culture

Has Drake fallen off? I’ve had a hunch that this was happening for a little over a year now, but the pop-culture whirlwind of Meek Mill and “Hotline Bling” threw me off the case. The truth was buried beneath a shower of memes and GIFs. Somehow, the stench of tepid-hotdog-water bars found their way into…

Last week I was invited to a screening at the Tribeca Film Festival of the first episode of the Roots remake, set to premiere on the History Channel on Memorial Day. During the screening, which took place at the School of Visual Arts Theatre in New York City, a random white woman sat in the seat right…

Beyoncé is our reigning pop queen. And considering the success of Lemonade, the visual album that aired on HBO, it’s a given that her wardrobe, her hair and makeup, and her imagery will be studied and imitated for the rest of the year. There is nothing wrong with this. Well, there’s nothing wrong with most…

Remember a couple of episodes ago when Olivia Pope belittled Abby Whelan, Abby exacted revenge and as a result, Olivia bashed Andrew Nichols’ head in with a chair? Well, Olivia and Abby are now engaged in a gladiator-vs.-gladiator death match as they try to deliver a win for their candidates, Sen. Mellie Grant and Vice President…

Infertility is a disease. And National Infertility Week is dedicated to raising awareness of reproductive health. This year the week kicked off April 24. Let’s admit it—using fertility clinics, freezing eggs and even surrogacy are still somewhat taboo in the black community. Even as we hear more and more about reproductive health from celebrities—Tyra Banks,…

You may not care about that American Sound Awards storyline on Empire, but Cookie does because she thinks that it’s an opportunity to show the world the Lyon family is strong and that it will help Lucious regain control of their company. In last night’s episode, “More Than Kin,” Cookie makes it happen. Let’s go!…

Four in 10 African Americans have been personally impacted by gun-related violence and believe “there is a perception that the rest of the country doesn’t care about it.” That’s what was written in a new study on gun violence being released Thursday. A comprehensive study, “Engaging Communities in Reducing Gun Violence: A Road Map for…

In part 3 of The Root’s video series on Afrofuturism, we get inside the creative mind of John Jennings, a professor of graphic design at the University at Buffalo, as well as an award-winning cartoonist, illustrator and graphic novelist. He was pulled into Afrofuturism as a method of investigating and debating topics of black agency,…

To her credit, my mother has always allowed me to go my own way in life, for better or worse. Even if she has something to say out the side of her mouth from time to time (like every black mama), she has never actively tried to block any of my movements. And there’s no…