culture
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Transgender Woman Spent 10 Years Inside Men’s Prisons and Is Fighting to Make Sure That Never Happens to Another Woman
A few weeks ago, in the buildup of the travesty-shamockery that was the Floyd Mayweather Jr.-vs.-Conor McGregor fight, the great boxing analyst Teddy Atlas was forced to vamp on ESPN as cameras showed a McGregor workout. Although I could listen to Teddy Atlas read a phone book or, even worse, Taylor Swift lyrics, he left…
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An Open Letter to Post Malone
Dear Mr. Malone: First let me say that, as an old-school hip-hop head, I will refrain from criticizing your music. I will not comment on your lyrical genius of rhyming “shottas” with “grrra-ta-ta-ta.” I won’t even mention how your synthesized, Auto-Tuned, Caucasian half-singing on “Rockstar” sounds as if T-Pain fucked a Pinterest page. I am…
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The Caucasian’s Guide to Black Thanksgiving, Part 1: The Guest List
As part of The Root’s ongoing efforts to satisfy the curiosity of our Caucasian constituency, we have decided to give you a peek inside some of the cultural customs of black America. One of the oldest and most heralded traditions of the African-American community is the ceremony known as Black Thanksgiving. Black Thanksgiving has nothing…
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Thanksgiving and Chill: All the Shows to Binge-Watch Before You Get ‘The Itis’
It’s that time of year again. White folks are clamoring at Starbucks for their pumpkin-spice lattes, and black folks are calling around to make sure Aunt Sheila is still making her signature turkey this year … it’s Thanksgiving! And while many of us side-eye the massacre and theft masquerading as a family-friendly holiday, we’ve managed…
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The Great Migration: National Museum of African American History and Culture Offers to Digitize Black Family Home Movies for Free
The National Museum of African American History and Culture has launched a new initiative aimed at helping black families preserve their history and analog audiovisual media with a unique digitization service, and it’s completely free! The Great Migration Home Movie Project invites people to schedule an appointment with the museum’s audiovisual conservation team and have…
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HBCUs Can Revive US Cities
Looking to move to a new city to live or to set up a business? Consider a town where there’s an HBCU. “I didn’t realize that it wasn’t normal for your barber to live next to your professor until I left Grambling [in Louisiana],” said Grambling State University President Richard Gallot Jr. If there’s anyone…
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Gifted Singer and Actress Della Reese Dead at 86
From the clubs to stages, Della Reese captured audiences with her melodic voice and ballads that crossed many genres, including jazz, blues and gospel. The songstress, who also displayed her talents as a character actress on TV and the big screen, died Sunday evening at age 86, People reports. Born July 6, 1931, Delloreese Patricia…
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Watch: The Root 100 Gala Co-Host A.J. Calloway Celebrates the Obamas
The Root 100 gala co-host A.J. Calloway breaks down why Barack and Michelle Obama are the epitome of black excellence. The Root 100 prime-time special airs on Fusion TV on Sunday, Nov. 19, at 9 p.m.
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This Is What Child Sex Trafficking Looks Like in Madagascar
Approximately 10,000 international tourists from countries like France and Italy travel to Madagascar, the world’s fourth-largest island, to explore pristine and vast ecosystems every year. From its enigmatic rows of baobab trees to several species of distinct lemurs, the Indian Ocean island provides travelers with an array of sightseeing options. But beyond the bountiful and…
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I Tried It: A Night at the Opera
If I had to guess about my first real introduction to opera, it was back in the Napster days. I was in high school, and like many other kids who knew how to use the internet at that time, I was frequently solicited with musical requests once my parents got wind that there was a…