culture
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Tracing Your Roots: Who Was My Black Colonial Ancestor?
A white woman discovers that she has African ancestry and wants help identifying her black New England forebear. Dear Professor Gates: I took a DNA test through 23andMe and it confirmed what I already knew: that I have black ancestry through my mother’s side, approximately 5.2 percent. There was talk during my childhood that my…
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The Root’s Clapback Mailbag
Every day, the staff at The Root receives emails, DMs and tweets about the content. While 83.2 percent of them contain some variation of “Not all white people” or the n-word, some of them are legitimate questions, complaints and comments about the various stories our readers digest. In an effort to make this site more…
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Let’s Love Hood Girls Who Aren’t Famous as Much as We Love Cardi B
It’s time for us all to admit that our beloved Cardi B is a national treasure and will save a nation. But it’s also time to reckon with the fact that our rightful adoration for Cardi B reveals a troubling truth: We dismiss, denigrate and force white-appeasing standards on black and Latinx women like her…
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Jon Snow’s Pimp Capes Are Actually Ikea Rugs. Here’s How to Make Your Own
If you follow our weekly series the Black Guide to Game of Thrones, you know that the Starks (and all the people in the North) represent black people in the fictional Game of Thrones universe, and even though Jon Stark does not technically have our blood running through his veins, Ned and Catelyn took him…
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Boycotting the NFL Will Not Work, but I’m Doing It Anyway
First I’d like to give honor to the Most High (Snoop Dogg), the members of the pulpit, the pastor, his wife, his mistress, the mother of the church, and all the saints and sinners in the audience. I am here today to ask for your prayers. I am about to endure one of the bravest…
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#ImWithKap: Hundreds Rally at NFL Headquarters for Colin Kaepernick, Call for Boycott if Demands Not Met
Nearly 1,000 people showed up at the New York City headquarters of the National Football League Wednesday in support of Colin Kaepernick, the quarterback many see as being unfairly blackballed for “taking a knee” during the national anthem. The former San Francisco 49ers quarterback knelt during the 2016 season to bring light to police brutality…
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Watch: Get to Know Beyoncé’s Ride-or-Die Dance Captain
If you’ve ever watched Beyoncé perform, you’ve probably noticed Ashley Everett whipping her curly, red locks by her side. Everett is Beyoncé’s beloved dance captain, and she’s been working with Queen Bey for over a decade. She knows all about loyalty and has become one of the key players behind Beyoncé’s flawless performances. Watch her…
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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…
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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…
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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…