Opinion
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I'm Finally Good Enough to Die
I wasn’t always this guy. I wasn’t always a married father who lives in a nice community. I wasn’t always a writer. When I was 16, my dad sat me down and had a very real conversation with me. He told me that he’d given up, that he wasn’t going to hit me anymore for…
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The 19 Things I Cooked in Self-Isolation and What They Say About My Mental State
“I’ll do something that makes me happy.” That’s how I justified that red velvet cake I made that I didn’t even bother to put icing on, as I was so happy to eat it just plain. Greedily, like a little kid. But it was a large and I had to eventually slice it up and…
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Auntie Unfiltered: White People Using Black and Brown Emojis
As my granny used to say, “We can’t have shit to ourselves.” White people using black and brown emojis has been a thing for a while now, and one lady wrote me an email asking me to address why that practice should be seen as wrong. In this episode of Auntie Unfiltered, I discuss the…
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Ain't Nowhere to Run: An Open Letter to Ahmaud Arbery
Although Michael Harriot is on vacation this week, he still agreed to write our weekly Clapback Mailbag. However, instead of responding to trolls, haters, disgruntled readers and anyone who has a question about the content on The Root, Michael submitted this open letter to Ahmaud Arbery. Dear Mr. Arbery, Do not rest in peace. Haunt…
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And Now We Know Where Karens Come From: The Root Examines Kids' Obama Blackface Dance Routine
Karens are a unique breed. They can usually be spotted in head-to-toe Gap clothing drinking a pumpkin-flavored beverage. What’s most noticeable is the larger-than-normal pointer finger which is always ready to dial 9-1-1. They are usually unable to speak to sales associates and often can only communicate with managers. They are strong, but their collective…
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This Is Dedicated to All the Unfiltered Aunties I Have Known and Loved
Aunties are a thing in the black community. Whether they are the actual sibling of one of your parents, a close friend of your mama’s, a coworker, a teacher, someone at the church or just a member of your community, we all know at least one black lady we think of as “Auntie.” She gives…
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The Root's Clapback Mailbag: Black People Are Stupid
I want to be wrong. Every week, when the staff at The Root begins scouring our various inboxes for the weekly clapback mailbag, I keep hoping that one of us will discover an email, tweet, DM or comments from someone who can articulately explain why racism is dead. Just once, I’d love to hear someone…
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For White People Who Have Considered Genocide When Coronavirus Wasn't Enough
Like Coco dancing. I imagine hate feels like Coco dancing. Erica Gimpel played dance student Coco Hernandez on the 1980’s television show Fame. Coco didn’t comb her hair. She didn’t care about anything else but dancing. And, in every third episode, the Fame producers would write a scene that required Coco to bust every available…