History

Cynthia Erivo in black and orange and pink dress in front of brown wall
Sameer Rao  Sep 19, 2018 3:34PM EDT

ICYMI: Cynthia Erivo Responds to 'Harriet' Casting Critiques

The British actress faced backlash on social media from people who said her new lead role in the upcoming Harriet Tubman biopic should have gone to an African-American actress.
Harriet Tubman, Cynthia Erivo. Two Black women. One in black in white, wearing a dark-colored dress with a white collar. The other in color wearing a gauzy peach shirt over a multicolored dress
Kenrya Rankin  Sep 14, 2018 11:55AM EDT

Cynthia Erivo to Play Harriet Tubman in New Biopic

Kasi Lemmons will direct the film, which follows the life and work of the legendary abolitionist.
Black-and-white photograph of Louis E. Lomax in suit and tie in front of black background
Sameer Rao  Aug 16, 2018 5:09PM EDT

#TBT: Remembering Louis E. Lomax, America's First Black TV Newsman

Lomax broke the television news color barrier in 1958.
Beyoncé flips blond hair while wearing gold sweatshirt and blue jean shorts behind Black marching band members in yellow shirts and black hats in front of dark background with grey smoke
Sameer Rao  Aug 16, 2018 3:20PM EDT

Listen to This Show About the Enduring Strength of the Black National Anthem

Beyoncé’s Coachella performance may have introduced “Lift Every Voice and Sing” to a new audience, but the song maintains more than a century of deep ties to African-Americans’ struggle against racism.
Conceptual illustration of the Facebook "f"
Spencer Sunshine  Aug 9, 2018 4:26PM EDT

Was It Racist for Facebook to Take Down a Page Opposing the 'Unite the Right 2' March?

Facebook says it took down the “Say No to Unite the Right 2-DC” event page because of its ties to a Russian troll farm. Black Lives Matter DC activist April Goggans calls b.s. 
Mary G. Ross on a Google Doodle. Brown woman in a green dress, white pearls, with her face surrounded by a yellow and orange star with green trim. A gray satellite, starry space and Earth are behind her
Kenrya Rankin  Aug 9, 2018 11:01AM EDT

Google Doodle Honors Mary G. Ross, First Native American Female Engineer

The pioneering aeronautical engineer helped design concepts for space travel to Venus and Mars.
Joey Gibson: A White with a beard wearing his campaign t-shirt cheers
Spencer Sunshine  Aug 6, 2018 6:37PM EDT

Will Independent Trumpists Ride Again?

Plagued by infighting and cancelled gigs, the alt-right has been quiet lately. But as we approach the first anniversary of the deadly Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, some groups are back in the streets.
Black-and-white photograph of Malcolm X in glasses and suit with white shirt in front of patterened wall
Sameer Rao  Jul 27, 2018 1:15PM EDT

The Schomburg Acquires Lost Chapter of Malcolm X Biography

The Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture purchased the unpublished section of “The Autobiography of Malcolm X,” titled “The Negro,” at auction for $7,000.
Black-and-white image of Ida B. Wells in black jacket and white shirt in front of wood wall
Sameer Rao  Jul 18, 2018 1:41PM EDT

Family, Supporters Raise $300,000 for Ida B. Wells Memorial

The donations will allow the construction of a monument to the racial justice activist and journalist in Chicago’s Bronzeville neighborhood.
Black-and-white image of Ida B. Wells in black and white attire in front of grey background
Sameer Rao  Jul 16, 2018 2:30PM EDT

Celebrating Ida B. Wells On Her Birthday

Today marks the trailblazing journalist and activist’s 156th birthday. Here’s why her work still resonates through media, activism and history—and what is being done to memorialize a life well lived.
Feds reopen investigation into Emmett Till's death.
Alfonso Serrano  Jul 12, 2018 1:05PM EDT

Department of Justice Reopens Investigation Into Slaying of Emmett Till

Citing new information in the case, the federal government will again examine the 1955 killing of the Black 14-year-old boy in Mississippi.
A Native man wearing a turquoise t-shirt prays while a group watches
Ayşe Gürsöz  Jul 11, 2018 12:12PM EDT

Reflections From the Historic Protecting Mother Earth Conference [PHOTO ESSAY]

Hundreds of Native climate justice activists came to Washington State’s Frank’s Landing to share lessons, celebrate victories and build unity.
John Lewis. Black man holds small booklet with "The Constitution of the United States" on the front.
Kenrya Rankin  Jul 9, 2018 2:48PM EDT

An Education: Today Marks 150th Anniversary of 14th Amendment

As President Donald Trump prepares to announce his Supreme Court nominee, here’s why the amendment’s promise of “equal protection of the laws” still matters.
Black-and-white image of Black and White men in suits surrounding White man sitting at a desk
Sameer Rao  Jul 2, 2018 2:45PM EDT

Civil Rights Act of 1964 Turns 54 Amid Threats to Justice

Read the act, which put in place protections against discrimination based on “race, color, religion, sex or national origin.”
Black-and-white image of Black man with black and grey hair in black and white formal attire in front of grey wall
Sameer Rao  Jul 2, 2018 12:24PM EDT

How Frederick Douglass Challenged the Hypocrisy of Independence Day

“What, to the American slave, is your Fourth of July? I answer: a day that reveals to him, more than all other days of the year, the gross injustice and cruelty to which he is a constant victim.”
A grid of summer books with titles like "sick," "if they come for us," "we built the wall," "assata taught me," and more
catherine lizette gonzalez  Jun 29, 2018 1:10PM EDT

The Must-Read Race and Culture Books of the Summer

From memoirs to poetry to fiction, these titles will deepen your understanding of what’s going on, inspire activism and even entertain the kids.
Digital illustration of silver ring and orange flame on grey stone platform in front of brown building and green flag and purple sky
Sameer Rao  Jun 27, 2018 3:46PM EDT

Smithsonian Unveils Indigenous Artist's Winning Plan for Veterans' Memorial

The National Museum of the American Indian chose Cheyenne & Arapaho artist Harvey Pratt’s design, which draws on a circle motif of life and death.
Painting of Black man with black hair in black tuxedo and white shirt in front of brown background; sepia print featuring photographs of Black woman and man surrounded by brown text
Sameer Rao  Jun 27, 2018 1:45PM EDT

New Exhibit Tackles Jim Crow Repression and Resistance

Black Citizenship in the Age of Jim Crow is the first of several upcoming New-York Historical Society exhibits dedicated to Black culture and history.
White and grey and brown building on green grass in front of green trees and grey sky
Sameer Rao  Jun 26, 2018 4:42PM EDT

Indigenous Hospital, Home of Formerly Enslaved Man Added to List of Endangered Sites

The National Trust for Historic Preservation features sites of historic and cultural importance to Black, Indigenous, Latinx and Carribean communities on its 2018 list of the “11 Most Endangered Historic Places.”
Black woman and man and White man look at grey sign in front of brown buildings
Sameer Rao  Jun 21, 2018 1:11PM EDT

ICYMI: Charleston Officially Apologizes for Role in Trade of Enslaved Africans

Nearly half of all Africans sold into bondage in the United States came through Charleston. The city council aimed to account for that history with a resolution passed on Juneteenth.