culture
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Why Shonda Rhimes Chose to Celebrate a Year of Yes
If anyone should write a book on how to live life, it is Shonda Rhimes. The award-winning, highly successful TV producer has created an empire of hit TV shows in a field that is notoriously closed to women, not to mention women of color. As creator, executive producer and writer of three hit TV shows—Grey’s…
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Why My 8-Year-Old Calls Adults by Their First Name
Two years ago, on the first day of school, my daughter Emmy came home talking nonstop about “Allie.” Allie was so fun! Allie was so cool! Allie was so awesome! I told her that perhaps we could set up a playdate with “Allie” if it was OK with her parents. Emmy looked at me quizzically.…
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My Boyfriend Doesn’t Call While on Vacation. Am I Expecting Too Much?
My boyfriend goes on a mini-trip for two days, and I don’t hear from him unless I reach out. Meanwhile, he’s posting pictures of his grand old times on social media. I don’t expect long conversations, but a brief, “Hey, you’re alive! Me too!” doesn’t sound like too much to ask, does it? Or is…
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#JusticeForSandy: Sandra Bland’s Sister Calls on Loretta Lynch to Take Action
Dear Attorney General Loretta Lynch: My name is Sharon Cooper, and I am Sandra Bland’s sister. This has been a very difficult time for my family. Since Sandra’s death, we have been in mourning, but candidly, our ability to mourn has been paralyzed by the unusual and unsettling circumstances surrounding her death. That is why…
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Being Mary Jane Recap: Sexual Healing
Grown women do grown-woman things. In the case of Kara and M.J., those things are getting their sexual needs met without any strings attached. Get it how you live! Here are eight things we learned from this episode: 1. Cutty Buddy: Kara and Gael are surprisingly still dating, but she’s too busy with work and…
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Cheat Sheet: Everything You Need to Know About … New Edition’s All for Love
Just because you’re a ’90s baby doesn’t mean you shouldn’t brush up on your pop-culture history. The Root is here for you. In a new weekly feature called Cheat Sheet: Everything You Need to Know About, The Root will celebrate the anniversary of a major event in pop culture and make sure you know why…
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Ben Carson, aka the Negro Pat Robertson, Should Own His Homophobia
If there’s anything more annoying than a bigot, it’s a bigot who can’t own his prejudice. During last week’s CNBC Republican presidential primary debate, Ben Carson was asked why he would sit on the board of a gay-friendly company such as Costco, given his views on homosexuality. (He resigned from that board, as well as…
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Working While Black and Male in America
Harriette Cole is the author of the book of meditations 108 Stitches: Words We Live By and a contributing editor at The Root. Follow her on Twitter.
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A Letter to a Friend About Becoming a Parent
Dear Homie, If my math is correct, you’re set to become a father next month. Congratulations. There are few times in the life of a person more exciting (and nerve-racking) than the birth of your first child! As your friend and brother, I couldn’t be happier for you and the wife on this life-changing event.…
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BET Documentary Explores the Complexities of Being Black and Gay in the Church
“It’s about the fight for your soul,” says Clay Cane about his new documentary, Holler If You Hear Me: Black and Gay in the Church. “It’s about the struggle to be authentic, to honestly live your own life and have a spiritual space, too.” The battleground in the fight for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender…