culture
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Mary Mary’s Tina Campbell Talks Stumping for Trump and Husband’s Infidelity
Ask Tina Campbell if she’s sad about her popular reality show Mary Mary ending after six seasons, and the Grammy Award-winning gospel powerhouse will flat out tell you, “No.” “Actually, I’m not. I’m ready to move on,” the colorfully coiffed and outspoken member of platinum-selling duo Mary Mary recently told The Root. “You know, doing…
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Please Stop Defending Colin Kaepernick. You’re Doing It Wrong
Now that former San Francisco 49er Colin Kaepernick’s protest has been gentrified by arm locking, kneeling before the anthem and praying (OK, that last one was just one guy, but still … ), everyone has been trying to explain the logic behind “taking a knee.” They say it brings awareness to injustice and inequality. Some…
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An Open Letter From Black America to White People’s Pets
This message is not intended solely for white pet owners. There are a few black pet owners who do this, too. Don’t act like you don’t know who you are. We see you, too. Hey, Chauncey! I’m sorry about the frown, but it’s just weird for me when white people name their pets human names…
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Tracing Your Roots: What Did Freedom Bring for My Ancestor?
Post-Civil War records point to a common fate for many African Americans after emancipation. Dear Professor Gates: I’m searching for any information on my third great-grandfather Hardy Dykes, who was born in 1843. I assume that he was born in or near Hawkinsville, Ga. The only record I could find on him was in the…
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The Root’s Clapback Mailbag: Now With 50 Percent More Clapback … and Racism
Some debate has emerged about The Root’s Clapback Mailbag that should be settled by the readers. Since this is for you, (partially) by you, we need you to decide on a jingle for our Friday mailbag. Two people on The Root (amazingly, independent of each other) revealed that they read it humming the name to…
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Sports Illustrated Whitesplains Why It Left Colin Kaepernick Off ‘Sports United’ Cover
Imagine being a major sports magazine doing a cover story on the players and team leaders who spoke up and spoke out on the issues of race and inequality, and the right to freedom of personal expression—just to leave out the player who is the reason these discussions are being had in the first place.…
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March for Black Women Organizers Want to Put Our Issues Front and Center During March for Racial Justice
There’s another social justice march this weekend, and black women are refusing to be left behind. The March for Black Women will take place Saturday in Washington, D.C.—smack in the middle of the March for Racial Justice. While the March for Racial Justice is billed as a “black and indigenous led multi-community movement” that 30,000…
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From Hallmark to the Royal Family: Why Made-for-TV Movies Are the Break From Reality We All Need
Terrible made-for-TV movies are my anti-drug and have been since I was a child. Back then they were often called “Movies of the Week” and were usually based on true stories. The “based on a true story” tag was used liberally because often that just meant, “Once there was a person who lived in a…
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Jemele Hill and the Social Burden of Being a Black Woman in Media
When the situation involving Jemele Hill, ESPN and Donald Trump first made headlines, I remember being grateful that I work for a black media outlet. Day after day, I write posts that include news about the Trump administration, and in each of those posts, I ridicule the president and his administration while simultaneously calling out…