culture
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Watch: MLK Now 2018 Live from Harlem’s Riverside Church
Hundreds of people have gathered at Harlem’s famed Riverside Church to celebrate the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. at this year’s MLK Now 2018. MLK Now is organized by Blackout for Human Rights, and this year The Root has the honor of being the official media partner of the event. Join us live via livestream…
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What Does It Mean to Have a ‘Gentrified’ Martin Luther King Jr. When Some Blacks Are the Gentrifiers?
My first real experience with the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. happened in 1980, just 12 years after his tragic assassination in Memphis, Tenn. I was a 14-year-old freshman at Loyola High School, a prestigious Jesuit all-boys school in Los Angeles built on the philosophy that rigorous academic training would produce the next generation…
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The #MeToo Movement Won’t Kill Any Sexy Movies in Hollywood, Because You Know What’s Sexy? Consent
I was scrolling through my Twitter timeline, minding everyone else’s business, when I came across an article entitled, “How the #MeToo Movement Could Kill Some Sexy Hollywood Movies,” via the Hollywood Reporter. After rolling my eyes so hard they could be on a river, I decided to take a gander. In the article, several industry…
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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…