culture
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In Case You Forgot, Cops Are Still Killing Black People
Does Donald Trump go to the beauty-supply store to buy his Remy hair or does he send the Secret Service? Will Blue Ivy be the lead singer of Destiny’s Grandchildren, or will the BeyHov twins form their own rap group? When Republicans pass the Affordable Health Care Act, will you be able to purchase handguns…
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Scandal Recap: What in the Huck Is Going On?
Last week, Jake the Snake dragged (no, literally dragged) Olivia Pope into the woods to show her that Jennifer Fields was still alive. This week, Olivia interrupts a sexy boxing sesh between Huck and his adorable new lady friend, Meg, and summons Huck to some truck stop where Jake left her. Olivia knows that her…
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10 Thoughts on Drake and His ‘Playlist,’ More Life
Disclaimer: I’m not sure I’m a Drake fan, but I’m not NOT a Drake fan, either. I listen to all the albums and have listened to Drake songs when washing dishes, changing diapers and eating brussels sprouts. I’m an informed listener, so I’m speaking on More Life as a music enthusiast and avid consumer who…
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Being Mary Jane Recap: M.J. Finally Gets What She Wants, but at What Cost?
The midseason finale is here, and Mary Jane just might finally have what she’s being working so hard for: Ronda’s anchor chair. Or at least that’s what it’s been twisted into, since Mary Jane was forced to play dirty with the woman who was once her supreme idol. Oh, but it can never be so…
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Black Cop Kills Unarmed White Kid? Everything Isn’t as It Seems in Fox’s New Series Shots Fired
Oscar Grant. Michael Brown. Eric Garner. Freddie Gray. Anthony Hill. Philando Castile. Alton Sterling. These are just a few names from a much longer list of black men who have died at the hands of law enforcement in less than a decade. So when the new Fox show Shots Fired ran early trailers zoning in…
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Exclusive: ‘You Can’t Buy a Boss’: Nick Cannon on His Split From America’s Got Talent
Nick Cannon looked relaxed as he hosted a listening party for his music artist ItsaMovie, a 20-year-old Atlanta-area native, Tuesday night at M Bar, located on historic Auburn Avenue in Atlanta. Despite reports of his health challenges, Cannon, who just became a dad again to a third child, a son named Golden, looked well. “I…
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Watch: Women at Work: Meet the Audio Engineer Who Moves to Her Own Beat
Editor’s note: For Women’s History Month, The Root is celebrating women from a wide range of professional industries in our video series Women at Work. “Being a woman and a music producer and an engineer is a very special task,” says Ebonie Smith, who works as an audio engineer, music producer and studio coordinator at Atlantic…
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‘I Brought You in This World and I’ll Take You Out’: How Black Folks’ Obsession With Whupping Is Killing Us
Spare the Kids: Why Whupping Children Won’t Save Black America is one of those necessary African-American reads, like Between the World and Me; I’m Judging You; and Coldest Winter Ever. It’s not just for dinnertime conversation or deep professional panels, it’s for everyone. Spare the Kids, written by Stacey Patton, Ph.D., professor of journalism at Morgan…
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Has the NFL Blacklisted Colin Kaepernick?
On March 7 the National Football League began its free agency period—the time when teams can offer a contract to any unemployed player. In a league where it is impossible to win without a quarterback, teams usually throw bucketloads of money at veteran starting quarterbacks in an effort to lure them to their franchise. A…