kobe Bryant play live was at the McDonald’s All-American Basketball Game in 1996. The game was played in Pittsburgh that year, and I went to the Civic Arena downtown to watch it. I’d already had a relationship with the idea of him. He was the top high school basketball player…