Opinion
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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…
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Why White People Love Blackface, Explained
Hey Racist Baby! Why do you look so concerned? Jail? What has your dad done now, Racist Baby? No, Racist Baby. The “PC” is an abbreviation of “political correctness.” It’s a term white people use when they don’t want to be condemned for doing something that offends people. What exactly did your dad do? No,…
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The Root's Clapback Mailbag: The Master Baiter
It’s my work-iversary! Two years ago today, I began working at The Root as a staff writer. Since then I have been trying to get a promotion and a raise based on the responses I often receive from our white readers. In many of the emails, tweets, direct messages and comments, I am often accused…
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A Tale of Two Faces
My mother tells me I look like my grandmother, a brown belle whose features I know only through faded photographs and choppy 8mm film strips. I try to imagine the experience of a woman with whom I seem to share a face, with her growing up under Jim Crow in the 1910s and 1920s as…
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Sarah Sanders Said God ‘Wanted Donald Trump to Become President.’ God Responds
On Wednesday, White House Spokesliar Sarah Suckabee Sanders told the Christian Broadcasting Network that she believes God wanted Donald Trump to be president of the United States, according to a transcript of the interview provided to CNN. “I think God calls all of us to fill different roles at different times and I think that…
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Tom Brokaw’s Comment on Hispanics Wasn’t Racist. It Was White Magic
Confession: I was a magic nerd. When I was young, I was really into the art of illusion. During my adolescence, I spent my meager allowance on three-dollar rope tricks and magic sets from Spencer’s Gifts. I learned the finger palm, the false drop, the sleeve tuck, and—although I never wore a top hat—I often…
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Maybe We Need Tighter Sword Control Laws: Anchorage Man Reportedly Brings Knife to a Sword Fight
En garde, bitch! I imagine that’s how a sword fight starts in 2019. Police have a suspect in custody following a fight that took place in an Anchorage mall food court, resulting in a knife stabbing and a sword slashing, according to police. The suspect apparently had a small arsenal of an ax and some…
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The Root’s Clapback Mailbag: A Kinder, Gentler Mailbag
Something weird happened. This weekend, the boys of Covington Catholic High School’s Junior Klansmen of America took a field trip to Washington, D.C., and…well… You’ve probably heard what happened. Apparently, everyone in America initially thought the Kentucky state racism champions were out of line. Then, after a well-organized public relations campaign, white America changed its…