Election Day's historic wins, Teen Vogue massacre, "Michael" teaser
This has been one of the busiest weeks ever! Apologies for the delay...
What I’m Reading
Tuesday night’s elections were a massive win for Democrats, and several Black candidates made history across the country. Here are the historic wins I tracked:
Mary Sheffield is the first woman to be elected mayor of Detroit in the city’s 324-year history…
Zohran Mamdani made notable gains with Black voters to become the next mayor of New York City, despite narratives that he wouldn’t be able to reach them…
Sharon Owens, Dorcey Applyrs and Connie Alsobrook were just elected as the first Black mayors of Syracuse, NY, Albany, NY and Conyers, GA, respectively…
Jay Jones became the first Black American elected to serve as Virginia’s attorney general…
Two Democrats, Johnny DuPree and Theresa Gillespie Isom, broke a yearslong Republican Party supermajority in Mississippi…
Clark Atlanta University student Jayden Williams was elected mayor of Stockbridge, GA, defeating the incumbent by less than 500 votes…
Denzel McCampbell, a Democratic socialist, won the race for Detroit’s District 7 City Council seat…
T“I don’t feel safe”: Black Memphis residents report harassment by Trump’s police task force, ProPublica
Reggie Williams was walking to a corner store when armed authorities confronted him and aggressively him if he was from Ethiopia or Ghana, he said. He and other Black Memphis residents have been reporting harassment by Trump’s police task force.
I’m in prison. My opera was performed at Carnegie Hall, Inquest
“Over the years, my sister has gone to Carnegie Hall to hear music I’ve written. She was an adolescent when I was arrested. Now, two decades later, this is how I spend time with her—giving her something to be proud of,” writes Joseph Wilson, who is currently incarcerated at Green Haven Correctional Facility in New York.
Our racist, terrifying deepfake future is here, The Nation
“A faked viral video of a white CEO shoplifting is one thing. What happens when an AI-generated video incriminates a Black suspect? That’s coming, and we’re completely unprepared,” Kali Holloway explains.
What’s In The News
Across America
Alabama: Four murals by famed artist Hale A. Woodruff housed at Talladega College were sold to an art museum and two foundations as the school faces financial troubles…
Florida: For the Miami Herald, Raisa Habersham spoke with Black men about the state of the country since the beginning of Trump’s second presidency…
Georgia: Andre Dickens has won reelection as Atlanta’s mayor, earning a second term…
Illinois: Have Chicago’s top arts organizations fulfilled their diversity pledges? Many won’t say…
Indiana: Kofi Modibo Ajabu has served three decades of his 240-year sentence. His family and supporters say that is long enough…
Massachusetts: Rep. Ayanna Pressley is quietly considering jumping into the race for the Senate seat, POLITICO reports…
Missouri: St. Louis author David Haynes has launched Kimbilio — a fellowship program connecting Black fiction writers to editors, agents, and opportunities…
New York: Michael Blake is launching a bid to topple Rep. Ritchie Torres…
Ohio: Justin Bibb is celebrating his expected victory in the race for Cleveland mayor…
Oklahoma: A plaza in Oklahoma City was dedicated to teacher Clara Luper and 13 NAACP Youth Council members who led a historic sit-in nearly 70 years ago…
South Carolina: Daufuskie Island has maintained its Lowcountry heritage as a home to descendants of enslaved people. But development pressures have surfaced…
Texas: For Capital B News, Brandon Tensley has been paying close attention to Texas’s 18th Congressional District, which has gone months without representation…
Virginia: The NAACP has sued state election officials, accusing them of disenfranchising students…
What’s Happening
A number of talented journalists at Teen Vogue have been laid off following Condé Nast’s announcement that the outlet is “joining Vogue.com” … Condé United “strongly” condemned the merger in a statement, pointing out that now “only one woman of color remains on the editorial staff at Teen Vogue” … Former Teen Vogue editor-in-chief Elaine Welteroth called the cuts a “cultural loss,” and spoke with former Teen Vogue Style Editor about the news…
MacKenzie Scott has gifted $80 million to Howard University, $38 million to Spelman College and Clark Atlanta University and $50 million to Virginia State University this week…
Community Development Financial Institutions have been critical for underserved communities with limited access to traditional banking. Now, they’re under threat as the Trump administration continues its war on “woke”....
