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Watch: Afro Pick Pops Up Near Phillyâs Frank Rizzo Statue
For years, activists have pushed to remove Philadelphiaâs Frank Rizzo statue. Now the Rizzo statue in Phillyâs Center City section shares the floor with an 800-pound Afro pick, a new sculpture by black artist Hank Willis Thomas. The sculpture is part of a series hosted by Mural Arts Philadelphiaâs Monument Lab, and itâs sparking a…
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Watch: Bullet Holes and Rosé: Exploiting Black Pain for Profit
Updated Wednesday, Sept. 20, 2017, 2:52 p.m. EDT: Becca Brennan, the owner of Summerhill, plastered over the holes in the wall that caused a storm of controversy when she referred to them as âbullet holesâ in a press release, according to Gothamist. The repairs happened late Tuesday night. At a town hall in July, Brennan…
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Watch: Listen to Grandma, Yâall
Did Grandma ever tell you to lie on the floor and cut off the TV during a thunderstorm so you wouldnât get struck by lightning? We canât be the only ones. Itâs National Grandparents Day, and we got together to honor the leading ladies in our livesâbecause everything we need to know, we learned from…
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Watch: Breaking Down the School-to-Prison Pipeline
School is back in session, and itâs time to learn about a system that funnels black and brown kids from schools into our criminal-justice system. Itâs called the school-to-prison pipeline, and itâs affecting black children as early as preschool. Watch above. Tune in to The Root on Friday for a Facebook Live panel discussion on…
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Watch: Get to Know BeyoncĂ©âs Ride-or-Die Dance Captain
If youâve ever watched BeyoncĂ© perform, youâve probably noticed Ashley Everett whipping her curly, red locks by her side. Everett is BeyoncĂ©âs beloved dance captain, and sheâs been working with Queen Bey for over a decade. She knows all about loyalty and has become one of the key players behind BeyoncĂ©âs flawless performances. Watch her…
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Watch: Climate Gentrification in Little Haiti
Climate change affects the world in more ways than one. For residents of Miamiâs Little Haiti neighborhood, rising sea levels could bring on a new kind of gentrification. As developers begin to invest in properties on higher ground to avoid flooding, historically black neighborhoods could suffer the consequences of rising sea levels as current residents…
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Watch: The Power of Representation With Matthew A. Cherry, the Creator of âHair Loveâ
Representation matters. We know this and still, representation is missing from the media we consume. For Matthew A. Cherry, seeing other black directors in action assured him that filmmaking was an attainable goal after he transitioned from the NFL. Now Cherry is making it his mission to normalize natural hair and black fatherhood in the…
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Watch: Phillyâs Real-Life Superhero
The first time Ariell Johnson imagined herself as a superhero was when she laid eyes on Storm of The X-Men. âI just saw this white-haired, white-eyed black woman flying around shooting lightning at people and I was like, âWho is this?ââ she says. âI felt like I was just kind of watching other peopleâs adventures…
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Watch: âNo Country for Meâ
Two hundred and forty-one years ago, America gained its independence from Britain. Since then, July 4 has been celebrated with American flags, parades, fireworks and barbecues. The word âfreedomâ is often associated with the day. But freedom for all under the red-white-and-blue flag is a myth. When the Declaration of Independence was signed, it would…
