culture

Today, Barack Obama announced more cabinet and adviser selections. They, however, come without surprise. Outside the cabinet will be his campaign foreign policy adviser, Susan Rice as U.N. ambassador, and retired Marine Gen. James L. Jones as national security adviser. In the cabinet, Obama selected Eric Holder as Attorney General, Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano as…

Did anyone read Marie Arana’s opinion piece in Sunday’s Washington Post? If not, don’t bother. Here’s a synopsis (Well, actually, it’s an impersonation): Barack Obama is not black. He is multi-racial, like me (Arana). We can’t keep calling him black. If we do, then we will be ignoring his other ethnicities. But, since we are…

The first time I noticed the question being asked, the victory parties were barely over, tears of joy were still being shed and Oprah continued to vibrate. Inquiring minds in the black literary community really wanted an answer: Would there be an Obama effect in the publishing industry? People weren’t talking about Barack Obama’s own…

What’s a place in history worth? For a spot close to the inaugural city, out-of-towners are willing to shell out some major cash, spending as much as $57,000 a week for rent in Washington D.C or neighboring cities. With an expected one million visitors descending on the capital city this January, many local residents hope…

With all the talk about the economy and Obama’s transition team, The Buzz completely forgot about the soon-to-be second in command. Does anyone know what the heck happened to Joe Biden? Last we saw him, the potential VP was blowing out candles on the cupcakes Obama surprised him with for Biden’s 66th birthday. Perhaps, the…

Many folks older than 25 spent their childhoods at the layaway counter, wayyyyyyyyy in the back of a store, watching Mama put away that fly winter coat, entry-level designer bag or warm boots until they were paid in full. Now layaway is back! Over the past two decades, it had become little more than a…

Last year, The Root’s deputy editor, Terence Samuel, revealed that he hated stuffing. The staff at The Root couldn’t believe it, and neither could many of our loyal readers. The original article is printed below. I hate stuffing. No, I’m not saying that I hate a particular kind of stuffing—like stuffing that’s too bread-crumby, or…

Nov. 28, 2008—In a recent Kmart commercial, a man asks, “Didn’t we just carve pumpkins?” as his wife happily rushes off to get a jump on her holiday shopping. The spot, which started airing before Halloween, makes light of the fact that enticements to holiday spending seem to start earlier each year. Retailers are scrambling…

Nov. 28, 2008—Last Friday, the New York Knicks made two trades, getting three journeymen players, forwards Al Harrington and Tim Thomas and guard Cuttino Mobley (whose health has kept the trades from being considered final). But to hear the locals tell it, the Knicks just acquired LeBron James. The New York media and the local…

When Michelle Obama took to describing her new role as mom in chief, my first reaction was to wince at her words. My second reaction was to identify with them. I was okay, actually, with what Obama said. But I worried: Did she have to say it out loud, quite so explicitly? Is it really…