theroot--2020-05-22--White House Butler Who Served 11 Presidents, Including Obama, Dies From Coronavirus

For five decades , former White House butler Wilson Roosevelt Jerman helped make sure everything at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue was as it should be .
He began his career there as a cleaner when Dwight Eisenhower took office in 1952 , eventually rising through the ranks of White staffers and serving each U.S. president up through Barack Obama .
Last weekend , Jerman died from COVID-19 .
He was 91 years old .
Michelle Obama released a statement to multiple news outlets , including the BBC and BuzzFeed News , paying tribute to the beloved butler , whom she promoted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the White House .
“ With his kindness and care , Wilson Jerman helped make the White House a home for decades for First Families , including ours , ” the former first lady said .
“ His service to others—his willingness to go above and beyond for the country he loved and all those whose lives he touched—is a legacy worthy of his generous spirit .
We were lucky to have known him .
Barack and I send our sincerest love and prayers to his family.
” Jerman ’ s granddaughter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 5 in DC about her grandfather ’ s legacy , noting that another former first lady , Jackie Kennedy , was “ instrumental ” in promoting Jerman to White House butler , the BBC notes .
The perspective White House staffers have on the first family has long been a subject of fascination .
In 2013 , filmmaker Lee Daniels adapted the story of Eugene Allen , who started working at the White House the same year as Jerman , in his film , The Butler .
Garrett says her grandfather ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ well beyond the most famous home in the world .
“ He was always about service , service to others .
It doesn ’ t matter who you were or what you did or what you needed , ” she told Fox 5 .
“ I want the world to remember my grandfather as someone who was really authentic , always being yourself , ” Garrett continued .
“ That ’ s what he taught our family .
”

For five decades, former White House butler Wilson Roosevelt Jerman helped make sure everything at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue was as it should be. He began his career there as a cleaner when Dwight Eisenhower took office in 1952, eventually rising through the ranks of White staffers and serving each U.S. president up through Barack Obama.
Last weekend, Jerman died from COVID-19. He was 91 years old.
Michelle Obama released a statement to multiple news outlets, including the BBC and BuzzFeed News, paying tribute to the beloved butler, whom she promoted to maître d’ during her tenure at the White House.
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“With his kindness and care, Wilson Jerman helped make the White House a home for decades for First Families, including ours,” the former first lady said.
“His service to others—his willingness to go above and beyond for the country he loved and all those whose lives he touched—is a legacy worthy of his generous spirit. We were lucky to have known him. Barack and I send our sincerest love and prayers to his family.”
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Jerman’s granddaughter, Jamila Garrett, spoke to Fox 5 in DC about her grandfather’s legacy, noting that another former first lady, Jackie Kennedy, was “instrumental” in promoting Jerman to White House butler, the BBC notes.
The perspective White House staffers have on the first family has long been a subject of fascination. In 2013, filmmaker Lee Daniels adapted the story of Eugene Allen, who started working at the White House the same year as Jerman, in his film, The Butler.
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Garrett says her grandfather’s commitment to service was all-encompassing, extending well beyond the most famous home in the world.
“He was always about service, service to others. It doesn’t matter who you were or what you did or what you needed,” she told Fox 5.
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“I want the world to remember my grandfather as someone who was really authentic, always being yourself,” Garrett continued. “That’s what he taught our family.”


theroot--2020-05-22--Take 25% off Any Full-Priced Item at Fossil, Even Smartwatches

Over 100 items are currently in Fossil ’ s flash sale but you can grab even more savings over the @ @ @ @ @ the code FWLPD at checkout and get 25 % off all full-priced items too .
@ @ @ @ @ accessories .
Belts , sunglasses , wallets , and of course bags .
I ’ @ @ @ @ @ since my very first card case and their products are built to last .
The @ @ @ @ @ on smartwatches that come highly recommended .
That ’ s $ 75 off for some @ @ @ @ @ perfect addition to your summer workout schedule .
You ’ ve got until May 25 @ @ @ @ @ shipping on all orders .

Sheilah Villari on Kinja Deals, shared by Jordan McMahon to The Root

25% off Full Priced Items | Fossil | Use Code FWLPD
Over 100 items are currently in Fossil’s flash sale but you can grab even more savings over the next three days. Use the code FWLPD at checkout and get 25% off all full-priced items too.
Fossil is known for slick accessories . Belts, sunglasses, wallets, and of course bags. I’ve been a Fossil fan since my very first card case and their products are built to last. The code can also be used on smartwatches that come highly recommended. That’s $75 off for some of these styles. A perfect addition to your summer workout schedule .
You’ve got until May 25 on this sale and free shipping on all orders.


theroot--2020-05-22--The Root Jams Weekly (5/22/2020): 'What a Bam Bam'

In honor of the upcoming Verzuz battle between legends Bounty Killer and Beenie Man on IG Live , The Root @ @ @ @ @ full of the staff ’ s favorite West Indian island jams .
Dawn Penn “ @ @ @ @ @ Me ( No , No , No ) ” Toots and The Maytals “ 54-46 @ @ @ @

Panama Jackson on Very Smart Brothas, shared by Panama Jackson to The Root

In honor of the upcoming Verzuz battle between legends Bounty Killer and Beenie Man on IG Live, The Root is bringing you a playlist full of the staff’s favorite West Indian island jams.
J’na Jefferson
Terror Fabulous “Action”
Beres Hammond “Last War”
Tenor Saw “Ring the Alarm”
Tonja Stidhum
Beenie Man “King of the Dancehall”
Dawn Penn “You Don’t Love Me (No, No, No)”
Mr. Vegas “Heads High”
PJ Rickards
Beenie Man featuring Cheville Franklin “Dancehall Queen”
Bounty Killer featuring Barrington Levy“Living Dangerously”
Beres Hammond & Buju Banton “Little More Time”
Busy Signal “Missing You”
Gyptian “Beautiful Lady”
Half Pint “Substitute Lover”
Bob Marley “Is This Love”
Bob Marley “Easy Skanking”
Wayne Wonder “Bonafide Lover”
J Hus featuring Koffee “Repeat”
Shensea with Tyga “Blessed”
Stylo G featuring Sean Paul, Spice“Dumpling-Remix”
Jessica Moulite
Celia Cruz “La Negra Tiene Tumbao”
T-Vice “Toi et Moi”
Kassav’ “Zouk-la Sé Sel Médikaman Nou Ni”
Anne Branigin
Jada Kingdom “Banana”
Wiley, Stefflon Don, Sean Paul, Idris Elba “Boasty”
Toots and The Maytals “54-46 Was My Number”
Michael Harriot
Mega Banton “Soundboy Killing”
Capleton “Everybody”
Vicious featuring Doug E. Fresh “Freaks”
Monique Judge
Born Jamericans “Warning Sign”
Supercat featuring Mary J. Blige, Notorious B.I.G. “Dolly My Baby”
Sean Paul featuring Sasha “I’m Still In Love”
Mad Cobra “Flex”
Shabba Ranks featuring Maxi Priest “House Call”
Sean Paul“Temperature”
Mr. Vegas “Hot Wuk”
Panama Jackson
Sister Nancy “Bam Bam”
Vicious “Nika”
Tantro Metro & Devonte “Everyone Falls in Love”
Chaka Demus & Pliers “Murder She Wrote”
Patra featuring Yo-Yo “Romantic Call”
Wyclef Jean featuring Refugee All Stars “Yelé”


theroot--2020-05-22--FBI to Investigate Police Shooting of Breonna Taylor

On March 13 , 26- year- old Breonna Taylor was at home with her boyfriend when police entered her residence , shot and killed her .
Much controversy has surrounded the case as there are two different accounts of what transpired and the officers weren ’ t wearing body cameras .
On Thursday , the FBI opened an investigation into the case according to CBS News .
“ The FBI will collect all available facts and evidence and will ensure that the investigation is conducted in a fair , thorough and impartial manner , ” Robert Brown , special agent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a statement .
This comes a week after Kentucky Gov .
Andy Beshear called for federal investigators to look into the case .
The Louisville Metro Police Department has said that the officers announced their presence , knocked on the door and were immediately fired upon by Kenneth Walker , Taylor ’ s boyfriend .
One of the officers was shot in the leg during the exchange .
Walker was arrested and is currently facing charges of first degree assault and attempted murder of a police officer .
The officers were executing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Taylor ’ s home .
A wrongful death lawsuit filed by Taylor ’ s family details a different series of events .
The lawsuit names officers Myles Cosgrove and Brett Hankison and Sgt .
Jonathan Mattingly as defendants .
It alleges that the officers were in an unmarked vehicle , in plainclothes and entered the home without announcing they were police officers .
Walker , a licensed gun owner , believed someone was trying to break into the home and acted in self-defense .
“ The Defendants then proceeded to spray gunfire into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the value of human life , ” according to the lawsuit .
The case has resulted in the Louisville mayor requiring all police officers to wear body cameras .
A lawsuit filed last year against Hankison alleges that the officer was vindictive and had no issue planting drugs .
All three of the officers have been placed on administrative leave while an internal investigation takes place .

