By now you’ve heard that R. Kelly has allegedly formed a sex cult with women ranging in age from their late teens to late 20s (Kelly denies the allegations). Was anyone really surprised, though?
Director and writer Shaka King is busy in the TV-and-film industry at the moment, but that wasn’t always the case.
You could say that music usually reflects where we are as a society. The height of soul and funk music ran roughly parallel to the civil rights movement in America, from the 1950s to the ’70s, a period that was highly charged with political and social commentary.
Jazz has always been one of the soundtracks of black people’s journey toward freedom in America. Artists like Nina Simone and Gary Bartz became the fearless messengers of African-American protest.
Should all drugs be decriminalized? Is tobacco more addictive than crack cocaine? Are we being misinformed so that the “war on drugs” can stay alive? The controversial neuroscientist Carl Hart, who has been researching drug use and addiction for more than 25 years, shares drug facts vs. drug myths. He is the author of …
Legendary actress Angela Bassett hopes to raise awareness of the connection between Type 2 diabetes and heart disease with her campaign For Your Sweetheart. Her mother, Betty Jane Bassett, was diabetic and passed away from heart disease in 2014. Since then, Angela Bassett has been working steadily to raise awareness.…
James Monroe Iglehart won the Tony in 2014 for his role as the Genie in Broadway’s Aladdin. Earlier this year, he moved on to join the cast of Hamilton, where he plays both the Marquis de Lafayette and Thomas Jefferson, roles that earned original cast member Daveed Diggs both a Tony and a Grammy.
Writer, director and activist Jamal Joseph was a member of the Black Panther Party and the Black Liberation Army. At 16 years old, he was arrested in the Panther 21 case along with Afeni Shakur, the mother of rapper Tupac Shakur.
Things done changed in Bed-Stuy. It’s now one of the most gentrified areas in Brooklyn, N.Y., affecting everything from voting to schooling.
NeuroSpeculative AfroFeminism is an art installation and virtual reality experience recently featured at the Tribeca Film Festival. The project, which seeks to put women of color in the virtual reality space, was created by Hyphen-Labs, a collective of women from diverse backgrounds.
Here Comes the Sun, the stunning debut novel by Jamaican author Nicole Dennis-Benn, offers readers a different view of the island paradise.
Artist Lina Iris Viktor is known for creating works using a palette of black, majorelle blue and pure 24-karat gold, but she refuses to be tied down to any particular aesthetic.
Angie Thomas’ debut novel, The Hate U Give, is a must-read for our young people. It tells the story of 16-year-old Starr, who lives in a poor neighborhood but goes to a prep school in a wealthy suburb. She witnesses her best friend, Khalil, murdered by police. It cleverly tells the common, opposing narratives that…
The Root caught up with filmmaker Jason Pollock and Michael Brown Sr. at the SXSW festival earlier this month in Austin, Texas, to discuss Pollock’s film Stranger Fruit.
Time: The Kalief Browder Story is a six-part docuseries based on the story of Kalief Browder, who spent three years at New York City’s Rikers Island jail without being convicted of a crime. He was arrested at age 16 for a robbery he did not commit. During that time, he endured about two years in solitary confinement,…
Editor’s note: During Black History Month, the focus is usually on historical figures who loomed larger than life, paving the way for the progress we experience today. But black history isn’t just about telling stories of our past. History is being made every day and has been made throughout our lives; it’s not just…
Editor’s note: During Black History Month, the focus is usually on historical figures who loomed larger than life, paving the way for the progress we experience today. But black history isn’t just about telling stories of our past. History is being made every day and has been made throughout our lives; it’s not just…
Editor’s note: In Focus is a video series showcasing the new wave of black filmmakers.
Editor’s note: In Focus is a The Root TV series showcasing the new wave of black filmmakers.
Editor’s note: During Black History Month, the focus is usually on historical figures who loomed larger than life, paving the way for the progress we experience today. But black history isn’t just about telling stories of our past. History is being made every day and has been made throughout our lives; it’s not just…
