Opinion
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Dear People Who Don't Respect Personal Space: WTF Is Wrong With You? I Hate You
I was at the mall the other day procuring some procurables from one of those spots that sells shit. It is my experience that many malls in America have ample free parking, but not the Fashion Centre at Pentagon City, locally know as Pentagon City. Parking is $3 for two hours, $4 hours for three,…
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Jasper Williams and the Stupidity of Respectability
There exists a piece of video with a quote I have been trying to find for years. I know it happened at the Reebok Grand Prix on May 31, 2008, because I was watching. I know the quote was made by sprinter Usain Bolt, who had just set a new world record. After the race,…
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You Are Not Part of the 'Resistance' If You Are Hiding Behind Anonymity
On Wednesday, the New York Times skirted its normal editorial policy and allowed a senior official in the Trump administration to write an anonymous op-ed essay titled “I Am Part of the Resistance Inside the Trump Administration.” The official explains in their essay that there is a contingent of administration officials who have “vowed to…
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Men Like Rev. Alexander Santora Are What's Wrong With White People
“I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I would wish that you were cold or hot. But because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth. – Revelation 3:15, 16. text On April 12, 1963, after being arrested for coordinating marches to end…
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The Constitution Is for White People: Why White Bullets Are Worth More Than Black Lives
“It is difficult at this day to realize the state of public opinion in relation to that unfortunate race which prevailed in the civilized and enlightened portions of the world at the time of the Declaration of Independence and when the Constitution of the United States was framed and adopted. But the public history of…
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The Root’s Clapback Mailbag: An Outlet for Repressed Whiteness
One of the thing that amazes me about the people who send emails, tweets and messages to writers at The Root is their demand to be heard. I know white people are born with an extra gland that secretes the “let me speak to your manager” hormone, but I can’t recall ever reading, hearing or…
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Phenomenal Women: On the Transformative Power of Black Women
Editor’s note: This story was written for an event where The Root was a media sponsor. On a rainy afternoon in August, Valerie Jarrett, April Ryan, Alicia Garza and the Rev. Dr. Renita Weems—truth-tellers, as I refer to them—descended on Lola’s in Martha’s Vineyard to discuss the intersections of race, gender and power in America.…
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Peak Beckery: Brooklyn Woman Steals from Local Black-Owned Bakery, Then Calls Her Actions ‘Harmless’
We know, we know, we throw the word “Becky” around a lot in these parts. But sometimes, there really is no other word that qwhite captures that particular blend of Caucasity, entitlement, split ends and aggressive victimhood. “Becky” is such a thing that Merriam-Webster (a.k.a. the damn dictionary) says they’re keeping their eye on the…