the root
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Introducing Pass The Peas With Panama Jackson, a New Podcast Brought to You by Very Smart Brothas and The Root
Hey, Young World! I’d like to introduce you to a new(ish) podcast brought to you by Very Smart Brothas and The Root, Pass The Peas, hosted by VSB co-founder, Panama Jackson. That’s me. Enough of the third person. Check back in here every Friday for a brand new episode about something or other but always…
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The Root Presents Role Call: A Black Entertainment Roundup Joint
Of all the things that bring me joy, two things remain at the top of the list: Black movies and Black television shows. Why? Partially because most of the fun, laughable memories of my childhood can be traced back to a moment involving TV or film. The other reason is that I’m a creative at…
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Watch: The 2nd Annual Blackest Awards Winners!
We’re so happy to bring you the winners for our 2nd Annual Blackest Awards. Around here, we call them The Skippies because we get down like that. Well, as with most awards shows, some awards are televised—unlike the revolution—while others are awarded before the show. Since we don’t have a show, so to speak, but…
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Read, Write, Revolt: The Root Launches the It's Lit! Podcast With Inaugural Guest Nikole Hannah-Jones
Autumn has only just begun, but 2020 has already been a study in contrasts: Some of us have taken to the streets, but even more of us spent an unprecedented amount of our time at home this year. Our discourse has unimaginably become even more divided, but we are holding our loved ones and ideals…
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The March on Washington Film Festival Goes Virtual in 2020, Keeping Our Stories at the Center
Like many film festivals, the March on Washington Film Festival (MOWFF) is typically held in a physical location (in MOWFF’s case, Washington D.C.) but in 2020, everyone is all about the pivot to virtual. The 8th annual MOWFF is doing the same this year, hosting more than 20 events over seven days, including documentaries, panel…
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Lee Daniels Discusses How He Juxtaposes Art With Activism at The Root Institute
Lee Daniels has something to say. Known for the dramatic flair sprinkled throughout his art, the writer-director-producer never shies away from controversial and emotional topics as has been displayed in his works such as Empire, Star and Precious. Daniels has routinely prioritized the importance of telling real and gritty stories within the Black community, especially…
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Former Pro Football Player and Republican Congressman J.C. Watts Spearheads First Black News Channel, Launching Nationally This Week
Did it really take a former Republican congressman to finally launch the first black news network? Apparently so. He’s a former professional football player, too. If that matters. The groundbreaking Black News Channel — the same one that The Root’s very own Michael Harriot wrote “looks pretty conservative” last year — will finally hit television…
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Black Excellence, Opulence, Decadence: Celebrating 10 Years of The Root 100
“How do you live out your black excellence?” I enjoyed listening to all of the interviewees’ responses to my question as I hosted the green carpet event for the 2019 Root 100 gala. Some furrowed their brows before answering, others took a beat, while my favorites shot back, “great question!” At events like The Root…
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We Did That: The 2019 Root 100 Gala Celebrated a Decade of Black Excellence
In the increasingly fickle world of journalism, longevity is no small feat. So to be celebrating 10 years of being the leading online source of black thought, news, opinions, and excellence was a serious undertaking for The Root crew’s at our 2019 Root 100 gala—a serious undertaking that was a hell of a lot of…