culture
-
Look at All These Monuments From Around the World That Honor Those Who Fought Against Slavery
When Haiti unveiled Le Negré Marron statue in 1967, it became a symbol for freedom of black people across the world. The sculpture is a reminder of the rebellion against the French that set the Haitians free. The bust depicts a bronze man kneeling on one knee, torso arched, while holding a conch shell at…
-
Put Them in Hotation: A Practical Guide for Managing Your Casual Sex Relationships
On Sunday’s episode of Insecure, we followed along as Issa worked to navigate the seas of casual relationships. She referred to her growing roster of datable and fuckable men as her “hotation,” which is a cute and clever name for something many women (and, of course, men, but we are going to talk about women…
-
For White People Who Compare Black Lives Matter to White Supremacy
On Tuesday, Rep. Robert Pittenger (R-N.C.) appeared on a Fayetteville, N.C., radio show to talk about whatever Republicans talk about when they are asked to discuss the pile of lies in their nonsensical political agendas. The topic of conversation eventually reached Donald Trump’s public head nod to the white supremacist movement. According to the Charlotte…
-
Watch: Issa Rae: ‘We Will Find a Way to Shine’
Black and Proud is a video series on The Root that focuses on the pride that our favorite black celebrities, tastemakers and thought leaders feel about being black. Many of them talk about our resilience and strength throughout history, and some talk about our undeniable talents, while others mention our dance skills, dopeness and more.…
-
Join The Root in Miami for a Discussion on How Climate Change Is Affecting Black Communities
For years, gentrification has been changing and reshaping black communities across the country. But in Miami, gentrification includes another factor: climate change. In South Florida—where people of color were redlined into less valuable areas, away from the sandy, tropical beaches—sea levels are rising faster than normal, bringing regular coastal flooding. Now real estate investors and…
-
Mented Cosmetics Has the Perfect Lip Gloss for Women of Color
Earlier this summer, The Root highlighted New York City-based Mented Cosmetics and its endeavors to create nude lipsticks for women of color. The black-woman-owned company now has a new lip-gloss line that’s sure to rival its lipsticks. Harvard Business School grads K.J. Miller and Amanda E. Johnson are the women behind Mented, and in a…
-
Washed-Up Confederate-Flag Waver Who Stole Black Music Says ‘Fuck Colin Kaepernick’
You know how sometimes you forget a person’s name even though you can see his or her face in your mind’s eye? How you can remember everything about the person, except his or her name? That’s the exact state of mental purgatory in which I find myself as I write this. I’m sure it’ll come…
-
Why Aren’t White Supremacists on the Terror Watch List?
On Feb. 11, 2016, federal agents escorted 38-year-old Safya Roe Yassin out of her Buffalo, Mo., home and charged her with multiple terror-related crimes that could ultimately result in five years’ imprisonment, three years’ supervised release and $250,000 in fines. Yassin’s charging documents (pdf) reveal how she operated multiple social media accounts that sympathized with…
-
And They Say Chi City …
Some people just aren’t built to be rock stars. The big audiences, the grueling travel, the long stretches away from home, living out of suitcases and a new city almost every night … it takes a lot out of the most stable among us. In the early 2000s, I was touring with the national company…
-
What White Men Fear Most Is Coming to Pass … They’re Being Erased. Isn’t That Ironic?
Every day, since Heather Heyer lost her life at the hands of white supremacists, and our president abdicated his moral authority by not thoroughly condemning them, America and its politicians seem to have grown a conscience (or a pair). Since the carnage of Charlottesville, Va., politicians, especially those who once sought to drill down on…