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Watch: How Black Voters Saved Alabama
After an arduous election, Alabama elected Democrat Doug Jones to the Senate over the embattled equestrian enthusiast and Republican candidate Roy Moore. For the first time in a quarter century, there will be a “D” beside the name of an Alabama senator, and you can thank black voters for that.Black-voter turnout for this special election…
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Judge of Characters: What Happens When You Silence the Silence Breakers?
Time magazine shocked us all when it named several women and men who spoke out against sexual assault as its Person of the Year. The editors labeled the brave souls “the Silence Breakers.” But in addition to noticing Taylor Swift on the cover, I couldn’t help seeing that the cover lacked Tarana Burke, the founder…
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Watch: What Happened to Our Girls?
Cyntoia Brown and Bresha Meadows are both victims of abuse who were teenagers when they killed men who they feared were a threat to their lives. Recently, their stories have gained fierce support from the community: Brown has had numerous celebrities rally on her behalf, and Bresha even had a song made in her honor.…
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Watch: How Do Black People ‘Emoji’?
Unicode, the consortium responsible for creating new emojis, has released hundreds of new emojis, including a genie, breastfeeding, a woman in a head scarf—the works. If you use a humanlike emoji, like the thumbs-up, then you have to choose one of six skin tones. But how do black people choose the skin tones of their…
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Judge of Characters: The Beauty of Black Royalty
Most of Black Twitter, if not all of it, was hella excited that actress Meghan Markle secured the royal bag and is now engaged to Prince Harry—myself included. I mean, I’m hype, but not hype like I received a “Save the date.” It’s exciting to see a black princess. Markle, however, isn’t the only one,…
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Watch: Al Sharpton Teaches Us How to Take a Proper Selfie
We all know the Rev. Al Sharpton as one of the leaders of the civil rights movement. In fact, in October 2017, The Root invited the Rev to our office to interview him about his 50 years of service in civil rights, and he told us about the time he was stabbed while marching. 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: What Are People Thankful for in 2017?
Whether it’s food, family or (the avoidance of?) football, Thanksgiving is a special time of year for many American families. But what are people most thankful for in our first year with Donald Trump in the Oval Office? We hit the streets to find out. Watch the video above.
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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…