black history
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Having Our Say: The Delany Sisters Return, More Relevant Than Ever
Respect your elders. I don’t know a child who wasn’t raised with that admonition, which in my household was often accompanied by a swat on the butt or a swift side-eye when due respect wasn’t paid. But it’s generally far later in life when most of us learn the value of also listening to our…
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#ThrowbackThursday: The Legend of Zelda (Wynn Valdes)
“What becomes a legend most?” That was the tagline of now-vintage ads for Blackglama mink. But if you were a black female entertainer at the height of your fame between the 1940s and 1960s, chances were you found your most legendary looks courtesy of designer Zelda Wynn Valdes. Born in 1905, Wynn Valdes was the…
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Some Did Choose to Return to Slavery Because They Chose Family Over Everything
It is 1857 and Kanye, a carpenter, has finally saved up enough money to buy his freedom from Massa West. Trouble is, he has to leave his wife, Kimba, and five children on the plantation until he can buy them out of slavery as well. Kanye is free from the constant threat of the lash…
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Beyoncé Announces Scholarship for HBCUs Following Historic, Iconic Coachella Performance
You see, this is why people stay claiming Beyoncé is Illuminati. Nothing the Queen does ever seems to be without a deeper meaning, and apparently, her iconic Coachella #Beychella performance, which paid special homage to HBCUs, was no different. Monday, on the heels of that historic performance, Beyoncé revealed that through her #BeyGood initiative, four…
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Lorna M. Mahlock Could Be the 1st Black Woman to Serve as Brigadier General in the Marine Corps
Earlier this week, Defense Secretary James Mattis announced a very important and historic nomination, that of Marine Corps Col. Lorna M. Mahlock, who was selected to serve as brigadier general. If confirmed, Mahlock will be the first black woman to ever hold that position. As ABC notes, women make up a mere 8 percent of…
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5 Years After the Unmarked Graves of 1,000 Enslaved People Were Uncovered Near a Shell Refinery, Descendants Will Be Able to Pay Their Respects
Some five years ago, the unmarked graves of as many as 1,000 enslaved people who were forced to work in the fields of plantations in Ascension Parish, La., were uncovered by an archaeologist working for Shell Convent Refinery. The discovery was heralded by one expert as among the largest unknown burial grounds discovered in the…
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Library of Congress Reveals Previously Unknown Portrait of Harriet Tubman in New, Digitized Album
It’s Harriet Tubman, the world’s No. 1 certified badass, as you’ve never seen her before. On Tuesday the Library of Congress announced that it had conserved and digitized a previously unknown portrait of the famed abolitionist and “conductor” of the Underground Railroad as part of an album to be exhibited in the Smithsonian’s National Museum…
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Watch: Ava DuVernay’s Ultimate Dream Is to Make Room for Other People of Color in Hollywood
Ava DuVernay is no stranger to making history. She’s the first black woman to be nominated for a best director Golden Globe (Selma), she’s the first black woman to win a best director prize at Sundance, and the first black female director to have her film be nominated for an Oscar. And, now, DuVernay is…
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Watch: This Black Doctor Gave Us the Blood Bank and Saved Thousands of Lives
Dr. Charles Drew was both a revolutionary in the medical field and a pioneer for black rights. And we’re honoring him this February for Black History Month.In 1940, Drew became the first African American to receive a doctorate in medical science from Columbia University in New York City. He then went on to revolutionize the…