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Watch: Why Colin Kaepernick Took a Knee
Former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick has made waves with his national anthem protest, which he started in August 2016—about a month after police shot and killed Alton Sterling and Philando Castile, and two years after the Black Lives Matter movement gained national attention. To be clear: Kaepernick’s intention was to protest social injustice…
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Watch: Why the Black Kids Still Sit Together
Two decades ago, Beverly Daniel Tatum posed a question to the world in the book Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria? The author, psychologist and president emerita of Spelman College responded to the question while deeply delving into issues of race and racial identity in her 1997 best-selling book. “It’s not…
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Watch: How Black Lawmakers Are Resisting Trump
Make no mistake: Many black lawmakers are not here for President Donald Trump. And they weren’t shy about sharing their disdain for 45 at the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation’s 47th Annual Legislative Conference in Washington, D.C. “Every time he soft-pedals the Klan and the Nazis and calls for a Muslim ban and wants to build…
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Watch: Segregated Schools, Then and Now
The Little Rock Nine made history 60 years ago when they became the first black students to enroll in an all-white high school in Little Rock, Ark. The black teenagers stood outside Central High School for three weeks, where they faced opposition from an angry mob of protesters, fellow classmates and state officials. In fact,…
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Watch: We Built This
There are some people out there who get upset whenever we say, “Black labor built this country.” But these are, indeed, #facts. Here’s a quick history lesson. The first slaves were brought to the United States in 1619. Their job was simple: make white settlers money. Fast-forward to the late 18th century. Cotton was king…
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Watch: America’s Racist History of Labor
News flash: The history of labor in America is racist AF. Labor Day became a federal holiday in 1894 after a railroad strike led by the American Railway Union known as the Pullman Strike. This was a turning point in the labor movement, though it didn’t benefit all American workers. Black Pullman porters weren’t allowed…
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Watch: Alison Désir, the Running Activist
As a child, Alison Désir was given the nickname “Powdered Feet.” “It actually comes from the Haitian Creole saying, ‘You never see the person, just the footprints of where they’ve been in powder,’” Désir tells The Root. But Désir hasn’t always been a distance runner. In fact, she found running after a bout of depression.…
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Watch: The Gina and Pam Takeover
Twenty-five years ago, Martin hit the airwaves. The sitcom showcased comedian Martin Lawrence and was a cult classic. The show was centered on a smart-ass radio show host-turned-TV personality, Martin Payne, and his relationships with his partner, Gina (Tisha Campbell-Martin); his boys, Tommy (Tommy Ford) and Cole (Carl Anthony Payne II); and Gina’s best friend,…
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Watch: Issa Rae: ‘We Will Find a Way to Shine’
Black and Proud is a video series on The Root that focuses on the pride that our favorite black celebrities, tastemakers and thought leaders feel about being black. Many of them talk about our resilience and strength throughout history, and some talk about our undeniable talents, while others mention our dance skills, dopeness and more.…
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Watch: Let’s Talk About the Hitler Haircut
The look has been given many names over the years: the “high and tight,” the“fashy,” the “synth” and the “undercut.” Despite the cool names, you might recognize the cut from Richard Spencer and historic photos of Adolf Hitler. Some barbers even refer to the style as the “Hitler Youth.” Notably, we’ve seen celebs like Brad…
