Juneteenth approaches, Tori Bowie and Black maternal health, A day with Juvenile
Juneteenth approaches, Tori Bowie and Black maternal health, A day with Juvenile
Friday, June 16, 2023.
What I’m Reading
As Juneteenth approaches, make sure you not only get some good food but also make time to read this piece from historian Peniel Joseph as he gets into the real history of the holiday, and explained that the story we’ve been told about the celebration is wrong.
“The teaching of history is under attack, which lends more urgency to an earnest reckoning with the meaning of Juneteenth. What are we celebrating when we observe it, and should we be celebrating it at all? Is it actually an indictment of America? A repudiation of the Fourth of July? Is it a day worthy of veneration, of shame, or of both?” he asked.
The Story We’ve Been Told About Juneteenth Is Wrong, Texas Monthly
Black families across the United States are searching for aging deeds and scouring public records in hopes of the return of land they say was taken in government seizures years ago.
These families, who say they’ve lost millions in wealth, either want the land or to be paid at current market value. And they’re not wrong.
A New Front in Reparations: Seeking the Return of Lost Family Land, The New York Times
For many, Killer Mike is something of a polarizing figure. In Vulture, Craig Jenkins talked with the rapper about his new album, “Michael” and asked the question: “Is the Southern rap legend a truth-teller or a capitalist in activist’s clothes?”
Killer Mike Said What He Said, Vulture
What’s In The News
32-year-old track star Tori Bowie’s death has shed further light on the disturbing reality of rising Black maternal mortality. Related: Here's more about eclampsia...
The Ida B. Wells Society was forced to cancel several programs for Black journalists after UNC-Chapel Hill withheld all of its funding…
For Capital B, Christian Carrega takes a dive into what happened to the Black women who were once the rising stars of the progressive prosecutors' movement...
A UCLA study found that older Black men are 50% more likely than white men to die after elective surgery…
Gothamist: The highest numbers of asthma-related ER visits during the smoke haze were disproportionately in low-income, predominantly Black and Hispanic communities…
A Texas community is mourning the death of a 24-year-old whose father and girlfriend claim was shot and killed by a stranger who was shouting gay slurs at her…
People in a Kentucky town found KKK flyers dropped on their front lawns and driveways in multiple neighborhoods…
Nine women have filed a sexual assault lawsuit against Bill Cosby in Nevada…
Daniel Penny, the man who placed Jordan Neely in a fatal chokehold on a New York City subway, has been indicted by a grand jury…
Ajike Owens, the Black mother who was fatally shot in front of her 9-year-old son by a white neighbor firing through the door, was remembered for her deep faith and devotion to her children during a memorial service…
For HBCU Pulse, Randall Barnes explained that Black people and affirmative action aren’t the reason you weren’t accepted into the college of your choice…
A woman who got a text from her husband that read he was taken hostage said Colorado police didn't respond when she called 911 until after he was killed…
The Mississippi police officer who shot and wounded an 11-year-old in the child's home after he called authorities for help has been suspended without pay…
A Connecticut man left partially paralyzed while in police custody has reached a $45 million settlement with the city of New Haven…
Authorities released a prominent Mississippi civil rights attorney after she said Lexington Police "unlawfully" arrested her while she was filming a traffic stop…
What’s Happening
I had the opportunity to follow Juvenile and Mannie Fresh around for the day during their trip to DC. We started the day at NPR for the taping of their Tiny Desk performance, which will go live in about two weeks or so. Hearing “Back That Azz Up” with a live band is an unreal experience. Juvenile and Mannie were accompanied by Trombone Shorty and Jon Batiste for the show.
After that, we went to Capitol Hill, where Rep. Troy Carter presented the rapper with a Congressional Record for "his vast contributions to music and culture." Then we went to Howard Theater, where a sold-out crowd (on a Wednesday!) was treated to a DJ set by Mannie Fresh and a live performance by Juvenile. If the experience taught me anything, it’s that I don’t have the energy to be an entertainer. They’re on the move all day!
Be on the lookout for their NPR Tiny Desk and my story on Juvenile in HuffPost very soon...
