the root
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Unique Views, Episode 29: Tony Rock Throws Stones at Everyone
There are certain guests who we don’t want to overshadow with our foolishness. Tony Rock is one of those guests. He’s brutally honest and his commentary is dead on. For one, well before President Trump ushered out “his” blacks and shouted out Fredrick Douglass like he was still alive, Rock urged Patti LaDanielle aka Danielle…
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Please Allow Us to Reintroduce Ourselves
Hello. We’re The Root. Once a gleam in a noted professor’s eye, nurtured and carefully tended to by a tireless warrior woman and a bevy of brilliant bosses, we have been through the fire and walk among you the unburnt, First of Our Names, Blog of Unapologetic Blackness, Snatcher of Wigs, Bane of Bigots, #TeamRoot,…
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You Called Out The Root, Umar Johnson, and You Played Yourself; Here’s Why
Umar Johnson, aka the Prince of Pan-Africanism, has said our name. In his last posting from a hotel room somewhere in the continental United States, a much more subdued and skullcap-less Johnson has apologized for his behavior and profanity-laced tirade to everyone but black media and, more specifically, The Root. According to Johnson, black media…
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Unique Views, Episode 20: Jive Turkey, Featuring Pam Grier
Are you like me? Have you ever wished that there was a bigger, blacker Netflix for all the blaxploitation movies of the past? Well, wait no more! Introducing Brown Sugar, the biggest, baddest, blackest mutha— Patti LaDanielle: Shut yo’ mouth! Just talking about Brown Sugar on Bounce TV. Seriously, the service is dope, free for the first…
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Watch: Melanin on Fleek at The Root 100
OK, so I’ll admit that maybe “on fleek” is over, but it just felt right describing a celebration of melanin in the room at The Root 100 Gala Monday night. So let me have this, OK? At this point, you may have seen the epic (read: turnt) party photos showing some of the brightest thought leaders…
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Unique Views Podcast, Episode 17: #GentrifiedGreens and Fried Lil Wayne Brain
In the spirit of A Tribe Called Quest’s album announcement, we got our original band back together. That’s right—we got The Root Senior Editor Yesha Callahan, aka Michelle (Destiny’s Child), aka half of the Podcast Pips (who was never going to play the background because she’s larger than life), to sit in for the whole…
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Unique Views Podcast, Episode 14: Social Media Suicide: It’s Just Podcast Talk
It wasn’t supposed to be like this. Seriously, it wasn’t supposed to be just Danielle Young—aka Patti LaDanielle, aka The Root’s social-content producer—and me, Stephen “Gladiator” Crockett Jr. (I’m trying on nicknames, so just go with it, guys.) On this episode, we had a superspecial guest all set up, and then the interview got embargoed…
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On Black Women As Birth Of A Nation's Scapegoats, And Why Roland Martin Needs To Delete His Twitter
At the time of writing, BOAN (an acronym for Birth of a Nation) is trending. Not because of the film itself. Or even directly because of the controversy surrounding Nate Parker — its star, director, executive producer, and head writer. But because it performed below most expectations, which is being blamed on Black women collectively…
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Unique Views, Episode 12: Hillary Clinton, aka Supa Predatah, and Pusha T, BFFs!
Danielle Young, aka Patti LaDanielle, aka one-half of the world’s most dangerous podcast, has the energy of a possum on sleeping pills. Like, seriously. She claims that it’s the weather, but when you’re as hot as ice, as this podcast is, then you don’t have time for lethargy. Nevertheless, I find a way to bring…