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
As we observe Black History Month, we want to focus on the importance of historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs). With insights from prospective graduate student Talyia Griffin and RDEISE steering committee members Dr. Joseph Graves and Dr. Ivory Toldson, let’s learn more about these eminent institutions. As defined by the Higher Education Act of
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By Candace McDuffie Black History Month is fast approaching. Although here at The Root we celebrate Black excellence 365 days a year, the origins of the historic month should also be acknowledged. For those who are unsure how it began, Black History Month initially began as a 7-day celebration in 1926. That year, the Association for the Study of
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By Leslie D.W. Jones As we move towards 2022 many African-American families are celebrating Kwanzaa, a holiday that has a connection to the continent of Africa, but is distinctly American. The seven principles of Kwanzaa tie directly into the nearly 200 year history and culture of Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Day One, December 26:
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Courtesy of Delaware State University Prior to the start of the fall 2023 semester, Delaware State University was already the only institution of higher education in the First State to offer associate, bachelor and master’s degree programs in the social work discipline. “Social Work is the most versatile degree that you can get,” said Dr. Ezekiel
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By Emily Olson Six decades ago, an estimated 250,000 people gathered at the Lincoln Memorial for the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom in the nation’s capital. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I have a dream” speech that day, on August 28, 1963, has since emerged as a paramount symbol of the push for racial
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Courtesy of the National Museum of African American History & Culture While Juneteenth is often associated with celebrations of physical emancipations from slavery, it also signaled another type of liberation for the newly freed. Between 1861 and 1900, more than 90 institutions of higher education were founded for Black Americans who could not otherwise attend predominantly white institutions
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By Claretta Bellamy Jalen Hurts of the Philadelphia Eagles and Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs will make history Sunday when two Black quarterbacks face each other in a Super Bowl for the first time. If Hurts leads his team to victory, he will be the fourth Black quarterback to do so, following Washington’s Doug Williams
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By Terry Gross Journalist Mark Whitaker says that much of what’s happening in American race relations today traces back to 1966, the year when the Black Panthers were founded and the Black Power movement took full form. It’s also the year when when Stokely Carmichael replaced John Lewis as chair of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), and challenged the tactic of non-violence. Whitaker
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By Claretta Bellamy New Jersey is honoring its Black history and culture with a new trail that will mark important sites throughout the Garden State. Gov. Phil Murphy signed Bill A2677 into law Wednesday, which gives the New Jersey Historical Commission $1 million to develop the Black Heritage Trail, a path highlighting Black historical markers and sites
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By Bryan Mcclure Ask any knowledgeable person the most famous graduate to come from a Historically Black College and nine out of ten times the first person they will say is Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., a 1948 graduate of Morehouse. The long standing tradition of Morehouse, along with the fact that Blacks had very
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