Black History Month, NABJ hosts town hall, 'Sherri' canceled
This was another jam-packed week of news. Thank you to everyone that continues to spread the word about this newsletter!
What I’m Reading
The National Association of Black Journalists held a town hall this week to discuss the fight for press freedom and next steps in the wake of the arrests of journalists Don Lemon and Georgia Fort.
Hosted by NABJ President Errin Haines and Vice President of Digital Roland Martin, we heard from top journalism leaders and press freedom advocates who described the challenges journalists are facing today. Watch it in full above. Don’t miss Georgia Fort’s op-ed in the New York Times about the ordeal.
I also listened in on an emergency call hosted by Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, who wanted to hear from Black media members after the arrest. Officials on the call discussed how further legislation on the local and federal levels may be necessary to prevent the assault on the First Amendment.
Related: The arrests of Don Lemon and Georgia Fort reflect an American legacy of targeting the Black press, Naomi Bethune writes in the American Prospect.
Lemon’s arrest is not only a clear violation of the First Amendment but also a blatant throwback to the Constitution’s long-discarded Fugitive Slave Clause, Elie Mystal writes in The Nation.
Dr Stacey Patton asks in Newsone: Can NABJ protect Black journalists — or just mourn us after?
Gerren Keith Gaynor of The Grio spoke with legal experts about why the charges against Don Lemon and Georgia Fort are so concerning. Read the full indictment here.
Black British public figures have rallied behind Don Lemon and Georgia Fort following their arrest, Nadine White reports from the United Kingdom…
One century of honoring Black history, Campaign Zero
BHM100 is a national initiative marking a century of honoring Black history while imagining the next 100 years. As February 2026 commemorates 100 years since the first national observance of Black history, BHM100 brings together educators, artists, organizers, and communities to honor the past, celebrate Black culture, and carry the legacy forward.
Related: Audible has set up a section to honor Black authors and creators for Black History Month.
Maya Cade and Robert Daniels have published stories about films you need to watch during Black History Month. Read Maya and Robert’s work.
Should any programs help minority groups? In lawsuits, conservatives say no, The New York Times
Conservative groups have brought on a host of lawsuits against corporations, law firms, health care companies, art groups and nonprofits. And they are mostly winning.
“I would call it a multipronged assault on diversity, equity and inclusion,” one expert told the Times. “It’s a legal, political and cultural war that they’re waging.”
How hair braiding connects Black mothers and children, Parents
“Black hairstyles reflect Black culture, traditions passed down out of necessity, and a chance to nurture and spend valued time with our children,” Ambreia Meadows-Fernandez writes.
What’s In The News
Across America
Alabama: Charles “Sonny” Burton killed no one. The state plans to suffocate him anyway, Lee Hedgepeth reports…
California: Black men in California are five times more likely to die from prostate cancer. Earlier access to care and regular screening can prevent it…
Colorado: After years of facing discrimination and harassment, the Mallerys are pushing forward and fighting for change…
District of Columbia: Howard University is facing financial pressure after years of soaring applicants and class sizes…
Georgia: Outside Atlanta, the Godfreys are caught in a cycle of job loss and eviction. That stress has taken a toll on the kids…
Minnesota: The shooting deaths of white protesters Alex Pretti and Renee Good by federal officers in Minneapolis followed a playbook that is painfully familiar to Black Americans… Ken Makin explains how Minneapolis protests fit into the larger struggle for civil rights…
Mississippi: A reform bill that would set up an oversight committee to review each prison death comes after journalists revealed dozens of deaths…
Missouri: Kansas City cops told Diahna Carroll that her husband of 36 years died in a car crash. But “they never told her — and they still deny — that he was killed as an innocent bystander to a high-speed police chase”…
New York: New York City police officers have pulled over tens of thousands of Black and Latino drivers and searched their vehicles without probable cause, according to a new lawsuit…
Pennsylvania: The Interior Department removed placards and videos about George Washington’s history of slavery. A new court ruling blocks further changes, for now…Philadelphia attorney Michael Coard was granted access to the secret location where the federal gov’t stashed the slavery exhibit…
South Carolina: As a rare winter storm approached, local officials in a rural county quietly pushed through a massive $2.4 billion data center project without most residents knowing…
Texas: Democrat Christian Menefee won a Texas U.S. House seat in a special election, narrowing Republicans’ already-slim majority…
What’s Happening
The Washington Post laid off hundreds of staffers this week, many of whom were members of the Washington Association of Black Journalists, which makes me fearful for the future of how Black D.C. will be covered by the paper in the future. As the president of the WABJ, it was important to me that we showed solidarity with every employee who was impacted. I also attended the “Save the Post” rally the next day.