On March 13, 26- year- old Breonna Taylor was at home with her boyfriend when police entered her residence, shot and killed her. Much controversy has surrounded the case as there are two different accounts of what transpired and the officers weren’t wearing body cameras.
On Thursday, the FBI opened an investigation into the case according to CBS News. “The FBI will collect all available facts and evidence and will ensure that the investigation is conducted in a fair, thorough and impartial manner,” Robert Brown, special agent in charge with FBI Louisville, said in a statement. This comes a week after Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear called for federal investigators to look into the case.
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The Louisville Metro Police Department has said that the officers announced their presence, knocked on the door and were immediately fired upon by Kenneth Walker, Taylor’s boyfriend. One of the officers was shot in the leg during the exchange. Walker was arrested and is currently facing charges of first degree assault and attempted murder of a police officer. The officers were executing a warrant to search for drugs in Taylor’s home.
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A wrongful death lawsuit filed by Taylor’s family details a different series of events. The lawsuit names officers Myles Cosgrove and Brett Hankison and Sgt. Jonathan Mattingly as defendants. It alleges that the officers were in an unmarked vehicle, in plainclothes and entered the home without announcing they were police officers. Walker, a licensed gun owner, believed someone was trying to break into the home and acted in self-defense. “The Defendants then proceeded to spray gunfire into the residence with a total disregard for the value of human life,” according to the lawsuit.
The case has resulted in the Louisville mayor requiring all police officers to wear body cameras. A lawsuit filed last year against Hankison alleges that the officer was vindictive and had no issue planting drugs. All three of the officers have been placed on administrative leave while an internal investigation takes place.


theroot--2020-05-22--Nursing Homes With High Numbers of Black and Latinx Residents Twice as Likely to Be Hit by COVID-19

A reporting investigation by the New York Times and the Baltimore Sun has uncovered deep racial disparities in nursing homes hit by the coronavirus .
From the beginning of the pandemic , the elderly were identified as particularly vulnerable to suffering the worst effects of the novel virus .
But the data parsed by the Times and the Sun show to what extent this public health crisis hinges on racial divides .
The investigation found that no matter where a nursing home was located , its government rating , or its size , if it housed a substantial amount of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ twice as likely to get hit by the coronavirus as homes where the population was “ overwhelmingly white , ” the Times writes .
For nursing homes where at least a quarter of the residents are black or Latinx , more than 60 percent have at least one coronavirus case .
“ That is double the rate of homes where black and Latino people make up less than 5 percent of the population , ” the paper notes , adding that in these environments , single cases can quickly escalate into an outbreak @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were a predictor of whether a home was hit by COVID-19 in a way that quality was not .
The federal government has a five-star rating system for nursing homes to denote the quality of care one can expect in it .
According to the data , predominantly black or Latinx homes with high ratings were more likely to have coronavirus cases than white nursing homes with low ratings .
Other important factors didn ’ t level out the racial disparities—not the size of the nursing home , nor the infection rates in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of residents who received Medicaid or Medicare ( an indication of wealth and access to healthcare ) .
Even factoring in population density of the surrounding neighborhood—considered so far to be a major risk factor for contracting the virus—didn ’ t equalize the racial data .
The analysis looked at 22 states most deeply impacted by the coronavirus and which had data available as of May 16 .
The District of Columbia was also included .
The Times cautioned that the data represented just “ a snapshot in time , ” noting that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could also shift .
Nursing homes in Eastern states have been hardest hit so far : Maryland had one of the highest infection rates reported in its nursing homes , as did New Jersey , Massachusetts and Connecticut .
It ’ s important to note here , however , that some states have not reported complete data about their nursing homes , which makes comparisons difficult .
While the exact causes of the discrepancies aren ’ t yet clear—and can ’ t be until comprehensive data is collected and shared—the data further illuminates @ @ @ @ @ @ @ childhoods spent in segregated schools to end-of-life care given in segregated nursing homes .
Terry Fulmer , president of The John A. Hartford Foundation , which advocates for improved care for the elderly , pointed to this big-picture trend when trying to surmise the troubling disparities .
She told the Sun the data was another indicator of the vastly different America black people and Latinx live in .
“ They start off at a disadvantage , and it snowballs throughout their lives , ” she said .
“ It doesn ’ t stop @ @ @ @ @ @

A reporting investigation by the New York Times and the Baltimore Sun has uncovered deep racial disparities in nursing homes hit by the coronavirus. From the beginning of the pandemic, the elderly were identified as particularly vulnerable to suffering the worst effects of the novel virus. But the data parsed by the Times and the Sun show to what extent this public health crisis hinges on racial divides.
The investigation found that no matter where a nursing home was located, its government rating, or its size, if it housed a substantial amount of black and Latinx residents, it was twice as likely to get hit by the coronavirus as homes where the population was “overwhelmingly white,” the Times writes.
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For nursing homes where at least a quarter of the residents are black or Latinx, more than 60 percent have at least one coronavirus case. “That is double the rate of homes where black and Latino people make up less than 5 percent of the population,” the paper notes, adding that in these environments, single cases can quickly escalate into an outbreak.
In fact, race and ethnicity were a predictor of whether a home was hit by COVID-19 in a way that quality was not. The federal government has a five-star rating system for nursing homes to denote the quality of care one can expect in it. According to the data, predominantly black or Latinx homes with high ratings were more likely to have coronavirus cases than white nursing homes with low ratings.
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Other important factors didn’t level out the racial disparities—not the size of the nursing home, nor the infection rates in the surrounding community, nor the number of residents who received Medicaid or Medicare (an indication of wealth and access to healthcare). Even factoring in population density of the surrounding neighborhood—considered so far to be a major risk factor for contracting the virus—didn’t equalize the racial data.
The analysis looked at 22 states most deeply impacted by the coronavirus and which had data available as of May 16. The District of Columbia was also included. The Times cautioned that the data represented just “a snapshot in time,” noting that as the crisis evolves, the data could also shift.
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Nursing homes in Eastern states have been hardest hit so far: Maryland had one of the highest infection rates reported in its nursing homes, as did New Jersey, Massachusetts and Connecticut. It’s important to note here, however, that some states have not reported complete data about their nursing homes, which makes comparisons difficult.
While the exact causes of the discrepancies aren’t yet clear—and can’t be until comprehensive data is collected and shared—the data further illuminates how segregated American life is: from childhoods spent in segregated schools to end-of-life care given in segregated nursing homes.
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Terry Fulmer, president of The John A. Hartford Foundation, which advocates for improved care for the elderly, pointed to this big-picture trend when trying to surmise the troubling disparities. She told the Sun the data was another indicator of the vastly different America black people and Latinx live in.
“They start off at a disadvantage, and it snowballs throughout their lives,” she said. “It doesn’t stop at the nursing home.”


theroot--2020-05-22--Take a Peek at a Pair of Ray Ban or Oakley Glasses for 20% off at GlassesUSA

