One year anniversary, Franklin Douglas mural, Dr. Jackie apologizes
Friday, December 29, 2023.
What I’m Reading
January 1st marks the one-year anniversary of the “What I’m Reading” newsletter! Thank you to everyone who has made this newsletter possible by reading, sharing, and supporting. The newsletter has won several awards and grown to nearly 20,000 subscribers! Looking forward to what’s next. Have a happy and safe New Year, everyone!
Descendants of enslaved people fight to save historic Black communities, The Associated Press
Historic Black communities like Daufuskie Island, a once-thriving Gullah community in South Carolina, are disappearing, and descendants of these communities are hoping to salvage what’s left of a quickly fading history.
“Researchers estimate there are less than 30 incorporated historic Black towns left in the United States, a fraction of more than 1,200 at the peak between the 1880s and 1915.”
He Was My Role Model. My Mentor. My Supplier, The New York Times Magazine
Pulitzer Prize winner Mitchell Jackson wrote about Lonnie, a man who served as his role model and mentor when he was out on the streets. He asks, “Decades after I left hustling to become a writer, why did I seek out the man who drew me into that world?”
A Frederick Douglass mural in his hometown in Maryland draws some divisions, NPR
A small town on Maryland's Eastern Shore is split over a mural depiction of one of its most famous residents — Frederick Douglass. The mural, which can be found outside of a restaurant in Easton, depicts Douglas in a slim suit, high-top sneakers and squatting like he’s posing for the ‘Gram. Several of Douglass' descendants say the portrayal is humiliating.
What’s In The News
Across America
Alabama: The mayor of Decatur has announced a crackdown on protesters who have called for justice for Stephen Perkins, a Black man killed by police…
Colorado: Two Denver-area paramedics have been convicted in the 2019 killing of Elijah McClain, who they injected with an overdose of ketamine after police placed him in a neck hold…
Illinois: Dollar stores fill a void and are convenient for Chicago residents, Natalie Moore writes. But they don’t sell fresh produce and offer too much canned and processed food…
Maryland: Black teachers are leaving Maryland schools in droves. How can they be convinced to stay?...
Mississippi: The mother of a 10-year-old Black child who was sentenced to three months of probation and a book report for urinating in public has refused to sign his probation agreement…
Missouri: A conservative-led school board has reversed its decision to drop elective courses on Black history and literature in a predominantly white suburban area of St. Louis…
New York: Mayor Eric Adams reportedly told at least one member of the City Council he would restore cuts to their favorite programs if they agreed to vote against a police transparency bill…
South Carolina: Photographer Cecil Williams captured the state's civil rights movement through his camera. Now he’s working on creating the first civil rights museum in the state…
Texas: 97-year-old Opal Lee’s childhood home has been returned to her after her family was forced out by a racist mob nearly 80 years ago…
Utah: A woman caught on video allegedly spewing racial comments toward a Black family has been arrested…
Washington: A jury cleared three police officers of all criminal charges in the 2020 death of Manuel Ellis, a Black man who was shocked, beaten and restrained face down on a Tacoma sidewalk as he pleaded for breath…
What’s Happening
I have been named one of “Because of Them We Can’s” BOTWC 20 honorees! Thank you for the honor…
A Los Angeles county sheriff’s deputy shot and killed a 27-year-old woman who had called 911 to report that she was under attack by her ex, officials said…
Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott has welcomed his first child with his new fiancee, Hana Pugh…
The Black Wall Street Times editor-in-chief Nehemiah D. Frank penned this story in response to Nikki Haley's reluctance to acknowledge slavery as a catalyst for the Civil War…
When male rappers die young, it reveals the alarming state of Black men’s health…
AMC Theaters has issued an apology and will meet with Bishop William J. Barber II after he was escorted out of its Greenville theater when he was not allowed to use his own chair to watch a movie…
A vital American Folk Art Museum show reckons with centuries of erasure by uncovering historical records of the unnamed Black people depicted in artwork…
A Washington, D.C. family has kept houses in its possession for generations and now owns an inn in Pennsylvania…
Entertainment
“Married to Medicine” star Dr. Jackie Walters has apologized after backlash over comments from 2020 saying Black women “cry wolf” during their pregnancy…
“The Color Purple” has the largest Christmas Day opening for a film since 2009 and the second-biggest Christmas Day opening of all time…
Kevin Hart is suing gossip blogger Tasha K for extortion after she allegedly threatened to release an interview with his former assistant…
Megyn Kelly went viral when she declared Santa Claus “just is white,” but a decade later, the idea of what St. Nick can look like has only expanded…
The Russ Parr Morning Show has come to an end after over 25 years on radio…
India Bradley and the guest artist Alexandra Hutchinson are the first Black artists to perform the role of Dewdrop in “George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker” at New York City Ballet…
T.D. Jakes has responded to an "unequivocally false and baseless" unverified report that accused him of being a frequent participant at sex parties hosted by Diddy…
Nine years ago, Colman Domingo was ready to quit Hollywood. Now, he’s starring in “Rustin” and “The Color Purple” in a breakthrough moment on the big screen…
Pope.L, an artist who worked across the interdisciplinary fields of performance, installation, and sculpture, has died. He was 68…
Don’t Miss
Can you beat my time on Black Crossword?… 1 minute, 17 seconds…
Dartmouth College is seeking applications for the Thurgood Marshall Dissertation and Postdoctoral Fellowship…
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!...
Happy anniversary! Thanks for all you do.
Congrats on one year. Learn so much: makes me happy, sad, angry. That’s good reporting. Maybe end a couple of the pieces w a call to action: write a postcard to x - either the victim saying you support them or to the perpetrators saying - reform is in order or step down. And congrats on your award BOYWC. The object of history is not just to study it, but to change it. Look forward to another year of your work.