the root 100
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Newsflash: It’s Not the First Anniversary of #MeToo. It’s the First Anniversary of the World Giving A Damn
If you’re active on social media, you may have been greeted with a very important anniversary this morning: the one-year anniversary of the #MeToo movement. Yay! And if you’re anything like this writer, seeing tweets like this one by an otherwise credible news source, the Daily Beast, pissed you the entire hell off. The reasons…
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Tarana Burke Tops The Root 100, Our Annual List of the Most Influential African Americans
Check out The Root 100, our annual celebration of black excellence.
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The Queen Is Coming: How April Ryan Got Her Glow Up for the White House Correspondents’ Dinner
What does the queen of the White House press corps wear to her annual ball? Since it was The Glow Up’s first White House Correspondents’ Dinner this year, we had to know: How does 21-year veteran journalist, CNN contributor and White House press corps firebrand April Ryan get her glow up? Not to humblebrag, but…
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The Root 100: Tell Us Who Should Be on Our Annual List of Influential African Americans
It’s that time of year, again: We’re now accepting nominations for The Root 100! Every year for the past nine years, The Root 100 has paid tribute to influential and inspirational African Americans, ages 25 to 45, who have excelled in the fields of social justice, politics, entertainment, sports, media, the arts, science/technology and business.…
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Lena Waithe’s The Chi Expertly Gives the People of Chicago Humanity and Backstories
The Chi is the type of TV show Chicago deserves. If you leave it to the media, the limited picture that’s painted of Chicago turns anyone who’s never been there away from ever coming to Chi-town because of the seemingly limitless examples of violence that plague the city. But we can’t allow the media to…
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Watch: Playwright Branden Jacobs-Jenkins on Race’s Importance in Narratives
“It blew my mind the first time I saw a black character on an HBO show that wasn’t in jail. Diversity is important because the world is diverse.” —Branden Jacobs-Jenkins Branden Jacobs-Jenkins was recognized on The Root 100 this year for his work changing narratives through the theatrical arts. In 2016, Jacobs-Jenkins was awarded a…
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Watch: NFL Star Michael Bennett Refuses to Stay in His Lane
“If you’re silent about the issues … then you’re telling a lie; you’re just a part of the crime.” —Michael Bennett The Root 100 honoree Michael Bennett is not only an NFL star as a Seattle Seahawks defensive end but also an activist, author and philanthropist. Here’s why sports does not define him and why…
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Watch: Jemele Hill Says Our Progress Is ‘3 Steps Forward, 2 Steps Back’
“We perceive color and report on black athletes, men and women, differently.” —Jemele Hill Jemele Hill’s name has been hashtagged, dragged and praised heavily this year, and here at The Root, we honor her for her contributions to journalism. As a black female sports journalist, Hill realizes how black athletes are perceived, and she’s bringing…
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Watch: Why Black Thought of the Roots Believes Art Should Represent the Times We Live In
“There’re so many people in the world that aren’t able to process what it is that they’re seeing and experiencing, and that’s our job.” —Black Thought, The Roots The Root 100 honoree Tariq “Black Thought” Trotter of the Roots shares why he believes art should represent the times we live in.
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Watch: How Mayor Lumumba Is Rewriting the Story of Jackson, Miss.
“If we see an opportunity for change, then I believe we should be as radical as the circumstances dictate we should be.” —Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba The Root 100 honoree Chokwe Antar Lumumba, the youngest mayor in Jackson, Miss., history, talks about how he plans to bring about change in the above video.