The Harlem Hellfighters, an all-Black, all-volunteer regiment that fought with distinction in the French countryside during World War I, were finally awarded the Congressional Gold Medal, the nation’s highest civilian honor, after a century of waiting.
Category: Black History
Posted inWord In Black
A Smaller, Whiter, Less Affordable New Orleans
Twenty years after Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans is still grappling with the aftermath of the storm, as the city’s Black population has declined, rents have skyrocketed, and gentrification has displaced many of the city’s residents.
Posted inWord In Black
One of Katrina’s Most Important Lessons Isn’t About Storm Preparation
Twenty years after Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans is still suffering from the effects of the disaster, with low-income and minority neighborhoods disproportionately affected due to decades of segregation, redlining, and inadequate disaster planning.
Posted inWord In Black
When a President Tries to Whitewash Slavery
Whitewashing slavery is a dangerous and calculated erasure of the truth, and if we are to move forward, we must remember it for what it was and call it by its true name.
Posted inLocal
Honoring Althea Gibson: Preserving the Legacy of Black Tennis in Dallas
DFW Black Tennis and Black Girls in Art Spaces honored Althea Gibson’s legacy by hosting a documentary screening and panel discussion, highlighting the importance of creating safe spaces for Black athletes and artists today.
Posted inCommunity
From Forest Avenue to Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard
Originally published with our media partner, Dallas Free Press The election of Elsie Faye Heggins to the Dallas City Council in 1980 signaled a massive change to Dallas’ political environment, […]
Posted inThe Weekend
Ciara is among the first descendants of enslaved people granted citizenship by Benin
Ciara has become one of the first public figures to become a citizen of Benin under a new law granting citizenship to descendants of enslaved people, as part of the country’s initiative to acknowledge its role in the transatlantic slave trade and promote tourism focused on slavery-related sites of remembrance.
Posted inWord In Black
The African Activists Who Challenged Colonial-Era Slavery
African activists used letters, print culture, imperial pressure points, and personal networks to oppose practices that had kept thousands of Africans in bondage, demonstrating the power of marginalised communities to compel power-holders to close the gap between laws and lived reality.
Posted inChan Zuckerberg Initiative
The Crisis of Civil Rights Education: What Our Classrooms Aren’t Teaching
Civil rights education is essential for students to understand the full legacy of leaders like Martin Luther King Jr., Fannie Lou Hamer, and Fred Hampton, and to prepare for the future by teaching them about the fight for justice and equity.
Posted inBlack History
The 14th Amendment Promised Justice. Some Of Us Are Still Waiting.
The 14th Amendment, ratified 157 years ago, promised equal protection under the law and expanded civil rights for marginalized groups, but its principles are still being fought for today as the current administration attempts to suppress them.