The right pair of glasses can add a nice bit of flair to your outfit , and make you look @ @ @ @ @ when you toss them on .
It can be hard to find a pair that @ @ @ @ @ revert to the days of school picture days when you didn ’ t want anyone @ @ @ @ @ last-minute haircut .
Now ’ s a good time to start looking , though , @ @ @ @ @ % off select prescription glasses and sunglasses , as well as regular sunglasses , using @ @ @ @ @ ’ s plenty of options to choose from , including several designer brands like Ray-Ban @ @ @ @ @ including Gucci , Versace , Tom Ford , and Armani .
If none of those @ @ @ @ @ , you can also get 65 % off in-house eyeglasses and sunglasses using the code @ @

Jordan McMahon on Kinja Deals, shared by Gabe Carey to The Root

20% off Select Glasses, Sunglasses, and Prescription Sunglasses | GlassesUSA
The right pair of glasses can add a nice bit of flair to your outfit, and make you look as spiffy as you feel when you toss them on. It can be hard to find a pair that doesn’t make you revert to the days of school picture days when you didn’t want anyone to look at your goofy last-minute haircut. Now’s a good time to start looking, though, since GlassesUSA is offering 20% off select prescription glasses and sunglasses, as well as regular sunglasses, using the code KINJABRANDS20.
There’s plenty of options to choose from, including several designer brands like Ray-Ban and Oakley, and others including Gucci, Versace, Tom Ford, and Armani. If none of those look like a good fit, you can also get 65% off in-house eyeglasses and sunglasses using the code KINJA65.


theroot--2020-05-22--Color Correct: A 9-Year-Old's 'More Than Peach' Campaign Meets Its Match in Crayola's 'Colors of the

Color Correct: A 9-Year-Old's 'More Than Peach' Campaign Meets Its Match in Crayola's 'Colors of the World'

If you ’ ve been spending more time coloring with your kids lately—or just enjoy the occasional adult coloring book as much as we do—you know the unique joy of picking the perfect colors to execute your vision .
And if you ’ re an adult of a certain age , you no doubt remember the days when the peachy Crayola crayon was labeled “ flesh ” and you looked down at your own little brown ( or simply not peachy ) arm in confusion .
Or perhaps the kids in your life still think the “ skin-colored ” crayon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s what Bellen Woodard encountered while coloring with her third-grade class in Loudoun County , Va. “ My friends were asking for the ‘ skin-color ’ crayon , ” said the 9-year-old in late February to the Washington Post , which reported : “ She knew that meant the peach-colored crayon .
She also knew her skin wasn ’ t the color of peaches .
She is the only black girl in her grade.
” The revelation prompted a conversation between Bellen and her mom , Tosha Woodard , who encouraged her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one instead.
” “ I think I just want to ask them what color they want because it could be any number of beautiful colors , ” Bellen countered .
Her teacher and classmates followed suit , and the “ More Than Peach ” project was born .
As reported by the Post : “ I was thinking at first it was going to be a small project , that only a few people would know about it at my school , ” Bellen , also a child model , told the Post @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , soon garnering donations from across the country , proclamations from the mayor of Leesburg mayor and the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors , a request from the Virginia Museum of History & Culture to include one of her kits to its collection , and the passage of the “ Bellen Bill ” by the Virginia General Assembly “ as an expression of the General Assembly ’ s admiration for her visionary leadership and accomplishments on behalf of her fellow students.
” “ They were just another pack of crayons to me , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she includes in each package .
“ Now , they are more than just a pack of crayons .
Now , they are a kind of change.
” Coincidentally , another kind of change was simultaneously taking place at Crayola .
T he brand launched its initial Multicultural color offerings in 1992 , but Bellen ’ s experience proves that there was far more work to be done in representing the wide swath of skin tones across the globe—and Crayola had already begun an initiative of its own .
On Thursday , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Colors of the World crayons , “ a line of 24 newly formulated crayons representing 40 global skin tones , ” according to a release sent to The Root , which also revealed that a cosmetic chemist had been enlisted to help develop the new shades .
“ I have spent my life trying to create truly global shade palettes because I know what it ’ s like to be with a person who has finally found their exact match .
They feel included and recognized , and I am hoping every child @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shade will have that feeling , ” said Casale of the collaboration , which was eight months in the making ( h/t AP News ) .
“ Growing up , I remember mixing the pink and dark brown crayons to try and make my shade , so I was thrilled when Crayola asked for my help to create the Colors of the World crayons.
” Colors of the World will be available this July in 24 and 32-count crayon packs , which are currently available for preorder .
Each pack will feature color-charted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be “ wrapped in a gradient skin tone label with the color name in English , Spanish and French , and purposefully has a realistic color name—such as Light Golden , Deep Almond and Medium Deep Rose—all to help kids easily find the shade they identify as their own , ” reports AP News .
While w e won ’ t go so far as to compare Crayola ’ s new assortment to 50 shades of Fenty ( and will always crave a few more shades in that mid-to-deep range ) , we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ synchronicity here .
Hopefully , Bellen and her peers will be better able to find a “ More Than Peach ” match the next time they hold their little arms up to the Crayola box .

Maiysha Kai on The Glow Up, shared by Maiysha Kai to The Root

If you’ve been spending more time coloring with your kids lately—or just enjoy the occasional adult coloring book as much as we do—you know the unique joy of picking the perfect colors to execute your vision. And if you’re an adult of a certain age, you no doubt remember the days when the peachy Crayola crayon was labeled “flesh” and you looked down at your own little brown (or simply not peachy) arm in confusion.
Or perhaps the kids in your life still think the “skin-colored” crayon is automatically the peach one.
Advertisement
That’s what Bellen Woodard encountered while coloring with her third-grade class in Loudoun County, Va.
“My friends were asking for the ‘skin-color’ crayon,” said the 9-year-old in late February to the Washington Post, which reported: “She knew that meant the peach-colored crayon. She also knew her skin wasn’t the color of peaches. She is the only black girl in her grade.”
Advertisement Advertisement
The revelation prompted a conversation between Bellen and her mom, Tosha Woodard, who encouraged her daughter to “hand them the brown one instead.”
“I think I just want to ask them what color they want because it could be any number of beautiful colors,” Bellen countered. Her teacher and classmates followed suit, and the “More Than Peach” project was born.
Advertisement
As reported by the Post:
Bellen came up with the idea of creating kits that could be donated to classrooms and children who might not be able to afford art supplies. Each kit, she decided, should contain a drawing pad, a personal postcard from her, a standard box of crayons (or colored pencils), and a special box of Crayola’s Multicultural crayons (or colored pencils). In that box of skin-tone hues is the color “peach.” But also there: “apricot,” “burnt sienna” and “mahogany.”
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“I was thinking at first it was going to be a small project, that only a few people would know about it at my school,” Bellen, also a child model, told the Post. But her initiative rightfully gained attention, soon garnering donations from across the country, proclamations from the mayor of Leesburg mayor and the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors, a request from the Virginia Museum of History & Culture to include one of her kits to its collection, and the passage of the “Bellen Bill” by the Virginia General Assembly “as an expression of the General Assembly’s admiration for her visionary leadership and accomplishments on behalf of her fellow students.”
“They were just another pack of crayons to me,” Bellen says of the Multicultural Crayolas she initially included in each package. “Now, they are more than just a pack of crayons. Now, they are a kind of change.”
Advertisement
Coincidentally, another kind of change was simultaneously taking place at Crayola. The brand launched its initial Multicultural color offerings in 1992, but Bellen’s experience proves that there was far more work to be done in representing the wide swath of skin tones across the globe—and Crayola had already begun an initiative of its own. On Thursday, the legacy brand announced the launch of its Colors of the World crayons, “a line of 24 newly formulated crayons representing 40 global skin tones,” according to a release sent to The Root, which also revealed that a cosmetic chemist had been enlisted to help develop the new shades.
In order to reflect an accurate and broadly inclusive skin tone palette, Crayola sought counsel from Victor Casale, who has over 30 years of experience in creating some of the most diverse foundation colors as MAC Chief Chemist, Managing Director and Cover FX Cofounder and Chief Innovative Officer. Victor partnered with various internal Crayola teams to develop the newly formulated crayon colors that encompass three undertones: Rose, Almond and Golden and range in skin tone colors from Extra Light to Deepest.
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“I have spent my life trying to create truly global shade palettes because I know what it’s like to be with a person who has finally found their exact match. They feel included and recognized, and I am hoping every child who uses these crayons and finds their shade will have that feeling,” said Casale of the collaboration, which was eight months in the making (h/t AP News). “Growing up, I remember mixing the pink and dark brown crayons to try and make my shade, so I was thrilled when Crayola asked for my help to create the Colors of the World crayons.”
Advertisement
Colors of the World will be available this July in 24 and 32-count crayon packs, which are currently available for preorder. Each pack will feature color-charted side panels, and each crayon will be “wrapped in a gradient skin tone label with the color name in English, Spanish and French, and purposefully has a realistic color name—such as Light Golden, Deep Almond and Medium Deep Rose—all to help kids easily find the shade they identify as their own,” reports AP News.
While we won’t go so far as to compare Crayola’s new assortment to 40 50 shades of Fenty (and will always crave a few more shades in that mid-to-deep range), we can help but be tickled by the synchronicity here. Hopefully, Bellen and her peers will be better able to find a “More Than Peach” match the next time they hold their little arms up to the Crayola box.
Advertisement
Updated: Tuesday, May 26 at 8:15 p.m., ET: Bellen’s team reached out to The Glow Up to clarify that while by the youngster initially included Crayolas in her kits and received a small donation from the brand when she started the “More Than Peach” project, she doesn’t have an ongoing relationship with Crayola. The article has been amended slightly to remove the suggestion that she’s still disseminating their products.
In fact, Bellen and her mom Tosha have since created branded crayons with help from companies like Tru-Colour® Products. “Bellen’s More Than Peach” crayons are now included in each one of her kits; the proceeds “go back to getting the message of the movement out to more people.”
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Here’s to even more options!


