By Elena Nicolaou, TODAY Henry Louis Gates Jr. is in the business of finding family secrets. Gates, who has been the host of the PBS series “Finding Your Roots” since it premiered in 2012, has helped many celebrities uncover what’s hiding in their
By Stella Chan Suzzanne Douglas, an accomplished stage and screen actress who starred “Tap” and the television series “The Parent ‘Hood,” has died, her representative told CNN in a statement on Wednesday. She was 64. “The industry has lost a truly talented
By Lisa Respers France Juvenile doesn’t just want you to get his latest song stuck in your head, he wants you to get stuck in the arm. The New Orleans-based rapper has teamed up with fellow artists Mannie Fresh and Mia X
by Clay Cane In August of 1969, a 36-year-old Nina Simone told a cheering audience at the Harlem Cultural Festival, “Are you ready to listen to all the beautiful Black voices, the beautiful Black feelings, the beautiful Black waves moving in beautiful
By Steve Forrest and Susannah Cullinane Bill Cosby issued a statement in support of his former co-star and longtime friend Phylicia Rashad, who earlier apologized for celebrating Cosby’s release from prison. Cosby, once known as “America’s Dad,” was released on Wednesday after Pennsylvania’s highest
By Lisa Respers France There was backlash over Vanessa Williams performing for Independence Day before it even happened. Williams hosted PBS’ “A Capitol Fourth” on Sunday, and it had been announced that she would sing “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” which has
Review by Brian Lowry A pair of documentaries showcase strong directing debuts by Black filmmakers for the Fourth of July weekend: “Summer of Soul” transforms long-lost video into an intoxicating and layered look back at the Harlem Cultural Festival of 1969; and
by Amir Vera Maggie Montoya used to love Independence Day fireworks. Now, the loud explosions and bangs that come with the American ritual agonize her. The 26-year-old’s views on fireworks changed after she had to hide under a desk while a gunman fired
By Keely Aouga and Laura Ly Actress Phylicia Rashad sent a letter to Howard University students and parents on Friday, offering “[her] most sincere apology” for tweeting in celebration of Bill Cosby’s sexual assault conviction being overturned. “My remarks were in no way
Analysis by Lisa Respers France Depending on you and your life experiences, Bill Cosby is either an abuser or the latest Black man to fall prey to being unjustly accused. In the case of the 83-year-old actor, it is actually dozens of
By John Blake One evening, Robin DiAngelo became a nice racist. DiAngelo, author of “White Fragility,” remembers the precise moment it happened. A friend invited her to join a few friends of hers for dinner. When DiAngelo arrived at the restaurant, she was excited