Sitting in his Atlanta home office with his wife and fellow civil rights activist Arndrea Waters King, Martin Luther King III can’t help but reflect on a deep irony: Martin Luther King Jr. Day coincides with the second presidential inauguration of Donald Trump on Jan. 20. He worries about the fact that his father’s only […]
Culture
Posted inCulture, History
New Year’s Traditions in Black Homes Are a Celebration of Survival
Playing spades under the smooth, lifting flow of old-school R&B, the air thick with the warm embrace of soul food’s aroma, feels like the perfect low-key New Year’s Eve. Yet it’s more than just a ritual — it’s actually at the heart of Black tradition, pulsing across cultures and generations. Whether it’s the southern U.S., […]
Posted inCulture, History, Politics & Policy
How Music and Art Have Helped Black Americans Weather Troubling Times
In 1975, Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes laid down a melodic mandate that applies to our times: “Wake up, everybody / No more sleepin’ in bed,” Teddy Pendergrass, the former lead singer of the group, commands. “No more backward thinkin’ / Time for thinkin’ ahead / The world has changed so very much / […]
Posted inCulture, History
How Collard Greens Became a Symbol of Resilience and Tradition
Writer and scholar Alexis Pauline Gumbs makes greens almost every day: chard, kale and — this time of the year — heaping pots of vegan collard greens. Gumbs, author of the recent Audre Lorde biography Survival is a Promise and a thinker who delights in the natural world, finds something meditative about “the process of […]
Posted inAgriculture, History
The Push to Rename Black-Eyed Peas and Reclaim African Heritage
Bonnetta Adeeb sighs heavily when she hears the term “cowpea.” Seconds pass while she decides how to respond. Will it be the modulated, kind but firm response of the former teacher of 37 years she is? Or will she show some of her vexation at “that word,” which she avoids as if it leaves an […]
Posted inHistory
The Renewed Urgency of Preserving Black History
Black Voters and the Fight for Democracy is a multipart series that explores the stakes of the 2024 election for our communities. This project was produced as part of the Advancing Democracy Fellowship. Bold. Assertive. Unafraid of questioning people or circumstances. That’s how 82-year-old Rosita Stevens-Holsey describes her “Aunt Pauli.” “Even if she was talking […]
Posted inEducation, HBCUs, Higher Education, History, Partner Content
What Research on ‘Sundown Towns’ Can Teach Us About Racism
Originally published by Open Campus. When sociologist James Loewen took his first academic position at Tougaloo College, he couldn’t have known the profound impact his work on sundown towns would have on the understanding of systemic racism. Decades later, his research continues to shed light on these racially exclusive communities, and his legacy endures at […]
Posted inCulture, Incarceration
‘The Wildest Show in the South’: Spectacle and Suffering at America’s Biggest Prison
ANGOLA, La. — On a blistering fall afternoon, even by Louisiana’s standards, mainly Black incarcerated people cling tightly to bucking horses. They run from barreling bulls and get tossed around like rag dolls in events that are outlawed in rodeos across the country — but not here at the “wildest show in the South.” Each […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, Education, Environmental Justice, LGBTQ, Politics & Policy, Reproductive Health
What Trump’s Second Term Could Look Like for Black Americans
The dread many Black Americans feel about Donald Trump’s triumph in the 2024 presidential election isn’t misplaced: He organized his reelection campaign against Vice President Kamala Harris around revenge — around how he and his allies can inflict the greatest amount of suffering on vulnerable groups and on those he considers enemies. Making things worse, […]
Posted inHistory, Politics & Policy
5 Black Presidential Candidates Who Paved the Way for Kamala Harris
In 1848, Frederick Douglass was the very first Black candidate to receive a nominating bid for the American presidency. He received one vote. Over the next 100 years, Black presidential hopefuls — particularly those with connections to the two major parties — would eke out symbolic victories and break barriers. Their efforts paved the way […]
