the root tv
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Judge of Characters: Thanksgiving While Black
While we are all fully aware of the foundation of lies that Thanksgiving was built on, we’ve managed to turn the holiday into a celebrated time with food and family. [Whispers.] But we’ll never forget. First of all, there are generations of beautiful blackness all in one house, whether it’s Grandma’s house or, in my…
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Watch: The Truth About Thanksgiving
So the story is told, the Plymouth Colony Pilgrims and Native Americans gathered for a communal meal after a successful fall harvest. But we know the story didn’t go down quite like that. After the first Thanksgiving in 1621, Europeans proceeded to push Native Americans out of their own territories, slaughtered them en masse and…
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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: The Root 100 Gala Was the Blackest Event on TV
On Sunday The Root 100 gala aired on Fusion TV. Hosted by The Root 100 honoree Angela Rye and A.J. Calloway, the gala—which took place Nov. 9 in New York City—featured other honorees such as Franchesca Ramsey, Yamiche Alcindor and S. Lee Merritt, along with special guests Common, Rapsody and many others. In case you…
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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.
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Watch: Maxine Waters Honored With The Root 100 Gladiator Award
U.S. Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) was honored with The Root 100 Gladiator Award for Public Service on Nov. 9 at The Root 100 gala. Rep. Waters, the first-ever recipient of the award, has tirelessly resisted white supremacy and spoken out against the current presidential administration. The award acknowledges her political career and her work in…
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Watch: The Root 100 Gala Co-Host A.J. Calloway Celebrates the Obamas
The Root 100 gala co-host A.J. Calloway breaks down why Barack and Michelle Obama are the epitome of black excellence. The Root 100 prime-time special airs on Fusion TV on Sunday, Nov. 19, at 9 p.m.
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Watch: Raquel Willis on Bringing Your Black Transgender Identity to Work
“Right now is the time to be your most different, most radical, most unique self—and you should own that.” —Raquel Willis Raquel Willis was recognized on The Root 100 this year for her unapologetic voice and dedicated work to elevate the transgender community. Watch above for her personal story about how hiding her true identity…
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Watch: Lena Waithe Is Black and Unapologetic in the Writers’ Room
“I always wanna be a Muhammad Ali, a Colin Kaepernick. I’d rather lose a check and stand up for righteousness than to sit on my pile of money while my people are suffering.” —Lena Waithe The Root 100 honoree Lena Waithe made history earlier this year when she became the first black woman to win…