Opinion
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Apparently, White People Need 'Grace' and 'Empathy' From Black People
My uncle be lying. When I was a kid, my uncle James, whom we called “Junior,” owned a Rottweiler named Duchess. Duchess was huge, well-trained and house-broken but my mother and sisters were all afraid of dogs, so it was usually my responsibility to feed and care for Duchess whenever my uncle was out of…
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Blackness in Los Angeles Is Historic and Trendsetting
Arguments have been made recently that Washington, D.C., Birmingham, Ala., and Harlem are the blackest cities in America. Those arguments are not without merit. Each of those cities has made significant contributions to black history, without a doubt. I would like to posit that my hometown, Los Angeles, is so iconic, so full of black…
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Should You Wear Blackface? A Guide
I was yesterday years old when I realized how much white people love blackface. I had always known it was a popular Caucasian Halloween activity because every year, a high school teacher or a bank executive pops up dressed as Kanye West or Esther Rolle at the local all-whites fall festival. It’s funny that these…
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You Can Be Pro-Black and a Prosecutor
Since announcing her intention to run for president this past Martin Luther King Day, a firestorm has swirled around Sen. Kamala Harris. Some attack her for her personal life; others attack her based on her record as a prosecutor in California. Kamala served as San Francisco district attorney from 2004 to 2011 and as California…
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The Root's Clapback Mailbag: If…
I know it’s late. I was doing stuff. Also, before we get into this week’s shenanigans, I wanted to let you guys know that if you see a picture on my yearbook page of me doing something stupid in college, it was actually me. So before the National Enquirer blackmails me, I am going to…
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To be a Black American Muslim Woman Is to be Both an Insider and an Outsider
If I had to describe my relationship with Islam in one word, it would be nuanced. Two words? Profoundly nuanced. I’m not a hijabi Muslimah, and because I don’t wear hijab, I blend. I blend in with other black Americans who like other people, don’t recognize that my entire name is Arabic, which could be…
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There's No Place Blacker Than Birmingham, Ala., and If You Disagree…Fight Them
Look at those beautiful faces. Those are the children who lived in Birmingham, Ala., in 1963. Because this picture was taken only 55 years ago, many of those people are still around today. They were and are still angels. But don’t let those sweet faces fool you… Those negroes will fight. When I chose to…
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Harlem’s Blackness Is Triumphant. When It Comes to Blackest City, There Is No Competition
There are very few words synonymous with blackness. “Harlem” fits that bill. Harlem is a place, yes, but it is also an idea; it is an exhortation. It is our very own Oz. In fact, Harlem, unlike most things in America that signify blackness—“inner city,” “urban,” “welfare”—is triumphant. It represents the very best of us,…
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Maybe Black People Need a Wall
On Tuesday, a few hours before Donald Trump’s Shout-Outs of the Union speech, Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall announced that he wouldn’t bring charges against the police officer who shot and killed 21-year-old Emantic Bradford Jr. I tried to listen objectively as the bullshit-artist-in-chief used one-third of his speech to demonize undocumented immigrants, painting them…