culture
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Should I Propose to My Man?
Dear Demetria: A friend is considering proposing to her boyfriend. I am against it, not because of gender roles but because a man will commit to you when he is good and ready. How do you feel about women proposing to men? —Anonymous In theory, I’m not against women proposing to their boyfriends. I was once a…
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Turn Your Passion Into a Product
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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Actor Joe Morton Talks Papa Pope and a Psychic Encounter
Veteran actor Joe Morton was familiar to most of us before he ever hit Scandal. In addition to appearances on Broadway, he has appeared in several films, including the cult classic The Brother From Another Planet and Terminator 2: Judgment Day, and on TV as Henry Deacon in Eureka, among other roles. The Root caught…
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What if Black Lives Really Mattered?
On the first anniversary of the controversial death of Michael Brown last week, protesters in Ferguson, Mo., took to the street with the urgent message that “Black lives matter.” The phrase has come to symbolize a movement largely focused around instances of alleged police abuse against black citizens, a problem that many in the movement have…
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Stevie Wonder Surprises 3 Cities With Free Pop-Up Concerts
It was a covert operation worthy of the Navy SEALs. In a little more than 36 hours, Stevie Wonder and his management and publicity teams succeeded in collaborating with three U.S. city governments to plan and execute the free, one-day pop-up concert series of the summer. Hundreds of Washington, D.C., workers played hooky from their…
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Here Are 7 Black Shows We Want to Reboot Instead of Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
Reports swirled last week that Will Smith hopes to bring a modern version of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air back to television. Now, as much as we love the Fresh Prince, the show wrapped with a tear-jerking series finale that doesn’t warrant a new version of the story. So we’ve decided to play TV exec and suggest…
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Why It’s Important to Remember Cuba’s Connection to Africa
Since President Barack Obama restored diplomatic relations with Cuba—culminating with the reopening of the U.S. Embassy in Havana last week after being shuttered for more than 50 years—much has been written about the country’s ties to black America. But this renewed relationship with Cuba allows African Americans to explore not only those connections but also Cuba’s connections…
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Racism in the Air You Breathe: When Where You Live Determines How Fast You Die
Countless African-American neighborhoods are plagued by some of the worst ongoing environmental disasters that exist on the planet. There’s often a landfill, highway, airport or oil refinery next door. Nearby you can find contaminated bus depots, nasty subway stops, plus the lead in old houses, which can lead to neurological disorders and learning difficulties (pdf).…
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Morgan Freeman’s Stepgranddaughter Stabbed to Death in NYC
TMZ is reporting that Morgan Freeman’s stepgranddaughter was fatally stabbed Sunday morning outside her home in New York City. E’dena Hines, 33, was found lying on the street in Manhattan’s Washington Heights neighborhood. She had suffered multiple stab wounds to her torso, the report says. She was rushed to a local hospital, where she was…
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Enhanced Security at Straight Outta Compton Is Straight Outta Racist Playbook
Straight Outta Compton, the F. Gary Gray biopic about legendary hip-hop pioneers N.W.A, may have defied expectations, with an astounding $59 million at the box office expected its opening weekend, but moviegoers were still treated like “Niggaz Wit Attitudes.” Amid a swiftly growing Black Lives Matter movement—which has ramped up protests as the political cycle…