culture
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BET Honors 2016, a Celebration of Black Excellence: Lee Daniels, Patti LaBelle, Eric Holder Jr. and More
On Saturday, some of the biggest names in entertainment, business and politics gathered together in Washington, D.C., at the Warner Theatre to honor black excellence at the BET Honors 2016. The initial taping, which was scheduled in February for Black History Month, was postponed because of weather, but the makeup date was every bit as…
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While I Don’t Ever Want to Go to Prison, if I Did, I Would Want a Papoose in My Life
When I found out that Remy Ma would be joining the cast of Love & Hip Hop: New York, I was concerned. Is that the kind of show most conducive to a woman who was found guilty and sentenced to eight years in prison for shooting someone in the stomach in a dispute over money…
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They’ve Done the Time but Are Still Paying for the Crime
Charles McKinney is a convicted felon, and he has horror stories to tell about his quest to find work once he got out of jail. “You drift from job to job so you don’t get the question asked, ‘Have you ever had a felony?’” McKinney says. “Once I came home … instead of being faced…
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Mavis Staples Tells Her Own Story in HBO Doc
Legendary singer and civil rights activist Mavis Staples has been in the business of making music and changing lives for over 60 years. The Chicago-born singer with the signature raspy voice launched her career in 1950 as part of the family gospel group the Staple Singers, consisting of her father (Pops) and three older sisters…
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Hotep, Explained
What does “Hotep” mean? “Hotep” is an Egyptian word that means “at peace.” It’s basically the Egyptian “What’s good?” Over the past several decades, the word has also been utilized quite frequently by black Americans who happen to be more Afrocentric. Let me put it this way: If you happen to attend a Juneteenth festival…
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Stop Lying. If Donald Trump Wins the Presidency, You Aren’t Moving Anywhere
Here’s what will likely happen if Donald Trump becomes the 45th president of the United States of America: You may be shocked, you may be disgusted and you may think it’s about to be the worst four years of your life. I get it. The guy who hosted a show featuring NeNe Leakes, Brandi Glanville…
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When Will I Realize ‘2-Piece and a Biscuit’ Is Not My Friend?
On any given Sunday (or, really, any day that ends with “y”), I have the consumption habits of a 13-year-old boy. I’m talking gigantic, carb-heavy meals that prominently feature either rice, cassava or potatoes, and a big ole chunk of meat that I can consume with aplomb. I’m the queen of the Popeyes two-piece and…
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Watch: Michael Jackson Impersonator Does Spot-On Impression of Late Singer
Michael Jackson’s is one of the most distinct voices in all of music, so it is pretty impressive that this M.J. impersonator does a really nice job. See below:
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Join The Root in Celebrating #BlackHistoryForever
We’re getting rid of Black History Month. No, this is not us standing in solidarity with Stacey Dash. This is an extension of Black History Month. Black History Month is a glorious celebration of our contributions to the world. But it’s only a month. There have been decades of complaints about black history being limited…
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An Open Letter to Melissa Harris-Perry From a Grateful Student
Dear Professor Harris-Perry: When the news broke that you would no longer be appearing on MSNBC, it signaled the end of a very important era for me. I was in graduate school at Princeton University when President Barack Obama was sworn into office as our first black president, a time when we could only speculate…