hustle and glow

  • TGU50: Hair

    The category is: Hair. When it comes to black hair, it’s never “just hair.” As the ongoing fight for the freedom to wear our natural hair when, where and how we choose via the C.R.O.W.N. Act indicates, our hair is rarely allowed to simply be our crowning glory; it’s as political as it is personal.…

  • TGU50: The Dap Award

    The category is: Icon. There are designers, there are influencers, there are activists…and then, there are changemakers. The innovative couturier fondly known as Dapper Dan is all that and more. Like Madam C.J. Walker, the historic black icon and heroine of Netflix’s upcoming series Self Made, Dapper Dan’s enterprising genius and ingenuity propelled him from…

  • TGU50: Beauty

    It’s no secret that The Root loves a list; annually we produce the highly anticipated Root 100, introduce the world to the Young Futurists, and most recently, celebrated the best and blackest of pop culture with the first annual “Skippies.” So, naturally, The Glow Up wanted to get in on the action; why not also…

  • TGU50: Fashion

    The category is: Fashion. From the streets to the runways, our style has long influenced international style. Luminaries like Virgil Abloh, Olivier Rousteing, Tracy Reese, Law Roach and crossover queen Rihanna have all had a transformative impact on how the world views black style, but there are far more making major style statements as they…

  • TGU50: Influence

    The category is: Influence. Who’s got the juice? Like it or not, we live in an influencer-centric culture. But true influence is more than followers or likes; it’s shaping culture, opening minds and raising the bar. Our ten TGU50 Influence honorees do just that, making major breakthroughs in beauty, fashion, and artistic expression—or in Rihanna’s…

  • TGU50: Image

    The category is: Image. We often say “representation matters,” but few truly take the time to investigate and appreciate those who do who the work of making that representation possible, gatekeepers be damned. In fact, just like Madam C.J. Walker, the legendary subject of Netflix’s highly anticipated Self Made (premiering March 20), our ten inaugural…