culture

What a difference a year makes—this week marks the first anniversary of not only The Root, but President Barack Obama’s sweeping victory in the South Carolina Democratic primary, a drama-filled event that brought our nation’s racial fears, assumptions, long-held grievances—and an abundance of hope—into the winter sunlight. But do the words chanted by thousands on…

After suffering major losses in the last two elections, Republicans have a chance to make history as well as inroads with crucial minority voting blocs next weekend when they meet to select their next chairman. Two African Americans are campaigning to lead the Republican National Committee when it holds its annual winter meeting Jan. 28-31…

Lawmakers on Capitol Hill are bracing for a fresh request from President Obama for another massive round of spending to shore up the nation’s faltering financial system, which could send the total price for the bailout soaring toward $1 trillion. So far, Congress has approved $700 billion for the financial system rescue. The first half…

Former New York Times Executive Editor Howell Raines has written a spot-on ode to the black preacher for The Daily Beast. While it’s easy to pooh-pooh the political machinations of high-profile clergy like Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton, Raines focuses on the recently-lionzed Joseph Lowery. Though Ta-Nehisi Coates is moderating some heated back and forth…

“The president of the United States is black. Literally, not figuratively, not in some socio-psycho-political sense. But dark skin, black wife, black children. His name is Barack Hussein Obama, and despite the fact that it was a worldwide spectacle witnessed by billions or that the oath of office was administered twice, there is still a…

Huffington Post better watch what they write about the youngest White House kid, Sasha Obama, from now on. Michelle Obama Watch (MOW), a blog dedicated to reporting on anything and everything about the new First Lady, jumped on Huffington Post’s case after it posted an article on it’s 23/6 site calling 7-year-old Sasha “sassy.” This…

Over at Mother Jones, Debra Dickerson has a powerful and insightful essay on why the age of President Barack Obama means that “Class is the New Black.” Her thesis seems to rest on the idea that the heretofore invisible black middle class—which comprises some 40 percent of the US African-American population—has had mainstream exposure for the…

Ever since last summer, when Barack Obama became the presidential candidate for the Democratic Party, black friends have told me myriad stories about non-black people smilingly congratulating them. “He could become president!” they enthused. Could and did. But he didn’t become president of black America: He became president of the United States of America—all of…

Sometimes new politics means more than just new voters, new leaders and new policies. There are times when it serves as the spark for something more. Now is that time for African Americans. There is a call out there for a ”Festive 40-Day Fast for the Future.” The idea is to establish and achieve a…

In the hate-to-say-we-told-you-so category, Texas Republican Sen. John Cornyn has vowed to hold up Eric Holder’s nomination to be attorney general because he’s scared Holder will prosecute Bush functionaries for torturing people. Holder, who would be the first black AG, refused in his nomination hearings last week to say he wouldn’t pursue prosecutions. After days…