Black History
Do Black Lives Matter?
My mother was born in the 1950s. She grew up during the ’60s and ’70s. My mother integrated her elementary school and was in Los Angeles during the Watts riots.<p>I’ve heard my fair share of stories from her about being Black in America, the Civil Rights Movement and the turmoil of the period. But as …
Black Lives MatterBlack Women, Police Violence, and Mental Illness
When I heard about Charleena Lyles—I remembered Eleanor Bumpurs, Deborah Danner, and Sophia King. All four were black women with mental health …
Mental DisordersGordon Parks’ photos are all over Kendrick’s new video
K-Dot’s clip for ‘ELEMENT.’ is littered with references to the African-American photojournalist’s iconic work<p>Last night, Kendrick Lamar dropped some of his most stirring visuals yet. The Jonas Lindstroem-helmed video for “ELEMENT.” is a hard-hitting yet beautifully shot depiction of violence and …
Kendrick LamarBree Newsome reflects on taking down South Carolina's Confederate flag 2 years ago
“Removing the flag in South Carolina was one thing, but racism exists in South Carolina as policy and social practice.”<p>Two years ago this week, a young woman did something nearly unthinkable: Brittany “Bree” Newsome approached the South Carolina statehouse, scaled a 30-foot flagpole, and took down …
Racism'Be Free or Die' tells the amazing story of a man who was a hero of the Civil War — and beyond | Books
In writing <i>Be Free or Die: The Amazing Story of Robert Smalls' Escape from Slavery to Union Hero</i>, journalist Cate Lineberry has done readers and …
Black CultureMemorial for Emmett Till – Black Teen Murdered in 1955 – Destroyed in Mississippi. Again.
Emmett Till<p>A historical marker meant to commemorate a horrible part of American history was destroyed this week in Mississippi. And not for the first …
Black CultureZadie Smith Takes on Black Pain With a Light Touch
At the start of the summer I turned down an invitation from a friend to see a play in Manhattan called <i>3/Fifths</i>. Written and produced by James …
Long-form JournalismThe Afro-Latino Festival NYC Celebrates A Culture That’s Ready To Be Heard
At 26, Amara La Negra, the Dominican-American singer, has a string of energetic tropical-funk hits in Spanish, fierce dance moves, a fashion line, …
New York CityHalle Berry says historic Oscar win “meant nothing” for black progress
In 2002, Berry became the first African-American woman to win the Best Actress Oscar — but did it change anything?<p>In a recent interview with Teen Vogue, Academy Award-winning actress Halle Berry reflected on how the optimistic prediction she made in her historic Oscar victory speech has so far not …
The OscarsThree giants from Dallas' black community have died this month | Community Column
Here's remembering three tall seasoned trees in Dallas' fertile black community that have fallen this month.<p>Jowanda Jordan and Julia Jordan (no …
Black CultureKendrick Lamar’s ‘Element’ Owes Itself To Famed Black Photographer Gordon Parks
Source: YouTubeKendrick Lamar’s “Element” is sure to grab viewers’ attention for its thought-provoking imagery, as it showcases a certain violence …
Black CultureNational organization awards $10,000 each to local African American males making a difference
$content.markerWrapper.value<p>By Theresa Cottom<br>Beacon Journal staff writer<p>Published: June 27, 2017 - 05:56 PM<p>BMe Community Manager Ace Epps and 2016 …
OhioPhilando Castile Settlement Shows White America Willingly Pays for White Supremacy
White America has always shown a willingness and a boundless patience when it comes to paying for white supremacy. Not in the moral sense or the …
African-American NewsThe Woman with the Violin
<i>Ginger and Her Violin</i>, 1954<p>Photograph by Robert S. Scurlock<p>Gift of Ivy G. and Dean Tatam Reeves in memory of John Reeves<p><b>Violin owned by Ginger Smock</b>, …
SmithsonianLiveright to Publish Nelson Mandela's Prison Letters
Liveright Publishing, the W.W. Norton imprint, will publish the prison letters of former South African president and anti-apartheid revolutionary …
PublishingWhy I’m devoting a year to helping black newspapers survive
Photo courtesy of Regina H. Boone<p><b>IN 2003, I WENT TO WORK FOR</b> the <i>Detroit Free Press</i> as a staff photojournalist. For nearly 14 years, I covered …
JournalismHow African Americans Use DNA Testing to Connect With Their Past