Trump posted a video to his social media platform that contained a racist clip showing Barack and Michelle Obama as apes. It’s still up…Sen. Tim Scott, the only Black Republican in the Senate, had this to say: “Praying it was fake because it’s the most racist thing I’ve seen out of this White House. The President should remove it.” (It’s not fake).
The National Park Service has returned the visitor brochures it removed from Medgar Evers’ museum after a report it planned to remove references that call his white supremacist murderer a “racist”...
Attorneys for Keith Porter are asking the California attorney general to take over the case, alleging the LAPD chief is biased toward Trump…
Capital B News: “The rural Alabama town that once ousted its first Black leader has now appointed its second Black mayor and first woman to hold the office”…
Harry Dunn, an ex-Capitol Police officer who emerged as a national figure after the Jan. 6, 2021 riot, announced a run for Congress in Maryland…
Jamil Smith will be joining The Guardian as a new regular columnist covering the intersection of politics, culture and identity…
In a tribute to Black History Month, New York State Supreme Court Appellate Division presented a historical reenactment of the landmark Amistad legal proceedings…
James Talarico released a statement regarding a claim that he called former Rep. Colin Allred a “mediocre Black man”...
Cheyenne Roundtree spent an afternoon with Reshona Landfair — the then-14-year-old at the center of the infamous R. Kelly tape — in her first-ever interview to talk about her new poignant memoir…Also in WBEZ Chicago…
Entertainment News
ICYMI: The John P. Kee Tiny Desk concert is available now. Watch above…Miguel hosted his NPR Tiny Desk this week, his first appearance on the series since 2012…Related: You have one week left to submit your entry for NPR’s Tiny Desk contest…
You need to watch the Grammys’ tribute to D’Angelo and Roberta Flack…
Shaboozey said he wanted to "acknowledge the conversation" following his Grammy’s acceptance speech, where he said immigrants "built this country, literally.” In a statement on social media, he said, “To be clear, I know and believe that we – Black people, have also built this country.”
Benjy Taylor, the men’s basketball coach at Tuskegee University, was escorted off the court in handcuffs following a scuffle…
“Sherri,” the daytime talk show hosted by Sherri Shepherd, has been canceled after four seasons...
Wynton Marsalis, an iconic musician and the first artistic director of Jazz at the Lincoln Center, will be stepping down after nearly 40 years…
Mural Arts Philadelphia announced it’s looking for an artist or team of artists to design a mural for Boyz II Men…
For Newsweek, Mark Braboy explores just who is the real Kanye Omari West?...
A new trailer for “Michael,” starring Jaafar Jackson and directed by Antoine Fuqua, is out…
George Clinton and company performed as part of “Symphonic PFunk: Celebrating The Music of Parliament Funkadelic” at Detroit Opera…
Reginald Hudlin, the man who created “House Party” and ran BET for a moment, talked about his illustrious career with The Guardian…
Families of basketball legends Chuck Cooper, Nat ‘Sweetwater’ Clifton and Earl Lloyd were on hand for the inaugural game to start Black History Month…
Obituaries
Demond Wilson, best known for his role alongside Redd Foxx as Lamont Sanford on ‘Sanford and Son,’ has died. He was 79…
Michael “5000” Watts, the producer who founded Swishahouse and helped propel Houston’s “chopped and screwed” sound to international heights, has died. He was 52…
Henry Stewart III, one of Baton Rouge’s first Black TV reporters, has died. He was 90…
Woodie King Jr, a driving force in Black theater who lent a stage to Denzel Washington and Phylicia Rashad, has died. He was 88…
Pastor Lawrence Blake, who served on the pastoral staff of West Angeles Church of God in Christ, has died. He was 54…
LaMonte McLemore, founding member of vocal group The 5th Dimension, has died. He was 90…
Bill Bass Nelson, the musician who Nelson co-founded the Parliaments with George Clinton and was responsible for the name “Funkadelic,” has died. He was 75...
Don’t Miss
Can you beat my time on Black Crossword? 1 minute, 32 seconds…
A Different World is looking for background actors to play students, parents and faculty. The show is filming in Atlanta…
Mother Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Philadelphia will offer tours, trips through its museum and programming during America’s 250th anniversary…
The Southern Poverty Law Center is seeking a Copy Editor who is passionate about social justice…
Support a Black business for Black History Month: Teylor Parks created affirmation cards to help you get through the day…
A screening of “Something For The People,” a DC-made documentary on a people-powered protest movement using Go-Go music, will be held on Feb. 27…
Megan Thee Stallion is promoting a grant to help support accomplished and driven public school teachers and college students…
Phil, I recently discovered your newsletter. Thank you for all of this great information that is not being reported elsewhere! I live in northern Colorado, and knew nothing of the Mallerys or Jordan Peele's documentary. Important news for us Coloradans. Thank you!