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  • Gabby Douglas and the Damning of Black Women

    In her two Olympic appearances, Gabby Douglas has ignited much discussion, both for her accomplishments and for what others perceive as her less-than qualities. On the very shallow end, we have the comments made about her edges—which, when you have a certain texture of natural hair, no matter how much you brush them or gel them…

    By

    Jouelzy

    Published

  • Unique Views, Episode 7: White Lies, the Birth of a Scandal and Celebrity Crushes

    “Hey, y’all; I’m a white Olympic swimmer who dyed his hair gray, and I got robbed by some bro-zillions. Psych. I’m lying. But hey, I’m white and I’m already home, so who cares? Amirite!?” Looks like Ryan is out here Lochte-ing, and on episode 7 of Unique Views, he’s just one of several topics we…

    By

    Yesha Callahan

    Published

  • The Story of Bresha Meadows: Who Will Sing a Black Girl's Song?

    Bresha Meadows, 15 years old, sits inside an Ohio Juvenile Detention Center. On July 28, Bresha walked into her parents’ room and killed her sleeping father with a .45-caliber, semi-automatic handgun. Having enduring years of “mental, physical, emotional” abuse, Bresha—along with Brandi, her mom, and the entire family—lived in constant fear. Only two months earlier,…

    By

    The Root Staff

    Published

  • White Lies: A Brief History of White People Lying About Crimes

    Before there was Olympic thug Ryan Lochte, who lied about being robbed in Rio de Janeiro, white people were notoriously known for either committing crimes and pinning them on fictitious black folks or just blaming them for made-up or heinous crimes committed by someone else, because racism. Here’s a brief history of black people being…

    By

    Danielle Young

    Published

  • Michael Phelps' Gold Medals Can't Outshine Usain Bolt's Black Brilliance

    Michael Phelps is an amazing athlete. The most-awarded Olympian of all time, he has collected an incredible amount of hardware for his display case: 23 gold medals, three silver medals and two bronze medals are nothing to scoff at. He’s an icon, an ambassador for his sport and, to quote Jay Z, not just a…

    By

    Lawrence Ware

    Published

  • To Those Who Think Women Who Enjoy the Club Aren’t Marriage Material: Stop Judging

    How does a mid- to late-30s lady who goes out a lot, enjoys life with no kids but wants to be married with kids very soon deal with the judgments that no man will marry her if she’s like this? —Anonymous Ugh. I hate the messages our culture sends to single women about what will…

    By

    The Root Staff

    Published

  • Nonprofit BMe Deposits $1,000,000 in Black-Owned Bank, Calls on Others to #BankBlack

    In the #BankBlack movement, one organization is putting its money—$1 million—where its mouth is. BMe Community, a national network dedicated to strengthening communities with the help of black men, is redirecting $1 million of its deposits into OneUnited, the nation’s largest black-owned bank, making BMe the “preferred nonprofit” for the bank, while OneUnited has become…

    By

    Breanna Edwards

    Published

  • A Hip-Hop Hall of Fame for the ‘Other Guy’

    If you’re a fan of hip-hop, you know what I’m talking about. In most rap groups, there’s a standout emcee who is the face of the franchise, the leader of the team and the straw that stirs the drink. But we’re not talking about that. We’re talking about the other guy in the group. You…

    By

    Corey Richardson

    Published

  • Black Lotus Is a Woman’s Search for Racial Identity in a Racist World

    “‘Passing’ describes the choice to identify as a member of another racial group rather than face social prejudice,” writes Sil Lai Abrams in her memoir, Black Lotus: A Woman’s Search for Racial Identity. “Today the term is used almost exclusively to describe black people who consciously adopt a white identity.” But for Abrams, born to…

    By

    Hope Wabuke

    Published

  • An Open Letter to Nate Parker

    Nate, I’ve always liked you. With interest and enthusiasm, I’ve watched your career evolve, and have been eagerly anticipating the release of The Birth of a Nation—both enthralled with the clips I’ve seen and kicking myself for not making it to Sundance this year. This is a story that has long needed to be told,…

    By

    Maiysha Kai

    Published