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5 Important Lessons From Nelson Mandela
As the world mourns the passing of Nelson Mandela, one of the most revered human rights activists in history, tributes have poured in from world leaders, including President Obama, as well as everyday people whose lives were touched by his work and legacy. Those who knew him personally are recalling his most inspiring moments. But…
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Minimum Wage: Feed a Cash Register, Not a Family
With a few weeks remaining in the holiday-shopping season, there’s an earth-shifting political movement to raise the minimum wage. On the surface, it seems like a pretty simple equation, added to a big political pay-off and great social feel-good narrative. But, in reality, this is just populist window-dressing to give struggling Americans the false hope…
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What Drives You: Achievers Share Secrets of Success
Harlem’s Schomburg Center Director Khalil Muhammad, online innovator Rachel Brooks and NAACP activist Jotaka Eaddy exemplify the qualities of influence and achievement that characterize the 2013 Root 100 honorees. In their own words, they each describe the events and the role models who have inspired them. Watch: Like The Root on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter.
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When ‘Shopping While Black’ Goes Right
Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving and the official beginning of the Christmas shopping season, lures hoards of Americans to major retailers in the wee hours of the morning for deals on everything from clothing to electronics. A single glance at the composition of the crowds rabidly seeking half-price flat-screen televisions, and one thing is…
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Georgia Court Lists ‘Slave’ as Occupation
A court in DeKalb County, Ga., has some serious explaining to do after a juror filling out a online questionnaire said that when he pressed the letter “S” under occupation, trying to find “sales,” he got “slave” instead, USA Today reports. Court Administrator Cathy McCumber told the newspaper that the questionnaire went online a month…
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Black Friday: Wal-Mart and the High Cost of Low Wages
A sign posted near several plastic containers at a Wal-Mart in Ohio says it all: “Please donate food items so associates in need can enjoy Thanksgiving dinner.” News of the in-store food donation efforts sent shockwaves across the country, once again shining a light on Wal-Mart’s hypocrisy: How can a company that raked in $15.7…
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Dear Black Professional Athlete
Or perhaps I should say “dear brother athlete”? You should know you are kindred to your community, not simply from a genetic perspective but from a socioeconomic aspect as well. Do you recall when you were a child playing the game? You most certainly remember those days practicing your craft in cutoff corduroy shorts and…
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Man Shoots Victim at Close Range While Children Play
New York City police are looking for a man who walked down a Bronx street and fired two shots at a 27-year-old-man who was standing in front of a store while kids played in the background, the Daily News reports. Police told the newspaper that just after 8 p.m. Saturday, the gunman—described as a black…
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Black May Not Crack, but We’re Aging Faster Inside
You’ve probably heard the expression “black don’t crack,” a reference to black women’s ageless beauty. But though their skin may be smooth and wrinkle-free on the outside, black women are aging faster than white women on the inside, health experts say. Dr. Michelle Gourdine, a former deputy secretary of health and chief public health physician…
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Best Man Holiday: The Most Important Film of the Year?
Thanks to the critical and commercial success of Lee Daniels’ The Butler and 12 Years a Slave, 2013 is already being hailed as a banner year for black cinema. It is looking extremely likely that between the two films, African-American directors, writers and performers could dominate the next Academy Awards. But another “black” film was…