What I’m Reading
These Black men are turning to yoga to build meaningful connections, HuffPost
I’ve been writing a lot lately! I recently reported on a group of Black dads who are building community by meeting up for yoga, and an instructor who randomly drives up to people on the street for on-the-spot yoga sessions.
8 Black candidates are running for governor in 2026. It’s a record, USA TODAY
A record number of Black candidates are running for governor, including David Crowley in Wisconsin and Keisha Lance Bottoms in Georgia. Read through USA TODAY’s list as we prepare for the midterms.
Descendants of David Drake have traced their lineage back to the once-enslaved potter and launched an effort to reclaim their ancestor’s work. Watch Geoff Bennett’s NewsHour interview with Pauline Baker and Yaba Baker above.
What’s In The News
Across America
Alabama: Of the state’s 14 major correctional facilities, none have universal air conditioning, according to a prison reform nonprofit…
Arkansas: Tedrick Washington Jr. was punched in the face and pulled by his dreadlocks through a car window after a state trooper pursued a car he was riding in…
Colorado: The family of Rajon Belt-Stubblefield, who was shot and killed by an Aurora police officer, is suing the officer and the city…
District of Columbia: The Department of Justice has accused George Washington University’s medical school of illegally considering race in admissions…
Florida: The woman who shot and killed a man who was approaching her in the parking lot of a Walmart despite her warnings will not be prosecuted…
Indiana: The prison population in the state is climbing, but local corrections programs are facing funding cuts…
Louisiana: A lawsuit accuses the state prison system of delaying inmates’ release…
Maryland: White men tore down a Baltimore County church over a century ago. Its Black congregation never gave up…
Mississippi: A grand jury has indicted an Illinois man accused of making death threats to witnesses in the wake of the death of Nolan Wells…
Missouri: A mother is suing Springfield Public Schools, alleging her 14-year-old son was racially discriminated against and physically restrained…
North Carolina: St. Augustine’s University announced that it has canceled fall classes as the HBCU works its way out of bankruptcy...
Ohio: A man was arrested after a historic Black church in Cleveland went up in flames…
South Carolina: Winthrop University students are pressing for answers following allegations that an administrator used the N-word…
Texas: Losing primary candidates almost always fall in line — but Rep. Jasmine Crockett is breaking that norm. My colleagues Brianna Tucker and Arthur Delaney report for HuffPost.
What’s Happening
The Congressional Black Caucus is condemning Laura Loomer following her racist attack on Black women leaders, Ashlee Banks, Esq. reports…
I spoke with Rep. LaMonica McIver, the only member of Congress indicted by the Trump administration. She isn’t backing down, even as she campaigns for reelection and awaits the birth of her second child…
The book “Black Farm Boys” tells the untold story of the New Farmers of America, the nation’s first organization for Black youth in vocational agriculture…
Ronald Hayes agreed to talk to a video crew about his son’s murder because he thought he would be used in an ad against gun violence. But the ad is actually aimed at smearing the political record of the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate…
“Defunding or altogether eliminating Black studies will surely exacerbate racialized persistence and experiential and student outcomes inequities on predominantly white campuses,” Shaun Harper writes for Inside Higher Ed…
Senatobia, Mississippi police chief Harold Vanderford has been fired after sending racist text messages…
Brandon Tensley spoke with mental health advocates about the distinct pressures that can keep Black queer men from seeking help…
The influence of “Roots” continues to unfold, largely through the work of Alex Haley’s nephew at the Maryland State Archives…
Reuters: After a summer of victories for Democratic Socialists of America-aligned candidates, the movement faces a new test: whether it can win over Black voters…
A man was taken into custody after students at the University of North Carolina said he got into a campus building and yelled racial slurs at them during a “Love Island” watch party…
Nolan Wells’ brothers and college teammates are carrying on his legacy as the football season gets underway…
Aallyah Wright for Capital B: In Clarksdale, Mississippi, residents and city officials are divided over the potential economic boost and environmental strain of a data center...
Rocky Myers, once sentenced to death for murder, is now fighting for his freedom after discovering his attorney defended the Ku Klux Klan…
For the Marshall Project, Daja Henry attended a concert of the Parchman Band, composed of people incarcerated at the Mississippi State Penitentiary…
Aisha Nyandoro wrote about what Black mothers in Mississippi can teach us about democracy...
Entertainment News
A jury has found Duane “Keffe D” Davis guilty of orchestrating the 1996 killing of Tupac Shakur, but questions remain after the trial…
I attended Kashif’s inaugural Screenplay for the People, a film pitch competition in New York City. The organization, which aims to give opportunities to diverse filmmakers who are shut out of Hollywood, is set to provide the winner, Abdullah Kokash, with $75,000 in production resources to create his screenplay. Read more about Kashif and Screenplay for the People here…
After a three-year hiatus, BET is bringing back the “Soul Train Awards”, which will air Friday, Nov. 27…
Haniyah P. for The Grio: The family of civil rights leader Vernon Dahmer Sr. says the film “By Any Means” distorts his legacy and is petitioning for a disclaimer to be added...
It has been ten years since Colin Kaepernick took a knee to stand against racism and police brutality. He opened up about his life since then, the NFL and much more in a new interview with NBC News… Howard Bryant’s column about the decade is a must-read…
Lionel Richie has been released from the hospital after a brief stay and is “doing great”...
Erykah Badu is preparing to release her first album in 11 years. The Guardian sat down with the artist to discuss a host of topics…
DeAsia Paige wrote about Black women genre-bending artists who are making the most interesting music this summer…
Tyler Perry launched “Maxscene,” a new specialty division of his production company...
Miss USA has crowned its newest winner, Justus Kelley from Virginia. She is the first mother to win the pageant…
Months after his firing from ESPN, Ryan Clark and “The Pivot” are expanding from YouTube to Netflix on Sept. 8…
*Spoilers ahead* “Lanterns” is the hot new show right now. Writer Vanessa Baden Kelly takes fans into what it means for a Black man to earn the Green Lantern ring…
Obituaries
Cassandra Wilson, two-time Grammy Award-winning jazz singer, songwriter and producer, has died. She was 70…
Jerome Smith, a Freedom Rider who criticized Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy for not doing enough to protect him and other riders, has died. He was 87…
Carla Jeffery, known for her role in the Disney Channel movie franchise “Zombies,” has died. She was 33…
Don’t Miss
Can you beat my time on Black Crossword? 37 seconds!...
Register to attend the Great Lakes African American Writers Conference. It will be held live and virtually on Sept. 5…
The Brooklyn Museum is offering a paid internship for teens interested in art, art history and museum education...
The National Museum of African American History and Culture is celebrating its 10th anniversary from Sept. 24 to 27…
Thank you for the information. I really enjoyed the David Drake story.
so glad to see more Black yoga instructors and especially glad to see more Black Men getting in to yoga. I gather as many as possible and expose them to it.