clapbacks
-
The Root's Clapback Mailbag: Black-on-Black Clapback
Y’all won. Every week, as I prepare for the Mailbag, there’s always at least one very angry white person asking why I blame racists instead of calling out my own people. So this week, I decided to do that. This week, I decided to highlight anti-black black people who are so enamored with whiteness that…
-
The Root's Clapback Mailbag: Our Formal Endorsement for President of White America
The Root hates Bernie Sanders. The Root loves Bernie Sanders. Neither one of those things is true but, depending on which candidate you support, you either think The Root is actively trying to sabotage your candidate by painting them as a racist or we are selling out for Joe Biden. Or maybe it’s Elizabeth Warren.…
-
The Root's Clapback Mailbag: The Last Refuge of the Scoundrel
A wise man (I think it was Rakim…or maybe my cousin Geet) once said: “Patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel.” Whoever said this was obviously not a regular reader of the Friday mailbag. If they were, they’d know that scoundrels have a variety of refuges, including: “Yo’ Mama”: The last refuge of child…
-
The Root's Clapback Mailbag: Valentine's Day Edition
Every Friday, we clap back at hateful emails, tweets, DMs and comments from our readers. But, since today is the day when we celebrate romance, I thought we should respond to some of our emails that were about love. Unfortunately, there were none. So, we’ll just do what we usually do. Our first letter is…
-
The Root’s Clapback Mailbag: The State of the Clapback Is Strong
My fellow Americans, I come before you today with good news. For nearly three years, we have addressed our readers’ emails, DMs, tweets, and comments in the weekly Mailbag. And in all those times, I have never shied away from an opportunity to clap back at my haters. But this is not Michael Harriot’s Clapback…
-
Clapback Mailbag: The Lion's Solution
We interrupt our usual clapback session for a very special Mailbag. I am often asked why my writings don’t contain more solutions. Instead of complaining about racism, I guess I’m supposed to fix white people. It’s like robbing someone and then telling them to stop complaining about their money problems and work harder. But I’m…
-
The Root’s Clapback Mailbag: A Racist In the Sun
In 1951, the great American poet Langston Hughes, in his poem, “Harlem,” asked: What happens to a dream deferred? Does it dry uplike a raisin in the sun?Or fester like a sore—And then run?Does it stink like rotten meat?Or crust and sugar over—like a syrupy sweet? Maybe it just sagslike a heavy load. Or does…
-
The Root’s Clapback Mailbag: The Fresh Prince of Mailbags
Now this is a story all about howEvery Friday, I turn white smiles upside downI’d like to take a second…Maybe a minute or twoto tell you how I became a racist at a site called The Root. In Black America, I was born and raisedPoetry and economics is where I spent most of my daysBut…
-
The Root’s Clapback Mailbag: A Salute to the ‘Good Ones’
For too long, the writers at The Root have ignored the plight of those whose labor goes unrecognized and unheralded. In our fight for equality and justice, we have forgotten one outstanding group of Americans who are willing to lay their lives on the line. But that ends today. Today’s Clapback Mailbag is dedicated to…
-
The Root's Clapback Mailbag: Based on an Almost True Story
Happy New Year! In 2020, we will be doing something different with the mailbag. Don’t worry: the mailbag will still come every Friday. We’ll still answer a selection of emails, tweets, DMs and comments from our readers. We will continue to fuel the mailbag with white tears. But this year, we’re also going to respond…