Keith Lee has launched a food initiative to help feed families for the holidays…
For The Cut, Michelle Obama explains how her style was strategy during her years in the White House…
Law enforcement was looking for a white woman from Kentucky, but arrested a Black woman with the same name from Georgia, an attorney said…
with the scoop for TechCrunch: Andreessen Horowitz is reportedly pausing its fund to support founders who lack access to traditional venture networks. Many of the participants were minorities, who receive little funding…
For Capital B News, Alecia Taylor explored the conservative grassroots movement Blexit’s push to recruit young Black voters at HBCUs…
A rental assistance nonprofit in Atlanta aims to cover payments for eligible families throughout 2026…
Entertainment News
I traveled to Los Angeles for the EBONY Power 100 Gala, where I was honored as a 2025 “Media Maven.” I had a ball, but I was particularly inspired by a tribute video dedicated to John H. Johnson, the founder of EBONY Magazine…
Rolling Stone did a deep dive into disgraced hip-hop mogul Russell Simmons, who agreed to pay $11 million to multiple women who accused him of sexual assault or misconduct. But two years later, where do those payments stand?...
Some trailers I’ve been waiting on: The first teaser for “Michael,” the long-awaited Michael Jackson biopic, is out…The trailer for the final season of “BEL-AIR” is out…The trailer for Jordan Peele‘s new documentary, “High Horse: The Black Cowboy,” is out…
For ESSENCE, explored the first posthumous exhibition dedicated to André Leon Talley at Atlanta’s Savannah College of Art & Design…
Karen Taylor Bass, the publicist behind D’Angelo’s debut album “Brown Sugar,” recalls how the Black press was first for him…
LaBelle bandmates Patti LaBelle and Nona Hendryx reunited on “Good Morning America” to perform their No. 1 hit, “Lady Marmalade”...
Sherri Shepherd was honored with a star on Hollywood’s Walk of Fame this week, with Tyler Perry and Niecy Nash providing speeches…
Ryan Coogler, Mahershala Ali, Phylicia Rashad and other celebrities will be showing up for Michael B. Jordan when he receives the 39th annual American Cinematheque Award on Nov. 20…
“Snowfall” cast members Gail Bean and Isaiah John will return for a spinoff series slated to premiere next year on FX and Hulu…
Diarrha N’Diaye has been appointed executive vice president of beauty and fragrance at Kim Kardashian’s Skims… explains why she is still upset about the shuttering of Ami Colé…
Venus Williams plans to play for a 33rd straight season on the WTA Tour, starting in Auckland in January…
Heran Mamo attended the 2025 Billboard Live Music Summit for Usher’s talk, during which he reflected on how his “study” of music legends over his 28-year touring career helped turn him into one...
For the Philadelphia Inquirer, Devin Jackson explored how Michael Vick and DeSean Jackson are navigating the “culture shock” of coaching at HBCUs…
Obituaries
Marcyliena Morgan, founder of the archive of hip-hop music and culture at Harvard University, died on Sept. 28. She was 75…
Setti Warren, the director of Harvard’s Institute of Politics and former mayor of Newton, Mass., has died. He was 55…
Lee Weaver, a well-known character actor who appeared on “The Bill Cosby Show,” “Easy Street” and “O Brother, Where Art Thou?,” has died. He was 95…
Don’t Miss
Can you beat my time on Black Crossword? 1 minute, 30 seconds…
The 51st is hiring two Community Connectors — one for in-person events and another for online outreach — in D.C…
My friend Char Adams recently published “Black-Owned: The Revolutionary Life of the Black Bookstore” and I purchased a copy. Consider buying one!…
If you’re interested in being a guest editor or writer for , please reach out to at this link…
Apply for the Scholars-in-Residence Program at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture. The deadline is Dec. 1…
John S. Knight Journalism Fellowships “offer journalists an opportunity to step back from demands of daily work and spend an academic year at Stanford University reimagining the future of journalism”...