By Shannon Dawson Kwanzaa, an annual celebration of African culture spanning from Dec. 26 to Jan.1, originated in 1966 amid the Black Freedom Movement. The celebration was created by Dr. Maulana Karenga, an activist and esteemed professor of Africana studies at California
By Keir Simmons and Corky Siemaszko A century ago, at a small stadium just outside Paris, a college track and field star from Ohio named William DeHart Hubbard took a dramatic leap forward for himself and for all African Americans back home in the segregated United States of America. By defeating the best long jumpers in the world at
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By Allie Feinberg Known as America’s second Independence Day, Juneteenth is a reminder of African Americans’ strength and resilience over centuries. Though it didn’t become a national holiday until 2021, it’s been celebrated since 1865. Union troops liberated slaves in Galveston, Texas, to signal the end of slavery. Now, the holiday celebrates not only emancipation,
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Courtesy of the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff (UAPB) is proud to host the inaugural Juneteenth in the Bluff: Arts & Culture Festival on Friday, June 14, 2024, from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. in Pine Bluff’s downtown Delta Rhythm and Bayous Cultural District (3rd & Main). This festival, sponsored by
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By Nicole Chavez Despite knowing they would likely be relegated to support roles due to the color of their skin, a father and son chose to make the military their lifelong career. Determined to succeed, they became America’s first Black generals. In 1940, Benjamin O. Davis Sr. became the first Black person to achieve the rank of brigadier
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Written By Jessica Washington The United States has been officially celebrating Black History Month for nearly fifty years. But how did the celebration come to be? And (to answer the real question on everyone’s minds), why is it the shortest month of the year? Our story begins decades before the official recognition of Black History Month.
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Courtesy of the Education Writers Association Nearly a century since Black History Week was created, and more than 50 years since February was first recognized as Black History Month, many states and school districts are trying to suppress or control what the public learns about the history of Black people in America. At the same time, much
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Courtesy of The United Negro College Fund As the nation observes Black History Month 2024, UNCF (United Negro College Fund) is celebrating and acknowledging the fact that Black History Month is every day because Black Lives Matter every day! UNCF is continuing to make history by serving as the largest scholarship provider for students of
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Written By Ron-rin Yu For a man prevented from receiving an education because he was Black, then denied entrance into medical school for what he believes was the same reason, Alexander Thomas Augusta made amazing strides for both education and medicine. Despite being born to free parents in Norfolk, Virginia, Augusta was not permitted to
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By Angela Johnson The late 1950s were a time of racial segregation, discrimination and inequality in America. But in the middle of all that despair, the men’s basketball team at Tennessee A&I University was making history. The Tigers were the first HBCU team to win a national championship and the first college team to secure three
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