black history
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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…
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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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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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Black to the Future: This Scientist May Hold the Key to Time Travel
Imagine if we could send information back to ourselves to warn ourselves of natural disasters, anomalies, earthquakes, the thousands of lives you can save, or even on a more personal level, to try to change our own destiny by sending information back, perhaps to warn loved ones to stay out of situations that might lead…
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Racing Champion Willy T. Ribbs Reminds Us All of His Place in Black History With Brilliant Victory Lap Uppity
Throughout the course of history, we’ve been taught that there is a clear hierarchy in regard to a black person’s place in society. As such, the term “uppity”—which first surfaced in the 1800s as the snarky descendant of its equally demeaning predecessor “ungrateful”—has served to both dissuade and disparage those of us who’ve dared to…
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Spotify Proves Black History Is Now With Phenomenal Black Music Campaign
Contrary to white-washed belief, black folks have had a profound impact on the evolution of the entire musical landscape. From country crooner DeFord Bailey injecting the Grand Ole Opry with a taste of the blues as one of its very first stars in the 1920s, to funk metal gods Bad Brains revolutionizing contemporary punk, our…