the root tv
-
Dances of the Diaspora: ‘If You Can Walk, You Can Dance’
In Africa, dancing is a way of life. And for Senegal native Maguette Camara, dance has become a part of his essence. West Africa is a vast region of countries that create a robust culture—from music to fashion, food and beyond. West African dance, accompanied by a djembe drum, is a fixture within the culture…
-
Watch: Brothers’ Winning Star Wars Fan Film Is a Force to Be Reckoned With
Earlier this year, the Star Wars Fan Film Awards announced their Filmmaker Select Award winner live to the world. It was TK-436: A Stormtrooper Story, created by Samtubia and Samgoma Edwards, two brothers from the Bronx, N.Y. They first gained notice in the early 2000s with their viral YouTube video series, The Young Hov Project,…
-
Watch: Anna Deavere Smith on Injustice and Her New 1-Woman Show
Created, written and performed by the multitalented Anna Deavere Smith, Notes From the Field is a one-woman show that compiles over 250 interviews exploring the school-to-prison pipeline and its effect within communities of color in the United States. “Everyone knows about justice. Probably from the time that you could talk, when you were 2 years…
-
Watch: ‘Name That Trap Song’ With Atlanta's Brian Tyree Henry
Just because Brian Tyree Henry plays Paper Boi, a budding rapper in the FX series Atlanta, doesn’t mean that he actually knows trap music IRL. Atlanta, whose 10-episode season ends Tuesday (and which has been renewed for a second season), has done a phenomenal job depicting the vastness of the black experience, including the role of rap…
-
Watch: Take a Page From Toya Wright's Book
TV personality and New York Times best-selling author Toya Wright wants to introduce you to “Toya.” And her memoir, In My Own Words, does just that. Be clear: The independently published book isn’t about “Toya Wright,” the reality-TV star, the public figure—it’s about a mother, daughter, sister and a wife. In My Own Words is…
-
The Root’s Young Futurists, Where Are They Now: Arielle De Souza
Arielle De Souza is impassioned by the ocean. The 23-year-old fell in love with marine life at the New York Aquarium, but with family from Trinidad and Tobago, she also attributes this passion to her family’s frequent trips to the beach. Her “oneness” with the sea spilled into her academic interests. In May 2016, De Souza received…
-
Watch: Brian Tyree Henry Is All About That Paper Boi
Brian Tyree Henry is Atlanta’s Paper Boi. The Morehouse man and Yale Drama alum had his big break on Broadway in the Tony Award-winning play The Book of Mormon. And now he’s in homes across the nation as one of the stars of Donald Glover’s unapologetically black comedy, Atlanta. Henry’s character, Alfred—also known as Paper Boi on the show—is…
-
Watch: Jennifer Holliday's 2nd Coming
Jennifer Holliday is a self-proclaimed Broadway baby—and once a Broadway baby, always a Broadway baby. The legendary actress started her career decades ago in Your Arms Too Short to Box With God but won the world over in Dreamgirls as Effie White—for which Holliday won a Tony Award. The iconic play ran on Broadway 35…
-
The Root’s Young Futurists, Where Are They Now: Nicholas Cobb
Nicholas Cobb is a young man driven to serve others. The budding philanthropist started Comfort and Joy, a nonprofit that raises money to buy jackets for the homeless in North Texas. A computer science wiz, Cobb, even built the Comfort and Joy website by himself. Now the 20-year-old altruist is enrolled at the University of Texas at…
-
Born Into This: Romeo Miller on Failure, Success and Entrepreneurship
Believe it or not, Romeo Miller’s first job as a child was selling yo-yos and Pokémon trading cards. Yep, the actor-rapper-producer formerly known as Lil’ Romeo (who is also a child of hip-hop royalty) had a lil’ hustle growing up. Go figure. Now, decades later, Miller is at the helm of a hip-hop empire and…