culture
-
Consent, Explained, for People Who Still Don’t Get It
Who is Rev. Run? And who is Tyrese? Rev. Run is a hip-hop legend who’s made a second career out of disseminating homespun, succinct and alliterative aphorisms that manage to sound 17 times wittier and wiser than they actually are. He’s basically the working-class man’s Steve Harvey. And Tyrese? Well, Tyrese is a man with an…
-
Caught on Tape, Caught in a Lie: 5 Times Video Proved Police Were Lying
For police officers, does caught on tape mean caught in a lie? You know the stories. The officer felt threatened, the suspect charged and the officer, claiming fear for his or her life, had to shoot. But when there’s video, these stories are not as cut-and-dried. In fact, in some cases, officers are caught flat…
-
Q&A: Patti LaBelle Drops Pearls on The Root
The 71-year-old soul-singing icon, Patti LaBelle, doesn’t let dust settle under her feet. A true Gemini, Miss Patti, as she often refers to herself, does it all. After making her name in the 1970s as the one-and-only Lady Marmalade, LaBelle (who to this day is a touring artist) has developed quite the repertoire. The chaunteuse…
-
Review: Smart People Is an Intelligent Take on the Role of Race in Our Everyday Lives
Smart People is exactly what you would expect it to be: smart, sexy and provocative. It’s no surprise, considering the play is the brainchild of Lydia Diamond, the playwright behind Stick Fly, the hit Broadway play about an affluent African-American family who confronts issues of race and class. And Diamond doesn’t do it alone. Directing…
-
Filmmaker Out to Prove That Black Superheroes Can Be Leading Characters
Editor’s note: This short-film series is a collaboration between The Root and El Rey Network to support, elevate and promote African-American filmmakers throughout Black History Month via on-air, digital and editorial platforms. Filmmakers were contacted and recruited through film festivals and industry partnerships in December, with finalists selected by both El Rey Network and The…
-
I Miss the Old Kanye
Kanye’s latest album, The Life of Pablo, has been reviewed and discussed at length in the almost week since it was made available via Tidal, and not always for good reasons. The music is super well produced, and the featured artists all add wonderful layers to what is a pretty schizophrenic project. The music is…
-
Scandal Recap: Olivia and Mellie Become Besties
During Scandal’s midseason premiere last week, we saw a number of strange realliances—Fitz and Jake, Jake and Papa Pope, and Olivia and Mellie—but this week, folks got into formation as they geared up for what looks to be a scandalous presidential race. Olivia Pope and her new BFF: The episode kicks off with Olivia giving Mellie Grant notes…
-
Is Sex With an Uncircumcised Man Really Better?
I am a 28-year-old married man and I am about to have a son. When we were told that we were having a boy, my wife and I discussed whether he should be circumcised or not. It brought up a touchy subject. I’m circumcised, but my wife has often said that she has experienced more…
-
No, Sexism Is Not the Main Reason Beyoncé Was Criticized and Kendrick Lamar Wasn’t
It’s been almost a full three days since Kendrick Lamar unleashed holy blackness on the Grammy stage, performing “The Blacker the Berry,” “Alright” and a verse from an untitled song that didn’t make the final cut of his Grammy-winning album, To Pimp a Butterfly. It was a powerful, defiant statement about the state of black…
-
Toni Morrison Has Always Refused to Privilege White People in Her Writing
Toni Morrison, who celebrates her 85th birthday today, has always enjoyed using her immense talent with words to write about blackness. Her entire writing career—which spans over four decades and includes more than enough books to fill your shelves—has not included the white experience or privilege. In an interview with Charlie Rose, Morrison discussed the…