Danielle Young
The Root
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Past articles by Danielle:
MC Lyte Talks Racial Bias, Female Rap Beef and the Longevity of Hip-Hop
MC Lyte recently performed with a nostalgic lineup at the Cincinnati Music Festival, proving once again that black don’t crack. Lyte (born Lana Michelle Moorer) looks and sounds like what happens when you mind your business and drink water. → Read More
You Gotta Put Me On: For the Artists Who Haven’t Quite Reached Mainstream Success but Are Killing the Game
When black people who are musically inclined choose to pursue a career as an artist, they are proclaiming that they not only believe in their talent but also don’t subscribe to the conventional ways of making an American dream a reality. These people are dreamers with thick skin. Rejection is palpable when you choose to be an artist. → Read More
14 Black Holidays We Wish Were Real That Are Not Juneteenth, Kwanzaa or MLK Day
June 19, also known as Juneteenth, is a holiday black people should all be aware of, and it dates to June 19, 1865. On that day, Union soldiers, led by Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger, went into Galveston, Texas, with news that the Civil War was over and Texas’ 250,000 slaves were now officially free. → Read More
Hannibal Buress is a Grown Man Who Plays Tag in a Movie, but Would He Play Tag with Kanye West?
“I’m Hollywood?” Hannibal Buress asked me, completely puzzled as to why I’d be congratulating him on his latest movie role in Tag, where he plays Sable, the only black friend in a group of white dudes who have been playing tag once a year, every year, for the last 30 years. Yeah, let that sink in. → Read More
The 2018 BET Awards Nominees Are...
Do it look like I was left off “Bad and Boujee?” seems like it was forever ago, but it was just last year at the BET Awards red carpet that hip hop trio, Migos sat or uhm stood with Complex’s “Everyday Struggle” hosts DJ Akademics, Nadeska Alexis, and (*cough* former host) Joe Budden, thus creating a beautiful moment in black history. I wonder what we have to look forward to at this year’s BET… → Read More
Bad Publicity Only Works for the Kardashians
In case you haven’t heard, no one showed up to Kanye West’s Yeezy X 2XU event in Sydney. First of all, I didn’t even know this was happening or a thing; nor do I know who or what a 2XU is. → Read More
Bad Publicity Only Works for the Kardashians
In case you haven’t heard, no one showed up to Kanye West’s Yeezy X 2XU event in Sydney. First of all, I didn’t even know this was happening or a thing; nor do I know who or what a 2XU is. → Read More
Black Mamas Work: 6 Career-Driven Moms Share Their Messy Lessons, Wins and Fears of Raising Black Kids
Part of being a mother is accepting that you have to be a list of things your children are in constant need of: a counselor, a doctor, a cheerleader, a coach, a manager, a Band-Aid ... the list goes on. The job is endless and often, thankless. But a mother’s job is often not just being a mother. → Read More
Watch: Roxanne Shanté Explains How She Created Hip-Hop Diss Records
Lolita Shanté Gooden, aka Roxanne Shanté, is a hip-hip icon, a living legend, if you will. Netflix has released Roxanne Roxanne, a biopic that chronicles Shanté’s humble beginnings in Queens, N.Y., in the ’80s. Shanté was a solidified rap staple from the Queensbridge Houses. She could rap circles around anybody and quickly became the go-to girl for a street battle. → Read More
Watch: Everything You Need to Know About Black Panther, Explained
Where is Wakanda? Who is T’Challa? Can a woman be Black Panther? I have so many questions about this comic book-turned-feature film, so I consulted with play cousins to The Root who are both staff writers for i09: Charles Pulliam-Moore and Evan Narcisse (who happens to be one of the brilliant writers of the Rise of the Black Panther comics). → Read More
This Conversation With Erykah Badu Will Make You Wonder if She Dabbles in Hotepery
“I don’t care if the whole group says something; I’m going to be honest. I know I don’t have the most popular opinion sometimes,” Erykah Badu said during an interview with Vulture that left me wondering if years of breathing in incense fumes could cause brain damage, because these opinions of hers are problematic, to say the least. → Read More
Can We Talk About Amara La Negra’s Appearance on The Breakfast Club?
The Love & Hip Hop franchise has a new Afro-Latina on its roster: Amara La Negra. And the buxom, gray-eyed, Afro-rocking, melanin-poppin’ recording artist is making major waves online, mostly because of the criticism surrounding her dark skin and kinky hair. → Read More
Meet ‘Angela,’ One of the 1st Slaves to Arrive in America
What if we could put names and faces to the Africans who were brought over to America as slaves in 1619? Would it humanize slavery instead of making it a category in American history that people love to conveniently forget or urge black folks to “just get over it”? → Read More
Meghan Markle Snagged Her a Prince and Black Twitter Is Here for It
“Princess Meghan”—it’s got a nice ring to it! Let me start first by saying yasss for anyone who can find love in a hopeless place ... aka the world, which is literally self-destructing. There was a bombing in Egypt and a volcano erupting in Bali, Indonesia; Donald Trump doesn’t believe news is real; Taylor Swift’s new album is at the top of the charts—the world is over it. → Read More
Watch: Jemele Hill Says Our Progress Is ‘3 Steps Forward, 2 Steps Back’
Jemele Hill’s name has been hashtagged, dragged and praised heavily this year, and here at The Root, we honor her for her contributions to journalism. As a black female sports journalist, Hill realizes how black athletes are perceived, and she’s bringing that to the table when she discusses them on the air. → Read More
Mudbound Is Another Exhausting Tale of Inequality and Racism in America, but at Least It Was Executed Properly
When there’s historical blackness in film, it’s usually displayed through slavery or Jim Crow. There’s never really any in between. But there is a very palpable significance in remembering, reliving and recognizing black history and respecting how far we’ve come (even though 2017 mirrors the past more times than we’re comfortable with). → Read More
Bossip Smashes Twitter’s Tender Cakes to Smithereens With Their Hilarious Headlines
Listen, I don’t know what Bossip’s editorial team is on, but I’d like for them to pass it my way. There is no publication like gossip-news giant Bossip. It’s 2017, so it’s safe to assume that you’ve been to Bossip’s website, followed them on social media or have seen their wordy and deliciously insulting headlines creep across your feed. If you’re like me, you’ve definitely laughed hysterically… → Read More
Don’t Let the Smile Fool You. I’m Cringing on the Inside
In all truth, I was originally never going to tell this story. Because for the longest time, I didn’t even know if there was a story. I didn’t take what had happened to me seriously. → Read More
Watch Out Loud: What Was It Like the 1st Time You Were Called the N-Word?
When I asked a few of our readers to come in to The Root’s offices and share their personal experiences of being called the n-word for the first time, I knew I’d get a lot of stories steeped in ignorance. I didn’t realize that a lot of the stories would sound like shared experiences with a checklist of items that seemed like a preparation for a racist kit: pickup trucks, Confederate flags on… → Read More
Watch: Is Double Dutch a Traditionally Black Sport?
In 1974 and over the next 10 years after that, the American Double Dutch League hosted a city-wide competition at New York City’s esteemed Lincoln Center. Two NYC police detectives, David A. Walker (Double Dutch founder) and Ulysses Williams helped to create the competition for purposes bigger than winning golden trophies; it was a space for young women from urban communities to see that their… → Read More