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Race Doesn't Matter?
What a difference a year makes—this week marks the first anniversary of not only The Root, but President Barack Obama’s sweeping victory in the South Carolina Democratic primary, a drama-filled event that brought our nation’s racial fears, assumptions, long-held grievances—and an abundance of hope—into the winter sunlight. But do the words chanted by thousands on…
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Sundance loves Chris Rock's Good Hair
Sundance honored Chris Rock’s documentary Good Hair over the weekend with A Special Jury Prize for U.S. Documentaries. Apparently, Good Hair was one the most talked about projects up there in Utah. And that’s no surprise. Black folks love or hate us some “good hair”. The documentary, inspired by Rock’s daughter’s disappointment in not having…
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The Obama Health Challenge
As the most visible and influential people in America right now, Michelle and Barack Obama have the unique opportunity to set the tone for our nation and remake our country’s landscape. That includes not just the nation’s wealth, but also Americans’ health. Of course, the Obamas are a successful, professional couple with young children. But they also face…
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The New Black Manhood
Read the washingtonpost.com Live Online discussion on THE NEW BLACK MANHOOD with The Root’s Marjorie Valbrun. Many Americans have undoubtedly had an Obama Meltdown Moment by now. It’s that instance when the unimaginable hugeness of the past year, the past few months and the past few days suddenly hits you and you say to yourself,…
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Post-Inaugural Meltdown
My head aches. My legs throb. I want to sleep but can’t. I’m not hungry and don’t want to drink. But, boy, am I happy. I’m no doctor, but I believe I’m suffering from one doozy of an emotional breakdown. Even now, exactly seven days after the Obama family spent their first night in the…
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Blagojevich to self: "Why Not Oprah?
The unflappable governor-under-fire Rod Blagojevich confided in Diane Sawyer this morning that he had consider asking Oprah Winfrey to take Barack Obama’s vacant senate seat. Seriously. This sends signals of the insanity plea to come, as we all know that besides the fact that Oprah Winfrey has rocks for brains, she is atalk-show host, not…
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Is It That Kind of Party?
After suffering major losses in the last two elections, Republicans have a chance to make history as well as inroads with crucial minority voting blocs next weekend when they meet to select their next chairman. Two African Americans are campaigning to lead the Republican National Committee when it holds its annual winter meeting Jan. 28-31…
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Black President, White Hands?
In the four years since the “skinny kid with a funny name” vaulted to national prominence, President Barack Obama’s face has been subject to countless artistic riffs and interpretations—many of them for sale. Kitschy knickknacks inspired by Obama, from “rednecks for Obama” T-shirts to “the audacity of soap” cleaning products, are a boom industry. None…
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Come Correct: A blog about Doing The Right Thing
You remember when you were growing up, your parents, uncles, aunts, neighbors and the rest of the village it took to raise you schooled you well on how to behave. In our community, one of the most complimentary things that could be said about you was “that child was raised right.” And what you never…
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The Inaugural Obama Cutout Gallery
Natalie Hopkinson is a Washington, D.C.-based author whose current projects deal with the arts, gender and public life. She is the author of Go-Go Live: The Musical Life and Death of a Chocolate City. Follow her on Twitter. Obama’s cutout emissary was on hand at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History to snap photos with guests at…