culture
-
The Root’s Clapback Mailbag: Cusswords, Awards and Our Old Friend Umar
It seems like only yesterday that we began highlighting the emails, tweets, comments and messages from our readers. As we close out 2017, we would like to thank our haters because we don’t know where we’d be without you. (Actually, we do know where we’d be without you. We’d be fractionally happier, I’d probably have…
-
Tracing Your Roots: DNA Connected Me With White Kin
A reader wants to know if and how the black and white branches of his family connected during slavery. Dear Professor Gates: My entire life, I’ve never met another person with the surname Tillage that I wasn’t related to. They all have originated from Murfreesboro, Tenn. My great-great-grandfather was named Jesse Tillage and was born…
-
Top 10 Disappointing Moments Black People Experienced in 2017
I don’t have to tell you how supremely tough 2017 was to deal with. Like, I’m sure we all could go on and on about how terrible this year truly was to each and every last one of us. Still, the year had some high points, which we pointed out earlier this week, but in…
-
Why Kwanzaa Is Lit Like 7 Red, Black and Green Candles
Each year, there are new essays or snide conversations about how black people don’t celebrate Kwanzaa. But I’m here to tell you that some of us do. Some of us have been doing it for decades. Yeah, I’m that unicorn. My mother is from Cincinnati and she grew up with Christmas, but when she had…
-
The Art of the Sexy Nude Selfie
Raise your hand if you have ever sexted before. Raise it again if those sexts included a picture of you in some stage of nudity. Did you put your best picture out there, or was it a haphazardly thrown-together selfie that should be embarrassing for both parties involved? Don’t worry, friends, I am here for…
-
Bitcoin and Why White Supremacists Love It, Explained
If you have paid any attention to non-Donald Trump-related news, you probably already know that bitcoin is the hottest new investment trend. Everyone is talking about how much it has grown, how you can invest 75 cents into bitcoin on Monday, and by Friday you’ll have enough money to qualify for the biggest tax cuts…
-
The Race: How I’m Gonna Get in Shape, Fight Gentrification and Celebrate Kwanzaa in 2018
I know what you’re doing this week. The week between Christmas and New Year’s Eve is when you start digging online looking at gyms, low-cost personal trainers and yoga classes—because this year you’re going to get in shape. Seriously, no excuses this time. Mind you, there’s always a risk for black folks trying out New…
-
Sizing Each Other Up: Why Do Other Women Try to Kill My Vibe?
In high school, I loved hanging out with other women, particularly those who exhibited a level of confidence in their stride. But cliques didn’t work well for me—I despised the thought of shadowing the queen bee of a pseudo girl group. Besides, even among my female friends, I felt different. It felt like puberty had…
-
The 2017 List of People We Don’t Eff With Anymore
As 2017 winds to a close, once again we document the people whose cookout invitations have been rescinded. This is our third year officially documenting those who have made a permanent residence out of the proverbial curb to which they have been kicked by black America. Previous inductees into this Hall of Shame include wypipo,…