Smokey Robinson’s Smooth Moves, Whoopi’s Motherhood Choice, A ‘Ghetto’ TikToker, and Mr. Simon Biles Gets a New Job

Plus, the movers and shakers, and beefs, in Black culture you don’t want to miss from this week’s news.

Oh, Baby! Smokey Robinson Proves He’s Still Got It at 84 in Viral Video

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – JULY 15: Smokey Robinson attends the HollyRod 2023 DesignCare Gala at The Beehive on July 15, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. Photo: Getty Images Rodin Eckenroth

Singer, songwriter and producer Smokey Robinson has been blessing us with hits since the early 50s, both as a frontman for The Miracles and as a solo artist. Diana Ross once said, “If a great writer is a poet, and a great poet is a genius, then Smokey Robinson is a miracle.” But while most people his age spend their days on the golf course, playing BINGO, or running for president, the 84-year-old crooner is proving to anyone who might have doubts that he still has a lot of life left in him. – Angela Johnson Read More

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17 Fashion Trainwrecks from Met Gala 2025

Busted! TikToker Who Said She Loves Black People But Hates ‘Hood People’ Is Allegedly Hood Herself

Screenshot: TikTok

The woman who goes by “Thekeptwife__” on TikTok went viral earlier this week for all the wrong reasons. There’s a disturbing trend on the popular app featuring Black creators talking about the the difference between Black people and “hood” Black people. – Candace McDuffie Read More

Whoopi Goldberg Admits To a Difficult Choice She Had To Make While Raising Her Daughter

Whoopi Goldberg and her daughter Alex at the premiere of “Rat Race” at the Cineplex Odeon Century Plaza in Los Angeles, Ca. 7/30/01. Photo: Getty Images Kevin Winter

For mothers, work-life balance is not always a 50 – 50 split. The idea of having it all is impossible when you’re trying to climb the corporate ladder and run the PTA – that is, if you want to get any sleep at night. Actress and The View panel moderator Whoopi Goldberg knows that all too well. And she opened up to her co-hosts about a difficult choice she had to make while raising her daughter, Alexandrea Martin. – Angela Johnson Read More

Mr. Simone Biles Is Getting a Great New Job, And It Looks Like the Olympic Icon Is All For It

HOUSTON, TEXAS – JANUARY 29: Simone Biles and Jonathan Owens attend a game between the Houston Rockets and the Los Angeles Lakers at Toyota Center on January 29, 2024 in Houston, Texas. Photo: Getty Images Carmen Mandato

While Olympic gold medalist Simone Biles gets ready for the 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Paris, her husband, Jonathan Owens, is preparing for a big move of his own. After one season as a defensive back with the Green Bay Packers, the 28-year-old safety just signed a two-year contract to play with one of their biggest NFL rivals, the Chicago Bears. – Angela Johnson Read More

Black People Built TikTok, So Why Do We Have the Most to Lose From An Impending TikTok Ban

Photo: Getty Images Multiple-Getty Images

On Wednesday morning, the Republican-led House of Representatives voted to ban TikTok on American soil if parent company ByteDance Ltd. refuses to sell its stake in the popular social media app. ByteDance is allegedly beholden to China’s Communist Party, which lawmakers believe makes the app a national security threat. – Dustin J. Seibert Read More

Maryland Town Apologizes For History of Lynchings, But Some Say It’s Not Enough

Screenshot: Fair Use WMDT

Decades after three Black men were lynched in Salisbury, Maryland, the city is taking steps toward healing. Salisbury’s City Council just voted to approve an official apology. But while most people agree that it’s a path forward, some think the city’s actions don’t go far enough. – Angela Johnson Read More

Trauma Porn Or Guilt Tripping? Debate Ensues over “Racist” Mural in British Museum

Screenshot: Diane Abbott (X)

A British modern art museum commissioned an artist to respond to a mural that has been banned from public view since 2020 because of its caricature depictions of Black and Chinese people. The artist said the people need to see it. – Kalyn Womack Read More

Black Celebrity Entrepreneurs Who Make More From Their Side Hustles

Photo: Getty Images Amy Sussman, Aliah Anderson, Jason Kempin

This story is part of our Start. Build. Grow. series, a celebration of Black business.

These days, celebrities are better known for their business moves than the music, movies and shows they release, proving the importance of diversification. The most successful stars know that you need multiple options available. To that end, let’s examine some of the Black celebrities entrepreneurs who’ve made more from their side hustles than their day jobs. – Stephanie Holland Read More

Oscar-Winning ‘American Fiction’ Writer, and Former Root Staffer, Cord Jefferson, On The Challenge of Getting His Movie Made

Jefferson (who also directed the film) spoke to The Root on how difficult it was to get a green light, a topic he touched on during his Oscars speech.

Isiah Thomas Is Still Mad at Michael Jordan’s Major Diss, But Who Is Right?

Photo: Getty Images Jacob Kupferman // Paras Griffin/WireImage

Some feuds never die.

More than three decades since they were on an NBA court together, Michael Jordan and Isiah Thomas still haven’t resolved their “issues.”

During a recent “The Draymond Green Show” appearance, Thomas was asked if their relationship is “salvageable.”

Before Green could even finish his question, the Detroit Pistons legend stated, “Dude, no. This dude got on international television and called me an a**hole. Somebody who has been good to him and until he apologizes on international television. Ain’t no conversation.” – Noah A. McGee Read More

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