theroot--2020-05-22--Social Studies: Black People Invented Social Media

According to numerous internet historians , including Social Media Today , in 1997 , a website called Six Degrees was the first social media platform on the world wide web .
Then came Friendster , which began in 2002 .
Then Myspace and LinkedIn burst on the scene in 2003 .
Facebook emerged in 2004 , which begat Twitter in 2006 ... And the rest is white history .
Now , I ’ ve never heard of Six Degrees .
Maybe the group that sang “ When Will I See You Again ” added more members and doubled in size @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t know about them , they don ’ t exist .
And if they don ’ t exist , then all the timelines about the history of social media have erased a significant milestone in the history of the internet .
Years before that social media site that you ’ ve never heard of , there was another website that was essentially a mixture of Facebook and Myspace .
It had the first memes and it was the first time you could slide into someone ’ s DMs .
This groundbreaking but conveniently @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by a black man .
It had a blackety-black name .
It was wider than Wakanda and bigger than Zamunda .
BlackP lanet was founded in 1999 .
We were doing this social media shit before everyone .
Today ’ s Karen of the Day is actually a celebrity : Apparently the woman who is lowkey appropriating an ethnic name ( her real name is Elizabeth Woolridge Grant ) thinks Beyoncé and Cardi B are oppressing her “ culture , ” which is apparently the culture of white tears .
Luckily , Black @ @ @ @ @ @ @ still gives me joy : Here is another angle of that interview : Here is proof that black people know what ’ s going on .
Remember when reporter Deion Broxton ’ s scary ass ran from that buffalo ?
Well , this just happened : And , if there ’ s any animal you should run from , it ’ s a buffalo .
If reverse racism exists , it can be found in the buffalo community .
If I were a buffalo , I ’ d hate white people .
I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but we all know that Natives used all the parts of the buffalo while people just hang bison heads in their hunting cabins .
Do you think those buffaloes forgot what y ’ all did to their cousins ?
They ’ re tired of colonizers gentrifying their shit , including “ Yellowstone National Park.
” Bitch , that ’ s their grandmama ’ s house y ’ all talking about !
Keep walking around thinking it ’ s all good .
See , white people , you could have been home doing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ boy , who might be my favorite person on the internet ever : Finally , Ben Shapiro wants you to chew on something : Next week ’ s guests include Joe Biden and the McMichaels family .

According to numerous internet historians, including Social Media Today, in 1997, a website called Six Degrees was the first social media platform on the world wide web. Then came Friendster, which began in 2002. Then Myspace and LinkedIn burst on the scene in 2003. Facebook emerged in 2004, which begat Twitter in 2006... And the rest is white history.
Now, I’ve never heard of Six Degrees. Maybe the group that sang “When Will I See You Again” added more members and doubled in size. Therefore, if I don’t know about them, they don’t exist. And if they don’t exist, then all the timelines about the history of social media have erased a significant milestone in the history of the internet.
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Years before that social media site that you’ve never heard of, there was another website that was essentially a mixture of Facebook and Myspace. It had the first memes and it was the first time you could slide into someone’s DMs. This groundbreaking but conveniently forgotten part of internet history was created by a black man. It had a blackety-black name. It was wider than Wakanda and bigger than Zamunda.
It was called BlackPlanet.
BlackP lanet was founded in 1999. We were doing this social media shit before everyone.
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Aren’t we always?
Today’s Karen of the Day is actually a celebrity:
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Apparently the woman who is lowkey appropriating an ethnic name (her real name is Elizabeth Woolridge Grant) thinks Beyoncé and Cardi B are oppressing her “culture,” which is apparently the culture of white tears. Luckily, Black Twitter was there to respond:
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This still gives me joy:
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Here is another angle of that interview:
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Here is proof that black people know what’s going on.
Remember when reporter Deion Broxton’s scary ass ran from that buffalo?
Well, this just happened:
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And, if there’s any animal you should run from, it’s a buffalo. If reverse racism exists, it can be found in the buffalo community.
If I were a buffalo, I’d hate white people. I know Native Americans hunted them, too, but we all know that Natives used all the parts of the buffalo while people just hang bison heads in their hunting cabins. Do you think those buffaloes forgot what y’all did to their cousins?
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Fuck no!
They’re tired of colonizers gentrifying their shit, including “Yellowstone National Park.” Bitch, that’s their grandmama’s house y’all talking about! Keep walking around thinking it’s all good.
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We’ll see.
See, white people, you could have been home doing this:
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Or studying, like this boy, who might be my favorite person on the internet ever:
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Finally, Ben Shapiro wants you to chew on something:
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Next week’s guests include Joe Biden and the McMichaels family.


theroot--2020-05-22--Auntie Unfiltered: My Mother-In-Law Won't Eat My Cooking

I am not now nor have I ever been married .
It just never happened .
Don ’ t worry ; your auntie has not been over here suffering in lonely spinsterdom , and to be clear , I love being boo ’ d up ; I just don ’ t want be tied down .
I do have friends and cousins who are either still married now or have been in the past .
A thing many of them have shared with me is their relationships with their mother-in-laws .
These relationships vary across the spectrum .
While some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the women they refer to as their “ mother in love , ” others have described a person who appears to be Maleficent in the flesh .
The complaints also vary .
Some mother-in-laws are way too nosey and meddling while others are standoffish and rude .
One of our readers wrote in to discuss her mother-in-law , who she says refuses to eat anything she cooks .
What a tough spot to be in !
Don ’ t worry ; even though I have never been married , I always have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the video to see what our reader said and to hear what I had to say back to her .
And remember , I want to hear from you !
Please email me at AuntieSubmissions @ theroot.com with your questions , comments , concerns , and requests for advice .
Next week , we will be discussing self care in the age of coronavirus .
Let me know how you are taking care of yourself in these trying times or if you need advice on how to make your days better .

