culture
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#MakeKwanzaaGreatAgain, Explained
Sure. This will be one of our shortest explainers ever. The Root has started a grassroots campaign to place Kwanzaa at the top of the list of the most important black cultural traditions. Essentially—I know it’s hard to tell our intentions from the hashtag—we want to make Kwanzaa great again. No need to be embarrassed.…
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Why 2017 Was the Year of Rose Armitage
To be a person of color in America is to always be tangled between dueling worlds. What was different in 2017, more so than any other year in recent memory, was how those polarities were laid bare for everyone else to see. It was the year American streets were crowded with both pussy hats and…
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5 Apps to Make Your 2018 More Productive and Stress-Free
Many people look for different ways to minimize the time they spend on their devices, but for those of us who manage mental illness or mood disorders, “adulting” can be particularly overwhelming sometimes. Over the last few years, I’ve found a few apps that help me get through things. The apps listed below can help…
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A Bold Strategy for Diddy and Colin Kaepernick’s Plan to Own the Carolina Panthers
Sean “P. Diddy” Combs and Colin Kaepernick’s interest in purchasing the Carolina Panthers appears to be far more legitimate than a couple of boastful tweets. Kaepernick and Combs have already discussed the role that the former quarterback might play in Combs’ new-look NFL team. And Combs has also begun reaching out to other wealthy individuals…
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How the Legacy and Influence of Combat Jack Lives On in These Black Podcasts
On Dec. 20, 2017, Reggie “Combat Jack” Ossé died of colon cancer. It’s difficult, and also feels unfair, to give him a single title. He was so many things to so many people. Not only was he a prolific entertainment attorney, but he was also the founding partner of the Loud Speakers Podcast Network and…
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The Root’s Clapback Mailbag: Insert Clever Title Here
Yesterday, Deputy Managing Editor Yesha Callahan told me, and I quote: “No one wants to wait around for the mailbag tomorrow … and by ‘no one,’ I mean me.” Fine, then. So I guess I won’t write an intro. This lede was gonna be funny as hell, too. I was going to explain how this…
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Ashes to Ascots: the Final Days of NewsOne Now With Roland Martin
The staff wrap party for the last episode of NewsOne Now with Roland Martin was not supposed to feel like it did. I walked into the staff kitchen and saw Martin in all of his fuchsia glory, smiling, ascot crisp, happily chopping it up. “What’s up, baby?” he said, then hit me with a hug…
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Tracing Your Roots: Were My Ancestors Melungeon?
A find in the 1860 census catches a reader by surprise, and points to a possible heritage that is subject to debate. Dear Professor Gates: I have been asked many times, “What are you?” My response was always, “My mother’s family is from the mountains near Chattanooga in Tennessee, so probably a little bit of…
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Talking Dirty to My Mom
The other night, I was having a phone conversation with my mother, catching her up on everything that had been going on with me this week. I got to a part in the story where I made a mention of dickfishing, and it occurred to me that she might not know what it meant. So…
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Our Elected Officials Must Give Children 2nd Chances
Just last week, 71-year-old Henry Montgomery found out he would spend yet another Christmas behind bars in Louisiana. He has spent more than 50 Christmases there, but he thought this year might be different. The parole board was set to hear his case for release, but on the day of the hearing, the board delayed…