Politics

  • #WalterScott: Prosecutor Insists, ‘We Will Try Michael Slager Again’

    In a statement released Monday afternoon, Charleston County, S.C., prosecutor Scarlett A. Wilson said that she will retry former South Carolina Police Officer Michael Slager, 35, for the murder of 50-year-old Walter Scott. Wilson issued her statement soon after a jury deadlocked, for the second time, on whether or not the white police officer was guilty of shooting a fleeing,…

  • Watch: Get to Know Many of Our Incredible 2016 #TheRoot100 Honorees

    The Root 100 celebrates the best and brightest of those in the black community who constantly give back to the community. Each year The Root compiles a list of the most influential African Americans in the fields of business, science, politics, technology, social justice, sports and entertainment. Our 2016 list was topped by the great…

  • Jury Deadlocks in Trial of Officer Who Killed #WalterScott

    The jury in the trial of Michael Slager, the police officer who shot and killed Walter Scott, says it’s deadlocked after three days of deliberation, according to Reuters. In 2015, Slager pulled Scott over in North Charleston, S.C., and the encounter ended with Slager shooting Scott as a bystander recorded the incident. Scott died from five bullet…

  • Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Jim Brown, Bill Russell to Receive Legacy Award

    It feels fitting that in a time of the Movement for Black Lives and the last months of the first black president, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Jim Brown and Bill Russell, champions of social justice, will receive the Sports Illustrated Muhammad Ali Legacy Award, not only for their achievement in sports but also for their activism, Sports…

  • Veteran Denied Chili’s Discount Moves Out of Home Because of Threats

    Ernest Walker has moved his family out of their Ovilla, Texas, home because of racially charged threats he’s reportedly received, according to WFAA-TV. This is reportedly not the first time the U.S. Army veteran was disrespected. He received an apology from Chili’s restaurant after getting denied a free meal on Veteran’s Day. According to WFAA,…

  • Another Black Chicago Teen Shot and Killed by Police; No Gun Recovered

    Yet another Chicago police officer has shot and killed a 19-year-old black teen he says twice pointed a gun at him, but so far, no weapon has been found. Nineteen-year-old Kajuan Raye was described as his family as a “fun-loving and happy kid who had a bright future.” On Wednesday, police say, a sergeant was…

  • Baton Rouge, La., Settles Lawsuit With BLM Protesters for $100,000

    Black Lives Matter protesters who were arrested in July while demonstrating after the shooting death of Alton Sterling will receive a monetary settlement from the city of Baton Rouge, La. As part of the settlement the Baton Rouge Metro Council approved on Tuesday, four agencies will pay activist DeRay Mckesson and his fellow plaintiffs $100,000.…

  • Cincinnati Prosecutor to Retry Former Officer in Sam Dubose Shooting Death

    Hamilton County Prosecuting Attorney Joseph Deters announced Tuesday that he will retry former Police Officer Ray Tensing in the fatal shooting of Sam Dubose, a black man, during a traffic stop last year, CBS News reports. “It is our belief that the public attention that has been focused on the Tensing case could have, in fact, seeped…

  • 2 Cops Kill 21-Year-Old Man in Brooklyn, NY

    Another young person of color is dead after being shot by two New York City police officers Saturday. The New York Daily News reports that two police officers shot 21-year-old Erickson Gomez Brito after he allegedly attacked them with one of their own collapsible batons in a Brooklyn, N.Y., housing project. The News reports that Officers Jennifer…

  • Symone Sanders: 'Black Women Have Been Holding Up the Mantle for America Since We Can Remember'

    Symone Sanders is a force to be reckoned with, which is why she was named to The Root 100, our annual list of the most influential African Americans ages 25-45. The 26-year-old was formerly the national press secretary for Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and was No. 65 on our list. Like her ex-boss, Symone Sanders has…