Opinion
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White People Didn't Do This: On Nipsey Hussle and Conspiracy Theories
A few years ago, someone told writer Anna Merlan that I would be a good person to interview for a book she was working on about conspiracy theories. When she informed me that she was going to dedicate a chapter to black conspiracies, I was startled to find out that she had never heard of…
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White-on-White Crime: Trump Supporter Aggressively Heckles News Reporter on Camera at Political Event
When you work in journalism, you come to expect that you are going to encounter your fair amount of trolls as you go about your daily job. They are out there, and they are ready to heckle you at every turn—whether their opinions about what you are reporting on are based in fact or not.…
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To Live and Die in South L.A.
It’s important for people to understand why it’s OK for Nipsey Hussle to be seen as a hero in South Los Angeles. But we have to get a few things straight. Don’t get distracted by the fact that he was a Rollin’ 60s Crip; people join gangs because they seek a sense of community in…
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LOL, America. You Almost Got Me
I gotta hand it to you, America. This extended April Fool’s Day joke has been one of the greatest hijinks of all time. Unlike some people who get pranked, I’m not going to pretend that I knew what was going on all along. I thought it was real. It was so well done that I…
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The Root’s Clapback Mailbag: Undercover Wypipo
When I started today’s mailbag, the intro was going to be this really funny bit about how, for far too long, the Clapback Mailbag has neglected all the white people who aren’t racist but who aren’t actively fighting against racism. I was crafting this hilarious premise, doubled over in laughter (which, in my humble opinion,…
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An Analysis of Sen. Cory Booker's Failed Black Handshake With CNN Host Don Lemon By The Root's 'Dap Analysis Pack'
There are only a few holy tenets that all black boys must know by a certain age. One is learning how to tie a durag properly so that you don’t have lines embedded in your waves. Another is learning how to properly care for your sneakers. Arguably the top of this list would be dap;…
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White News Anchors Embarrass Mankind with Their Unseasoned Attempt at Black Slang
One of the cardinal sins of adulthood is embarrassing your kids—especially if they’re teenagers. As an unruly adolescent myself in a past life, I have vivid memories of my mother calling me “Cooch” in front of my friends, or my Dad’s bizarre obsession with 2Pac’s “How Do U Want It” (“That song is bad!” he…
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How I Got My Black Card
I stand before you today a black woman with a shocking secret: I wasn’t born black. I know what you’re thinking (#NoDolezal). And I assure you that on a frigid winter day in the early Reagan era, my parents did indeed bring home a peanut butter-colored baby. But the Council of Negrotude (AKA my extended…
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Locking Up Black People Is Big Business
Last week, I got to participate in American Injustice: A BET Town Hall. It’s a series of live conversations with leaders from Cory Booker to Kamala Harris about how we got into this crisis of mass incarceration. It’ll air this Sunday. If there’s one thing I want people to take away from it, it’s that…
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I Tried to Land a Date From a Street Sign
We sit around the dining room table on the cusp of the itis. Somehow we gather enough energy to keep the party going into dessert—homemade flan. I slide my spoon into the substance. I’m a picky eater with immature taste buds. I already know the outcome. I do not repeat. “So, y’all got any friends,…