Breaking News! History in the Making

Special News Series: Rising Up For Justice! – What now for BLM? Whatever happens under Biden, the role of African American women will be vital
President Donald Trump has been voted out of office, but the issues at the heart of Black Lives Matter remain as critical as ever. Black women will be central in this next chapter of American history.

Public Pressure And Lawsuits Kept USPS From Handing Trump The Election. Here’s How.
The USPS motto, “Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds,” can now be updated to include Covid-19 and Postmaster General DeJoy.

Marc Lamont Hill on Black Elected Officials and Why the Political System Prevents Progressive Politics From Being Articulated
“There’s the narrative that they [Black elected officials] get into office and they sell out…That absolutely happens, but I don’t think most Black elected officials are sellouts. I just think the system doesn’t allow for the kind of work that needs to be done.” — Marc Lamont Hill, Professor, Author

Systemic Racism 201: The advantages Whites have felt entitled to for generations
Most conversations about systemic racism center the stories of the harms to people of color while ignoring that White people benefit tremendously from it. This is a tough pill to swallow. Few people are willing to go down the proverbial rabbit hole Morpheus spoke allegorically about in that scene from the Matrix.

They Can’t Kill Us and We Won’t Die
President-elect Biden acknowledged this debt to Black voters in his acceptance speech. Will he begin the job of dismantling systemic racism and increasing Black wealth? Only time will tell.

Special News Series: Rising Up For Justice! – Got into politics after the Ferguson protests. She just became the first Black woman to represent MO in Congress
Cori Bush, a progressive community leader and veteran Black Lives Matter activist, won a House seat in Missouri, becoming the state’s first Black woman to represent the state in Congress.

Photos From The 1960s: Black Americans Voting For the First Time
While the 2020 election is being processed, it is important to look at the progress of African-American Voting in the United States.

Overcoming Bias in Voting
When Americans vote this fall, the candidates on their ballots will not reflect the diversity of the United States. Despite recent gains, women and people of color still do not run for office as frequently as White men.

Special News Series: Rising Up For Justice! – North Carolina police pepper spray, arrest peaceful protesters going to the polls
A peaceful rally and march to the polls in Graham, N.C. on Saturday, Oct. 31, 2020 was cut short after pepper-spray was used multiple times by the police in the presence of children and elderly citizens. Several people were arrested.

Special News Series: Rising Up For Justice! – ‘The police are making us look bad’: Protesters march through Wauwatosa
Protesters marched again through the streets of Wauwatosa calling for justice for 17-year-old Alvin Cole and demanding change in the Wauwatosa Police Department and their community.

‘Another form of redlining’: Milwaukee among cities named in lawsuit against Redfin, real estate firm
A popular online real estate brokerage service has engaged in racially discriminatory practices akin to modern-day redlining in Milwaukee and other cities across the country, according to a new federal lawsuit.

Special News Series: Rising Up For Justice! – What We Know About the Death of Walter Wallace Jr. in Philadelphia
On Monday afternoon, two Philadelphia police officers fatally shot Walter Wallace Jr., a 27-year-old Black man who was armed with a knife. In the nights that followed, protesters clashed with officers in the streets, and city officials imposed a curfew to try to curb the unrest.

Special News Series: Rising Up For Justice! – ‘Why did you shoot us?’: Waukegan mayor releases videos of fatal police-involved shooting
Marcellis Stinnette, 19, was killed and his girlfriend, Tafara Williams, 20, was wounded after Waukegan police shot them in their car on Oct. 20. Police said they approached their car because it was “suspicious.” Williams said she and Stinnette had gone out to have a cigarette in their car.

‘Colin In Black And White’: Netflix Series From Ava DuVernay Finds Lead In Jaden Michael
This six-episode series will “focus on Kaepernick’s formative high school years, lending meaningful insight into the acts and experiences that led him to become the activist he is today.”

Black Art and Poetry Elevate a Tribute to Civil Rights Leaders
With the unprecedented times of CoVid-19 and the Black Lives Matter movement, black artists are honoring civil rights leaders while celebrating African-American contribution to art and culture.

Special News Series: Rising Up For Justice! – Nigeria’s #EndSARS protesters draw inspiration from BLM movement
In Lagos, Nigeria protesters gain momentum in their movement against the rogue police group, Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) owing much to Black Lives Matter.

Alabama Will Vote on Removing Racist Phrases From State Constitution for the Third Time in 20 Years
Hopefully, the third time is the charm for a measure to remove racist language from Alabama’s state constitution.

Joe McCarthy wanted history to forget the inimitable Hazel Scott—and almost succeeded
Joe McCarthy blacklisted Hazel Scott and branded her a “communist.” He did his best to erase her from musical history. He failed.

Meet Kristen Welker, the 1st Black Woman to Moderate a Presidential Debate Solo in Almost 30 Years
The first woman to moderate a presidential debate in almost 30 years is nonwhite.

Black Thought Wall launches in South Madison
The Black Thought Wall invites Black residents of Madison, Wisconsin, to imagine and write about a world where all Black people are without fear or limitation.

Gov. Ralph Northam Calls for Investigation Into Virginia Military Institute’s ‘Clear and Appalling Culture of Ongoing Structural Racism’
After months of Black current and former students at Virginia Military Institute speaking up about rampant racism at the institution, Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam has ordered an investigation into the school’s culture.