Nolan Wells update, Harriet Tubman and $20 bill, RIP George E. Johnson
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What I’m Reading
Several days have passed since 18-year-old Nolan Xavier Wells was found dead in the water near Mississippi’s Horn Island. Wells’ mother contacted authorities last Saturday to report that her son had not returned from a gathering on the island for Independence Day. Here’s a timeline of what we know so far.
Notably, Ashlee Cole — parent to one of the teens who was on the island with Wells — made a statement on Facebook about the tragedy.
Later today, civil rights attorney Ben Crump and Al Sharpton will hold a press conference alongside the family. The attorney said the family is urging “a full, transparent, and urgent investigation into the death of Nolan Xavier Wells, and for the timely release of all investigative records and findings.” That press conference will take place at noon ET.
As of now, there is only one official GoFundMe fundraiser for the family. There’s a LOT of misinformation about this case floating across social media, including an AI video that used his mother's likeness. Please be responsible with the posts you are sharing.
The Black suburban dream is now leading to a new wave of gentrification, Capital B News
Capital B’s Adam Mahoney reported on a new study examining how the wealth gap is rapidly widening within Black communities. Researchers found that wealthier Black people are displacing low-income ones in the suburbs.
At Trump’s direction, federal agencies are abandoning discrimination cases, New York Times
The Trump administration has directed federal agencies to deprioritize civil rights cases focused on discrimination, according to a new report.
A Neighbor’s Tale examined the legacy of Black cartoons and why, even with so many examples of success, they still struggle to land on your screens. Watch above and subscribe to him!
What’s In The News
Across America
California: 19-year-old nursing student Meah Bordenave-Jenkins and 37-year-old community activist Eric Washington were killed in a July 4th shooting in Compton…
Florida: The media is villainizing a Black woman who stood her ground in a Walmart parking lot, monique judge writes for NewsOne…
Georgia: Several months after apologizing, an Atlanta coffee shop has yet to repaint the mural of the late journalist Jovita Moore…
Illinois: Emmett Till would have been 85 this year. A Bronzeville exhibit reflects on his legacy, Darcel Rockett reports…
Massachusetts: Conservators appear to have found what is believed to be one of the oldest headstones belonging to a free Black man in America…
Michigan: Detroit enabled a concrete company to take over an entire community. Now residents say they are battling air pollution so thick they can “taste the dust”…
Mississippi: Chokwe Antar Lumumba, the former mayor of Jackson, pleaded guilty to bribery, wire fraud and money laundering…
New Jersey: The Lawnside Historical Society kicked off its summer camp centered on the Underground Railroad…
North Carolina: The Upperman family is pulling a scholarship from the University of North Carolina Wilmington because the school wants to rewrite the language around the application…
Ohio: Slutty Vegan is expanding after signing agreements to open in Columbus and Cleveland…
Tennessee: The grandfather of a man shot and killed by two members of the National Guard in Memphis is demanding video of the incident …
Texas: Attorneys representing Karmelo Anthony filed two legal motions this week as they attempt to overturn his murder conviction…
Virginia: The family of Allan Tucker II, who died in Alexandria Police Department custody, is demanding accountability…
What’s Happening
ICYMI: Thousands of Black folk infiltrated a “White and Proud” group on Facebook and turned it into a massive digital family reunion. The Facebook group has since been deleted, but my story was featured in TYT Network I The Young Turks above…
As soon as the photo of a Black woman surrounded by white supremacists in Washington went viral, a surge of racist posts followed. Jasmine Golden found the woman’s family and humanized her story for the Washington Post…
The New York Times spoke with 13 Black Democratic voters about Trump, the state of the country and where the Democratic Party is headed…
The number of diversity-focused scholarships has dropped to 11 percent, down from 15 percent in 2023, following pressure from the Trump admin…
Advocates are pushing for Black English to be taught in preschools and early education…
The CEO of the popular Chicago-based Harold’s Chicken Shack, Kristen Pierce-Sherrod, died several months ago. Her family is in a fight over who actually owns it…
The Museum of Black Women Innovators will open in Portsmouth, Virginia, this coming fall...
Louisiana Rep. Troy Carter will likely be the next chair of the Congressional Black Caucus. He recently spoke with POLITICO about the CBC’s path forward…
For MS NOW, Hayes Brown penned an op-ed about the White House’s recent report attacking the National Museum of American History…
Andrew Gillum, the 2018 Democratic nominee for Florida governor, is reportedly facing drug charges after being arrested in Alabama…
The Trump administration has dropped long-discussed plans to put Harriet Tubman’s face on the $20 bill…
Two women discovered they are the first confirmed living descendants of an enslaved person who helped build the White House…
A judge ruled to restore millions of dollars in grants for Black farmers after the Trump administration cut USDA funding…
A racist takeover in Wilmington, North Carolina, in 1898, has reverberated across generations as a reminder of American democracy’s terrifying vulnerability…
Entertainment News
Bone Thugs-n-Harmony received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame this week. Watch the full ceremony above…
The Guardian spoke with musicians about the 50th anniversary of Rotterdam’s North Sea Jazz Festival, which has hosted Miles Davis, Count Basie, Etta James, and Prince…
Pennedbykeyaira weighed in on the controversy surrounding Yung Miami’s “Spend Dat” track for Hello Beautiful…
Salli Richardson-Whitfield has made Emmy history as the first Black woman to receive two drama series directing nominations…
“The Cheetah Girls” are coming back with a reboot, with most of its original cast members set to make appearances…
Mystikal was transferred to Angola, and will spend the next 20 years at the Louisiana State Penitentiary…
For Rolling Stone, Jeff Ihaza explained that the “Reasonable Doubt” anniversary rollout is a case study in turning old albums into merch drops, live-event spectacles and more…
Jermaine Dupri has filed an $18 million lawsuit against Sony Music Entertainment…
Essence Fest’s seven-year agreement with the city of New Orleans expires in September…
Obituaries
George E. Johnson, the pioneering Black hair care entrepreneur who created Ultra Sheen and Afro Sheen, has died. He was 99. Here’s a deeper obituary about Johnson’s life in the New York Times…
Rev. Annie Chambers, a civil rights icon who served the Baltimore area for decades, has died. She was 84…
Larry Selders, a Louisiana State senator who represented Baton Rouge, has died. He was 44…
Doreen C. Broadnax, a pioneering MC who was one of hip-hop’s earliest trailblazers, has died. She was 61…
Rodney Franklin, an R&B and jazz singer best known for the hit track “In the Groove,” has died. He was 67...
Top music producer Tay Keith was laid to rest following a homegoing service in his hometown of Memphis…
Don’t Miss
Can you beat my time on Black Crossword? 55 seconds…
Outside of journalism, I am a board member of DMV Does Good, which is currently hosting a 10,000 Diapers & Wipes campaign. I’ve just purchased $319 in diapers and wipes. You can help out as well…
The New Eyes Collective is set to discuss Greg Tate’s “Flyboy in the Buttermilk” in Brooklyn on July 25. RSVP here…
Flickr is teaming up with Black Women Photographers to provide a $10,000 grant, along with memberships…
The hit Black history series Melanin Mythbusters is forming a team. See which roles might be a good fit for you…
Dee Phunk curated this awesome playlist for Black folks who love being on yachts. Listen on Spotify or Apple Music…
It’s sad that People can’t Grow up to be Adults and accept the Fact that there are and will continue to be People Who Are Greater than them. SAD!!!!!
Boy its just too much sometimes . . . !