Opinion
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Five Years After Mike Brown, Police Brutality Is Still Harming Black Communities
It’s been five years since Mike Brown, an unarmed teen from Ferguson, Mo., was shot and killed by Darren Wilson, a white police officer. Ahead of the anniversary, I brought together three experts who tackle the issues of police brutality and anti-racism in their daily work to discuss what has—and hasn’t—changed in the half a decade…
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I Played Grand Theft Auto V Nightly for 3 Years. Here’s a List of Things I Never Did as a Result
In trying to shift the blame of white domestic terrorism from the actual white people committing it and the “president” who champions and enables it, there has been a lot of talk about the dangers of video games. Listen. I played one of the most violent video games, Rockstar’s Grand Theft Auto V online, nightly…
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The Root’s Clapback Mailbag: The Top 10 Clapbacks of All Time, Part 1
For the next few weeks, we will select our favorite responses from the nearly 400 emails, tweets, DMs and comments we have featured in the weekly Clapback mailbag. We have enlisted a panel of experts to rank our top 10, but if there is one that you remember in particular, please list it in the…
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Please Allow Jonathan Weisman of the New York Times to Teach You About White Supremacy
Here is the essence of white supremacy. Despite the pronouncements of those who proudly declare their bodies free of a racist bone, white supremacy is not the same as racism. Actions and their results are what determine whether or not something is racist, not belief or intent. Nor is white supremacy defined by tiki torch…
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The Root's Clapback Mailbag: The Recipe
Every Friday, The Root takes the best (or worst) emails, comments, tweets and messages from our readers and features them in our Clapback Mailbag. Because so many people have asked how they could create a homemade version of the mailbag, we decided to share the original recipe* that we stole from one of my childhood…
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A Case for Why You Should Wash Your Hands Before You Go to the Bathroom, Too
A few weeks ago, while my wife and I were kicking it with some friends at a Pirates game, the subject turned to toilets. Namely, public toilets. Specifically, which establishments in the Pittsburgh area had the nicest bathrooms—a valuable consideration if you have an emergency situation and can’t wait until you get home. Several places…
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Trump’s 'Blackground': An Exclusive Interview With Black People Who Attend MAGA Rallies
Black Trump supporters have come under increased scrutiny after a recent crowd engaged in racist chants. On Wednesday, entertainer Bette Midler came under fire from Trump supporters for saying Trump paid African Americans to be in “the blackground.” In June, MSNBC’s Heidi Przybyla revealed that one of the black guys regularly seen at Trump rallies…
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Where Would You Like Us to Go Back To, Mr. President?
When I came to this country, America stood as a nation of hope to young children in forgotten and faraway lands. It once welcomed children like myself—and children like Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.)—with open arms. That is why it was so incredibly painful to see a U.S. president goad his supporters in the racist, xenophobic…
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Straddling Two Worlds: Transracial Adoption and the Authenticity of Blackness
“You are my worst fear realized,” a black woman—and complete stranger—said to me after I concluded my keynote speech. She continued, “I came to hear you speak, and you have confirmed my worst fears. You aren’t a true black person.” I am part of the first wave of transracial adoptees (I’m black, my parents are…
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#ProposingWhileBlack: Couple Says They Had Proposal Interrupted by Security Guards Who Accused Them of Stealing
If this New York couple’s story is true (it’s totally true because you already know we can’t have anything nice), then add proposing in a scenic location to the list of things we can’t do while black. According to NBC News, on Sunday, Cathy-Marie Hamlet said her now-fiancé, Clyde Jackson, left New York City to…