culture
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Public Service Announcement: ‘Black Pride’ Is for Black People Only
If you reside in the nation’s capital and, at the end of every May, don’t notice thousands of black LGBTQ people descend from the gay clouds in their fiercest outfits to slay the weekend away, then you may be living under a rock. To be sure, Memorial Day weekend is certainly when we honor those…
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How Police Brutality Keeps America Poor and Uneducated
What if there were a way that cities could put millions of dollars into the school systems without raising taxes? What if your county could fix the roads and invest hundreds of millions into education without going into debt? What if there were a way states could inject funds into jobs and community programs without…
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Jason Whitlock, Please STFU About LeBron, Racism, Everyone, Everything Forever
Sports commentator Jason Whitlock hates black people. Wait, let me rephrase. Sports commentator Jason Whitlock has a history of hating on black people, making me think that when he walks past a mirror, he probably clutches his wallet (or purse; I don’t know his life) a bit tighter at his own reflection. Also known as…
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Unique Views, Episode 45: High on Covfefe
Nothing else matters this week except covfefe. Thank you, President Donald Trump, for being good for something. We all laugh to keep from crying—which so happens to be the theme of this week’s episode. Guys, there’s so much misery in the world, and the worst of it is my co-host, The Root’s Senior Editor Stephen…
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Black Music Month Playlist No. 1: You Haven’t Done Nothin’
To paraphrase Bruno Mars, American music is black music. When you consider that black people had a hand in creating or influencing just about every music genre—rock, pop, blues, R&B and even country—Bruno ain’t wrong. In 1979, President Jimmy Carter declared June to be Black Music Month in order to recognize the contributions that black…
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Ron Crowder and Street Works: Doing Black Harm Reduction and Public Health During a ‘White’ Drug Crisis
When I visit a city, I like to check out people doing interesting stuff. Usually these will be individuals or organizations working in social justice advocacy or activism, or in community-building services such as health promotion, educational equity, re-entry work, etc. Because of my own work, I often talk to people working at the intersection…
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Tracing Your Roots: My ‘Merikin’ Ancestor Escaped Slavery
Researching those who chose to fight for the British and emigrate to Trinidad in order to be free. Dear Professor Gates: I was wondering if you could help identify the parents of my five-times great-grandfather Ezekiel Loney, who was among the “Merikins” (formerly enslaved African-American soldiers who fought for the British) who settled in Trinidad. …
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Green Book Mobile App Turns the Painful History of Traveling While Black Into Tool for Learning
A new mobile tool combines the latest technology with the legacy of a forgotten past when “traveling while black” was an activity fraught with peril and danger. In a first-of-its-kind combination of history and technology, the South Carolina African American Heritage Commission has created a web-based mobile version of The Green Book—also known as…
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Princeton Professor Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor Cancels Public Appearances Amid Fox News-Fueled Death Threats
Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor, author of From #BlackLivesMatter to Black Liberation, assistant professor of African-American studies at Princeton and a 2016 The Root 100 honoree, has been forced to cancel all public appearances as death threats continue to roll in in response to her May 20 commencement address at Hampshire College, a private liberal arts college in Amherst,…
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Cavaliers vs. Warriors 3: LeBron May Not Catch Jordan, but He’s Better Than Kobe
I have no idea who’s going to win the NBA Finals. I don’t even know if part 3 of the Warriors-vs.-Cavaliers trilogy is going to be any good. For every Dark Knight, Bourne Identity or Iron Man trilogy, there’s an Austin Powers or Star Wars prequel trilogy. What I do know is this: No matter…