We may earn a commission from links on this page.
Black News and Black Views with a Whole Lotta Attitude


theroot--2020-05-22--The 10 Blackest Shoes That I Own

The 10 Blackest Shoes That I Own

While I wouldn ’ t necessarily call myself a sneakerhead—perhaps that ’ s some sort of reluctant denial ; my wife is absolutely tired of my sneaker deliveries—I spend more than a little bit of time perusing sneaker websites and videos from people named Foamer Simpson , Jacques Slade and Seth Fowler , watching sneaker unboxing videos of shoes that I try to beat thousands of other people and bots for the opportunity to purchase .
Okay , maybe I do veer into sneakerhead territory .
Outside of looking for exclusives , shoes to resell at a profit or kicks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the world is ready to view them , mostly I try to buy shoes I actually want to wear .
In doing so , that has leaned me heavily into shoes that have some sort of cultural significance , especially black cultural significance .
To that end , I ’ ve purchased many shoes strictly because of their inherent blackness , nod to the community or colorway that I could pretend was intended as a nod to blackness .
At this point , I own enough shoes in this vein to do a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that I own .
I ’ d be remiss if I didn ’ t point out that all of the shoes I will cite are made by big shoe companies which are clearly not black-owned or operated .
Basically , I don ’ t own any pairs of Big Baller Brand shoes and you probably don ’ t either .
In fact , I ’ ve never even seen a pair of them in real life ; if you ordered some , I do hope you managed to receive your pair ( s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ let ’ s kick it .
Get it ?
Because kicks….never mind .
All shoes and liberties on blackness of said shoes are mine .
Right out the gate and I ’ m moving the goalpost .
Either way , as you can see , I have both of my pairs of Jordan IVs laced up with the fly “ kente ” laces .
I can ’ t take credit for this idea .
My boy sent me a picture with a dude lacing his Breds up with some “ kente ” laces @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , he styled on everybody… ” I immediately went to Etsy and found me some laces and the rest is Black History .
As soon as I saw that Vans was dropping a collaboration capsule with A Tribe Called Quest , I knew I was going to have to cop .
I actually thought they ’ d be sold out in stores upon release but I was able to walk right into the Vans store in Virginia ’ s Pentagon City Mall and cop at least three of the four shoes .
Thank @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wallet in El Segundo .
You see what I did there ?
Probably .
Point is , these shoes are dope and any opportunity to rock ATCQ-centric gear is a win for the culture .
Anything this fresh had to be copped and surprisingly , they were also available in stores when I went to go get them and weren ’ t sold out .
In fact , the day I went to buy them I suggested to the cat working at Foot Locker that they probably had been selling and he looked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ told him Jordan 1 Mids were about to be the new hot item on the streets .
I had the last laugh though ; every time I wear them , folks want to know what they are and where they can get them .
I always tell them Zamunda .
For the longest time , I wasn ’ t a fan of Nike ’ s Lebron line of shoes .
I think the brand was hoping they ’ d become the new Jordan ’ s but Kanye came in and took that crown @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But when the 15s dropped , I finally found myself copping Lebrons and I loved them so much I bought several pairs .
The 16 , too , was a silhouette I really liked .
Then I saw he was dropping this “ Martin ” themed version that includes font-stylings from the show and the heel includes show sayings .
I was all in .
I must admit , I bought them because I assumed there ’ d be some resale value .
There hasn ’ t been much , so that ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ still a dope shoe with an ode to black culture .
It ’ s a winner .
I didn ’ t love this particular shoe when it dropped but I mean , how could I not cop it .
It ’ s got song titles all over it and it ’ s black and white in a signature Vans silhouette .
I ’ ve only worn the shoes once , and that was for my engagement photos because they matched my suit and what says you ’ re marrying a hip hop head @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Quest songs titles .
This might be cheating since three of the blackest shoes I own are from the same collaboration but it ’ s my party and I ’ ll cry if I want to , plus , do you own these joints ?
With the super fly , branded ATCQ art work and the super fly laces , I love this pair of shoes .
Obviously , the shoes are purely for the hip hop head that loves Tribe ( which should be everybody , natch ) but still ... ain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ History Month , I truly want to say “ bless your heart ” to Nike for dropping a collection of Black History Month sneakers .
Often , they ’ re just different colorways of shoes folks already love .
This pair of Chuck ’ s though , was interesting enough and was inspired by “ traditional African prints.
” I mean , they tried .
But the shoes are fly and they even have a BHM on the tongue for Black History Month .
The Zoom Freak 1 is Milwaukee Bucks ’ star @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sneaker .
His favorite movie is Coming to America , so his first shoe line has several versions that pay homage to the movie .
This particular shoe was the first one of his line that I ever tried on and I was amazed at how comfortable his shoes are .
And with the nod to Coming to America and the greatest fictional haircare product of all time , I had to get them .
The shoes would be almost perfect if not for the patent leather tongue , but otherwise , it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wearing .
So this shoe isn ’ t really meant to be about revolution or anything BUT the shoes , which are largely black and green DO come with red laces and once you put the red laces on the shoe , well , you have a solid RBG shoe .
I wore these to a panel I did on the “ Year of Return ” about black Americans heading to Ghana in 2019 , and had on a shirt that said BlackAF , it pretty much one of the blackest all-around things @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
I don ’ t know why the official name of the shoes isn ’ t just RBG , but that might make it too black .
I bought these shoes specifically because of the colorway and because they also look good when I ’ m feeling like getting fly for any occasion .
But mostly for the colorway .
REVOLUTION !

