Here Are All The Black Recipients of the 2020 MacArthur Fellowship
Geniuses — All Of Them! Every year the MacArthur Fellowship, which celebrates fellows “extraordinary originality and dedication in their creative pursuits,” is awarded by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. Since 1981, the honor has come with a no-strings-attached award of $625,000, distributed over five years. This year 12 of the 21 recipients […]
Taraji P. Henson Set To Launch New Mental Wellness Talk Show On Facebook Watch
Fighting stigma through conversation! Actress Taraji P. Henson is set to launch a new talk show on Facebook Watch focused on mental wellness, The Grio reports. In 2018, Henson founded the Boris Lawrence Henson Foundation in honor of her late father, who struggled with mental health issues due to his time serving in the Vietnam War. Since then, the foundation has focused […]
These Fraternity Brothers Are Buying The Block Around Their University To Combat Gentrification
They’re Reimagining Black Wealth! In 2013, Timothy Webb Jr. graduated from the University of South Carolina ready to use his degree in information technology to help secure data, and now he’s added securing land to his plate. Last year, Webb founded More Than a 9 to 5, a lifestyle brand bridging the gap between entrepreneurship […]
This Couple Paid Off $300,000 In Debt In Less Than 5 Years
Now, they are couple goals! Pharmacists and husband and wife duo, Dr. Bryant and Alexandria Watson, have been prescribed a new kind of wellness — financial freedom. This week, the couple took to their social media to announce they’ve successfully paid off more than $300,000 in under five years. “We’re debt-free,” Alexandria wrote in her […]
Issa Rae Launches ‘Hoorae Media,’ Consolidating TV, Film and Digital Projects Under One Umbrella
An indomitable force! Issa Rae launches Hoorae Media, consolidating her TV, film, and digital projects under one umbrella, The Grio reports. Rae announced the launching of her new media company, Hoorae, formerly known as Issa Rae Productions. The new venture includes HBO’s “Insecure” and “A Black Lady Sketch Show,” as well as “Tre Cnt,” the […]
First Black Woman Accepted To U.S. Army Corps Celebrates 100th Birthday
A centennial celebration! The first Black woman to be accepted into the U.S. Army Corps recently celebrated her 100th birthday, Newsday reports. Nancy Leftenant-Colon, a nurse who served active duty in the U.S. Army Air Corps recently celebrated her 100th birthday. Colon made history as the first Black woman inducted into the Army Corps. Leftenant-Colon […]
Remembering Fannie Lou Hamer: Crusader for Justice & Iconic Voting Rights Champion
Thank God for her unconquerable soul! Fannie Lou Townsend Hamer was born October 6, 1917 in the Mississippi Delta, the last of 20 children born to sharecroppers Lou Ella and James Townsend, the National Women’s History Museum reports. Hamer began picking cotton at age 6 and left school to help her family at age 12. […]
Eric Hale Makes History As The First Black Man To Be Named Texas Teacher of the Year
A fitting honor! Elementary school teacher Eric Hale just made history as the first Black man named Texas Teacher of the Year, NBCDFW reports. Hale is a first-grade teacher with Dallas ISD at David G. Burnet Elementary School. Hale has received numerous awards for his outstanding track record in the classroom, even being featured on The Kelly Clarkson […]
Warner Bros. Acquires ‘Black’ Comic Series About Universe Where Only Black People Have Superpowers
This is going to be good! Warner Bros. has acquired the “Black” series about a universe where only Black people have superpowers, Deadline reports. “Black” is an adaptation of the “Black Mask” comic series from creators Kwanza Osajyefo and Tim Smith 3. Osajyefo originally came up with the universe concept more than a decade ago, garnering mass appeal […]
One of the First Black Watchmakers in Pittsburgh Celebrated His 103rd Birthday
Give him his flowers! Centenarian Charles S. Wiggins has lived a long and distinguished life in Pittsburgh, and on Sept. 8th, he celebrated his 103rd birthday with a host of family and friends. Wiggins, one of the first Black watchmakers in Pittsburgh, is a proud World War II Navy veteran. After all these years, he’s […]