Black Excellence: 15-Year-Old Graduates High School With A 4.5 GPA
Earlier this month, 15-year-old Ishmale Powell graduated from Page High School with an impressive 4.5 grade point average. As the youngest graduate in Guilford County Schools’ class of 2018, the Greensboro, North Carolina teen skipped two grades and took high school classes while in middle school. This fall, Powell plans to attend the University of North Carolina […]
Great-Granddaughter Of ‘Hidden Figure’ Katherine Johnson Scores Perfect Score On Math SOL Test
Photo credit: The Daily Press Newspaper Newport News, Virginia third grader, Na Kia Boykin recently scored a perfect score of 600 on her Mathematics Standards of Learning (SOL) test. Turns out, her love for math and science runs in her family as she is the great-granddaughter of pioneering NASA mathematician, Katherine Johnson. SOL tests are state-wide comprehensive […]
Jaki Shelton Green Named North Carolina’s First African American Poet Laureate
Photo: Sandra Davidson North Carolina Governor, Roy Cooper, recently selected poet Jaki Shelton Green to serve as the state’s poet laureate. With this selection, Green becomes the first African American and only the third woman to serve as the state’s official ambassador for poetry and spoken word. Green is a North Carolina native and […]
The National Trust For Historic Preservation Names Nina Simone’s Childhood Home A ‘National Treasure’
Photo via: Getty Images The Tryon, North Carolina childhood home of pianist, singer, songwriter, and activist Nina Simone was recently declared a “National Treasure” to be preserved and restored. After several failed attempts by different parties to acquire and preserve the home as an extension of Simone’s lasting legacy, The National Trust for Historic Preservation […]
Netflix’s ‘Strong Black Leads’ Recreate Classic ‘A Great Day In Harlem’ Photo
Photo by: Kwaku Alston In a powerful new TV spot from Netflix, 47 Black actors, writers, directors, producers and show-runners came together to recreate Art Kane’s 1958 photo “A Great Day in Harlem, an iconic image of 57 jazz legends. The project, called “A Great Day In Hollywood” is a part of the streaming giant’s “Strong Black […]
Howard Student Makes History As First African American International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation World Champion
Photo via: Howard University Rising Howard University senior, Shane Jamil Hill-Taylor, recently earned a great honor culminating 14 years of hard work and disciplined training. He was recently crowned the fifth International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation (IBJJF) World Champion, thus making him the first African American to earn the title. On June 4th, Hill-Taylor placed his opponent, […]
Michelle Alexander Joins New York Times As Its Only Black Woman Columnist
Photo credit: Aaron Salcido/Zócalo Public Square On Thursday, the New York Times announced that the author of the critically acclaimed book ,“The New Jim Crow”, Michelle Alexander, will join the publication as a columnist for its Opinion pages. In this role, Alexander will serve as the paper’s only woman of color columnist. James Bennet, the New York Times’ editorial […]
Twin Brothers Named Co-Valedictorians Of High School Class
The George family of New Jersey simultaneously celebrated two incredible academic milestones this week when twin brothers Malik and Miles George graduated as co-valedictorians of Woodbridge High School. During their high school careers, the brothers both maintained an A average, earned nearly perfect SAT scores, and were offered scholarships from five colleges, including Harvard University and the Massachusetts […]
Google Doodle Remembers Science Fiction Icon Octavia Butler On Her 71st Birthday
Photo credit: Google To celebrate what would have been science fiction icon Octavia Butler’s 71st birthday today, Google created a doodle in her honor. In Butler’s 58 years of life, she broke through the glass ceiling of science fiction by bringing her Black girl magic to a world known be dominated by white-male authors. She did so by […]
10-Year-Old Wins Library Of Congress Award After Penning Letter To ‘Hidden Figures’ Author
Photo via: Chicago Tribune Ten-year-old Akosua Haynes recently received a huge honor from the Library of Congress after writing a letter to “Hidden Figures” author Margot Lee Shetterly about how her book inspired her to become an astronaut when she gets older. According to the Chicago Tribune, Haynes wrote her note as part of the […]