black history
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White Amateur Historian Says He Stole Slave Auction Block Plaque Because It Didn't Do Enough to Honor Descendants of Slavery
When a plaque disappeared off a sidewalk in Charlottesville, Va., earlier this month, it raised alarm bells. The sign, though small, was significant: It marked the site of an auction block where enslaved Africans were sold. As The Washington Post reports, some assumed it was done to protest a proposed state law that would allow…
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As EGOT Status Draws Near, Double Oscar Nominee Cynthia Erivo Commends Joaquin Phoenix For Condemning Hollywood Racism
Can I get a soul clap for Cynthia Erivo. She’s just one award from gaining the much coveted EGOT status and she’s not tip-toeing around the racism that continues to permeate throughout Hollywood. Last Monday, the Harriet star – who’s the lone black nominee in the lead actress and original song categories at this year’s…
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Black History Month Is for White People
I don’t know a lot about white history. I also don’t know much about green bean casserole, Creedence Clearwater Revival or shampoo-and-conditioner-in-one. I am, however, familiar with seasoned salt, the nuances of Blue Magic vs. Dax vs. Pink Oil Lotion, and the musical stylings of Frankie Beverly and Maze. And, unlike many of my educated…
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Returned: A Journey Through Ghana
Ghana has such a rich history and culture, one that makes it a prime gateway into connecting those in the diaspora to their West African roots. There was much to see, do, learn, and savor. My friends and I joined a travel group that included tour guides to take us through an itinerary filled with…
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Returned: My Year of Return and Rebirth
I am one of the disrespectful negroes who returned to Ghana and left the rest of you unsuspecting negroes back in triflin’, dumb, and dirty-ass America, and was admonished, defriended, blocked, and unfollowed by Damon because of it. While I didn’t intend for my social media feeds to add to anyone’s FOMO-turned-existential crisis, I am…
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Visiting Cape Coast and Elmina ‘Slave Castles’: In Everlasting Memory of the Anguish of Our Ancestors
When I was 12 or 13 and living in Frankfurt, Germany, my parents loaded my siblings and me into the car and we drove about four hours south and east to a small-ish town in the Bavarian region that was the site of the first concentration camp opened in Nazi Germany: Dachau. Built in 1933…
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Black History, According to White People
Mithridates the Great was one of the Roman Empire’s greatest foes and claimed to be a descendant of Alexander the Great, who died by poisoning. Mithridates’ father died from poison. His father died from poison. His mother tried to poison him. Needless to say, Mithridates the Great was obsessed with poison. So, the king created…
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Whitney Houston and Notorious B.I.G. to Be Inducted Into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame
If you’re professionally involved in music, being inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame is probably the endgame for you. In 2019, Janet Jackson was added to the Hall of Fame. Well, it’s a new year and that means it’s time for yet another round of inductees! The Class of 2020 inductees are…
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ABFF Honors 2020: Louis Gossett Jr. and Lena Waithe to Receive Special Hollywood Trailblazer Honors
Just about every award ceremony hands out awards, then also hands out extra special awards that stand out from the routine awards. For example, the Golden Globes have their Cecil B. DeMille Award and the Grammys have their Lifetime Achievement Award. The blackest film festival to ever do it, the American Black Film Festival (ABFF)…
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Check Out Octavia Spencer as Madam C.J. Walker, America's First Black Female Self-Made Millionaire
Do you smell the scent of hot combs in the air? Well, that’s because Madam C.J. Walker’s televised biopic is coming this year! We’ve been waiting for this one since it was announced back in 2018 and now we have a release date and a sneak peek of Spencer as the Madam herself. This spring,…