Opinion
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‘More Racist than Ferguson’: Hoover, Ala., and the Inevitable Death of Emantic Bradford Jr.
While I don’t know who shot Emantic Bradford Jr., I can tell you that his killer works for me. Every time I go to buy groceries, I pay his salary. My property taxes paid for the bullets he fired. And everyone knew it was going to happen. When a Hoover, Ala., police officer shot 21-year-old…
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Throw Away Your Romaine Lettuce and Then Put the Rest of These Trash Foods in the Trash, Too
Jello Green bean casserole Turkey lunch meat Dates Boiled hot dogs Cottage cheese Coconut water Tiramisu Candy corn Easter Peeps Iceberg lettuce All puddings Mountain Dew Beets Turkey bacon Chicken nuggets Gin Pumpkin-flavored anything Hard-boiled eggs Caviar Prunes Hard pretzels Marriott Rewards Continental Breakfast sausage gravy Muffins Brownies Relish Unsweetened iced tea Coffee Sauerkraut Beer-battered…
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Marcia Fudge, Aisha Fraser, and the Fallacy of the ‘Bad’ Abuser
In 2015, as Cleveland Judge Lance Mason was scheduled to be sentenced for brutally beating his wife, Aisha Fraser Mason, Ohio Rep. Marcia Fudge penned a letter of support for the the judge, citing more than “20 years of friendship.” “The behavior Lance displayed on August 2, 2014, is out of character and totally contrary…
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Americans Don’t Disagree About What Racism Is … White People Do
In theory, I am the Pulitzer Prize-winning author Michael Harriot, Ph.D., a great husband and father who gave up a lucrative career in music to spend more time with my family. In reality, I have not been awarded a prize for my writing; I haven’t received a doctorate and my family would probably describe my…
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No, Van Jones, I Do Not Have to Give the Racist in Chief ‘His Due’
As someone who was born, raised, and currently lives in the South, I have grown accustomed to hearing colorful phrases infused with racist overtones, such as betraying someone by “selling them down the river” or hearing an unsolicited comment from the “peanut gallery.” In fact, a few days ago, I engaged my Yankee coworkers in…
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It Snowed in the Washington, DC Area Today for the First Time This Season. Let Me Tell You About My Commute
According to the crackerjack group of meteorologists who service the Washington, D.C., area (or at least the ones on the stations I watch who shall remain nameless), today would be a day with some snow flurries early, perhaps some light accumulation on the grass and this evening would be a likely mess full of heavy…
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Why It’s Taking Florida and Georgia So Long To #CountAllTheVotes, Explained
Well hello again, Racist Baby! I’m afraid it’s a little more complicated than that. No one is trying to steal the election, people are just trying to make sure all the votes are counted. Well actually, that’s not true. Because we have a white nationalist president, those seem to be the only places he wants…
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The Root’s Clapback Mailbag: Imagine
Last night was The Root 100, our annual salute to black excellence. After the event was over, the entire staff went out for a late dinner … Except for me. Most of our staff are off today … Except for me. The reason I went home early and insisted on doing a mailbag is that…
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Under the Influence: If Every Vote Counts, How Much Should a Celebrity Endorsement?
It was the kind of Hail Mary some pray for—like a last-minute, death-row pardon. But when Beyoncé publicly threw her support behind Texas senatorial candidate Beto O’Rourke, reactions were mixed, to say the least. Self-affirmed stans of the superstar praised their queen, while others understandably asked why she’d waited until the eleventh hour to use…