In Memoriam: Remembering Those We Lost in 2017
We laid many of our beloved black icons, role models and pioneers to rest in 2017. From legends such as Chuck Berry, Fats Domino and Della Reese to modern-day stars like Charlie Murphy and Prodigy; from unsung heroes like civil rights activists and black firsts to men, women and children killed by police, and to…
Earth Day 2017: Ex-Environmental Justice Chief for EPA on Using Your Power to Save the Planet
Long before Mustafa Santiago Ali helped establish one of our nation’s most esteemed federal programs, he was a child raised in a Baptist and Pentecostal church. He was born in a family passionate about social justice and civil rights, and his faith laid the foundation for a life of giving back.
Earth Day 2017: 3 Environmental-Justice Groups That Are Putting Up a Good Fight in Trump’s America
In the United States, race is the dominant factor when it comes to living in a toxic environment because black, brown and poor people are more likely to live in polluted communities with contaminated water, dirty air and toxic waste.
Living With History: Harriet Tubman’s Great-Great-Grandniece Wants Black History Celebrated Every Month
Editor’s note: For Black History Month, The Root is speaking to the relatives of our most cherished African-American heroes in a series called Living With History. To open the series, we interviewed a descendant of Frederick Douglass and Booker T. Washington. Next, we did a Q&A with the descendants of Ida B. Wells,…
Living With History: W.E.B. Du Bois’ Great-Grandson Explains Why That Department of Education Tweet Was Truly Horrible
Editor’s note: For Black History Month, The Root is speaking to the relatives of our most cherished African-American heroes in a series called Living With History. To open the series, we interviewed a descendant of Frederick Douglass and Booker T. Washington. Last week we did a Q&A with the descendants of Ida B. Wells…
Living With History: The Descendants of Ida B. Wells Believe Everyone Has the Potential for Greatness
Editor’s note: For Black History Month, The Root is speaking to the relatives of our most cherished African-American heroes in a series called Living With History. To open the series, we interviewed a descendant of Frederick Douglass and Booker T. Washington. Today we feature Michelle and Daniel Duster, the…
Living With History: Frederick Douglass, Booker T. Washington Heir Saw the Burden and Beauty of His Ancestors’ Legacies
Editor’s note: For Black History Month, The Root is speaking to the relatives of our most cherished African-American heroes in a series called Living With History. Today we feature Kenneth B. Morris Jr., a descendant of abolitionist Frederick Douglass and educator Booker T. Washington, and spoke to him about how the…
At a Mo. High School, Lessons in Racism and Social Justice Courtesy of Trump
Tomorrow marks two weeks since more than 60 million Americans elected Donald Trump president of the United States, unleashing a wave of hate crimes and harassment against people of color across the country. The Southern Poverty Law Center reports that there have been 701 incidents of racial harassment since Election…
Earth Day 2016: 5 Black Communities That Are Fighting Environmental Threats
In America, communities in the most polluted environments are often poor and/or made up of people of color, with race being the dominant factor. A report published by PLOS One in 2014 indicates that nonwhite Americans breathe in almost 40 percent more polluted air than white Americans.
13 Times Trump or His Supporters Got Ugly at His Events
He pledged to pay legal fees for a supporter who injured a protester. He threatened to curb free press by opening defamation laws. He said that he wants to surveil mosques. He mocked a reporter with a disability. He is being investigated for whether he incited a riot, has made violent comments about protesters, and…
Seeking Justice: 6 High-Profile Cases to Watch This Year
Thanks to the efforts of the Black Lives Matter movement and a seemingly never-ending stream of disturbing videos, police brutality was one of the biggest news stories of 2015. A Washington Post investigation found that last year, at least 980 people were shot and killed by police. One in 10 was unarmed, and a…
Where Are They Now? 10 Years After Hurricane Katrina, a Look Back at How 9 Key Players Responded
When Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast 10 years ago, it would become the costliest natural disaster in U.S. history, causing an estimated $108 billion in damages.
A Year After Ferguson: 10 People Who Were There Talk About the Birth of a Movement
It has been a year since 18-year-old Michael Brown was shot and killed by then-Ferguson, Mo., Police Officer Darren Wilson. The teenager’s death on Aug. 9, 2014, sparked an uprising that helped put #BlackLivesMatter—which was created after the 2012 death of Trayvon Martin—into the national spotlight.
She’s Speaking Up for the Voiceless in Ferguson
As a child, Missouri state Sen. Maria Chappelle-Nadal suffered from a severe speech impediment that prevented her from speaking clearly.
