Black News and Black Views with a Whole Lotta Attitude

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Entertainment, Social Media

Forever FLOTUS, She's Just Like Us: Michelle Obama's Text Exchange With Her Mama is Relatable as Hell

My mama (aka Mama Cheeks, aka the Dalai Mama) and I have an exceedingly close relationship. We communicate in some form every single day. I not only love her, I like her. As a person. She’s hilarious. Ever since moving to Los Angeles from Chicago a little over three years ago (!!!), that 2,000-plus miles…

By

Tonja Renée Stidhum

Published

February 13, 2019
Entertainment, Social Media

Yes, Cardi B Went from Shaking That Ass to Speaking on Politics in the Same Day

Cardi B makes multifaceted moves. The lovable rapper took to Instagram to discuss politics on Wednesday, January 16 after her feature in the City Girls’ music video for their single, “Twerk” dropped. Speaking of—that video? The answer is “yes.” That same day, Cardi also decided to post a rant about something all of us want…

By

Tonja Renée Stidhum

Published

January 17, 2019
Entertainment, Social Media

Rihanna May Have Announced a New 2019 Album but She’s Still Trolling Because Y’all Keep Asking Her

Rihanna is the queen of rationing out bread crumbs for the most-anticipated bread since sliced bread. While RiRi is out here dominating the makeup and lingerie industry like the bad boss bitch she is, she can’t even drop a new lipstick and properly destroy our wallets without someone asking about her new album. Yes, it’s…

By

Tonja Renée Stidhum

Published

December 31, 2018
Entertainment, Social Media

Instagram Changed Their Scrolling to Side-to-Side, Then Decided to Cha-Cha Back to Normal After Everyone Lost Their Shit

Two hops, two hops! Instagram is the master of changing shit no one asked them to change. Most notably, getting rid of chronological order in favor of a shitty algorithm that has fucked up engagement numbers and other analytics for countless bloggers, influencers, marketers and beyond. Or offering an option to share on its father…

By

Tonja Renée Stidhum

Published

December 27, 2018
Entertainment, Social Media

I Just Want to Find Someone Who Loves Me as Much as These KFC Employees Love Their Coworker

It’s hard working at The Root. I have been ridiculed for having never tried bacon. One editor whose name rhymes with Schmangela Shmelm once threatened to beat me with a wet noodle. Just this morning, social media editor Corey Townsend threatened to assault me at the company Christmas party by yelling Cardi B lyrics in…

By

Michael Harriot

Published

December 14, 2018
Entertainment

Oh, Snap! Instagram Is Cracking Down on Fake Activity. Will the Insta-famous Survive?

File this under “When Doing the Most Goes Wrong”: Some of your Insta-faves may be revealed to be a little less popular than you thought, as Instagram seeks to restore trust and integrity to its platform by banning paid-for likes and followers. This move follows similar measures taken on Twitter and Facebook (the latter of…

By

Maiysha Kai

Published

November 20, 2018
News

Diddy Pens Moving Message to Kim Porter: ‘We Were More Than Best Friends…More Than Soul Mates’

The outpouring of love for late model and actress Kim Porter continued over the weekend, with the people who were closest to her—her family—breaking their silence over her devastating and sudden death. Among them was Diddy, her boyfriend of 13 years with whom she had three children. On Sunday night, Diddy posted a series of…

By

Anne Branigin

Published

November 19, 2018
Black Excellence, Culture

Give Me Civic Duty, but Make It Sexy: These Voters Are Thirst Trappin’ on Instagram

If you’re like me then your blood pressure is probably going through the roof waiting for the results of this Tuesday night election. But never fear, the lovely people who populate Instagram have some optical distractions for your viewing pleasure. The men of IG have chosen to use the ancient art of “thirst trapping” to…

By

Corey Townsend

Published

November 6, 2018
Beauty + Style

Beyoncé Wore Gray Lipstick. If You Now Want To, Here’s Some Help

Can’t stop, won’t stop. Though it’s only been a few weeks since her epic On the Run II tour with husband Jay-Z, Beyoncé has shown no signs of slowing down, even for a moment. In the weeks since, the superstar has found time to sing at the annual City of Hope gala in Los Angeles,…

By

Maiysha Kai

Published

October 23, 2018
Law Enforcement, News

The Wildly Unregulated Practice of Undercover Cops Friending People on Facebook

Terrance Everett has been on the wrong side of the law for most of his adult life. When he was 18, he had to register as a sex offender for having sex with a 15-year-old, because she was under the age of consent. In his 20s, he was, he says, “hanging with the wrong people…

By

Kashmir Hill

Published

October 23, 2018