culture
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Photos: The Root Took Over Hot-lanta With Its manCODE Event
On Wednesday The Root continued its manCODE discussion series for 2015 at the Atlanta Contemporary Art Center. Approximately 200 young black professionals, seasoned executives, fathers and a few young sons gathered to discuss entrepreneurship, the social-justice issues affecting our communities and the legacies that black men strive to leave behind. The event was sponsored by Prudential. The conversation was shepherded by a…
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The Lessons My Father Taught Me
There are few holidays that elicit a more complex set of emotions than Father’s Day. Some people use the day to think about the challenges they faced (and overcame) growing up without a father. Others see the third Sunday in June as another chance to highlight the tremendous work single mothers do to raise children.…
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A Father’s Day Ode to Strong Black Hands
A recent New York Times front-page story recited the tragic and too-familiar litany of stories of “vanishing” black men who are disproportionately targeted by the criminal-justice system and therefore disproportionately absented from communities and the lives of their partners and children. These concerns are real, and the ramifications are matters to which dedicated teachers, lawyers,…
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On 'Liberty' and Lies: U.S. Flag Also Symbolizes Anti-Black Terrorism
In the wake of the terrorist attack on Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina, a social media campaign has emerged to #TakeItDown, urging South Carolina to remove the confederate flag from the South Carolina State Capitol building. Dylann Storm Roof, the 21-year-old white supremacist responsible for the attack, holds deep hatred for Black…
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Omari Hardwick: Taking Steamy Love Scenes to Another Level
In the last two years, former NFL hopeful Omari Hardwick’s Hollywood backup plan has been going especially well. He’s made a huge impact, from playing Mary Jane’s married lover on BET’s Being Mary Jane to starring as lead character Ghost on Starz’s Power. The Root caught up with Hardwick in his hometown of Atlanta to…
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Papa Don’t Take No Mess: 5 Films That Show Black Fathers Doing Whatever It Takes
On Sunday we celebrate all the contributions of our fathers. And if you’re anything like me, you’re probably still figuring out what to get your own dad for Father’s Day. But after you’re done signing your name on that last-minute Hallmark card while your father stands in the other room, sit back on the couch…
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8 Times the Black Characters of Orange Is the New Black Made Us ‘LOL’
Netflix released all 13 episodes of the third season of Orange Is the New Black last week, so you’re all caught up now, right? Season 3 played with our emotions. There was intense drama—including a suicide attempt, a hate crime and heartbreaking visits to the SHU—but OITNB also delivered inspired comedy. You can thank a…
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‘Things Fall Apart’: On Mother Emanuel and White Terrorism
Zion Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Natchez, Miss., the church of my youth, was established in 1866, approximately 50 years after Emanuel AME Church, referred to as “Mother Emanuel,” in Charleston, S.C. It is the intertwining legacies of these two institutions that came to mind when I first heard that Emanuel’s pastor, the Rev.…
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Moms vs. Dads: Is the Competition Real?
I tell all young, new fathers: “Be Dad. Never try to compete with who and what Mom does. Not your job.” I stand by that statement 100 percent. A month ago, restaurants, florists and third-grade school projects all spiked in anticipation of Mother’s Day. I am not hating “good job” Mom. However, I am an…
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Charleston Shooting Gets Strong Response From Congressional Members
Strong reactions came from the political world Thursday over the tragic massacre of nine people at a historic black church in Charleston, S.C. Wednesday night, alleged shooter Dylann Roof, 21, opened fire on a Bible-study group meeting at the “Mother” Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church, killing six women and three men, including the church’s pastor,…