For better or for worse, in many ways, 2020 was defined by capitalism, a system unprepared to provide as many hospital beds as there are sick people during a pandemic. Or PPE gear to health care workers exposed to those sick people. Or even face masks to those ordinary people just trying to shop for groceries who are…
The story of Anjanette Young—the 50-year-old social worker who was undressing when Chicago police officers barged into her home in February 2019 and made her wait handcuffed and naked as cops ignored her pleas to get dressed while they searched for a felon who did not live there—has become another upsetting example of…
It appears that for years and even decades the Philadelphia criminal justice system has shown a pattern of locking up Black men for crimes they didn’t commit based on the work of corrupt police officers and conviction-happy courts that never really consider that a Black defendant might be getting railroaded despite a…
An LG 4K monitor and Google Nest Audio 2-pack lead Thursday’s best deals.
The Dec 22 shooting of 47-year-old Andre Hill in Columbus, Ohio, is arguably among the most reckless acts of police brutality we’ve seen this year—and that’s saying a lot. As the investigation into the incident—in which a white police officer opened fire on a Black man who was standing in a garage clearly holding a…
I don’t know about you, but I can’t start my day without coffee. And with the pandemic still raging on, I’m trying to limit the time spent outside of my apartment as much as possible. If you’re a germaphobe like me, then you’ve probably also had to sacrifice trips to your local coffee shop for the foreseeable future.
Black-owned businesses breathe creativity. The sixth day of Kwanzaa, Kuumba, represents creativity and is a time for celebrating the radical Blackness that comes from multiple countries and cultures across different platforms. The following Black-owned businesses show their creative instincts in their hand-made and…
As celebrations around the world rang in the new year on Jan. 1, 2020, no one could have imagined—let alone predicted—the staggering loss and grief that would come to define the year.
A few months back, we reported here at The Root that there were talks of Michael B. Jordan potentially directing the third installment of the Creed movie franchise. But now it looks like those talks were actually true!
Since this is yet another short work week for the staff at The Root due to the holiday, I’ll keep this introduction short and sweet, using the energy of one Tiffany “New York” Pollard: BYE, 2020! BYE, PUMPKIN!
There’s been a curiously quiet reaction to the Christmas Day RV bombing that took place in downtown Nashville last week, injuring three people, damaging over 40 buildings in the area and leading to massive disruptions in AT&T cell phone communications and 911 phone lines.
In society, we have this thing called “pretty privilege.”
Last week The Root reported that the president of pardoning despicable white people has been spending his last weeks in office doling out absolution to allies, white-collar criminals and war criminals like he’s the Grinch that stole clemency and now he’s giving it all back.
As cases and deaths from COVID-19 surge throughout the state, California’s most densely populated counties are set to remain under a strict lockdown for the indefinite future.
The best way to educate ourselves is by listening to those around us with shared and different experiences. Each person serves a different purpose in this world, and it is important to pay attention to what they say. The fifth night of Kwanzaa represents Nia, or purpose. In a time when we can’t attend talks in public…
The NYPD is planning to lay assault charges against the woman captured on camera over the holiday weekend aggressively going after the 14-year-old son of jazz musician Keyon Harrold at a hotel in New York on the false accusation that he stole her phone.
There are few certainties in life, but I’m quite confident that there will never be a day in which former teammates Terrell Owens and Donovan McNabb don’t despise each other.
If I could sum up 2020 in one phrase, it would be “whew, chile” (see also: “I hate it here” and “I’m tired of this church.”) As we near the end of this unprecedented year, I can’t help but reflect on all the tumultuous things that have transpired up until now. Actually, I take that back. I don’t want to reflect—living…
This morning, I began the celebration of my 42nd year on Earth with Esomeprazole (for acid reflux), Lisinopril (for blood pressure), a vitamin C pill, a vitamin D pill, and a zinc supplement. At some point today, I will drink a cup of bone broth. And maybe this evening I will eat a gluten-free slice of cake…
A Black man in New Jersey has filed a lawsuit against police and county prosecutors after a misidentification by facial recognition technology resulted in him being jailed for 10 days.