While I wouldn’t necessarily call myself a sneakerhead—perhaps that’s some sort of reluctant denial; my wife is absolutely tired of my sneaker deliveries—I spend more than a little bit of time perusing sneaker websites and videos from people named Foamer Simpson, Jacques Slade and Seth Fowler, watching sneaker unboxing videos of shoes that I try to beat thousands of other people and bots for the opportunity to purchase.
Okay, maybe I do veer into sneakerhead territory. Outside of looking for exclusives, shoes to resell at a profit or kicks to keep on ice until I think the world is ready to view them, mostly I try to buy shoes I actually want to wear. In doing so, that has leaned me heavily into shoes that have some sort of cultural significance, especially black cultural significance. To that end, I’ve purchased many shoes strictly because of their inherent blackness, nod to the community or colorway that I could pretend was intended as a nod to blackness. At this point, I own enough shoes in this vein to do a whole list of the 10 blackest shoes that I own. I’d be remiss if I didn’t point out that all of the shoes I will cite are made by big shoe companies which are clearly not black-owned or operated. Basically, I don’t own any pairs of Big Baller Brand shoes and you probably don’t either. In fact, I’ve never even seen a pair of them in real life; if you ordered some, I do hope you managed to receive your pair(s). #supportblackbusiness
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Either way, let’s kick it. Get it? Because kicks….never mind. All shoes and liberties on blackness of said shoes are mine.
1. Nike Air Jordan IV Retro Breds/White Cement with the Kente laces
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Right out the gate and I’m moving the goalpost. Either way, as you can see, I have both of my pairs of Jordan IVs laced up with the fly “kente” laces. I can’t take credit for this idea. My boy sent me a picture with a dude lacing his Breds up with some “kente” laces and I was like, “oh, he styled on everybody…” I immediately went to Etsy and found me some laces and the rest is Black History.
2. Vans A Tribe Called Quest x Sk8-Hi “Mellow Yellow”
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As soon as I saw that Vans was dropping a collaboration capsule with A Tribe Called Quest, I knew I was going to have to cop. I actually thought they’d be sold out in stores upon release but I was able to walk right into the Vans store in Virginia’s Pentagon City Mall and cop at least three of the four shoes. Thank goodness that I did not leave my wallet in El Segundo. You see what I did there? Probably. Point is, these shoes are dope and any opportunity to rock ATCQ-centric gear is a win for the culture.
3. Nike Blazer Mid “Coming To America”
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Anything this fresh had to be copped and surprisingly, they were also available in stores when I went to go get them and weren’t sold out. In fact, the day I went to buy them I suggested to the cat working at Foot Locker that they probably had been selling and he looked at me and laughed like I just told him Jordan 1 Mids were about to be the new hot item on the streets. I had the last laugh though; every time I wear them, folks want to know what they are and where they can get them. I always tell them Zamunda.
4. Nike Lebron 16 “Martin”
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For the longest time, I wasn’t a fan of Nike’s Lebron line of shoes. I think the brand was hoping they’d become the new Jordan’s but Kanye came in and took that crown with his Yeezy line at adidas. But when the 15s dropped, I finally found myself copping Lebrons and I loved them so much I bought several pairs. The 16, too, was a silhouette I really liked. Then I saw he was dropping this “Martin” themed version that includes font-stylings from the show and the heel includes show sayings. I was all in. I must admit, I bought them because I assumed there’d be some resale value. There hasn’t been much, so that’s not WZUP. It’s still a dope shoe with an ode to black culture. It’s a winner.
5. Vans A Tribe Called Quest x Authentic “Tracklist”
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I didn’t love this particular shoe when it dropped but I mean, how could I not cop it. It’s got song titles all over it and it’s black and white in a signature Vans silhouette. I’ve only worn the shoes once, and that was for my engagement photos because they matched my suit and what says you’re marrying a hip hop head like shoes adorned with A Tribe Called Quest songs titles.
6. Vans A Tribe Called Quest x Old Skool “ATCQ”
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This might be cheating since three of the blackest shoes I own are from the same collaboration but it’s my party and I’ll cry if I want to, plus, do you own these joints? With the super fly, branded ATCQ art work and the super fly laces, I love this pair of shoes. Obviously, the shoes are purely for the hip hop head that loves Tribe (which should be everybody, natch) but still...ain’t they purdy?
7. Converse Chuck 70 Hi “Black History Month”
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Every Black History Month, I truly want to say “bless your heart” to Nike for dropping a collection of Black History Month sneakers. Often, they’re just different colorways of shoes folks already love. This pair of Chuck’s though, was interesting enough and was inspired by “traditional African prints.” I mean, they tried. But the shoes are fly and they even have a BHM on the tongue for Black History Month.
8. Nike Zoom Freak 1 “Soul Glo”
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The Zoom Freak 1 is Milwaukee Bucks’ star basketball player Giannis Antetokounmpo’s signature sneaker. His favorite movie is Coming to America, so his first shoe line has several versions that pay homage to the movie. This particular shoe was the first one of his line that I ever tried on and I was amazed at how comfortable his shoes are. And with the nod to Coming to America and the greatest fictional haircare product of all time, I had to get them. The shoes would be almost perfect if not for the patent leather tongue, but otherwise, it’s a shoe that I love wearing.
9. Nike Air Jordan I Retro High OG “Pine Green”
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So this shoe isn’t really meant to be about revolution or anything BUT the shoes, which are largely black and green DO come with red laces and once you put the red laces on the shoe, well, you have a solid RBG shoe. I wore these to a panel I did on the “Year of Return” about black Americans heading to Ghana in 2019, and had on a shirt that said BlackAF, it pretty much one of the blackest all-around things I could have been doing that day.
10. Puma Special GV + Lux “Red/Black/Green/White”
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I don’t know why the official name of the shoes isn’t just RBG, but that might make it too black. I bought these shoes specifically because of the colorway and because they also look good when I’m feeling like getting fly for any occasion. But mostly for the colorway. REVOLUTION!


theroot--2020-05-22--The SkinStore Is Giving You 25% off Everything to Build the Perfect Summer Skin Regimen

This is a good time with all these skincare sales to assess your cabinet for what you need for summer @ @ @ @ @ it on sale all the better .
For the holiday the SkinStore is running a @ @ @ @ @ off with code MEMORIAL .
This code works on everything , even bundles and clearance @ @ @ @ @ s grab a good sunscreen to start .
It ’ s no secret if you @ @ @ @ @ French company La Roche-Posay and their sunscreen is perfection .
I do tend to burn @ @ @ @ @ high SPF and basically live in it all summer .
To take off a heavy @ @ @ @ @ a good oil cleanser followed by a foam cleanser .
But if you do catch @ @ @ @ @ to put some moisture back in and cool it down .
Aloe is still the @ @ @ @ @ Tony Moly ’ s face masks are the way to go .
The sale runs @ @ @ @ @ is free shipping on all orders .

Sheilah Villari on Kinja Deals, shared by Gabe Carey to The Root

25% Sitewide Sale | SkinStore | Use Code MEMORIAL
This is a good time with all these skincare sales to assess your cabinet for what you need for summer and if you can get it on sale all the better. For the holiday the SkinStore is running a sitewide sale of 25% off with code MEMORIAL. This code works on everything, even bundles and clearance items.
So let’s grab a good sunscreen to start. It’s no secret if you follow me that I love French company La Roche-Posay and their sunscreen is perfection. I do tend to burn easily so I prefer a high SPF and basically live in it all summer. To take off a heavy sunscreen you’ll need a good oil cleanser followed by a foam cleanser. But if you do catch a little sun and need to put some moisture back in and cool it down. Aloe is still the best to do this and Tony Moly’s face masks are the way to go.
The sale runs until May 26 and there is free shipping on all orders.


