culture
-
Black Women and Girls May Run the World, but They’re Not Safe in It
In black America during the 1970s, the portraits of MLK, JFK and Jesus hung on every family’s wall. Today, the new trinity of Oprah, Beyoncé and Michelle Obama could almost replace them. But the increasing power and cultural influence of black women don’t equal protection. Black women’s accomplishments, despite their continuing struggle, illuminate how sexist…
-
The Root 100 No. 1s: Ben Jealous, a Supreme Builder of Bridges Over Left and Right
Benjamin Todd Jealous first made a national name for himself in 2008 when, at age 35, he became the youngest leader of one of America’s oldest and most esteemed civil rights bodies, the NAACP. Before Jealous began his five-year tenure of the then-99-year-old organization, it was clear that the NAACP had calcified into a shell…
-
This Week’s Game of Thrones Was a Replay of Every Black Fight Ever
Wait … was I the only person in the Seven Kingdoms who thought this whole let’s-capture-a-White Walker-and-bring-him-back plan was the stupidest idea since the male romper? (No, that is not a homophobic or gender-normative statement. The male romper is a shitty idea, and by “shitty,” I mean that the good Lord has only blessed me…
-
So, 2 White Women in ‘Make America Great Again’ Hats Walk Onto an HBCU Campus …
There are certain weeks in history when you just don’t want to test black folks’ patience. These weeks include but are not limited to: Jan. 23-30, 1977: The week that Roots originally aired. April 29-May 4, 1992: The week four officers were acquitted of beating Rodney King. Aug. 12-19, 2017: The week white nationalists attacked…
-
Girls Trip Hits $100,000,000 at Box Office, Proving Yet Again That Hollywood Should Always Bet on Black
Girls Trip, the breakout hit of the summer, has crossed the $100 million mark at the box office, proving, yet again, that movies for and by black people can put asses in theater seats. The comedy—starring Jada Pinkett Smith (black), Queen Latifah (black), Tiffany Haddish (black) and Regina Hall (black); directed by Malcolm D. Lee…
-
Step: Black Girls Stomping All Over Adversity to Create a Rhythmic Safe Space
On the totem pole of society, black girls are distributed at the bottom. The magic within us is an unmatched recipe consisting of our resilience, perseverance and love. No matter the adversity and hate hurled at us, we rise from the ashes like an intoxicating phoenix. And this is the feeling you’ll get while watching…
-
To Be Clear, White Supremacy Is the Foundation of Our Country. We Won’t Destroy It by Toppling Statues
From the white supremacist “rally” and terror attack in Charlottesville, Va., to the current president’s public defense of Nazis to the recent uproar over HBO’s controversial decision to green-light a new series portraying a Confederate victory, it is clear that our nation is in the midst of a very public—and painful—reckoning with the memory (and…
-
Crown Heights Exposes a Very Common American Problem: Wrongful Conviction
The time is 1980. The place is the Crown Heights section of Brooklyn in New York City. The man is 18-year-old Colin Warner. It’s a familiar scenario. An unarmed black man is walking through his own neighborhood, minding his business, when, within the blink of an eye, his whole life changes. Police officers pull up,…
-
Judge of Characters: The ‘Alt-Left,’ White Genocide and Other White Nonsense That Doesn’t Exist
This week, we’ve been faced with more Donald Trump make-believe. In a delayed press conference after the tragic white supremacist riot in Charlottesville, Va., we all watched in horror as Trump mentioned that he was supposed to be addressing veterans benefits but Charlottesville happened. And then he basically ignored the loss of a life and…