Search results for: “node/olympics”
-
The Root's Clapback Mailbag: The More Things Change
On August 25, 2017, The Root changed the world when it began a feature called the Clapback Mailbag. Back then I thought white people would NEVER stop being racist but I must admit I was wrong. We’re really proud of the part we played in changing the national zeitgeist. Thanks to us, you get to…
-
A Call to Action to Ensure That Our Community Is Counted
The year 2020 has felt like a decade, and we are only two-thirds of the way through it. This year was already slated to be packed with important moments: the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, the presidential election in the fall, and of course, a host of weddings, births, graduations and other important moments in one’s…
-
Emmy Nominations Spark Conversations About Latinx Representation and Anti-Blackness
Recently, the Television Academy and ceremony producers announced that the 2020 Emmys will be officially going virtual, a day after announcing the nominees. However, a much more important conversation materialized out of the nomination results, particularly as it relates to race and culture. On Tuesday, John Leguizamo (When They See Us), tweeted a link to…
-
Take Off Your Mask, Terry Crews
The coronavirus changed me. Before this pandemic, “Caucasian Acoustic Cruising” was one of my favorite pastimes. I loved rifling through YouTube to find examples of white people playing guitar while earnestly singing acoustic versions from the most ratchet negro songbook available. I watched this video of Chad Whitman (Not his real name, but probably his…
-
Damn, Y'all. Vince Carter Is Really Done
In a past life, I hated Vince Carter. My girlfriend at the time did a horrendous job of hiding her high school crush on the recently drafted, North Carolina product. So as he spent his rookie season defying gravity and performing the type of aerial stunts typically reserved for a trapeze artist, I stewed with…
-
Sorry, LeBron. Bill Russell Makes a Compelling Argument As to Why He's the Greatest Athlete in NBA History
LeBron James is a freak of nature. He might not crack Paul Pierce’s top 5 of all-time, but as I explained before at this very site: “Never in the history of the NBA have we seen a player with Karl Malone’s size, Michael Jordan’s athleticism and explosiveness, Kobe’s guile and Magic Johnson’s otherworldly passing ability…
-
Michael Jordan Has Some Explaining to Do
Since ESPN’s The Last Dance aired, there’s been plenty of discussion as to whether or not Michael Jordan was involved in Isiah Thomas’ exclusion from arguably the greatest basketball team ever assembled: the 1992 Olympic Dream Team. Jordan has maintained for decades that he had nothing to do with Thomas’ omission—a stance he reiterated in…
-
Naomi Osaka Tops This Year's List of Highest Paid Female Athletes [Corrected]
Tennis Star Naomi Osaka has broken the all-time record for female athlete’s earnings in a single year, according to a new report from Forbes. 22-year-old Osaka earned $37.4 million in the last 12 months from prize money and endorsements, making her the world’s highest paid female athlete. Another famous black tennis player, Serena Williams, had…
-
Blackballed Reminds Us Why 'Shut Up and Dribble' Is Not an Option for Today's Athletes
For fans of the Los Angeles Clippers—which admittedly, is a relatively new concept—April 25, 2014, is a day that will live on in infamy. Donald Sterling, who had spent decades oscillating between openly discriminating against black and brown tenants and being universally reviled as the worst owner in professional sports, had been caught on tape…