theroot--2020-05-22--The Root's Clapback Mailbag: Old Whites' Tales

I ’ m not religious , and I know that thunder and lightning are caused by electrostatic charges superheating the air , producing a rapid atmospheric expansion that causes a sonic boom .
I don ’ t think my hallucinations during REM sleep give me information about fertility , nor do I believe stop signs and telephone poles determine my future .
I ’ ve done the research and it turns out that cleaning tools don ’ t affect law enforcement decisions .
But there are some things I don ’ t fuck with .
I still sit my ass @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I was raised to believe that was God doing his work .
If I dream about fish , I know someone in my family is pregnant .
If we walk down the street together , please don ’ t put my future in danger by splitting the pole .
And if you happen to graze my feet with a broom while you are sweeping , one of us is going to have to anoint the broom with our saliva .
I understand that these old negro wives ’ tales are superstitious myths that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
I know there is no scientific basis for them .
Yet , they persist because we pass them down from generation to generation .
It ’ s easy to attribute bad luck to someone putting a hat on the bed .
It ’ s convenient to blame your financial hardships on that time you haphazardly put your purse on the floor .
White people do it , too .
There ’ s no scientific evidence that black people are less intelligent , more prone to violence or different from white people in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ convenient to attribute a black criminal ’ s actions to his race while “ troubled ” white youth get the benefit of the doubt .
It ’ s much easier to blame the education gap on negro stupidity than figure out how to disassemble a 200-year-old unequal education system .
And it ’ s easy to send letters , tweets and complaints blaming racism on The Root when you don ’ t want to actually eliminate the problem .
Here ’ s someone who complained about the journalistic integrity of Politics and Sports @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , how dare you !
This kind of abuse will not be tolerated at The Root .
This is one of the most hate-filled , spiteful letters I have ever read .
I wish I owned some pearls because I would be clutching them .
I can ’ t imagine how Stephen must have felt when he opened this letter .
You think Stephen listens to “ Gettin ’ Jiggy With It ?
” You believe he does the dance ?
I know this for a fact because Stephen constantly sends me underground @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rhymes to mediocre beats but they talk about guns and money a lot , plus the rapper just did a bid , so he ’ s got street credibility , which makes Stephen think the artist is about to blow up .
They never blow up .
Stephen is my friend .
We talk a lot .
It ’ s because I believe he is a genius who should be inducted into the roasting Hall of Fame roaster .
He can drag anyone .
There isn ’ t anyone on earth who can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ make it funny and original every day .
See , when it comes to Trump , Stephen may be the most objective journalist at The Root .
He doesn ’ t love the guy , but Stephen has impeccable journalistic ethics .
The white people at his former job—The Washington Post—beat it into him .
Every day , when I arrive at work ( meaning I walk downstairs ) , I have a message from Stephen saying a variation of this : This upsets me .
How is one of the all-time greats @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Trump ’ s presidency and become a milquetoast writer ?
It ’ s like the greatest basketball player on the planet retiring from the sport to become a below-average baseball player .
It ’ s like if Megan Thee Stallion decided to never bend her knees again .
It ’ s like Jesus deciding to become a fisher of fish !
How can we save this organization and inspire Stephen ’ s greatness ?
He ’ s our backbone !
Don ’ t worry , the entire staff at The Root knows @ @ @ @ @ @ @ him videos and articles about the stupid shit Trump did in the last 24 hours .
As he reads them , you can hear his head exploding .
You can feel the steam coming from his ears .
And then , he starts writing And that ’ s how we keep Stephen going .
But I sometimes worry about what pushing him with the white-hot fury of 1,000 suns is doing to his health .
This hate and anger can ’ t be good for his mental health .
I often wonder if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I remember he wrote what could be the most beautiful piece of writing I ’ ve ever read : I love Stephen Crockett .
I want him to live a long productive life .
But if I have to choose between Washington Post Stephen Crockett and The Root ’ s Stephen Crockett ...
If he dies , he dies .
Here is a standard letter we get all the time , asking : “ Instead of talking about all the stuff white people do , why don ’ t you guys report on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ From : A. Patrick Subject : Hate Crime Going On Right Now The Root reports a lot on racism against blacks .
However , you ignore the fact that most per capita hate crimes are committed by blacks acc .
to FBI and NYPD statistics .
Now there is , as of this very moment , a black man by the name of Jaydon Hayden in Detroit who is abusing elderly white patients in a psychiatric Hospital while calling them racist slurs .
He posts his videos online .
You can read about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It has been reported to the authorities today as the story started spreading on social media .
If you are really serious about racism , I expect you to report on this disgusting case .
If you don ’ t you are just a racist publication that only cares about alleged hate crimes against blacks but not about black on white hate crimes , basically demonstrating that you think some people are less worthy of protection than others , depending on the color of their skin .
We shall see which one it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you report on this .
Also , would you consider a website , similar to The Root , that exclusively focuses on White issues and portrays most blacks as oppressors , a racist website ?
If yes , is The Root racist as well ?
Asking this because it seems to me you are a bunch of black supremacists who refuse to take responsibility .
Whenever I see comedians or jokester make funny faces , they always cross their eyes .
I was always afraid to do that because I always heard that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , their eyes will get stuck that way .
The Root isn ’ t in the practice of demonizing black people for the sake of sensationalism .
I don ’ t deny that we aren ’ t sensationalists .
All journalists are .
Still , The Root knows that every news story is told through the lens of the writer and , because there are so many more white journalists working for major outlets , most media organizations have reinforced the notion that the white perspective is a neutral perspective .
This subconscious @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is undetectable to white eyes .
When the coronavirus outbreak first made headlines , states , health officials and even the best media outlets broke down the pandemic into geographical locations .
They disaggregated the victims of COVID-19 as if the disease had a Tinder profile age—by age , sex and location .
And when black journalists asked for racial data , white people asked : “ Why does everything have to be about race ?
” As if black people created the health disparities .
As if black people created the economic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we were the ones polluting the air and the water that causes health disparities .
As if black communities were kicking primary care physicians out of black neighborhoods .
The same is true with news about criminal .
There ’ s a rule of thumb that black journalists know but the public isn ’ t keenly aware of : If you read an entire story about a crime and can ’ t tell the person ’ s race , you should assume that the offender is a white person .
And if you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is an examples from today It took me four minutes to find Timothy Mosgawa on the Westmoreland County Jail website .
Mr. Patrick , as much as you and your fellow Yakubians believe in the criminality of black people , you believe in the forgiveness of whites .
Even the most liberal news media outlets feel free to demonize black people while contorting themselves into knots to explain the sins of whiteness .
Even worse , they truly believe that their search for Caucasian absolution is a sign of objectivity .
Here is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ last three sentences of this article : What ’ s interesting about this is that I didn ’ t find Timothy Mosgawa by scouring the internet for white robbers .
In fact , when I searched for “ robbery ” in Google News , every single story on the first page was about a white robber ...
Except the last one .
The last article was about a liquor store robbery just outside of Atlantic City .
The suspect , Siewon Nimly was black .
So , like they do for the white @ @ @ @ @ @ @ caused Siewon to commit such a crime .
I ’ m sure you think he ’ s just an evil , greedy thug because black people don ’ t get to be “ bored.
” The body of 13-year-old Oretha Preslee Nimley , who was struck by a car on the Black Horse Pike last month , has been lying in a Philadelphia funeral home since Nov. 17 .
Nimley ’ s family has not been able to pull together the money necessary to bury the girl and say their goodbyes ... “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just sit in the car .
I can ’ t even go in the house because it ’ s just so quiet .
She was always playing music , ” said her father , Siewon P. Nimley ... Siewon immigrated to the United States 15 years ago from Liberia .
When his daughter died , he didn ’ t know where to turn for help , he said ... John McLernon of the Atlantic County Department of Family and Community Development said there is assistance for burial costs if an individual is receiving @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Assistance for Needy Families .
Siewon , who has worked for seven years at Atlantic City Linen Supply , said his family is not receiving any of those benefits .
So , I know you want us to demonize black people , but no thanks .
It ’ s not that we don ’ t want to report the news about another negro thug , but the white news is already doing a great job .
Because , if there ’ s one thing the staff at The Root knows , is that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ humanity in black people .
But it ’ s not your fault .
The Root understands that white people have been looking at us this way for so long ... Their eyes are stuck that way .

