The Root

Recently, logging on to Slate as I do every day, I saw an interesting graphic in the middle of the page where there's usually a "clever" illustration or headline. "Welcome to the Root," it read. It's an African American e-zine (do people still use the term "e-zine?" No? Ok, I'll refrain.). The first thing that caught my eye was a piece by Melissa Harris-Lacewell, Princeton's own rising star in politics and African American studies (the intersection of two of my major interests). It seems like she's everywhere these days, or at least here on campus and around town. Poking around a bit more on the site, I noticed that Skip Gates was the editor. Hmm. Further exploration revealed myriad prominent African American writers (many of whom are affiliated with the WaPo, The Root's major sponsor) from both sides of the fence. Conservatives, moderates, liberals. In fact, I'd go so far as to say The Root covers every facet of African Americanism. Except one. Afrocentrism/black nationalism are sorely lacking here. I suspect this is due to the following: it's perfectly fine to be proud of being African American, because you're still acknowledging your American-ness. But being afrocentric, being black doesn't leave room for the bit of whiteness (large or small) we share. But hey, it's a Washington Post endeavor, so I wouldn't expect any less. (Note: is it bad that just looking at Stanley Crouch makes me shudder? And this reaction is not based entirely on his appearance.) With that said, this will definitely be on my list of sites to visit on the regular. We'll see. ____ Listening to: Judy Garland, "Stormy Weather."