There’s a campaign against discussions of race in the American education system—and museums have a part to play in fighting that — BY, KELLI MORGAN | THE ART NEWSPAPER Lani Guinier, a legal scholar whose work on voting rights and affirmative action led President Bill Clinton to nominate her in 1993 to be an […]
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Rare Toni Morrison short story ‘Recitatif’ to be published as a book | Los Angeles Times
— BY, HILLEL ITALIE | ASSOCIATED PRESS NEW YORK — To much of the world, the late Toni Morrison was solely a novelist, celebrated for such classics as “Beloved,” “Song of Solomon” and “The Bluest Eye.” But the Nobel laureate, who died in 2019, did not confine herself to one kind of writing. Morrison also completed plays, […]
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Watch rare live footage of Sister Rosetta Tharpe, the woman who invented rock and roll guitar | Far Out
— BY, SAM KEMP | FAR OUT The fact that rock and roll became the stomping ground of white men is pretty bewildering considering the origins of the genre – the roots of which lie with the blues. This blend of plantation works songs, church music, folk, and ragtime swept across America in the […]
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James Mtume, jazz and funk musician, dies aged 75 | The Guardian
The versatile songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist had hits with his own group Mtume as well as for Stephanie Mills, Roberta Flack and more — BY, BEN BEAUMONT-THOMAS | THE GUARDIAN James Mtume, the jazz and funk musician who fronted the group Mtume and produced a number of US chart hits for other artists, has […]
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Lani Guinier, Legal Scholar at the Center of Controversy, Dies at 71 | The New York Times
President Bill Clinton pulled her nomination as assistant attorney general in 1993 after she came under criticism for her views on voting rights. — BY, CLAY RISEN | THE NEW YORK TIMES Lani Guinier, a legal scholar whose work on voting rights and affirmative action led President Bill Clinton to nominate her in 1993 […]
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Sidney Poitier, Who Paved the Way for Black Actors in Film, Dies at 94 | The New York Times
The first Black performer to win the Academy Award for best actor, for “Lilies of the Field,” he once said he felt “as if I were representing 15, 18 million people with every move I made.” — BY, WILLIAM GRIMES | THE NEW YORK TIMES Sidney Poitier, whose portrayal of resolute heroes in films […]
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How Madison Calley — and Her Harp — Made History | RollingStone
The musician is breaking down barriers as a black woman at a time when less than five percent of orchestral musicians in the U.S. are BIPOC — BY, J. NAILAH AVERY Days before the 2021 Grammys, Madison Calley received some devastating news: The harpist was supposed to perform with rapper Roddy Ricch, but when Ricch decided to head […]
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The Newest Chess Master in the Country is a 10 Year Old Black Boy Who Was Once Homeless | Shoppe Black
— BY, STAFF, SHOPPE BLACK Tani Adewumi discovered his affinity for chess while living in a homeless shelter in Manhattan. Three years later, at 10 years of age, he now the country’s newest national chess master. At the Fairfield County Chess Club Championship tournament in Connecticut on May 1, Tani won all four of his […]
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Damon Weaver, Student Reporter Who Once Interviewed President Barack Obama, Dead at 23 | People
“He was always positive, always had a smile on a face and he was always a joy to be around. He left an impact on a lot of people,” his sister said in a statement — BY, ASHLEY BOUCHER Damon Weaver, a student journalist who once interviewed former President Barack Obama, has died. He was […]
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The Remarkable Story Of Jane Bolin, The First Black Female Judge In The United States | All That’s Interesting
On July 22, 1939, Jane Bolin was sworn in as a judge in New York City. She would hold this position for 40 years — and she only retired when she reached the mandatory age. — BY, GENEVIEVE CARLTON Throughout her life, Jane Bolin just couldn’t stop making history. In 1931, she became the first […]
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