Quality African-American literature is alive and well. The Root talks to the best of a hot new wave. 

The president's revealing magazine interview this week highlights an administration at the crossroads. But two more years of indecision and low energy will not be good for either major political party.

Despite the college's reaction to a Vibe article, some people believe you can be a Morehouse man in high heels (or a do-rag).

Forget the adulation of '08; this diverse crowd of young potential voters voiced their concerns about the economy, gay rights, black incarceration and more. The Root's Cord Jefferson went to find out if they were buying the president's answers.

Thomas Boddie never had aspirations to build another Motown, but the legacy left in his sealed-up studio is an important piece of musical history.

Wynton Marsalis' Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra was in Cuba last week as part of a cultural exchange that continues over the next few weeks in the U.S. But have politics overshadowed the musical motivation?

Brilliant 16-year-old Ralph Jones Jr., who had his pick of colleges and went with Florida A&M University, chatted with The Root about why he chose a historically black school over an Ivy League, and the negative attention he's getting for his decision.

Military personnel and spouses generally have more credit card debt than civilians do, reports The Washington Post's Michelle Singletary. Find out how that might affect military readiness.

Says John McWhorter: Some black people report that they encounter racism all the time. Some of us have a different experience.