Lisa Forrest Becomes Philadelphia Fire Department’s First Black Woman Battalion Chief
She’s blazing a trail! The Philadelphia Fire Department promoted the first Black woman battalion chief in its 149-year history, 6ABC reports. Capt. Lisa Forrest of Ladder 24 in West Philadelphia made history Tuesday morning as the first Black woman in the city to become a battalion fire chief. Forrest has been with the department for 16 […]
Yamiche Alcindor Awarded the 4th Annual Gwen Ifill Award by the International Women’s Media Foundation
She’s carrying on the legacy of impeccable journalism! White House correspondent for PBS NewsHour and political contributor for NBC News and MSNBC, Yamiche Alcindor, has been named the recipient of the 4th annual International Women’s Media Foundation (IWMF) Gwen Ifill Award. In a press release provided to The Root, Elisa Lees Muñoz, executive director of the IWMF, said […]
27-Year-Old Spoken Word Artist Becomes First Poet To Win America’s Got Talent
Black art to the rescue! A 27-year-old spoken word artist became the first poet to win “America’s Got Talent (AGT),” The Root reports. Brandon Leake was crowned the season 15 winner of NBC’s “America’s Got Talent.” The Stockton, California native is the first poet to ever appear on the hit show and now makes history […]
Actress Yara Shahidi Makes History As First Black Tinkerbell In Disney’s Live-Action Adaptation
A little fairy dust and a lot of Black Girl Magic! Yara Shahidi is making history as the first Black Tinkerbell in Disney’s newest live-action adaptation, Variety reports. “Peter Pan and Wendy” is the newest adaptation of the classic 1953 Disney movie “Peter Pan” about a boy who never grows up. Shahidi will play the beloved Tinkerbell, […]
11-Year-Old Uses Money From Lemonade Stand To Donate 22,000 Diapers To Single Mothers
The children are the future! An 11-year-old boy from Virginia has used money from his lemonade stand to donate more than 22,000 diapers to single mothers. Cartier Carey is like any other 11-year-old, except he’s collecting diapers in addition to his Beyblades. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Hampton, Virginia native noticed that the news was […]
In Honor of Iconic Entertainer Will Smith: 10 Inspirational Quotes To Live By
A living legend. Will Smith is hands down one of the greatest entertainers of our time. Born Willard Carroll Smith, Jr. in West Philadelphia on September 25, 1968, the rapper turned actor got his start in 1981 after forming a group with friend and classmate Jeffrey Townes, also known as DJ Jazzy Jeff. The two […]
Black Pioneers, Artists, Leaders, Titans & Icons: Time’s 100 Most Influential People
They’re influencing the world! TIME released its annual list of “100 Most Influential People,” sharing eight different magazine covers to their social sites. The list of 100 influencers are broken down into five different categories: pioneers, artists, leaders, titans, and icons. Gracing the covers are Houston rapper Megan Thee Stallion, Canadian singer/songwriter The Weekend, former NBA […]
Honoring One of the Oldest Living Tuskegee Airmen on His 102nd Birthday
He’s one of the oldest of the heroic airmen. It’s been several decades since the first Black military air force, the Tuskegee Airmen, took to the skies in World War II. Although they were at first believed to be inferior and had to fight for their chance to serve, they earned more than 150 Distinguished Flying Crosses. […]
Remembering Revolutionary Poet and Abolitionist Frances Ellen Watkins
May we never forget those who paved the way! Frances Ellen Watkins was a poet, abolitionist, orator and conductor on the Underground Railroad, according to BlackPast.org. She was born Sep. 24, 1825, in Baltimore, Maryland, the daughter of free Black parents. Orphaned at a young age, Watkins eventually went to live with her uncle. She attended […]
Meet Alexander Twilight – The First Black Person To Earn A Bachelor’s Degree In The United States
This is long overdue. The state of Vermont is honoring Alexander Twilight, the first Black person to earn a Bachelor’s degree from an American college or university, WCAX reports. Twilight was a Vermont native, born in Bradford to a biracial father and white mother, which may have kept his real racial identity hidden during the time. The scholar […]