Mission Statement.

Square Rootz is a New York and Philly-based lifestyle and media collective formed by three street beating friends who have joined forces to bring you the world. Tired of the same ole, same ole, we’ve created a space to inform, expose and connect people of the African Diaspora through dynamic events and provocative media. Our mission is to stimulate genuine curiosity and a passion for living amongst our readers. The features on our site are people, places and events we’ve experienced and loved. We share them with you here in hopes that you will experience, love and make them your own. As Official Street Beaters, we invite you to join us as we discover and explore all that awaits us under the radar!

WHO WE ARE

Jessica Jones.
Growing up Jessica always wanted to be a novelist. Unfortunately, that dream was thwarted in middle school, when she discovered ADD was to blame for her concentration ills. To solve the problem, Jessica shifted her career aspirations to journalism—so she wouldn’t have to work on one story for a prolonged period of time. Ritalin helped, too. These days, the scribe pens articles about black culture, music and fashion for magazines and newspapers like MissBehave, Vapors, Vibe.com and The Village Voice. A Westcoast native and Brooklyn transplant, Jessica has learned to use journalism as an excuse to be nosey. As a vegetarian health freak that is addicted to candy, she condemns New York for refusing to sell Red Vines (that’s licorice) in any of its bodegas. And no, Twizzlers don’t count.

Kat Noel.
If you’re ever looking up the word gadabout in Webster’s Dictionary (get your vocab up people), you’ll find a picture of Kat and all her street beating glory…Well, not really but they definitely should get on it! As a true rolling stone, who believes everyone has a story to tell and never leaves home without paper and pen, she’s hoping that Square Rootz is her meal ticket out of the country. But in the meantime and in between time, the native New Yorker is focused on becoming a Jill of all trades and a master of everything by first working on her freelance writing game and saving the world one kid at a time. When you see Kat on the streets don’t let her chubby cheeks fool you into getting too close, ‘cause with a lethal mix of east coast and West Indian forthright, she’ll be sure to tell you about yourself straight with no chaser. No worries, she’s not as hard as she’d like to think. Just break the ice by mentioning music or books, especially Celestine Prophecy, and the two of you will be fast friends.

Marly Pierre-Louis.
An activist with her fist raised from the womb, Marly has always believed in advocating for the voiceless. Sensitive to the struggles of people across the globe and in her own city, Marly strives to make a difference through volunteer and community involvement. She is a passionate promoter for social justice and equality worldwide. Weaned in Brooklyn, raised in Boston and now residing in Philadelphia, it’s no wonder Marly considers herself a vagabond. The funky fresh budget socialite spends most of her days beating the streets of Illadel. Party planner extraordinaire, she sniffs out a connection at every corner. A passion for words, beats and laughter is why she joined the collective… that and the fact that she’s a shameless lover (read: groupie) of BBoys and DJ’s. If you’re doing something dope in the city, she’ll probably be all up in your mix, asking questions, laughing and partying… so word to the wise: WATCH YO BACK!

WHAT WE DO

Profiles (FOLKS, GOODS and SPOTS).
The world is filled with scores of slept on, untapped treasures. This section brings you only the freshest and original in people and places. Explore new artists, restaurants, lounges, musicians, designers, bookstores and so much more! So get up, get out and discover all that your city has to offer!

Substance.
When it comes to our monthly feature pieces, our policy is that no topic is off-limits. From what messages your outfit truly sends to the opposite sex, the state of Black love, and the self image disorder threatening many women of the Diaspora, Square Rootz’ exploratory ‘SUBSTANCE’ articles aren’t afraid to take it there and uncover the core of it all. We promise to stir up conversation and get us all thinking again.

Multimedia.
We like pictures. We like audio. We like putting pictures and audio together to create audio slide shows. Also known as multimedia, Square Rootz will use this latest form of Internet technology as another medium for bringing you fascinating stories each month.

Affairs.
The Square Rootz’ philosophy is that good times don’t have to hurt the wallet. We’re not only dedicated to discovering and promoting the low-cost best that Philadelphia and New York have to offer, but when the selection isn’t cutting it, we’ll also bring you our own cost-conscious events infused with a whole lot of that good ol’ distinctive Square Rootz flavor.

Randomness.
Updated on a daily basis, ‘RANDOMNESS’ is our inclusive, catch-all section. It’s where rants, raves, questions, brief wax poetic dissertaions, quotes, facts-basically all the things that go on in our mental minds - get a chance to see the light of day.