AP African American studies nixed in Arkansas, Paramount drops plans to sell BET stake
Friday, August 18, 2023.
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What I’m Reading
As hip-hop’s golden anniversary continues, I came across this story in The Washington Post about Tupac and how being raised with the ideals of the Black Panther Party shaped his ideology and music.
“Tupac was born and raised by people who were in the movement, who were movement elders,” author Santi Elijah Holley explained in the article. “He grew up among these people who were Black Panthers, former militant, Black liberation activists, and they told him their stories like bedtime stories. Especially his mother, Afeni, always instilled in him this Black pride, self-determination, Black resiliency, resistance.”
How Black Panthers’ ideals shaped 2Pac — and his groundbreaking music, The Washington Post
When President Joe Biden signed a proclamation establishing a national monument in honor of Emmett Till and his mother, Mamie Till-Mobley, there was a swift response online from people fed up with symbolic wins.
For Truthout, Asha Ransby-Sporn explained that while the monument doesn’t measure progress, it can “lead more people to face the deeper roots of racism and join in making long-standing calls for transformative solutions like reparations, massive community investment and social programs.”
A New Monument to Emmett Till Doesn’t Measure Progress, But It Does Matter, Truthout
Here’s an extraordinary story worth a few moments of your time. For decades, the figure of an enslaved youth lay beneath an overlay of paint within a 19th-century painting of three white children in a Louisiana landscape. But thanks to a restoration, the painting is no longer in a basement — it now has a prominent home at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. “The fact that he was covered up haunted me.”
‘His Name Was Bélizaire’: Rare Portrait of Enslaved Child Arrives at the Met, The New York Times
What’s In The News
Across America
Alabama: Caleb White, one of the top high school basketball players in the country, has died after collapsing on the court during a workout…
Arkansas: A last-minute phone call on Friday informed teachers that the Arkansas Department of Education will not recognize AP African American Studies for course credit by the state. It’s the latest move in Sarah Huckabee Sanders administration’s war on Black history…
Florida: Freedom Schools, which were developed in 1964 as part of the Mississippi Freedom Summer, are being launched in 2023 to teach Black history in the Sunshine State…
Illinois: Many girls in Chicago live with symptoms of PTSD. This school-based counseling program is helping reduce their symptoms…
Indiana: A new exhibit in Indianapolis is trying to give a face to the victims of lynching and ‘unmask’ the perpetrators…
Kentucky: A proposed city ordinance in Louisville would require developers seeking public funds or resources to prove that projects in historically-Black neighborhoods will not displace residents or businesses…
Louisiana: Jerry Davis is home after spending four decades behind bars for a crime he did not commit. He wasn’t even at the scene of the crime…
Massachusetts: Celtics star Jaylen Brown has ambitions of creating a Black Wall Street in Boston. The local Black business community wants to see it happen…
Michigan: Lansing police said it hopes to “put this unfortunate case of wrong place, wrong time” behind them after they detained a teenager throwing out the trash. The 12-year-old is now speaking out…
Mississippi: The Mississippi Supreme Court says it will not remove Brett Favre as a defendant in a civil lawsuit seeking to recover millions of misspent welfare money…
In 2022, Ashley was raped outside of her Mississippi home. Her closest abortion provider was in Chicago, a nine-hour drive away. She wasn’t able to get one. Soon she’ll start seventh grade…
New York: Harlem's newest "affordable" housing costs $2,300 a month, demands a minimum $80,000 income and doesn't include bedrooms, city records show…
Oklahoma: Ashli Sims is leading the charge for the second coming of Black Wall Street in Tulsa…
North Carolina: Teen Autumn Williams was sent home from her job at Chick-fil-A for having an "unnatural" color in her hair — blonde, she said.
South Carolina: All along the South Carolina coast, developers of new homes and vacation getaways are targeting properties owned by the descendants of enslaved people…
Texas: The oldest person in Texas, Elizabeth Francis, recently celebrated her 114th birthday with her 94-year-old daughter and 68-year-old granddaughter…
Wisconsin: Police in Kenosha, Wisconsin, placed the wrong man under arrest at an Applebee’s restaurant but charged him for resisting arrest anyway…
Utah: A school district in Farmington says it will pay $2 million to the family of Isabella “Izzy” Tichenor, an autistic Black student who died by suicide after being bullied…
Features
Artificial intelligence is likely here to stay. But these five women have been warning about the risks of AI far before you'd ever even heard of ChatGPT…
August Wilson transformed American theater with his stories about Black life. For The Atlantic, Imani Perry explains how he became one of the country’s most influential playwrights…
The Redress Movement argues that organized real estate is “arguably the single most responsible party for the persistent racial segregation and homeownership gaps that still define the American housing landscape”...
