Happy holidays, Marvel drops Majors, America’s first Black saint
Happy holidays, Marvel drops Majors, America’s first Black saint
Friday, December 22nd, 2023.
What I’m Reading
A New Threat to Diversity at Elite Colleges, The Atlantic
All eyes have been on the end of affirmative action, but an emerging bipartisan bill that would bar wealthy colleges from accepting federal student loans poses a new threat to diversity at those schools.
My Favorite Restaurant Served Gas, THE BITTER SOUTHERNER
Author Kiese Laymon penned a fantastic essay about love, Southern life, and Jr. Food Mart, his favorite restaurant that also served gas.
"I loved that we could get batteries and gizzards. I loved that we could get dishwashing soap, which was also bubble bath, which was also the soap we used to wash Grandmama’s Impala, and the good hot sauce in the same aisle."
‘I get to tell my story’: incarcerated journalists are making podcasts, going viral and winning awards, The Guardian
The Guardian’s Sam Levin spent time with incarcerated journalists inside a California prison who are making award-winning podcasts, creating viral short films, running a paper and editing writers across the country.
What’s In The News
Across America
Colorado: A coalition of local and state leaders recently launched a new initiative aimed at uncovering and measuring the impact of historic injustices against Black Coloradans…
Connecticut: The families of two Bridgeport women, who were found dead in separate incidents on the same day two years ago, are each seeking more than $30 million in damages from the city in separate federal civil rights lawsuits…
Georgia: A judge has sentenced Hannah Payne, the woman convicted of shooting and killing Kenneth Herring, to life in prison with the possibility of parole…
Florida: More than two dozen cities and counties in Florida could lose their independent, civilian-run police oversight agencies if a bill filed in the state Legislature becomes law…
Maryland: There are six Black American candidates currently in the sainthood process. For nearly a year, Jasmine Vaughn-Hall followed Baltimore's efforts pushing for America's first Black saint…
Massachusetts: The mayor of Boston formally apologized to two Black men who were wrongfully accused of murdering a pregnant white woman and her unborn child in 1989…
New York: New York Governor Kathy Hochul has signed a bill that empowers a commission to study not only the history of slavery, but its subsequent effects…
North Carolina: This company is polluting a predominantly Black town with pig manure. And the government is making it easier for them to do it…
South Carolina: A Black couple was "speechless" after they walked outside to a burning cross facing their home…
Oregon: My colleague Jessica Schulberg wrote about the state’s passing of a bill that was to compensate the wrongfully convicted. Almost none of them have been paid, however…
Virginia: The mother of a 6-year-old boy who shot his teacher in a classroom was sentenced to two years in prison for felony child neglect…
What’s Happening
A Black woman was charged with a felony after she had a miscarriage at home, touching off a national firestorm over the treatment of pregnant women after Roe was overturned…
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar underwent surgery for a broken hip after falling at a concert in Los Angeles…
There's a new federal fund to address highways that cut through minority and low-income neighborhoods…
Talk show host Joe Madison is taking a leave to battle cancer…
An Oklahoma man has been exonerated after a 1975 conviction for a murder he did not commit, prosecutors said. He served the longest wrongful sentence in the United States after he spending more than 48 years in prison…
Greyhound bus terminals are rapidly closing around the U.S as the company sells its valuable terminals to investors like hedge fund Alden Global Capital. 60 million people depend on intercity buses, primarily minorities and people with disabilities…
Asthma attacks decreased among Black patients during the pandemic, a national survey found…
Andre Braugher’s death underscores the prevalence of lung cancer in Black men, who have the highest death rate of the disease in the U.S., pulmonologists say…
Flora Mae White recently celebrated her 108th birthday and her family believes she's the oldest living woman in central Georgia…
Hundreds of millions of dollars have been spent on equipping police in the United States with body cameras. But most of the footage is never shown to the public…
Activist Bree Newsome says George Washington University has rescinded its invitation for her to speak at its 2024 MLK Day of Service and Leadership, in what she believes is a result of her “outspoken support for Free Palestine”...
Entertainment
Actor Jonathan Majors has been convicted in a New York court of assaulting his former girlfriend. His sentencing has been set for February 6. More: Marvel Studios has parted ways with the actor…
Meek Mill broke down in tears as he joined Gov. Josh Shapiro at a bill signing for reforms to Pennsylvania’s probation system…
Naomi Osaka is reflecting on her “tennis journey” and support from fans as she prepares for her upcoming return to the court…
Disney is currently developing a reboot of “The X-Files” produced by Ryan Coogler, Bloomberg reports…
Byron Allen has renewed his offer to buy BET from Paramount Global — this time, for $3.5 billion…
The trailer for “The American Society Of Magical Negroes” is out, and it sparked a lot of conversation…
Taraji P. Henson broke down in tears during an interview with Gayle King while promoting her new film, “The Color Purple”...
Also: From my colleague Candice Frederick: “Another dazzling adaptation of Alice Walker’s iconic 1982 novel hits theaters — again raising the question of whether Hollywood is equipped to handle it.”…
Lawyers for Duane "Keffe D" Davis are requesting that he be given bail and be released from jail ahead of his trial in connection with the murder of Tupac, claiming his comments on the killing were “entertainment”...
DMX's 7-year-old son paid tribute to the late rapper on what would've been his 53rd birthday by performing a piano cover of "X Gon' Give It to Ya”...
Fantasia Barrino says that she and her family were racially profiled by Airbnb when they stayed at a house booked on the website for her son’s birthday…
For Rolling Stone, 21 Savage talked about his immigration battle, returning to London, new (and old) music, making “Her Loss” with Drake and much more…
Must watch: Scarface performed his very own NPR Tiny Desk Concert…
Amp Fiddler, the Detroit musician known for melding funk, soul and electronic, has died. He was 65…
Don’t Miss
Can you beat my time on Black Crossword? 50 seconds…
For musicians: The NPR Tiny Desk Contest is back. The winner will play their very own Tiny Desk concert and go on tour with NPR Music…
Capital B is hiring a Deputy National Editor, and The TRiiBE is hiring a reporter focused on community investment in Chicago's Black communities…
The Urban Journalism Workshop is back! We are currently accepting applications for 2024. We teach D.C. area high school students the fundamentals of print, broadcast and digital journalism. Tell your students or loved ones to apply!...