For all intents and purposes, 2020 was the worst fucking year. At least it wasn’t a bad year in gaming, though? While it didn’t quite hit the highs of 2013—the last transition between console generations—there were still some solid bangers to drop. Even better, you can grab most of the year’s best games at heavily…
Breonna Taylor may never receive the justice she and her family deserve, but the fallout from the March 13 botched drug raid in Louisville, Ky., continues as two more officers involved in the raid are set to be fired. Until now, officer Brett Hankinson was the only officer to be fired and to face criminal charges…
LG CX OLED TVs and a Cubii Pro under-desk elliptical lead Wednesday’s best deals.
The year is ending on a less than hopeful note in terms of justice for Black lives taken by police.
Joe Louis Clark, the no-nonsense disciplinary high school principal who inspired the classic 1989 film Lean On Me, has died at the age of 89. According to an official press release, Clark succumbed after a long battle with an illness on Tuesday at his Gainesville, Fla., home, surrounded by family.
Today I learned that a statue depicting a freed Black man kneeling before President Abraham Lincoln stood in Boston since 1879, further proving that America has had a white savior complex since before any of us were born.
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During a year that’s presented an endless succession of unprecedented challenges, LeBron James and Naomi Osaka dug deep and still managed to dominate both on and off the court, and for their accomplishments in both sports and social activism, the Associated Press has named them the Male and Female Athletes of the…
Man, I know the Georgia GOP is probably tired of the Abrams sisters right about now. Stacey Abrams’ work in combating voter suppression was essential in turning the state blue, and her sister, a federal judge, has blocked an attempt to purge over 4,000 voters from the rolls ahead of the state’s Jan. 5 runoff election.
Every week, just outside of Charleston, S.C., hundreds of (mostly white) people pay for tours of the beautiful antebellum home that housed generations of white enslavers at the Magnolia Gardens Plantation. The home is located on the Ashley River, surrounded by a romantic-style botanical garden that was built and cared…
The need to stay the hell apart from humans this year resulted in a sweeping halt on the production of movies, television shows and the like. It also means no festivals, concerts or trips to the silver screen. Fortunately, making music doesn’t require a mess of people congregating—especially if you have skills with…
The fourth day of Kwanzaa represents Cooperative Economics and how we can come together to support Black businesses under one roof. Black marketplaces have been growing and become a collective space for people to display their work with other businesses and creators. Ujamaa embodies community and collective work while…
The year 2020 was quite an eventful one for Meghan Markle and Prince Harry.
Christmas might be in the rearview, but Kwanzaa is in full swing—as evidenced by our gift guides and ongoing writeups here at The Root. And as we celebrate our community and culture while abiding by each of the Seven Principles, you might be surprised to learn that there’s a new podcast on deck putting a new spin on a…
This year was tough, and it seems like everybody can tell you a different, personal reason why.
I’m sure you’re sitting at the tail end of 2020 right now thinking, “What do you mean ‘look forward to’?! I did that before and look what happened in 2020! I won’t be fooled again!” Hell, in fact, some of the content from our 2020 list got pushed to 2021 due to a little thing known as the global coronavirus pandemic.…
It’s been just over two weeks since the first doses of a COVID-19 vaccine were administered in the U.S. Since then, public officials have been getting their doses and publicizing the events in order to build America’s confidence in the safety and efficacy of the vaccine. Vice President-elect Kamala Harris did her part…
Last week The Root reported that an unarmed 47-year-old Black man was fatally shot by a police officer in Columbus, Ohio, while he was standing in a garage and holding a cellphone. The man has now been identified by authorities as Andre Maurice Hill. The officer who shot Hill, 19-year-veteran Adam Coy, has been fired…
Yesterday, we reported here at The Root that Anjanette Young agreed to a meeting with Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot as well as a public forum to discuss the city’s handling of her case. In an effort to provide transparency and accountability, Young, Young’s lawyer, the mayor, the police superintendent, select Chicago…
With a rumored net worth of approximately $250 million, if Master P knows about anything, it’s getting to the bag.
Georgia voters have begun early voting in the state’s U.S. Senate January runoff that will determine the balance of power in Washington. Democrats Rev. Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff are in tight races with their GOP opponents Sens. Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue, respectively. Neither candidate was able to get to…
The Acer Nitro 5 and a Crane & Canopy winter sale lead Tuesday’s best deals.
We’ve all lovingly referred to Mariah Carey as “The Queen of Christmas,” but Billboard has made it official...when it comes to chart-topping, that is!
Like many of us, Marc Lamont Hill is still attempting to make sense of the tumultuous year that was 2020.
