Life in the Time of Coronavirus is a GEN series where we are interviewing people across the country who have had their lives upended or are experiencing the stress of the unknown. Nathalie K. is a 32-year-old mother living

A clean dusting of snow coats the hoods of cars parked along Philadelphia’s West Norris Street. The trees are mostly bare, withered leaves buried in the corners of benches. This winter morning, the massive rust-brick

For Lewis Conway Jr., deciding to run for office was the easy part. The Austin native was a community activist looking for another way to make change. But until mid-August, the fate of his candidacy

Two rows of barbed wire fencing can’t block the screams that escape from behind the barred windows at the jail. “Help us!” the men shout from inside. The sweltering sun beams down on the two-story brick building, heating its

Editor’s note: This is the first of two essays The Root is publishing in partnership with Caught, a new podcast from WNYC Studios about the juvenile-justice system. We hope to generate a conversation about how we can support rather than

Lynae feels a wave of nausea at the scent of baking bread drifting from a Subway she passes on her way to the hospital clinic. Still, it's no match for the excitement she feels from

Nelson Gamio gets up at 6:30 a.m. each morning. After putting on his usual t-shirt and jeans, he sits in the chair and laces up his paint-splattered boots. He has just enough time to run

The South Side is a magical place, writes Natalie Y. Moore in her new book, “The South Side: A Portrait of Chicago and American Segregation.” The WBEZ South Side Bureau reporter reminds readers that alongside

Extended family visits for inmates are disappearing from state correctional facilities. Journalist Sylvia A. Harvey sheds light on the 2.7 million kids who are losing the right to visit their parents in her cover story for

The number of people in jail and prison in America is staggering itself: more than two million people. Stop and think about the loved ones of the prisoners, and you realize millions more are waiting

2.7 Million Kids Have Parents in Prison. They’re Losing Their Right to Visit. My small feet thump the concrete as I hurry toward the door. My four older brothers trail closely behind. Upon entering, we

A Punk Rock band was an amped backdrop to a riveting poetic monologue that ripped into the air and put gentrification in a 50-minute choke-hold. Gentrified Minds (the NY Horror, Volume 2) is a protest

Social media is the virtual playground where people create, share and communicate instantaneously, and evolving digital technologies are making sense of all the updates, tweets, check-ins, photos and video uploads, according to a Cornell NYC

It's not uncommon for withering brown bananas to lay limp on the counter of my local bodega; or for the often-sticky floors to claim the soles of my shoes; or for the shelves to hold

In its quest to foster a culture of innovation and to blend fundamental academic work and practical applied work with an eye on the future of business, technology and entrepreneurship, Cornell Tech hosted its second