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And the Blackface Oscar Goes To…
The week that Barack Obama was sworn in as the nation’s first black president, the talented Robert Downey Jr. received an Oscar nomination for his role in the late-summer flick Tropic Thunder. The honored performance involved a character in blackface and an Afro wig; the role, a brilliant showcase for the actor’s “Ebonics vocal training.”…
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Taraji P. Henson is For Real
Sometimes it’s a turn of phrase. A gesture. A look that makes a role memorable. African American actresses have built careers; gone from the bottom of the credits roster to headlining blockbusters because of their ability to turn a small part (3 minutes of screen time or less) into a door opening opportunity. Remember for instance,…
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Stimuli '09
The Wall Street Journal: There hasn’t been enough time for the Street to be salty, but give it ten minutes. The Huffington Post: This started dropping before the President had even put his pen down. USA Today: The Buzz’s guess: Very slowly. Black America Web: Derivative and possibly premature, but worth a gander nonetheless. Politico: A…
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Forming a Q
If there is a list of complicated and polarizing men in Black America, this gentleman has to be in the top five. Some say he is an entrepeneur and business man who created an opportunity for himself—and others—when none was afforded to him; that he carved out a loyal fan base through telling relatable and…
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Fielder's Choice
This hilarity was passed on by a friend. In The Buzz’s less-than-humble opinion, the key to truly great satire is an element of life that is entirely absurd while being utterly plausible. Don’t believe it? consider said friend’s response: “Okay…maybe I’m tripping. But it’s trueeeeee. I swear I’ve gotten the head nod on my morning…
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Post It! A New Civil Rights Stamp Collection
Saaret Yoseph is a writer and Assistant Editor at TheRoot.com. She manages and blogs for \”Their Eyes Were Watching …\” Ella Baker (1903-1986) organized northern support for the Montgomery bus boycott, and in 1957 became acting director of Southern Christian Leadership Conference. Ruby Hurley (1909-1980) aided in all of the major school desegregation cases of the…
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Cherry Pickin'
The New York Times: A possible way out of the quagmire?! Get to da choppa! The Los Angeles Times: But will he go toe-to-toe with BHO? The Chicago Tribune: They don’t teach “look both ways” just because it sounds clever. The Boston Globe: I suppose that’s one way to end homelessness, Duval. Fox News: Connecticut…
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When She Hits Him
In all the recent conversations about domestic violence sparked by the news, I have only read a few things about what men should do if hit by a woman, and the responses disturb me. I’ve heard the playground law: if someone hits you, you hit them back. That is reckless advice, because in the real…
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Post It! A New Civil Rights Stamp Collection
2009 marks the 100th anniversary of the modern Civil Rights Movement. In 1909, W.E.B. Du Bois and several black colleagues who had created the Niagara Movement in 1905 joined with a small group of white reformers and civic leaders to form the NAACP. Together, they created the foundation for the greatest movement for civil rights…
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Chris Brown’s Missing Preschool Lesson
Read the washingtonpost.com Live Online discussion on CHRIS BROWN’S MISSING PRESCHOOL LESSON with The Root’s Lisa Crooms. ***** My son Joel fancies himself a crooner. Over the holidays, he would sing into the shampoo bottle in the bathroom, belting out “This Christmas” with his eyes closed, like he was headlining a concert. So as I put…