culture
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Episode 1: Our Video Series Shares Never-Been-Told Stories of the Memphis Sanitation Workers
In Memphis, Tenn., 1968, 1,300 sanitation workers braved the bitter cold to engage in a revolutionary 65-day action to defend their right to personhood. These men struggled against the noose of white supremacy to proclaim their dignity. They stood, shoulder to shoulder, armed with picket signs and perseverance, determined to declare to the world, “I…
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Baggage vs. Experience: What Do You Take With You and What Do You Leave Behind?
On a recent The Root After Dark Twitter chat, I asked people to tell me how quickly they fall for people and how soon after that they reveal their feelings. The responses were wide and varied, but there was a recurring theme: A lot of people said that even if they felt something right away,…
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The Caucasian Panthers: Meet the Rednecks Armed, Ready and ’Bout That Anti-Racist Life
On Dec. 4, 1969, law enforcement officers raided a home at 2337 Monroe St. in Chicago. First they killed Mark Clark, who sat by the door with a shotgun. Then they trained their gunfire on the south bedroom and opened fire. When the cops stopped firing, they pulled the 21-year-old chairman of the Illinois Black…
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Tracing Your Roots: How Did My Ancestors Come to Texas?
On the trail of a great-great-grandfather from Louisiana who farmed in Texas at the height of Jim Crow. Dear Professor Gates: I have been working on my family history for several years; now I have hit a brick wall with my great-great-grandfather John H. McCants. I have only been able to locate him in the…
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Watch: Taraji P. Henson Kills (People) in Her Latest Role in Proud Mary
Taraji P. Henson is a stellar actress, but sadly, most people recognize her from Empire. Maybe they were under rocks for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Hustle & Flow, Hidden Figures, Baby Boy or any of the other silver screen hits in which she’s appeared.. And while Henson has made her Empire character, Cookie,…
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The ‘Gay Agenda,’ Explained
No problem. I love our little talks. What would you like to know? Yes, I am. I have no idea. I know, I know. I have been accused so often of being a part of the mysterious gay agenda that I have accepted my role—even though I have yet to receive a copy of this…
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So You’re Afro-Latinx. Now What?
Congratulations, mi negra! It finally happened. Today you looked into the mirror and said, “I’m black. Soy negra. Vaya.” You embraced your black or brown skin, your curls and kink. No small feat for a Dominican. You’re ready to forgo the centuries of Dominican anti-Africanism and embrace your brothers, sisters and cousins of the African…
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How Do You Label Your Sexuality? How Do You Define It?
When it comes to sexuality or sexual orientation, “straight” and “gay” have become somewhat simplistic in a sea of new terms that provide complex definitions for the varying ways in which people describe themselves. You can be gay and monogamous or straight and polyamorous. The way we define our sexuality is as unique as the…
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Nipsey Hussle, Homophobia and Toxic Black Masculinity
What is the gay “agenda”? Can you point me to the document that explains and outlines it? What is the goal of the gay agenda? How is it that with everything else going on, people want to point to the gay agenda as the thing that is tearing the black community apart? Those questions are…
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How io9’s Evan Narcisse Went From Writing About Comics to Writing Rise of the Black Panther
Oprah’s Golden Globe speech. The 50th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination. The Atlanta season 2 trailer. Marvel’s Black Panther dropping in a month. We’re only a week into 2018, and the official Conscious Negro Advent Calendar is already half full. However, Oprah, Atlanta and MLK are all known properties, but aside from a…