black history
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Chinonye Chukwu Is Directing a Film About Mamie Till Mobley's Relentless Pursuit of Justice Following Emmett Till's Brutal Murder
We will never forget the image of Emmett Louis Till’s grotesquely disfigured face, after his mother Mamie Till Mobley decided to intentionally leave his casket open so the nation could reckon with the hateful evil that caused it. Additionally, we shall never forget the stark pain on her face as she stood over her son’s…
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Before Magic Mike, There Was 'Sparkling Shemar' on Soul Train
In 2012, a young white boy portrayed by another young white boy with a first and last name that can easily be switched gyrated onto the forefront of our screens…and our hearts (OK, loins). He became known in stripper lore as Magic Mike, keeper of WAP (Wet Ass Pecs). However, much like many things that…
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Illinois Lawmaker and Community Leaders Are Working to Suspend Current History Curriculum That 'Leads to White Privilege and a Racist Society'
A group of community leaders in Illinois are working with a state lawmaker to abolish the current history curriculum in their local school districts because they believe it leads to “white privilege and a racist society.” CNN reports that state Rep. LaShawn K. Ford, and several community leaders in Evanston, Ill., said the current history…
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Reginald Hudlin Makes History as 1st-Ever Black Producer of the Emmys
What can you say about the legendary Reginald Hudlin? Well, because I can’t let this blog post start without making a Bebe’s Kids reference (Hudlin wrote the screenplay), I’ll just say, his work doesn’t lie…it multiplies! Not only does it multiply, it makes history. According to Variety, Hudlin has been named the first-ever Black producer…
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Tulsa Begins Excavation Process Into Possible Mass Gravesite of Victims of the 1921 Race Riots
It’s been just under a century since Tulsa, Okla., saw one of the most brutal and evil acts of American racism imaginable post-slavery. On May 31, 1921 hundreds of Black people were murdered and over a thousand homes, businesses, churches and schools were destroyed all because a Black teenager working as a shoe shiner was…
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Juneteenth Is Finally Entering the Mainstream American Consciousness. Now Make It An Official Federal Holiday
Forget the 4th of July! Juneteenth is the day that should be celebrated by all as a pivotal point in America’s freedom story. One-hundred-and-fifty-five years ago this year, the last of the enslaved black population in Galveston, Texas received word that they were officially free. Despite the passing of the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, which…
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First Listen: Audible Is Releasing the First-Ever Unabridged Audio of The Autobiography of Malcolm X, Performed by Laurence Fishburne
Today, May 19, 2020 is the 95th birthday of the late historic icon El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz, commonly known as Malcolm X. There will be several celebrations to commemorate this day and Audible is joining in a special way: The Autobiography of Malcolm X—which is easily in my Top 5 of books—is joining the audiobook wave.…
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This Is History: Niles Fitch to Portray Disney's 1st Black Live-Action Prince
Niles Fitch, who is best known for portraying the teenage version of Sterling K. Brown’s Randall Pearson in NBC’s This Is Us, has a new gig, and it’s history-making. Fitch will portray the first black live-action prince in Disney canon. The project? Disney’s Secret Society of Second-Born Royals, which “follows Sam’s adventures at a top-secret…
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Black History, Black Stories: 7 Books That Center Our Legacies for Longer Than a Month
“No scene from African American literary history is more familiar than that of Frederick Douglass’s learning to read,” reads the opening line of the introduction of Forgotten Readers: Recovering the Lost History of African American Literary Societies, an educational tome that unpacks the long legacy of black literacy and literary acumen; one that began while…