A report about Tyler Perry acquiring BET appears to have been debunked. Perry could still acquire the network at some point, but this specific report seems to have been unfounded…
Even though Verzuz is dead, Lil Wayne isn’t entertaining other opponents. “There ain’t no other artist that can stand on the stage next to me, bro. I’m sorry,” the rapper said…
I was interviewed by Complex about my career thus far and how I found success on social media…
Shannon Sharpe hosted his last episode of “Undisputed” this week, prompting much emotion from the NFL Hall of Famer…
Congrats to the first class of incarcerated students to graduate through the University of New Haven and the Yale Prison Education Initiative…
For Andscape, Justin Tinsley explained how LeBron James is smashing stereotypes around Black fatherhood…
It's been 60 years since a white supremacist killed civil rights icon Medgar Evers. Today, at 90, his widow Myrlie Evers-Williams is continuing the fight for justice…
Check out this photo essay about the Cotillion Society of Detroit, “which teaches girls not just dance and etiquette but also leadership skills and financial literacy”…
Ice Spice is the June cover star for Teen Vogue, and she talked about her rapid ascent to stardom and colorism…
Marlon Wayans was cited for disturbing the peace after a dispute he said he had with a United Airlines employee at the Denver airport, authorities said…
Anita Baker's “The Songstress Tour” will move forward with no opening act due to “verbal abuse” from Babyface’s fans, she said…
Do you know the name Dorothy Ashby? She is credited with bringing the harp into jazz, but her incredible achievements have long been overlooked…
For Andscape, Aaron Dodson wrote about Howard White, Nike's longest-tenured Black executive and Michael Jordan’s closest confidante…
Pinky Cole, founder of the Slutty Vegan restaurant chain, is speaking out after her company was accused of withholding wages…
Big loss for Black TV: Grand Crew has been canceled at NBC after two seasons…
Tiera Tanksley found that Black girls were reporting “unprecedented levels of anxiety, depression, fear, and chronic stress from encountering Black death online”…
New York passed a bill to create a commission to consider reparations, following the lead of California, which created a reparations task force in 2020…
“Shucked” actor Alex Newell gave an emotional acceptance speech for best performance by a featured actor at the Tony Awards…
Alumni of Shaw University, an HBCU in North Carolina, are rallying to protect and preserve sites that are at risk for damage by rezoning…
Big Freedia announced that plans are officially underway for Hotel Freedia, a new entertainment venue coming to New Orleans…
Texas Rep. Jasmine Crockett became the first Black woman Democrat to play in the Congressional Baseball Game after 114 years…
Singer, songwriter, and actress Deborah Cox is set to make her grand return to Broadway for “The Wiz”...
Oxford University Press has announced a massive study that will culminate in the Oxford Dictionary of African American English…
What I’m Watching
Can you beat my time on Black Crossword? 22 seconds!...
NPR Tiny Desk has dropped its latest performance with Tank! Lonny Bereal, Brooke Valentine and Luke James are on vocals…
Don’t miss my interview with Anna Gifty Opoku-Agyeman about her latest book, “The Black Agenda”...
The Legally BLK Fund Scholarship provides a $1,000 scholarship award to 10 Black women applying to law school. It opens on June 18...
Penguin Young Readers Group has compiled a list of hundreds of books by Black writers and authors for readers in pre-kindergarten to 12th grade…
Femme It Forward, a woman-led music and entertainment company, is accepting applications for its mentorship program. Please share with any college students or aspiring young executives…
A Spotify user curated an amazing playlist of all the vinyl records found in James Baldwin’s home in France up until his death…
NPR host Ayesha Rascoe spoke with her fellow NPR host Aisha Harris about her new book "Wannabe," which is all about the music and movies that shaped her life as a critic…
The new Hulu show “Searching For Soul Food” follows celebrity chef Alisa Reynolds as she discovers what soul food looks like around the world, from Mississippi to Peru…
“Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty,” otherwise known as my favorite show, returns on August 6…
Be on the lookout for Matthew Cherry’s animated series “Young Love,” which is headed to Max in the fall…