culture
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Do Biracial Men Have It ‘Easier’ Than Biracial Women?
Full disclosure: I love Sage Steele. (I know she’s not Drake, but stay with me.) If you don’t know anything about sports, Steele is a veteran journalist who came up in the Indianapolis news scene and made it all the way to the hallowed halls of Bristol, Conn., and ESPN. Even though I have long…
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4 Theories on Why Kanye Is Still So Obsessed With Amber Rose
Wednesday afternoon, Kanye West went Peak Kanye with his hourlong rant of consciousness directed at Wiz Khalifa, where he insulted Khalifa’s music and his status as a rapper while also giving Khalifa what seemed to be genuinely sincere compliments. Kanye West is a weird duck. Unfortunately, Kanye didn’t stop there, as he felt the need…
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Donald Trump: Politician or Comic Book Supervillain?
There are a lot of ways you could describe Donald Trump: Business man. Reality-television star. Republican front-runner. Vehement racist. Comic book supervillain? Yes, the Donald may not don the garish costumes and makeup of the Joker (although one could debate about his hairpiece), but much of what he says does sound as if it could…
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Why We Need More Films About Slavery
I was prepared to dislike Kara Brown’s Jezebel article, “I’m So Damn Tired of Slave Movies,” based on the title alone. That sentiment has been popular lately, given all the attention garnered at the Sundance Film Festival for actor-turned-director-producer-screenwriter Nate Parker’s upcoming film, The Birth of a Nation. Reports from Utah say the movie—a biography…
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In a New Documentary, Spike Lee Celebrates the Genius of Michael Jackson and Leaves Everything Else Out
Like a lot of people, Spike Lee first fell in love with Michael Jackson as a little boy watching the Jackson 5 on television. “The way they looked—young black boys, big Afros—they could sing, they could dance, all that,” Lee told The Root during an interview at the Sundance Film Festival, where his documentary Michael…
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Come on, Ma. Can’t You Stop Wearing That Mink?
Aliya’s turn: I wish I could get my mom to stop supporting the fur and diamond trades. She knows the horrors that go into both industries but still refuses to stop buying fur coats and diamond jewelry. Now, I remember the first time my mom bought a fur coat. I remember how luxurious the coat…
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A Magical Presence on the Stage and Screen: Condola Rashad
Condola Rashad is making a name for herself. The young actress, who turns 30 this year, has largely made her mark in theater. For her debut, she nabbed a starring role in Lynn Nottage’s 2009 Pulitzer Prize-winning play, Ruined, and earned a Drama Desk nomination. Subsequent roles in the Kenny Leon-directed Stick Fly and The…
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The Real Housewives of Potomac Is a Show That ‘Bravely’ Asks, ‘Who Is Black in America?’
A long time ago, back when everyone I knew personally was black and my world was much smaller, everyone was embarrassingly blunt about their colorism because they were 9 years old and had no filters. I knew the girls who were bullied because they were dark. I knew the girls who were bullied because they…
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How Can I Start a Family-Dinner Tradition When My In-Laws Hate My Cooking?
I cooked a huge Sunday dinner for my husband, my family and my in-laws because my husband wants to start a new tradition. He wants this to be a regular thing. My family was complimentary, but my in-laws were very obviously less than impressed. I’m a bit offended and sad that his family wasn’t happy…
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Nate Parker’s The Birth of a Nation Sells for Record Price at Sundance
When the lights went up after a Sundance screening of Nate Parker’s film The Birth of a Nation, the bidding war began, leading to the steepest price ever paid for a film at the festival—$17.5 million—by Fox Searchlight. The film’s reception was described as “electrifying.” Its title is no doubt intentionally provocative: Parker’s film shares…