culture
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Living With Debt: Stop Buying It When You Can’t Afford It
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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8 Transgender Women of Color Who Are Doing More Than Just Being Visible
Caitlyn Jenner broke the Internet yesterday when she introduced herself to the world, becoming the first out transgender woman to grace the cover of Vanity Fair magazine. Undoubtedly, Jenner will give some transgender people hope that they can live as their authentic selves—a necessary and affirming message. However, her story—one in which someone can announce…
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Throw Away the Script: How Media Bias Is Killing Black America
Media injustice, which leads to both the erasure and criminalization of marginalized communities, has had dire consequences for both the psyches and lived experiences of black people in the United States since at least the 18th century, when newspapers ran lost-and-found ads for runaway slaves. In 1964 it compelled Malcolm X to stand before a…
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Searching for Summer Books for a Young Reader?
It is no secret that the publishing world—especially in children’s literature—is overwhelmingly white. Fortunately, awareness of this issue has been rising—in part because of a new organization called We Need Diverse Books. And yet, the representations of blackness in literature for young people remain terrifyingly slim. A study by the Cooperative Children’s Book Center at…
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Snoop Dogg’s All Grown Up, and His New Music Is the Audio Version of Linen Pants and Fish Fries … and That’s a Good Thing
When it comes to the maturation of rappers, I have more faith that Rick Santorum and the pope will go half on my gay-wedding gift than that most emcees will age gracefully. There are a few rappers who have done so—Queen Latifah and Ice Cube come to mind—but they don’t actively release rap albums anymore.…
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My Top 5 Songs: Misty Copeland’s Playlist for Lovers
June is African-American Music Appreciation Month, and as we celebrate the sounds that have inspired generations both past and present, the talented Misty Copeland has provided a special glimpse into the songs that influenced her life. Starting from childhood, Copeland details how her all-time favorite songs have shaped her into the woman she is today.…
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Jaden Smith Wore a Dress to Prom
Sixteen-year-old Jaden Smith is all about making bold fashion statements. So it should come as no surprise that he rocked a dress on Friday when he took actress Amandla Stenberg to the prom, writes E Online. Sternberg, 16, who played Rue in The Hunger Games, shared on her Instagram page on Friday a photo of herself decked…
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Basketball, Out; Lacrosse, In?
Are the outliers “in?” History was made in March when African-American swimmers finished first, second and third in a single event in the women’s Division I NCAA championship. African-American. Swimmers. For a long time, when it came to African Americans and sports, it was a safe bet to follow the money. The trail ended at what it…
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Parents’ Shaming of Children on Video Is No Different From Cyberbullying
There’s yet another viral video of a black parent publicly shaming her child. In this one, a 12-year-old boy named Terrence, who came home smelling like marijuana, got a “George Jefferson” haircut from his stepmom. To make matters worse, the stepmom, Aaliyah Hines, found out that he also failed the seventh grade and will have…
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Marilyn Mosby and Nick Mosby to Be Guest ‘Ringmasters’ at Upcoming UniverSoul Circus Performance in Baltimore
If you’ve become enamored in recent weeks with the work of Baltimore City State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby and, by association, her husband, City Councilman Nick Mosby, since the indictments of six police officers in the death of Freddie Gray, then you’re about to see a little bit more of them both. But not in the…