culture
-
How Silicon Valley Entrepreneur Tristan Walker Turned a Close Shave Into a Booming Business
Tristan Walker grew up on the hardscrabble streets of the Queens, N.Y., neighborhoods of Jamaica and Flushing, but he’s found a home in Palo Alto, Calif. He loves his native Gotham, but he’s now a Palo Alto man for one very compelling reason. “No one here underestimates you,” he said during a late-afternoon phone conversation…
-
‘It’s About Revolution’: Underground Gets Real About Escaping Slavery
Why another slavery narrative? One TV show cast is asking, “Why not?” That was the sentiment of the stars, writers and producers of the new slavery-based TV show Underground, premiering March 9 on WGN. The cast and crew, who were in Washington, D.C., last week to promote the series, spoke with The Root about the need…
-
Trump Watch: CBS CEO Thinks Bigot Is Good for Ratings and Ad Money
Updated Tuesday, March 1, 11:45 a.m. EST: Here is what makes Donald Trump’s candidacy more dangerous than the man himself: The news media still see him as a novelty and not a serious contender for the presidency, so his Islamophobia, misogyny and racism go largely unchecked. CBS CEO and Executive Chairman Leslie Moonves admitted that he…
-
The Sad State of Black Cinema
I’ve long been of two minds about Kevin Hart. On the one hand, I appreciate that he’s a seemingly bonhomous young brother who’s built an empire for himself by selling out shows and racking up receipts at the box office. There’s little more gratifying than a black man starting from the bottom (the actual…
-
Women, Stop Listening to Sexist Relationship ‘Experts’
I’ve spent several days thinking about Rev. Run, Tyrese, Amber Rose and their conversation about sexual consent on OWN’s It’s Not You, It’s Men. In short: Amber Rose had to explain that “no means no,” Tyrese talked about women’s sexual energy practically forcing men to “grope” them and Rev. Run threw in a heavy dose…
-
Oscars Red Carpet: Black Stars Represent With Classy, Elegant Styles
Jada and Will weren’t there; neither was Spike Lee. And directors Ava DuVernay and Ryan Coogler were working on serious issues like #JusticeForFlint. But black stars did show up to represent at Sunday’s 88th annual Academy Awards in Hollywood, Calif. Take a look.
-
Spirit Awards Honor Black Actors, 1st Transgender Woman
Yo, Academy Awards, this is how it’s done. At Saturday night’s Film Independent Spirit Awards, which recognize the best in indie films, three of the four acting awards went to black people, with Beasts of No Nation stars Abraham Attah (Best Male Lead) and Idris Elba (Best Supporting Male) winning alongside Tangerine breakout Mya Taylor (Best Supporting…
-
As Activists Continue to Use Technology to Fight for Justice, Access Matters
Those advocating for a freer and more just America have always used the latest communications technology to further their aims. In 1841, abolitionist Frederick Douglass launched the North Star newspaper using the advanced communications technology of the 19th century, the printing press, to fight for the freedom of black people. Douglass and the suffragists of…
-
Black Skiers and Snowboarders Hit the Slopes in Japan at the 2016 Japow! Powder Party
For the past three years, more than 200 black ski and snowboard enthusiasts have descended on the beautiful, powder-snow-covered mountains of Hokkaido, Japan, thanks to one snowboard-loving African-American professor who lives and works in Japan. The Japow! Powder Party is a great way to experience Japow! and a different culture. (“Japow” is a term used…
-
A Lifelong Lover of Books Breaks Ground Atop the Literary World
At 36 years old, Lisa Lucas is a woman of firsts. A little less than four years ago, she was appointed the first African American and first female publisher of Guernica magazine. This month she was appointed the first African American and first woman to be executive director of the National Book Foundation. “The National…