Black News and Black Views with a Whole Lotta Attitude

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Entertainment, Television

Is Amanda ‘Diva’ Seales Leveling Up as New Host of The Real?

Is Amanda Seales having the best year ever? The actress, comedian, author, singer, TV personality, podcaster, poet and social media influencer—who caught the attention of tabloid media for blasting Kim Kardashian for blackface last week—has reportedly been tapped to become the permanent fifth host of the The Real. According to the Jasmine Brand, Seales—who also…

By

Brooklyn Baldwin

Published

December 22, 2019
Entertainment

With No Fux To Give, Author Walter Mosley Exposes Hollywood’s Sensitivity to the N-Word

Maybe some people prefer the n-word only to be used in hip-hop. Walter Mosley, the legendary author of best-selling crime fiction classics such as Devil in a Blue Dress and Always Outnumbered, Always Outgunned, uses the word in his books and in real life. But that didn’t cut it at the Santa Monica, Calif.-based production…

By

Karu F. Daniels

Published

September 8, 2019
Culture

Michael Arceneaux's Debut Book, I Can't Date Jesus is For Those Who Unapologetically Bop…With Chicken Wings

“I just want to be in Miss Tina’s book club,” Michael Arceneaux says in a matter-of-fact way as he’s chatting about life, love and all things Beyoncé when he bopped his way to The Root’s office for an interview. Writer, Houstonian, practicing homosexual, Beyoncé life partner and now, author, Michael Arceneaux just dropped his debut…

By

Danielle Young

Published

July 24, 2018
Culture

Watch: Jenifer Lewis, the Undisputed ‘Mother of Black Hollywood,’ Tackles Mental Health Head-On

Mental health is a hefty topic of conversation, and oftentimes in the black community, it’s something that’s swept under the rug or prayed away. Living legend Jenifer Lewis says there is no shame in taking care of your mental health. Lewis has bipolar disorder, and in her new book, The Mother of Black Hollywood, she…

By

Danielle Young

Published

December 11, 2017
Author James Patterson to Pen True-Crime Book About Aaron Hernandez

Best-selling author James Patterson plans to write a true-crime book about former New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez. Patterson wants to figure out “what went wrong” that caused Hernandez to go from celebrated professional football player to convicted killer who committed suicide while serving a life sentence for the crime. The currently untitled book…

By

Stephen A. Crockett Jr.

Published

April 28, 2017
News

Nobel Prize-Winning Author Wole Soyinka Leaves US Over Trump Victory

Wole Soyinka, a Nigerian Nobel Prize-winning author, said that he has fulfilled his vow to leave the United States upon Donald Trump’s victory. “I have already done it; I have disengaged [from the United States]. I have done what I said I would do,” said Soyinka, according to The Independent. “I had a horror of…

By

The Root Staff

Published

December 2, 2016
Olympic Gold Medalist Simone Biles to Publish Memoir

It’s a great year to be Simone Biles. The powerful gymnast recently wowed us all on the world stage at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics, bringing home five medals in all. Four of those medals were gold—ranking her among a small, elite group of gymnasts who have done the same in a single Olympics. And…

By

Breanna Edwards

Published

September 6, 2016
News

Poet Elizabeth Alexander Named to Pulitzer Prize Board

Acclaimed poet, author and professor Elizabeth Alexander has been elected to the Pulitzer Prize board. Alexander wrote and delivered her poem “Praise Song for the Day” for President Barack Obama’s first inauguration in 2009 and was a finalist for the 2005 Pulitzer Prize for her book of poetry American Sublime and a 2016 Pulitzer finalist…

By

Stephen A. Crockett Jr.

Published

June 1, 2016
Very Smart Brothas

On Being Almost Famous And Feeling Like Otis

This past Saturday in Washington, DC, was the Library of Congress National Book Festival. It was a jolly good time where lots of authors got to talk about their books, the subjects of their books, and answer questions about the subjects of their books. I took my daughter so there was no going to see…

By

Panama Jackson

Published

September 11, 2015