culture

CNN: Baltimore Surgeon Heals Wounds, Behavior CBS: The Fight Against Colon Cancer in the Black Community ESPN: Plaxico Burress’ Lawyers Talks Plea with DA; Says “Isn’t Shooting Yourself Bad Enough?” AP: Serena Williams Voted POY; Some Argue Michelle Obama’s Guns Still Superior MTV: T.I. Gets Year and a Day; Says Year Easy, Day Hard BJ:…

True, there are plenty of basketball stories right now amid March Madness and the ever-tightening races for playoff position in the NBA. But there’s an important addition that should not be overlooked. This weekend marks the 70th anniversary of a landmark event in basketball. On March 28, 1939, the New York Renaissance, an all-black professional…

Singer Dionne Farris had become little more than a musical footnote, that talented backup singer on Arrested Development’s alternative hip-hop classic “Tennessee,” who wrested the song from lead vocalist Speech as she wailed, “won’t you help me, won’t you help me, understand your plan.” Thankfully, she has resurfaced—on the Internet. For Truth If Not Love…

At first blush, HBO’s new series, The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency, is an exercise in naiveté: It’s set in modern Botswana, but with its lush, color-saturated scenery, easy-going characters and airy, all’s-well-that-ends-well approach, it feels like a throwback to a mythical Africa, a kinder, gentler Africa that has little to do with the realities…

Soulja Boy Tellem! Hopped up out tha bed, Turn ma swag on, Took a look in tha mirror said wassup, Yeeeeea, I’m gettin’ money (oohhh) -“Turn My Swag On” by Soulja Boy Tell ‘Em I have to admit, I sort of begrudgingly love Soulja Boy’s “Turn My Swag On.” Though the Blackademic within should probably…

Will the black hair wars ever end? Will the morning hair-combing hostilities between black mothers and daughters ever cease? Will the permed vs. natural debate be resolved in our lifetime?     As a veteran of the Great Hair Skirmishes of the 1960s, I witnessed a brief, shining moment when large numbers of black women conquered the…

For many black women, a trip to the salon is more than just pampering. A missed appointment can add hours to a black woman’s week—pulling through tangles and wrestling with blow-dryers and flatirons. More than the tiresome manual labor, missing a regular spot means missing the black salon experience: the enclave of warmth, comfort and…

WEDNESDAY, 12 P.M. — Have a pressing hair question? It’s time to get things straight. Share your hairstory with The Root and join the washingtonpost.com Live Online discussion: AN ECONOMIC TWIST ON HAIR with Yodith Dammlash and Delece Smith-Barrow. ***** The bank might be calling about the mortgage. The lights might get cut. The car may break down on…

You’ve read our take on tangles and locks. Now it’s time for you to weigh in. How has the recession affected your ‘do? What’s your best or worst hair memory? We know you have plenty to say, so write in to [email protected] and share your twist on hair with The Root. Be sure to include…

Last year, I cut my hair. I cut off my twists and went back to my legacy ‘do, my beloved short crop. There was no big political decision involved, no personal crisis, no spiritual journey. I just decided I wanted to spend more time in the pool for the rest of the summer, and I…