the root tv

  • Judge of Characters: Tyrese … Lord Have Mercy, We’re Praying for You

    Tyrese Gibson has been on my mind and in my heart this week. And as a woman of the Lord, I must say that my prayer list has been edited to move Tyrese to the top. The Fast and the Furious actor has been just that—fast and furious—as negative headlines swarm around him. From harassing…

  • Watch: The Ad-Lib Takes Over

    What does James Brown have in common with Waka Flocka Flame, Migos, Soulja Boy and a number of other hip-hop artists? You guessed it: the ad-lib. Waka Flocka has used ad-libs since his first song, “We on the Way,” as a way to subvert critics who said he couldn’t rap. Ad-libs also aided the rapper…

  • Watch: The Real Woman Behind ‘Me Too’

    ‘ Tarana Burke is an activist, an organizer, a mother, a survivor of sexual violence and the founder of the Me Too Movement. Burke founded the campaign in 2006 after a young girl confided in her, sharing a story of abuse—which Burke recounts on her website. Burke froze up and suggested that someone else help…

  • Watch: Victims of African Terrorism Matter, Too

    When terrorists killed 300 people and injured hundreds more in Somalia during a horrific single attack, the world was silent. No talk-show posturing. No wall-to-wall coverage even though it was one of the most devastating terrorist attacks anywhere in the world for many years. Why this double standard? Watch the short video above for more…

  • Watch: Yance Ford Tackles Grief and Racial Injustice in the Moving Documentary Strong Island

    Filmmaker Yance Ford’s film Strong Island is a must-watch on Netflix. The documentary tells the story of the Ford family and how their lives were forever altered by the shooting death of Yance’s older brother, William, in 1992. He was killed by a white man in the Long Island, N.Y., hamlet of Central Islip, where Yance’s…

  • Judge of Characters: When Racism Is Trained Behavior

    This week, racism reared its ugly head the same way it’s been doing since Donald Trump became president. In New York City, the greatest melting pot on earth, we still have to deal with bigotry, but the city that never sleeps has a special way of banding together to combat racism that is sure to…

  • Growing Pains: Colin Warner Was Locked Up for 21 Years for a Crime He Didn’t Commit

    Many people dream of their lives being made into movies. Maybe Halle Berry or Denzel Washington will play you in your epic life story. Colin Warner’s life was recently made into a movie called Crown Heights, but it wasn’t the type of biopic Warner was hoping for. The movie told the story of Warner’s arrest…

  • Watch: Al Sharpton on That Time He Was Stabbed During a March

    Cheers are in order for the living legend, the Rev. Al Sharpton, as he celebrates 50 years in the civil rights movement. Sharpton is one of the most recognizable activists from the movement and continues to fight the good fight, despite having been stabbed, jailed, indicted and ridiculed throughout his tenure. When Sharpton was 13…

  • Judge of Characters: Trump Saves the World With Cheap Paper Towels

    This week, the whole world got a chance to see just how terrible the U.S. president could be when he finally made his way to the devastation in Puerto Rico. When Donald Trump wasn’t blaming Puerto Ricans for busting the budget because, you know … aid, he was throwing paper towels and flashlights at them,…

  • Watch: Kimberly Hébert Gregory Is Dominating TV

    Kimberly Hébert Gregory is having a strong 2017, appearing in five different shows on five major networks. Even though she’s having a breakout year, she’s been acting in TV and film for more than a decade and in plays for even longer. Shonda Rhimes praised her short role in Grey’s Anatomy when she tweeted in…