The Root

@therootdotcom.bsky.social

The Root is a digital magazine that provides thought-provoking commentary and news from a variety of Black perspectives.

Former Green Bay Packers star Ahman Green has revealed that he was diagnosed with early-onset Parkinson’s disease last year. The 49-year-old running back, who earned four Pro Bowl selections during his eight seasons with the Packers, shared the diagnosis on Tyler Dunne’s “Go Long” podcast.

. @crockett.house.gov (D-TX) says the challenges facing Black communities aren’t isolated incidents, but they’re connected by systems that too often fail to deliver equal justice, opportunity, and accountability. 🎥 Watch her remarks at the National Urban League on July 30.

Cynthia Erivo is stepping into the role of a legend 🎤 The Oscar-nominated actor and Grammy, Emmy, and Tony winner has been cast as Miriam Makeba in “The Road Home,” an upcoming film exploring the artists and friendships that helped shape Paul Simon’s landmark “Graceland” album.

John Legend is stepping into the role of a legend. The EGOT winner has been cast as the late Harry Belafonte in “The Road Home,” an upcoming drama set during South Africa’s apartheid era. The film follows jazz icon Hugh Masekela as he navigates the global fight against apartheid.

Some of gospel’s biggest voices are heading to Las Vegas for a residency this fall. “Legends of Gospel: Vegas Residency” is the first of its kind in over 60 years and is set to take place October 8-9.

BildBildBild

Mayor Zohran Mamdani says New York City can’t ignore its role in the legacy of slavery. In an exclusive interview with The Root, Charles M. Blow asked whether Mamdani would support cash reparations if New York City’s reparations commission ultimately recommends them.

Community organizer Auon’tai M. Anderson appeared before the Aurora City Council again to call them out about the lack of action regarding the deaths of Black men in the city. Without cursing he did not hold back on his opinions of the council members. Take a listen and take notes!

YouTuber and children’s advocate Ms. Rachel weighed in on the Nolan Wells case, saying the 18-year-old’s family deserves justice. She then went on to write, “We know the investigation and everything that followed would have been different if Nolan Wells were white and his friends were Black.”

Bild

Writer and former Black Panther leader Mumia Abu-Jamal — who has been held as a political prisoner in Pennsylvania for nearly 45 years — is now seeking UN intervention. On Tuesday, the 72-year-old filed a petition with the UN Human Rights Council’s Working Group on Arbitrary Detention.

Bild

An 11-year-old Florida boy is proving that kindness can change lives. For the past two years, Nehemiah Turner has volunteered with the Jacksonville Humane Society’s Pawsitive Reading program, reading to shelter animals to help calm and comfort them while they wait to be adopted.

A new Black Panther has officially been crowned and the Internet has thoughts. Ten years after the late Chadwick Boseman first brought King T’Challa to life, Marvel has announced that British actor David Jonsson, 32, will take over the iconic role.

“Black New Yorkers have borne the brunt of this crisis,” New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani told The Root in an exclusive interview. Speaking with Charles M. Blow, Mamdani said New York has lost over 200k Black residents over the past few decades, calling it a “reversal of the Great Migration.”

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani opened up to The Root about how his African roots have shaped his identity and worldview. Born in Kampala, Uganda, Mamdani shared that his father gave him the middle name Kwame after Ghana’s first prime minister and president, pan-African leader Kwame Nkrumah.

A New York Times report just exposed how Meta secretly landed a $50B AI data center in Louisiana. But behind the project lies a familiar Southern reality of environmental injustice.

Bild

Rep. Jonathan Jackson commemorated what would have been Emmett Till’s 85th birthday by reflecting on the 14-year-old’s legacy and the fight for justice that continues more than 70 years after his murder.

What does true accountability look like for a Black man after Hollywood shuts the door? Jonathan Majors is attempting to answer that question by leaning into the raw emotion of his past mistakes and public fallout.

Bild

LeBron James announced Friday that he’s signing with the Philadelphia 76ers. King James is signing a two-year, $8 million contract, according to ESPN. This will be his 24th season. There were several rumors about which team he would join.

Bild

A news conference about the fatal police shooting of 38-year-old Corey Ruiz in Madison was interrupted Thursday when protesters took over the podium and confronted police officials.

For nearly 200 years, David Drake’s voice and legacy have survived in clay. Now, his descendants have launched a historic campaign to reclaim their enslaved ancestor’s artwork.

Bild

Grammy-nominated singer Nivea revealed her leukemia diagnosis this week. “I was diagnosed with leukemia earlier this year, and I’m so grateful to God,” she said on the July 21 episode of “Cadillac Chronicles.”

Bild

“I remember making a very clear decision … that they were staring at me because I was gorgeous.” Tracee Ellis Ross, 53, reflected on a poignant moment as a young girl when she caught strangers staring at her, and how it shaped her view of herself forever.

Bild