Genetic tests have ushered in a new era of root-seeking and community-building, says social scientist Alondra Nelson.<p>In 1977, Alondra Nelson remembers lying stomach-down, head-in-hands, in front of the television, watching Alex Haley’s miniseries <i>Roots</i> with her parents. “I knew that something …
DNALGBTQ Icons You Need to Know — And How to Find More
Serious groundbreakers.<p>This year has not spared the LGBTQ community of challenges. Since the beginning of Donald Trump’s presidency, there has been a rise in hate crimes, including anti-LGBTQ attacks. The appointment of Jeff Sessions as attorney general has been called “a disaster” for the …
LGBTQWho We Talk About When We Talk About Gentrification
When the topic of gentrification is at hand, recent headlines suggest the stakes of the debate. “Gentrification Isn’t a Benign Process: It Forces …
HistoryEmmett Till Historical Marker in Miss. Destroyed by Vandals
A historical marker created in Mississippi to memorialize and educate the public about the 1955 kidnapping and lynching death of 14-year-old Emmett …
African-American NewsThe Fight for Health Care Has Always Been About Civil Rights
In dismantling Obamacare and slashing Medicaid, Republicans would strike a blow against signature victories for racial equality in America.<p>It was a cold March night when Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. turned his pulpit towards health care. Speaking to a packed, mixed-race crowd of physicians and …
Health CareKaryn Parsons Is Telling The Stories Of Little-Known Black Icons
Hilary Banks is now a history buff, y'all.<p>“The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” actress Karyn Parsons has come quite a ways since she was pardoning herself for being so attractive as a self-obsessed Hilary Banks.<p>But these days, she has a thing or two to teach us about black history.<p>In 2005, Parsons founded …
Black CultureMove to rename Harlem neighborhood SoHa sparks outrage over erasing black history
New York City real estate companies' attempts to rename a Harlem neighborhood "SoHa" have enraged long-time residents of the historically black enclave, who say the move erases the community's rich cultural history.<p>The neighborhood served as home and inspiration to generations of leading African …
Black CultureA DC Mural Honors 16 African-American Heroes Throughout History
Aniekan Udofia refreshes his iconic homage to Black history on the wall outside Ben's Chili Bowl in Washington, DC.<p>Sketches of iconic African-American figures materialized onto the blank, ivory alleyway wall of Washington, DC institution Ben's Chili Bowl. Although colorless and one-dimensional, the …
Black CultureYes, There Were Black Confederates. Here’s Why
The myth of black Confederates is arguably the most controversial subject of the Civil War. Over the past four years, the debate over whether or not …
African-American NewsSign Honoring Emmett Till Defaced in Mississippi
"It’s not a defacing, but an erasing.”<p><i>Welcome to</i> Teen Vogue's <i>Woke List, a roundup of today's top headlines you have to know.</i><p><b>There are plenty of monuments in the state of New York — but none have honored LGBTQ people, until today.</b> On Sunday, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced plans for a new monument …
Same-sex MarriageHow the Black Panthers Made Breakfast a Social Justice Issue
When we think about social movements, so often we think of grand speeches, long marches, the feeling of inspiration swelling inside a crowd of people …
Black CultureOPINION: Caribbean Heritage Month and its importance to African-American history | Brooklyn Daily Eagle
“Life Needs the Caribbean!” So read the tagline of a full-length commercial that ran in frequent rotation on national network television a couple …
Black CultureDid You Know Harriet Tubman Was Friends With Transformers?
In<i>Transformers: The Last Knight</i><i>,</i> Anthony Hopkins’s Sir Edmund Burton gleefully explains the Transformers’ complicated history to his pupils, Cade …
Black CultureIncoming Georgetown Student Struggles To Pay For School That Sold Her Family Into Slavery
Elizabeth Thomas received preferential status but she believes the school could be doing more.<p>Elizabeth Thomas’ mom used to push her and her siblings’ strollers through Georgetown University’s campus when they were toddlers.<p>Her mom, Sandra, felt a special connection to the campus that was …
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