black books matter
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'She's So Real': The Root Presents: It's Lit! and Michaela Angela Davis Discuss The Meaning of Mariah Carey
Fun fact: we highly considered naming this week’s episode of The Root Presents: It’s Lit! “All I Want for Christmas Is [Truth].” After all, our guest this week is veteran fashion stylist, editor, activist, and now author Michaela Angela Davis, who this year helped bring the long-awaited life story of Mariah Carey to the page—and…
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Stamped (For Kids): A New Adaptation of the Bestseller Will Provide 'an Antiracist Building Block for Children'
“Adults struggle to discuss race and racism. But what if we were discussing race since we were kids? What if we were learning about racism since we were kids?” This is the question posed by Ibram X. Kendi, the award-winning author, activist and historian whose many groundbreaking books on race and antiracism in America include…
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Learn Writing With a Master: Walter Mosley Is Sharing His Creative Process on MasterClass
If you’ve been trying to decipher the mystery behind writing great fiction, let acclaimed mystery writer Walter Mosley be your guide. Actually, Mosley, who this year became the first Black man to receive the National Book Award’s Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters for lifetime achievement in writing has written far more than mysteries…
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The Root Presents It's Lit! Goes Black to the Future With Kimberly Drew and Jenna Wortham
Remember zines? Okay, maybe we’re dating ourselves, but younger versions of The Root’s Editor-in-Chief Danielle Belton and I (Managing Editor of The Glow Up, Maiysha Kai) were early fans of the format, maybe even producing a few zines of our own. (Okay, that definitely happened). Historically, zines organize various creators and mediums around a single…
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'I’m a Black Person for Real. I Love Us.' The Root Presents: It’s Lit Talks Writing for the Next Generation With Jason Reynolds
Jason Reynolds famously didn’t read a novel cover-to-cover until he was nearly 18. At 36, he is one of the preeminent—and most prolific—young adult authors of this or any other generation, earning accolades and awards and carving a niche for both himself and an oft-overlooked demographic of would-be readers just like he once was by…
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The Root's One-on-One With Barack Obama
Because he’s been pretty low-key about it, you might not be aware that a promising politician that we’ve been keeping an eye on released A Promised Land on Tuesday—a book that offers a firsthand account of Barack Obama’s journey to becoming America’s first Black president. When The Root discovered this information, we thought we’d help…
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Barack Obama's Newest Memoir Is Dedicated to the Women in His Life
As we endure the last 65 days of an American presidency that has continually undermined the dignity of the office and a current occupant of the White House who refuses to effectively lead or leave, it’s only natural to get wistful for days past. While plenty of past presidents have been flawed (who isn’t?), prior…
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'We're Better Than This, but Just Barely' The Root Presents: It's Lit Talks Democracy With Dr. Maya Rockeymoore Cummings
“So, it turns out that we’re better than this, but just barely,” laughs Dr. Maya Rockeymoore Cummings in the days after a historic but still contested election, one which her husband, the incomparable Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.) unfortunately didn’t live to see. Dr. Cummings’ quip is a play on her late husband’s famous quote and…