R&B balladeer Freddie Jackson has died, his family announced on Tuesday, just days after the singer celebrated his birthday. He was 69. “Freddie was more than a legendary voice,” the family said in a statement. “He was a kind, generous soul who loved his fans, his family, his friends, and his music with everything he […]
Arts & Entertainment
Posted inArts & Entertainment, Culture
Dolly Parton Made an Undeniable Mark on Black Culture
The “Queen of Country” Dolly Parton has died in Nashville, Tennessee, her family announced on Tuesday. The music icon was 80. “After bravely facing a brief battle with cancer, Dolly departed her Earthly life today at the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center surrounded by loved ones,” Parton’s publicist, Marcel Pariseau, said Tuesday. Parton’s death reverberated across her […]
Posted inArts & Entertainment, Criminal Justice, Violence Against Women
How ‘Is God Is’ Is Changing the Conversation About Black Women and Domestic Violence
NEW ORLEANS — When Gretta Gordy Gardner was a prosecutor, she asked a domestic violence victim’s mother why she had testified for the man who hurt her daughter. The answer stopped her cold: It’s better to have a man who beats you than no man at all. “That made me understand the survivor so much […]
Posted inArts & Entertainment, Culture
How Go-Go Is Reaching a Generation That Didn’t Grow Up With It
WASHINGTON — On a recent summer day outside Dunbar High School, Jamiya and Jamiyan Simmons reminisced about early-morning Sunday rituals. The 17-year-old twins would wake up to go-go classics like UCB’s “Sexy Lady” and clean the house with the music blasting from their grandmother’s stereo. For nearly 50 years, go-go has been more than music […]
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Hollywood’s Book Adaptation Boom Has a Black Author Problem
It’s been a turbulent ride for author LaDarrion Williams’ to get his story of a Black teen with ancestral magic adapted for the small screen. His short film, Blood at the Root, went viral in 2021. Hollywood producers and executives showed interest in 2023, but suggested that it was “not marketable,” he said. Undaunted, he […]
Posted inArts & Entertainment, Culture
New Orleans Teens Are Keeping Jazz Alive Through the Trombone Shorty Academy
NEW ORLEANS — Tyler Stevenson, 17, stood in the spotlight for his solo on the same stage graced by James Brown and Buddy Guy decades ago at New Orleans’ historic nightclub Tipitina’s. This past spring was his final performance as a student of the Trombone Shorty Academy. After deepening his skills his senior year of […]
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Black Celebs Who Slayed the 2026 Met Gala
Black celebrities delivered showstopping looks at the 2026 Met Gala, drawing on artistic inspiration at one of the industry’s biggest nights. The theme of the exhibition, “Costume Art,” focuses on the relationship between clothing and the human form. The dress code, “Fashion is Art,” encouraged attendees to celebrate the “dressed body” in all its forms. […]
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Michael Jackson’s Hometown Welcomes Film Screening Before World
GARY, Indiana — After months of work, West Side Leadership Academy became the site of something rare: a movie premiere that felt like a homecoming. Monday night brought an exclusive early look at Michael, the upcoming biopic tracing Michael Jackson’s rise, with a focus on his roots in Gary. In attendance were Michael’s brothers Jackie […]
Posted inArts & Entertainment, Economic Development
Why ‘Sinners’ Is Bigger Than the Oscars for Mississippi Residents
Check out Capital B’s Beyond ‘Sinners’: The Stories of Clarksdale, Mississippi, a yearlong project highlighting Black residents reclaiming power and ownership in an area where Blues tourism and development have long excluded them. Clarksdale, Mississippi, resident Chandra Williams is ecstatic that Sinners won big at the Academy Awards on Sunday. The film had a record-breaking […]
Posted inArts & Entertainment, Culture
Inside BlerdCon, Where Black Nerd Culture Takes Center Stage
ARLINGTON, Virginia – William Beal II drove his prized possession, a 2016 Dodge Charger R/T, through a small makeshift entrance on South Clark Street and parked it with the other cars arriving at BlerdCon, a convention centering Black folks who are into geek culture. Wrapped in the Black Panther colors of black and vibrant purple, […]
