Oklahoma rodeo photoessay, N.O. sickle cell victory, Peabo Bryson homegoing service
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What I’m Reading
Rodeo Revere, Bon Appetit
Don’t miss this awesome photo essay of the Oklahoma Black Rodeo and Trail Ride, captured by photographer Adam Davis. This is one of my favorite stories of the week.
Gene therapy cures New Orleans man of sickle cell, clears path for dream of becoming pilot, Verite News
23-year-old Daniel Cressy is now the first person in Louisiana to be functionally cured of sickle cell disease through gene therapy — and the internet responded with love.
For Black women farmers, tending the land is ancestral and healing, The 19th
Black farmers have lost millions of acres since the early 1900s. Today, a generation of growers is working to rebuild and reconnect communities to the land, “Rooted” host Paris Alston writes.
Trump resurrected the statue of a slave owner. Its pedestal cost taxpayers $527K, Mother Jones
The Trump admin pulled a statue of a slave owner out of storage and hired a contractor to build it a new pedestal in Washington. Installing that pedestal took one day and cost taxpayers $527,000.
What’s In The News
Across America
Alabama: Ervin Harris, paroled after serving 42 years in prison, recently had his 1975 conviction overturned…
California: A new public health dashboard aims to expose the illnesses and deaths linked to extreme heat — and the racial disparities behind it…
Illinois: Some trainees at this cafe are trying to leave gangs or have arrest records, which can make it difficult to find employment. The café offers services that meet the trainees’ basic needs…
Indiana: An Indiana University instructor who showed a graphic in class that named “Make America Great Again” as covert white supremacy has lost her job…
Louisiana: Taryn Finley traveled to New Orleans to learn how teens are keeping jazz alive through the Trombone Shorty Academy…
Michigan: Alumni of Wayne State University’s 1989 student protest movement say the university has let African American Studies languish — and they want answers…
North Carolina: Scranton, a historically Black coastal community, sits on the front lines of the climate crisis…
Ohio: The family of Savanna Jones filed a lawsuit against Wilberforce University, claiming she died following a hazing ritual involving alcohol…
Tennessee: Lethal injection was meant to be humane. What happened to Tony Carruthers was bloody and brutal — and impossible to spin as painless…
Texas: A new legal team is set to represent Karmelo Anthony’s appeal effort…
What’s Happening
Donald Trump is eager to seize the Smithsonian, and Lonnie Bunch, the secretary of the institution, has continued to defend it. But Clint Smith reports that Bunch appears to be inching closer to leaving…
Leading historian Annette Gordon-Reed penned this awesome graphic about Lemuel Haynes, a free Black soldier who was the first Black man in the U.S. to be ordained as a minister...
Adria Walker interviewed Eddie Glaude about his new book, which shows that political turmoil has historically reached its boiling point around Fourth of July celebrations…
NBC News: Black people in the U.S. have long had higher cancer death rates than white people, though the gap has narrowed in recent years…
It’s not enough to draw “neutral” districts. We need to overhaul the entire voting system, CliffNotes writes for The Nation…
The white working class knows the American project isn’t working. Here’s why that will never matter to them, Saida Grundy writes for The Guardian…
Rhonesha Byng and DéVon Johnson for AdWeek: Black publishers knew the ad commitments wouldn’t hold. So what?...
Here’s how the late Clarence Jones worked to secure the copyright for Martin Luther King Jr’s “I Have a Dream” speech…
The Supreme Court ruled against a devout Rastafarian who sought damages after prison officials cut his dreadlocks despite his claim that it violated his religious rights…
Kimberly N. Alleyne for URL Media: Caregiving comes with significant financial costs for Black people. These tips may help navigate strain…
Dr Stacey Patton explained what to do when the right-wing propaganda machine comes for you…
Denton, Texas, destroyed a Black neighborhood 105 years ago. Black residents today are still feeling the impact…
In Springfield, Missouri, Alberta Ellis helped create a welcoming world for Black motorists during segregation. The businesswoman left a lasting legacy…
Dr. Bernice King spoke to ESSENCE about returning to Selma, the long game of organizing, and why she still has hope…
A new anthology documenting the presidencies of Black women who led HBCUs is drawing national attention…
Entertainment News
As Black Music Month continues, Fred Hammond took over the NPR Tiny Desk. Watch above…
Babyface sat down with the Wall Street Journal to explain why AI can’t replicate the “soul” of music…
Bloomberg: Two new films revisit W.E.B. Du Bois’s life and the unfinished dream of a global Black future that animated his final years…
Jay-Z in 8, an 8-part documentary series featuring the rapper in conversation with Rick Rubin, premieres this fall on HBO Max…
Candice Frederick writes for Capital B: As studios go back to “regular programming,” Black authors remain in limbo and watch the work of their white counterparts get fast-tracked…
Friends and family honored Peabo Bryson at his homegoing service over the weekend…
For the New York Times, Julian Kimble spoke with the legendary Robert Townsend about directing more TV and serving as a mentor for Black actors and showrunners...
Henry Louis Gates Jr. explained to the Hollywood Reporter how the PBS series “Finding Your Roots” navigates shocking ancestry revelations, guest privacy and the truths that can forever alter a family story…
NPR’s Tonya Mosley interviewed Wendell Pierce as he aims for an annual trifecta: TV, film and theater…
Buddy Guy’s 90th birthday concert, starring Eric Clapton, John Mayer, Jon Batiste and more, is scheduled for October…
Lionel Richie was reportedly hospitalized following a medical incident on stage that forced him to cut short a Minnesota concert…
Big Tigger was arrested in Georgia over Father’s Day weekend…
In an exclusive interview with MadameNoire, Regina Hall opens up about her latest projects and how her predecessors impact how she shows up on screen and in life…
William Catlett and David Fortune touch on the power of Black fatherhood in ‘Color Book’ for ESSENCE…Here’s the NYT’s review…
Los Angeles Times: Is Hollywood done catering to diverse audiences?...
Ice Cube and Nia Long are reuniting for “Are They Gone Yet?,” two decades after they paired for “Are We There Yet?”...
Obituaries
Clive Davis, a star music mogul whose complicated relationships with Black artists are back in the spotlight, has died. He was 94…
Harold Wheeler, a veteran orchestrator on Broadway and longtime musical director for “Dancing With the Stars,” has died. He was 83…
Paul Scott, a minister, activist and a staunch advocate of teaching Black history, has died. He was 59…
Don’t Miss
Can you beat my time on Black Crossword? 1 minute, 48 seconds…
Audiobook narrators! Black Romance Book Fest is taking applications for 2027…
FIRE!!!, a 100-year-old magazine first created during the Harlem Renaissance, is being revived. They are offering a paid opportunity for Black artists, writers, photographers, and creatives…
Ph.D. candidate Cierra McLaurin is seeking Black women who currently have or formerly had a professional connection to math education to participate in her dissertation research study…