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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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Hot Off the Press: Melanated News Strikes Again
Melanated News! Get your Melanated News here! What is Melanated News, you say? As black folks, Melanated News is a fictitious news show full of humor and some stories that we wish were true. Courtesy of your homies on The Root’s video team, Melanated News is back. The Root 100 Gala has come and gone,…
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The 2019 Root 100: How Well Do You Know These Figures of Black Excellence?
The Root’s video team, including host and producer Felice León, went on a mission to test the black cards of one of the black meccas in America: Harlem. We wanted to see how much 125th Street residents knew about some of the top nominees recognized in The 2019 Root 100. How do you think they…
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Stacey Abrams Delivers Inspiring Acceptance Speech for The 2019 Root 100
Last night was beautiful. Yet another gala for The Root 100 in the books. I’m honestly still recovering, as is most of the staff, I’m sure. But I had to push through this recovery process to share the gift that is Stacey Abrams with the masses. Leader Abrams topped The Root 100 this year and…
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Post-Debate Analysis: Joe Biden Wants You to Know That the Blacks Really, Really Like Him
ATLANTA—I’ve seen the word gentrification used for housing and neighborhood displacement, but never did I ever imagine that a person could attempt to gentrify an actually race of people. But last night, Joe Biden proved me, Cory Booker, Kamala Harris and the rest of black America wrong. When Booker got his chance to speak on…
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Africa's the Future: Why Akon Says That African-Americans Should Invest in the Continent
“When you combine African-Americans and diaspora Africans, that unity itself is what’s gonna make Wakanda actually possible.” —Akon text After his his single “Locked Up,” Akon was determined not to be your run-of-the-mill one-hit wonder. The artist and producer had some foresight, understanding that the shelf life of an artist in a super-fickled entertainment industry…
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Julián Castro Explains Why Ending Police Brutality Is Central to His Campaign
“To black and brown communities out there that deal with the impact of excessive force by police: I would say that we see you, we hear you.” —Julián Castro text As the 2020 presidential race continues to unfold, there are certain things I have come to expect from particular candidates during the Democratic debates. When…