Breaking News! History in the Making

Dr. King in front of a crowd

Celebrating the ‘complete’ Martin Luther King Jr.; unfinished work and all

We are all familiar with Martin Luther King’s achievements, but the work he was unable to complete also tells an important story.

Underground railroad

Where Was the 1st Underground Railroad?

Henry Louis Gates, Jr. reveals a surprising fact about the Underground Railroad that challenges our understanding of American history.

2ndamendmt and gun

2nd Amendment Passed to Protect Slavery? No!

Scholar Paul Finkelman takes on an argument recently made about the second amendment’s connection to slavery.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., a founder of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) holds a picture of the three CORE workers killed during Freedom Summer in Mississippi, 1964. The three were registering black voters.

How We Can Truly Honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Marion Wright Edelman argues that we must redeem the soul of America to honor Dr. King because it won’t happen by chance.

Slave patrol drawing

The Second Amendment was Ratified to Preserve Slavery

Thom Hartmann argues that the second amendment was passed to give slave patrols power to discipline and return slaves.

A scene from Twelve Years A Slave, a movie released in 2013 made from a slave's narrative of the same title.

7 More Slave-Themed Films for You to Look Forward To in 2013

Tambay A. Obenson asks what it means that so many 2013 film releases give viewers a glimpse into slavery.

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Happy Birthday, Julian Bond, Civil Rights Hero!

A champion for Black and LGBTQ rights, Julian Bond held positions in politics, education, and activism over his life.

Cheadle accepts the award for Best Actor, Television Comedy Or Musical

Don Cheadle, Sole Non-White Winner At Last Night’s Golden Globe Awards. Ho-Hum…

Tambay Obenson opines about the lack of racial representation at one of the biggest entertainment awards ceremonies.

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Series of Brooklyn Billboards Put Racial Inequity on Display

Several Brooklyn billboards now feature information about racism in a recent awareness campaign.

The New Jim Crow

Intentional Bias in North Carolina

Three people on death row have had their sentences changed after successfully proving racial bias in their cases.

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10 Things You Should Know About Slavery and Won’t Learn at ‘Django’

Imara Jones discusses issues that are left unspoken in a popular movie about a free slave, Django Unchained.

Henry Hampton

Henry Hampton, Celebrated Black Filmmaker

Henry Hampton, whose work includes documentaries about the Civil Rights Movement, was born today.

Emancipation Proclamation

Dying for Freedom

When President Lincoln ended slavery, there was no plan for th lives of millions of formerly enslaved people that hung in the balance.

Just one year after winning statehood, Ohio became the first to issue Black Laws. Soon many other states, including Northern states like Illinois, followed suit.

Ohio Enacts “Black Laws”

Ohio became the first state to restrict the lives and movement of Black residents in 1804 with its so-called Black Laws.

Brittany Woods Middle School student Chanda Perry tours the St. Louis Art Museum as part of an educational program sponsored by the Anti-Defamation League and the St. Louis Art Museum. (Sid Hastings)

Museum program challenges students to rethink race, beauty and stereotypes

The St. Louis Art Museum hosts an annual exhibit featuring people of color to resist racist stereotypes that plague Black Americans.

Emancipation Proclamation

Why We Need a New Emancipation Proclamation

What was once a groundbreaking end to slavery falls short at combating modern racism in the United States.

Django Unchained (2012). With the help of his mentor, a slave-turned-bounty hunter sets out to rescue his wife from a brutal Mississippi plantation owner.

12 Films That Dared to Tackle Slavery From Roots to Django Unchained

Check out these stories on the big screen if you want to learn more about the enslavement of African people.

A family celebrates Kwanza by lighting the seven candles of the kinara and talking about the seven principles.

Happy Kwanzaa!

Learn about a relatively recent holiday that celebrates Black culture every December around the world.

Nelson Mandela leaves the chapel after attending the funeral of his great-granddaughter Zenani Mandela in Johannesburg, South Africa. South African President Jacob Zuma says that former President Nelson Mandela has been admitted to hospital in Pretoria.

Get Well Soon, Madiba

Beloved activist and former president of South Africa, Nelson Mandela, has been hospitalized due to poor health.

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9-year-old Brooklyn rapper memorializes Sandy Hook tragedy with his song ‘Stop Da Violence’

An aspiring rapper who has yet to reach double digits has released his latest song in response to a school shooting.

Cameron Clarke hopes to attend Princeton University next year.

Senior With Perfect SAT Score: ‘I Try to Give Back’

Cameron Clarke’s future is high thanks to his hard work and intelligence, and his compassion helps others, too.