Black Excellence
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1st Grade Teacher Brings Black Excellence to the Classroom by Dressing Up as Historical Figures During Black History Month
LaToya McGriff is here to make a difference. While educators throughout the country have spent their February schooling students on the importance of historical black figures like Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks, the first-grade teacher from Suffolk, Va., has gone the extra mile of ensuring that her students have the opportunity to meet…
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For the Culture: Apollo Theater Announces First-Ever Multidisciplinary Commissioning Initiative
For decades, the Apollo Theater has served as both a launchpad and premiere destination for legendary black talent. In demonstrating its commitment to continue doing so, the revered venue has announced its first major multidisciplinary commissioning initiative, Apollo New Works. Backed by over $3 million in grants from the Ford Foundation and The Andrew W.…
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UT Arlington's Men's Basketball Team Honors Black Historical Figures With Pre-Game Shirts: 'We Want to Educate, We Want to Inform'
With their uninspired 13-16 record, many would pass on watching UT Arlington’s men’s basketball team. But for those who have been watching, they’ve been treated to more than just hoops. In the days leading up to February, Matt McGann, the team’s video coordinator, decided to capitalize on the team’s elevated profile in order to raise…
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ABFF Honors 2020: The House That Black Hollywood Built
The “category” was excellence, and Black Hollywood showed up and showed out. On Sunday night, the Beverly Hilton was bustling with black actors—I like to call them blacktors—producers and press gathered for the ABFF Honors, a space that Black Hollywood built to recognize our excellence in film and television. (After all, if we don’t, who…
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#BlackExcellenceWeekend: BET, NAACP Image Awards and ABFF to Pay Tribute to Us in the Same Weekend
Now that the Oscars and most major awards shows are out of the way, the American Black Film Festival and the NAACP are bringing us the recognition we deserve—not by requiring us to ask for a seat at the table, but rather creating our own with the ABFF Honors and the 51st Image Awards taking…
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BIST, or the 'Black EGOT': Celebrating the Elite Who've Won a BET Award, NAACP Image Award and Soul Train Award
Two—that’s the number of black people who have an EGOT, that is, at least one Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony award. Whoopi Goldberg and John Legend are a part of that elite 15-member club. Cynthia Erivo, Billy Porter and Viola Davis are almost there. Unfortunately, we can’t count on irregular trends that may arise when…
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White House Correspondents' Dinner Taps Kenan Thompson to Bring Back the Funny
Nearly two years removed from the spectacle that was the 2018 White House Correspondents’ Dinner, the annual gala will return to its comedic roots. The Hill reports that Saturday Night Live star Kenan Thompson will host its 2020 dinner on April 25. And because you can never get enough comedians of color on the same…
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Rep. John Lewis to Receive Prestigious Honor at 51st NAACP Image Awards
Congressman John Lewis—not to be mistaken for the late Elijah Cummings—will be honored for his decades of civil rights activism and congressional service at the 51st NAACP Image Awards later this month. According to the NAACP, the 79-year-old icon will receive the prestigious Chairman’s Award in honor of his “lifelong dedication of protecting human rights,…
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This 11-Year-Old Is Helping NYC Families Afford College
While most 11-year-old boys are begging their parents for toys and new shoes, 11-year-old Obocho Peters is earning cash with his mom and helping other families save for college in the process. Obocho and his mom, Sasha Peters, run Obocho’s Closet, a thrift store in NYC stocked with affordable clothes and shoes for kids up…
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50 Cent’s Star-Studded Hollywood Walk of Fame Ceremony Included Dr. Dre, Eminem
On Thursday, Curstis “50 Cent” Jackson received his much-deserved star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and to the surprise of those in attendance, he was joined by the visionaries who helped guide his career: producer extraordinaire Andre “Dr. Dre” Young and Shady Records co-founder Marshall “Eminem” Mathers. “I don’t think my career would’ve been…