culture
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Civil Engineering: How 30-Year-Old Karen Civil Grew Herself Into a Multimedia Brand
A surname like Civil almost begs to be branded, but life wasn’t always that simple for a Haitian woman who grew up in New Jersey and once dressed in Goth gear and listened to the Backstreet Boys. What started as a way to meet people who shared a common interest sparked an idea that…
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Abuse and Mental Illness Add a Double Dose of Drama to Alfre Woodard’s New Film
Mental illness, still very much a taboo subject in the African-American community, is tackled head-on in the new movie Knucklehead, starring Alfre Woodard and Gbenga Akinnagbe. Seeing black characters dealing with mental-health issues on the big screen is still a rarity. Recently, Fox’s hit TV drama Empire has featured a character who suffers from bipolar…
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‘T-Dogging’ Through The Walking Dead Season 5 Finale
Season 5, a bounce-back season for The Walking Dead, ends this Sunday with a 90-minute finale. The Walking Dead has had its ups and downs but really hit its stride this season, finally becoming the thrilling and complex show all of us who read the comics hoped it would be. But there is still one…
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Scandal Recap: Throwback Thursday
This week’s flashback-heavy Scandal episode, directed by the multitalented Regina King, took us on a journey deeper into Cyrus Beene’s past, starting at his first marriage … to a woman, through his second marriage to James Novak (may he rest in peace), all the way to his latest trip to the altar with Michael the sex worker. We also uncover…
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Your Bestie Slept With Your ‘Friend With Benefits’? Girl, Please
My best friend of seven years slept with my “friend with benefits.” Yes, I have no claim to the man, but I let them both know prior to this incident—after they made out in front of me while drunk—that it made me uncomfortable. They both agreed to respect how I felt. Fast-forward two weeks: We…
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18 Mariah Carey Songs You’ve Probably Never Heard
Editor’s note: This week we’re celebrating the birthdays of phenomenal performers who not only share late-March birthdays but who also have voices that have defined their generations. On Monday we honored the Queen of Funk, Chaka Khan. On Wednesday it was the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin, and on Thursday we celebrated the boss, Diana Ross. Today…
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Lauryn Hill Concert Review: Star Still Arrives Onstage Late but Is Worth the Wait
Maybe the two-city Small Axe: Acoustic Performance Series tour signals Lauryn Hill’s return to the contemporary-music scene. Her sporadic appearances and legal troubles did little to give fans hope that the artist who blew us away on the Fugees’ The Score and the path-breaking The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill was indeed back for real, for…
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The Root Hosts manCODE Event in NYC
Wednesday night in New York City at the event space 404, 180 African-American men came together to network, share insights and engage with a multigenerational panel of black men from all walks of life. The Root’s annual event, called manCODE, sponsored by Prudential, is designed to provide a safe space where men can speak openly about…
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Supreme Diva: 5 Iconic Diana Ross Moments
Editor’s note: This week we’re celebrating the birthdays of phenomenal performers who not only share late-March birthdays but who also have voices that have defined their generations. On Monday we honored the Queen of Funk, Chaka Khan. On Wednesday it was the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin. Today it’s the boss, Diana Ross; and on Friday, the…
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How These Former Inmates Are Fighting for Prison Reform
Yusef “Bunchy” Shakur, Shaka Senghor and Chris Wilson are activists, community leaders and businessmen. They are also among the formerly incarcerated. The three are speaking out about their journey from prison to prosperity and why the American justice system needs to move away from mass incarceration and more toward rehabilitation and reform. Their efforts as…