history
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Black Patriots: NBA Legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Puts the Spotlight on the Overlooked Black Heroes of the American Revolution
Why aren’t our children exposed to the crucial contributions made by African-Americans toward the independence and formation of the United States? Names like Crispus Attucks, Phillis Wheatley, Peter Salem and James Armistead Lafayette should be mentioned alongside the founders of America. Basketball legend, best-selling author and history buff Kareem Abdul-Jabbar teamed up with the History…
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For Black History Month, Someone Thought Harriet Tubman on a Debit Card Throwing Up the 'Wakanda Forever' Salute was Clever
You know… maybe we should all just go back to celebrating Black History Month by — oh, I don’t know — teaching black history. Don’t get me wrong; theoretically, there’s nothing wrong with being a little extra during this time by staging elaborate displays meant to celebrate the culture or making special commemorative book covers,…
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#BlackGirlMagic in Sports as the Washington Redskins are Set to Make NFL History With First Black Woman on Coaching Staff
I must say, I’m at least slightly conflicted about this one. On one hand the Washington Redskins still have yet to change their name despite the terms’ sordid history and that studies have shown that more than half of Native Americans find it offensive. On the other hand, I just absolutely love seeing black women…
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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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Howard University Is WINNING After Receiving Largest Donation in Its History
Good news for HBCU’s comes as Howard University receives its largest donation in the college’s 153-year history. According to The Washington Post, Howard, which is in Washington, D.C., announced on Wednesday that they proudly received a $10 million donation to go towards STEM programming from the Karsh Family Foundation. The donation will fund the school’s…
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#NotAllHistorians: Some White People Are Upset That the New York Times' 1619 Project Isn’t Centered in Whiteness
“For 400 years, we have been told that black people are a problem. We are indoctrinated into this lie from the moment we take our first breath. No people have been more legislated against and studied than black Americans. That is because our very existence in our country gives lie to the exceptionality mythology of…
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Five-Time Grammy Award Winner Terence Blanchard Tapped as First Black Composer at Metropolitan Opera in 136 Years
It’s 2019 and black folks are still making history with “first feats”—in entertainment, of all places. We’ve come a long way…but we still got a long way to go. It’s great news that Terence Blanchard has been tapped to compose the operatic adaptation of New York Times opinion columnist Charles Blow’s gripping memoir Fire Shut…
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Virginia Theological Seminary, With Deep Roots in Slavery, Sets Aside $1.7 Million to Pay Reparations
The Virginia Theological Seminary, in what is being called a first for an institution of its kind, has set aside $1.7 million in a fund to pay reparations to the descendants of enslaved Africans that toiled on its campus during the 1800s. Unlike some other institutions which have grappled with figuring out how to come…
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Exclusive: Martin Luther King Jr. Talks Reparations, White Economic Anxiety and Guaranteed Income in Previously Unheard Speech
A newly uncovered speech by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered in 1967 sounds curiously like the civil rights icon is speaking about current-day conditions as he preaches about underfunded schools, the wage gap, white backlash against black progress and the country’s need to address poverty. On July 30, 1967, less than a year before…
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Breaking: Something Bad Is Happening in Virginia [Updated]
To commemorate the quadricentennial anniversary of the arrival of enslaved Africans in America, we imagined what it would be like to cover that late August day when the first slave ship landed on the shores of the place now known as Hampton, Va. 8/20/1619 2:27 P.M. Earlier: A few hours ago, The Root received several…