For GQ, Noah Johnson followed along for the opening of Pharrell’s reign at Louis Vuitton — and learned more about the ambitious revolution he’s planning to mount…
Timothy Noah wrote about Ruby Freeman and Wandrea Moss, the two Black women who’ve emerged as the heroes of Trump’s Georgia indictment…
Tennessee lawmakers Justin Jones and Justin J. Pearson are Harper's BAZAAR Icons for 2023…
For POLITICO, JC Whittington talked with New York Rep. Jamaal Bowman about the golden anniversary of hip-hop and its ties to politics…
One of the most unique neighborhoods in Southeast Michigan is known as the "Venice of Detroit.” Its residents say they're being pushed out…
For MSNBC, Keisha N. Blain explained why it matters that Fani Willis, Georgia's prosecutor in the Trump election case, is leading the indictment…
What’s Happening
Congratulations to Abby Phillip and Laura Coates, who’ve just got nighttime shows on CNN…
The Biden administration has released new guidance to ensure colleges recruit and admit diverse classes after the Supreme Court in June gutted race-conscious admissions practices. But Edwin Rios explained why HBCUs show why cultivating diverse campuses should extend beyond the application process…
A U.S. Army base in western Louisiana was renamed to honor Sgt. William Henry Johnson, a Black hero of World War I who received the Medal of Honor nearly a century later…
In a strong rebuke to New York City’s handling of violent and dangerous conditions at the Rikers Island jail complex, a federal judge is taking the first step to consider removing the jail from city control…
Trevian Kutti, a former publicist who worked with Ye and R. Kelly in the past, and Harrison Floyd, the leader of Black Voices for Trump, were indicted alongside Donald Trump this week…
A man who shared explicit images and personal info about his ex-girlfriend online now has to pay $1.2 billion, a Texas jury ruled…
Michael Oher, subject of "The Blind Side," petitioned a court with allegations that the Tuohy family never actually adopted him. Sean & Leigh Anne Tuohy intend to end their conservatorship for Oher, a lawyer for the couple said…
There are more than 120 prosecutor races in the South in November — and the GOP is already working to undermine the results. Daniel Nichanian wrote about the ones you should be watching…
Meet Tiara Darnell, the Washington, D.C. woman who owns the only soul food restaurant in Mexico City…
Entertainment
Despite all the rumors about Tyler Perry buying BET, Paramount has notified bidders Perry, Byron Allen, Diddy, and others that it is no longer planning to sell its majority stake in BET…
From my colleague Taryn Finley: Tupac. Nipsey. DMX. As we celebrate 50 years of hip-hop, there's a bittersweetness in doing so when so many artists don't even make it to 50. We just lost Magoo this week…
Clarence Avant, the “Black Godfather” whose influence spanned music, sports, entertainment and politics, has died. He was 92. His documentary, “Black Godfather,” on Netflix is excellent…
Erika Alexander talked with Hanna Phifer about her iconic career, her upcoming film "Earth Mama," and the shifting landscape for Black artists in Hollywood…
Jay-Z-themed library cards sparked an increase in Brooklyn Public Library memberships…
For ELLE, Jaelani Turner-Williams spotlighted several women authors who are redefining the hip-hop books canon…
Ariel Felton did a deep dive on just how far — financially and literally — Beyoncé’s fans would go to see their fave in person…
Former NFL running back Alex Collins, who played for the Seattle Seahawks and Baltimore Ravens, was killed in a motorcycle crash. He was 28…
Hmm: ESPN anchor Sage Steele announced that she’s leaving the network so she “can exercise [her] first amendment rights more freely”...
At 40, Danielle Ponder quit her job as a public defender to launch a singing career. Now, she’s coming off a stellar Lollapalooza performance…
Don’t Miss
Can you beat my time on Black Crossword? 29 seconds!…
The White House is looking for girls in the United States (ages 14 to 18) who are tackling important issues facing their communities. Fill out this form to nominate a young leader before August 25th…
The Department of African American & African Studies at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, is seeking applications for a full-time, tenure-track position in Black feminist literary and cultural studies…
Have you ever heard of Charles Henry Turner? He was a trailblazing Black zoologist with insights a century ahead of their time…
Save the date: The International Black Writers Festival, hosted by Howard University's Moorland Spingarn Research Center, is back. Mark your calendars for September 27th to the 29th…
Capital B is hiring a copy editor to join its team. This is a remote role…
Two cool fellowship opportunities for college students: ProPublica is accepting applicants for its Emerging Reporters Program. And Beats by Dre is holding Beats Academy, a 10-week paid program designed for aspiring creators.