I’m not religious, and I know that thunder and lightning are caused by electrostatic charges superheating the air, producing a rapid atmospheric expansion that causes a sonic boom. I don’t think my hallucinations during REM sleep give me information about fertility, nor do I believe stop signs and telephone poles determine my future. I’ve done the research and it turns out that cleaning tools don’t affect law enforcement decisions.
But there are some things I don’t fuck with.
I still sit my ass down and be quiet during thunderstorms because I was raised to believe that was God doing his work. If I dream about fish, I know someone in my family is pregnant. If we walk down the street together, please don’t put my future in danger by splitting the pole. And if you happen to graze my feet with a broom while you are sweeping, one of us is going to have to anoint the broom with our saliva.
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I understand that these old negro wives’ tales are superstitious myths that have existed in black communities for decades. I know there is no scientific basis for them. Yet, they persist because we pass them down from generation to generation. It’s easy to attribute bad luck to someone putting a hat on the bed. It’s convenient to blame your financial hardships on that time you haphazardly put your purse on the floor.
White people do it, too.
There’s no scientific evidence that black people are less intelligent, more prone to violence or different from white people in any way. But it’s convenient to attribute a black criminal’s actions to his race while “troubled” white youth get the benefit of the doubt. It’s much easier to blame the education gap on negro stupidity than figure out how to disassemble a 200-year-old unequal education system.
Advertisement Advertisement
And it’s easy to send letters, tweets and complaints blaming racism on The Root when you don’t want to actually eliminate the problem.
Here’s someone who complained about the journalistic integrity of Politics and Sports Editor Stephen Crockett:
From: Hunter S.
To: Stephen Crockett
Subject: China Virus Drugs. Stop watching CNN and do some real investigation and you will find hydroxci does work along with zithromax. Both have been around longer than hip hop music. To bad you feel the need to get Jiggy with it . Trump 2020 motherfucker !!
Dear Hunter,
First of all, how dare you!
This kind of abuse will not be tolerated at The Root. This is one of the most hate-filled, spiteful letters I have ever read. I wish I owned some pearls because I would be clutching them. I can’t imagine how Stephen must have felt when he opened this letter.
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“Gett jiggy with it”?
You think Stephen listens to “Gettin’ Jiggy With It?” You believe he does the dance?
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Stephen would never.
I know this for a fact because Stephen constantly sends me underground mixtapes of people who are spitting mediocre rhymes to mediocre beats but they talk about guns and money a lot, plus the rapper just did a bid, so he’s got street credibility, which makes Stephen think the artist is about to blow up.
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They never blow up.
Stephen is my friend. We talk a lot. It’s because I believe he is a genius who should be inducted into the roasting Hall of Fame roaster. He can drag anyone. There isn’t anyone on earth who can write about Donald Trump every day and make it funny and original every day.
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I’m worried about Stephen.
See, when it comes to Trump, Stephen may be the most objective journalist at The Root. He doesn’t love the guy, but Stephen has impeccable journalistic ethics. The white people at his former job—The Washington Post—beat it into him.
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Every day, when I arrive at work (meaning I walk downstairs), I have a message from Stephen saying a variation of this:
Mike, I think I may have been too hard on Trump yesterday. Today, I’m going to try to be objective and look at his actions from both sides. He’s the president. He deserves my respect.
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This upsets me. How is one of the all-time greats gonna just quit in the middle of Trump’s presidency and become a milquetoast writer? It’s like the greatest basketball player on the planet retiring from the sport to become a below-average baseball player. It’s like if Megan Thee Stallion decided to never bend her knees again. It’s like Jesus deciding to become a fisher of fish!
How can we save this organization and inspire Stephen’s greatness? He’s our backbone! Don’t worry, the entire staff at The Root knows what to do.
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We just send him videos and articles about the stupid shit Trump did in the last 24 hours. As he reads them, you can hear his head exploding. You can feel the steam coming from his ears. And then, he starts writing
And that’s how we keep Stephen going.
Don’t worry, he won’t read this.
But I sometimes worry about what pushing him with the white-hot fury of 1,000 suns is doing to his health. This hate and anger can’t be good for his mental health. I often wonder if we should stop this practice.
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Then I remember he wrote what could be the most beautiful piece of writing I’ve ever read:
I’m a Kellyanne Conway birther. That’s right. I am going to need proof that Kellyanne Conway is alive and not just a skeleton covered in provolone cheese wearing a bank-robber wig that is attached to a series of pulleys that make her arms and mouth move. Until then, I have to address Kellyanne Conway as the skeletal remains of someone named Kellyanne Conway. Or simply: Skellyanne Conway.
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I love Stephen Crockett. I want him to live a long productive life. But if I have to choose between Washington Post Stephen Crockett and The Root’s Stephen Crockett...
If he dies, he dies.
Here is a standard letter we get all the time, asking: “Instead of talking about all the stuff white people do, why don’t you guys report on this?”
To: The Root
From: A. Patrick
Subject: Hate Crime Going On Right Now The Root reports a lot on racism against blacks. However, you ignore the fact that most per capita hate crimes are committed by blacks acc. to FBI and NYPD statistics. Now there is, as of this very moment, a black man by the name of Jaydon Hayden in Detroit who is abusing elderly white patients in a psychiatric Hospital while calling them racist slurs. He posts his videos online. You can read about it and watch the videos here. It has been reported to the authorities today as the story started spreading on social media. If you are really serious about racism, I expect you to report on this disgusting case. If you don’t you are just a racist publication that only cares about alleged hate crimes against blacks but not about black on white hate crimes, basically demonstrating that you think some people are less worthy of protection than others, depending on the color of their skin. We shall see which one it is, depending on whether and how you report on this. Also, would you consider a website, similar to The Root, that exclusively focuses on White issues and portrays most blacks as oppressors, a racist website? If yes, is The Root racist as well? Asking this because it seems to me you are a bunch of black supremacists who refuse to take responsibility. Kind regards. A. Patrick
Dear Mr. Patrick
Whenever I see comedians or jokester make funny faces, they always cross their eyes. I was always afraid to do that because I always heard that if a person does it too often, their eyes will get stuck that way.
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The Root isn’t in the practice of demonizing black people for the sake of sensationalism. I don’t deny that we aren’t sensationalists. All journalists are. Still, The Root knows that every news story is told through the lens of the writer and, because there are so many more white journalists working for major outlets, most media organizations have reinforced the notion that the white perspective is a neutral perspective. This subconscious notion actually fuels the news coverage but is undetectable to white eyes.
When the coronavirus outbreak first made headlines, states, health officials and even the best media outlets broke down the pandemic into geographical locations. They disaggregated the victims of COVID-19 as if the disease had a Tinder profile age—by age, sex and location. And when black journalists asked for racial data, white people asked: “Why does everything have to be about race?”
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As if black people created the health disparities. As if black people created the economic inequality that exacerbated COVID-19. As if we were the ones polluting the air and the water that causes health disparities. As if black communities were kicking primary care physicians out of black neighborhoods.
The same is true with news about criminal.
There’s a rule of thumb that black journalists know but the public isn’t keenly aware of: If you read an entire story about a crime and can’t tell the person’s race, you should assume that the offender is a white person. And if you don’t believe me, here is an examples from today
A 20-year-old Herminie man was arraigned Thursday on multiple charges of robbing a gas station-convenience store in Sewickley Township where he used to work. Timothy J. Mozgawa fled with about $500 from the Sunoco station at 3331 Clay Pike St. at about 10 p.m. Wednesday, state police Trooper Shane McClelland said. McClelland reported in court documents that Mozgawa confessed to the robbery to troopers about two hours afterward when he was questioned at his home. “(Mozgawa) made a statement he made a mistake do to him having a debt owed to someone,” McClelland said in court documents. Mozgawa wore a camouflage face mask when he robbed the store and threatened the clerk with a pellet handgun before fleeing, McClelland said. Mozgawa told the trooper that he sat in some woods for about an hour contemplating committing the robbery before he entered the store.
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It took me four minutes to find Timothy Mosgawa on the Westmoreland County Jail website.
He is white.
Mr. Patrick, as much as you and your fellow Yakubians believe in the criminality of black people, you believe in the forgiveness of whites. Even the most liberal news media outlets feel free to demonize black people while contorting themselves into knots to explain the sins of whiteness. Even worse, they truly believe that their search for Caucasian absolution is a sign of objectivity.
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Here is another recent example:
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Here are the last three sentences of this article :
Authorities believe COVID-19 has ginned up a level of boredom, particularly among high school and college students. “A lot of it is juveniles thinking this is a cool thing to do, and it’s just not,” Montgomery County Police Spokesman Capt. Tom Jordan told 7 On Your Side last month. “People just having too much time on their hands.”
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What’s interesting about this is that I didn’t find Timothy Mosgawa by scouring the internet for white robbers. In fact, when I searched for “robbery” in Google News, every single story on the first page was about a white robber... Except the last one.
The last article was about a liquor store robbery just outside of Atlantic City. The suspect, Siewon Nimly was black. So, like they do for the white boys, I wondered what could have caused Siewon to commit such a crime. I’m sure you think he’s just an evil, greedy thug because black people don’t get to be “bored.”
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That’s when I found this:
The body of 13-year-old Oretha Preslee Nimley, who was struck by a car on the Black Horse Pike last month, has been lying in a Philadelphia funeral home since Nov. 17. Nimley’s family has not been able to pull together the money necessary to bury the girl and say their goodbyes... “I go home from work and I just sit in the car. I can’t even go in the house because it’s just so quiet. She was always playing music,” said her father, Siewon P. Nimley... Siewon immigrated to the United States 15 years ago from Liberia. When his daughter died, he didn’t know where to turn for help, he said... John McLernon of the Atlantic County Department of Family and Community Development said there is assistance for burial costs if an individual is receiving Supplemental Security Income, Medicaid or Temporary Assistance for Needy Families. Siewon, who has worked for seven years at Atlantic City Linen Supply, said his family is not receiving any of those benefits.
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So, I know you want us to demonize black people, but no thanks. It’s not that we don’t want to report the news about another negro thug, but the white news is already doing a great job.
We’ll pass.
Because, if there’s one thing the staff at The Root knows, is that white people can’t see the humanity in black people. But it’s not your fault. The Root understands that white people have been looking at us this way for so long...
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Their eyes are stuck that way.