Missy Elliott Is the First Female Hip-Hop Artist to Be Nominated For the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame
The two-time honorary doctorate recipient and 5x Grammy Award-winner is now the first female hip-hop artist to be nominated for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, Essence reports. Missy Elliott continues to create her own path and blaze a trail for others. In 2019, she made history as the first female rapper to be inducted into the Songwriters Hall […]
Tia Mowry Has Launched An Affordable Natural Hair Care Line With Walmart
With the launch of her natural hair care brand, this actress, mom and CEO just became one of the first Black women to co-develop a brand in partnership with Walmart. From the voluminous fro on Sister, Sister to the straightened hair on The Game, we watchedMowry’s hair transform. “Back then, I thought straight hair meant […]
Meet Alisha L. Gordon, the Founder Who’s Giving Black Single Mothers The Tools To Thrive In Every Way
We need more organizations like these! The Current Project, a Harlem-based nonprofit organization that’s committed to closing social and economic gaps for Black single mothers, was founded in 2020 by Alisha L. Gordon. Transforming her lived experience into a passion-driven mission, Gordon is no stranger to the trials and tribulations of raising a child alone. […]
Award-Winning Actress Kerry Washington Is Releasing Her Memoir This Fall
The actress, director, producer and activist is telling her story her way in Thicker Than Water, Essence reports. This past Tuesday, Kerry Washington celebrated her 45th birthday by making a special announcement. The Golden Globe Award-winning actress announced that she’s working on a special story that’s very personal to her: a memoir. Thicker Than Water will give its readers an […]
Meet Ernest Everett Just, The Recipient of the First Spingarn Medal
He made history 108 years ago today! Ernest Everett Just was born August 14, 1883 in Charleston, South Carolina to parents Charles Fraser Just and Mary Just, BlackPast.org reports. His father passed away when he was four years old, causing his mother to move the family to James Island, a Gullah community. She became a major influence […]
The University of Southern California To Rename Field After Olympic Track Star Allyson Felix
Allyson Felix’s old stomping grounds at University of Southern California will be renamed in her honor, USC News reports. The Olympic sprinter has long ties with USC; being a California native and watching her brother graduate from the university inspired her to follow in his footsteps. Holding the title of the most decorated athlete in World Athletics Championships history, male or […]
This Black Woman-Owned Pillow Brand Is Now A Part of Target’s Black History Month Collection
Black-owned pillows? Say no more! Dihandria Bright is a Georgia State University alum and the founder of PillowScript, a business that came to her in a dream in 2019. Making her dream a reality, PillowScript launched December 2021. “I faced many challenges and heard many no’s and ‘it’s impossible,’ but I believed that if I could […]
Here’s Why the Greensboro Sit-In Was a Pivotal Moment In Black History
They made history 63 years ago today! On February 1, 1960, four North Carolina A&T University students — Ezell Blair Jr., David Richmond, Franklin McCain, and Joseph McNeil — staged the first sit-in in Greensboro, North Carolina, History.com reports. The protest took place at Woolworth’s lunch counter, the group motivated by other nonviolent protest techniques spreading across […]
Here Are 6 Langston Hughes Poems You Should Read If You’re a Young Black Artist
We’re celebrating what would have been his 121st birthday! View this post on Instagram A post shared by Lt. Governor Juliana Stratton (@ltgovstratton) He was born James Mercer Langston Hughes on February 1, 1902 in Joplin, Missouri. He began writing poetry as a young child and grew up to become one of the most […]
Meet Etta Moten, The First Black Woman To Perform At The White House During The 20th Century
It’s the 89th anniversary of that performance! According to Humanities Texas, Etta Moten Barnett was born on November 5, 1901 in Weimar, Texas. She grew up singing in her father’s church, becoming a renowned singer and actress in Hollywood. She launched her career on Broadway, performing in productions like Sugar Hill, Lysistrata, and Porgy and […]