Author Walter Mosley Will Make History As The First Black Man To Receive The National Book Award’s Lifetime Achievement Medal
World renowned author Walter Mosley is set to make history as the first Black man to receive the National Book Award’s lifetime achievement medal, AP News reports. Mosley is known for his best novels that span the range of genre from science fiction to mystery including “Devil In a Blue Dress,” “Down the River Unto […]
Virginia Students Create First Black Student Union In High School’s 100 Year History
Virginia students have created the first Black Student Union in their high school’s 100-year history, The Winchester Star reports. Eunice Mejiadeu is a student at John Handley High School in Winchester, VA, but she hasn’t always felt like she belonged. The school’s student body is 43% Caucasian and 35.3% Hispanic, with just 6.7% of students identifying as […]
Heroic Connecticut Teen Rescues Mother and Three Children From A Burning Car
A Waterbury, Connecticut teen is being hailed as a hero after saving a mother and her three children from a burning car, Upworthy reports. Justin Gavin was leisurely strolling down a Connecticut block when he saw a small SUV covered in flames drive past with a little girl in the car window. Other drivers were […]
WNBA Star Maya Moore Announced Marriage To Wrongfully Imprisoned Man She Helped Free From Prison
Love comes from unlikely places! WNBA star Maya Moore announced her marriage to Jonathan Irons, the man she helped free from prison, CNN reports. A few months ago, Irons walked out of prison a free man after serving a 22-year prison sentence for a crime he never committed. The Missouri native was convicted in 1998 at just 16 years old, […]
Brooklyn Park Renamed In Honor of Trailblazing LGBTQIA+ Activist, Marsha P. Johnson
A fitting honor. The East River State Park in Brooklyn, NY, was recently renamed in honor of the trailblazing LGBTQIA+ activist Marsha P. Johnson, Dazed reports. Johnson was an iconic trans activist who fought for equality and is known primarily for her role in the 1969 Stonewall Uprising. As one of the revolt leaders, she joined her […]
Twin Cities Mayor Initiates UBI Pilot Program For Low-Income Families Impacted By Pandemic
This is real change! St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter recently instituted a UBI pilot program for low-income families impacted by the coronavirus pandemic, TwinCities Pioneer Press reports. Mayor Carter recently announced an 18-month universal basic income (UBI) pilot program for 150 low-income families impacted by the pandemic in St. Paul, Minnesota. Carter linked the uptick […]
Comedian Punkie Johnson Becomes The First Openly Black Lesbian To Join The Cast of ‘Saturday Night Live’
We are rooting for everybody Black! Comedian Punkie Johnson just became the first openly Black lesbian to join the cast of “Saturday Night Live (SNL),” Autostraddle reports. Johnson is a writer and comedian who is a regular at the world-famous Comedy Store in Hollywood. She has credits on several shows, including Netflix’s “Space Force,” Comedy Central’s “Corporate” and “Bill Burr Presents: […]
A Documentary On The 60’s Black Culture Show ‘Soul!’ Is Coming To TV
A new documentary is re-telling the story of the popular 1960’s Black culture show, Soul!, through the lens of its host and producer, The New York Times reports. Mr. Soul! is a new documentary centered around Ellis Haizlip, the host and co-producer of Soul!, which aired in the 1960s and 70s. It served as a major […]
She Just Became The First Active-Duty Black Woman Chaplain to Make Rank of Colonel in The U.S. Army Chaplain Corps
The U.S. Army promoted the first active-duty Black woman chaplain to the rank of colonel, Richmond Free Press reports. Chaplain Monica R. Lawson has made is the first active-duty Black female chaplain to ascend to the rank of colonel. Lawson is a Spelman alum, African Methodist Episcopal minister, and chief of recruiting and accessions for the […]
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 […]