Breaking News! History in the Making
Family Tree’s Startling Roots
In a new PBS special, comedian and actor Wanda Sykes looks into her family’s history, which includes slavery.
“Uncle Tom’s Cabin” Published This Date in 1852
Harriet Beecher’s groundbreaking book heralded changing times and attitudes toward Black Americans before the Civil War.
African American Smokers at Higher Risk Than Whites
Black Americans are more likely to smoke menthol cigarettes, and research shows this ingredient makes it harder to stop smoking.
High School Student Told To Read Langston Hughes Poem ‘Blacker
A Virginia English teacher reprimanded a Blac kstudent for not sounding Black enough when he read a poem by Langston Hughes.
Obama’s race speech 4 years later: Has America changed?
President Obama worked hard to fulfill his promise to increase diversity, and it earned him the ire of his rightwing opponents.
Black militia group wants to arrest Trayvon Martin shooter
One group is fed up with the authorites’ lack of action against George Zimmerman, who shot and killed Trayvon Martin.
As Black as We Wish to Be
Thomas Chatterton Williams opines about the value mixed-raced Black Americans offer to their community and, ultumately, their country.
Coke’s Not It: 16 Workers Sue, Call Giant ‘Cesspool’ of Racial Discrimination
A lawsuit against Coca Cola alleges racial discrimination experienced by employees in two of the company’s New York factories.
Bumper Sticker: “Don’t Re-Nig – Stop repeat offenders. Don’t re-elect Obama!”
This is only one of several racist anti-Obama bumper stickers sold by one company.
Centenial of Bayard Rustin, the most important civil rights leader you may never have heard of!
Activist Bayard Rustin worked alongside Martin Luther King Jr in the Civil Rights movement, yet his name goes unknown.
Birthday of Homer Plessy, early fighter against segregation
Homer Adolph Plessy’s birth year is unknown, but we celebrate the birthday of the man who fought segregation in March every year.
Dear White America: New book examines anxieties of America’s dwindling majority.
Anti-racist activist and author Tim Wise is back with another witty and no-holds-barred take on race and America’s changing demographics. White Americans have long been comfortable in the assumption that they are the cultural norm. Now that notion is being challenged, as white people wrestle with what it means to be part of a fast-changing, truly multicultural nation.
Trayvon Martin Case Salts Old Wounds And Racial Tension
The murder of a teenaged Black boy in Florida has reminded the Black community of the discrimination and violence they experience.
Happy Birthday, Quincy Jones! Musician and Arranger Extraordinaire
The all-time most nominated Grammy artist with a total of 76 nominations and 26 awards, Quincy Jones has also received an Emmy Award, seven Oscar nominations, and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award.
Blacks, Latinos Lose Major Ground In Home Ownership: Study
The results of a recent study by a Washington think tank are grim for Black or Latino Americans who desire their own homes.
Some Say Re-election Fear Is Driving Gun Sales In Texas, Elsewhere
“I’m constantly getting questions from people in the gun community about this [issue],” said Alan Korwin, author of nine gun law books, including Gun Laws of America. “People are concerned that if Obama wins, as a lame duck, he will go after firearms in a way we have never seen before. We saw a fire…
Rare photos depict lives of African-American sharecroppers during World War II
Buzzfeed has unearthed a cache of rarely-seen photos of Black farmers from the 1930s and ’40s that depict rural life at the time.
Viola Davis To Tackle Barbara Jordan Biopic
This time Viola Davis will tackle the life story of Barbara Jordan to be based on the 2000 biography Barbara Jordan: American Hero, written by Mary Beth Rogers. Paris Barclay will direct from a script adapted by Emmy-nominated writer Paris Qualles (primarily written for TV). “We’re hoping this becomes a movie that shows the world everything…
Michelle Singletary: Schools shouldn’t fine tardy students or their parents
Fining parents who already struggle to get children to school on time isn’t likely to get to the root of the problem.
