Voting rights fallout, Hartbeat chaos, RIP Clarence Carter
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What I’m Reading
Reclaiming the name of the Black hero who inspired ‘Uncle Tom’s Cabin,’ The New York Times
You may have heard the term “Uncle Tom” used in a derogatory manner, a reference to a Black man who seeks to gain the approval of white people. But you may not know about the legacy of Josiah Henson, the hero who inspired Harriet Beecher Stowe’s 1852 novel “Uncle Tom’s Cabin.”
Related: I visited the Josiah Henson Museum and Park in North Bethesda, Maryland, last summer. Here’s what I learned.
Inside a year of chaos and conflict at Kevin Hart’s media company, Bloomberg News
Hartbeat, Kevin Hart’s media company, is in trouble. At least, that’s what his former and current employees believe after the comedian sold some ownership and oversight of his brand in a deal. Once valued at $650 million, Hart has stepped away from the company, staff meetings have been canceled, and employees have been laid off — and sued.
Interesting: Essence Magazine deleted a post that contained a story about the Hartbeat debacle with no explanation. Later, they deleted the story altogether.
The ‘Spelman Seven’ reflect on sisterhood, scholarship and making history at Spelman College, The Grio
Congratulations! Seven seniors at Spelman College are graduating with perfect 4.0 GPAs, cementing them in the HBCU’s history as the largest group of valedictorians the school has ever seen. The Root compiled each student’s post-graduation plans. Watch the women graduate this Sunday at 2:30 pm ET here.
What’s In The News
Across America
Alabama: The Alabama attorney general has announced a civil investigation into the Southern Poverty Law Center’s fundraising practices…
California: Congratulations to 17-year-old Lamont Newell, who chose Columbia University after he was accepted to 65 colleges...
Colorado: Black ranchers Courtney “CW” and Nicole Mallery got no help after they reported their cattle stolen. They pushed for a bill that aims to change that…
District of Columbia: A new HBCU-themed business, The HBCU News Store, has opened in Union Station…
Florida: Rep. Frederica Wilson has been missing in action for weeks, according to her voting record. The 83-year-old is running for reelection…
Georgia: Three midwives are suing the state, stating laws block care providers from serving those who need them most as maternity care deserts grow...
Illinois: The University of Chicago announced it will offer free tuition for students from families earning less than $250,000 a year…
Louisiana: A new study concluded that New Orleans must begin relocating residents because it will be surrounded by the ocean within decades due to climate change…
Massachusetts: Harvard officials enslaved more than 1,600 people, new research has revealed…
Oklahoma: Tulsa leaders expressed concern to Phillip Jackson that the Supreme Court decision could roll back gains in representation for Black voters…
Pennsylvania: Bell Biv DeVoe will serve as headliner when the Odunde Festival returns to Philadelphia on June 14…
South Carolina: The Charleston Reparations Task Force, local Black Lives Matter chapter and the Gullah Geechee community are demanding 7,000 acres in reparations…
Virginia: Rep. Jen Kiggans is facing calls to resign after agreeing with a radio host when he said Hakeem Jeffries should get his “cotton-picking hands off of Virginia”...
What’s Happening
Guardian columnist Jamil Smith argued that Democrats must pass a new Voting Rights Act immediately and outlaw gerrymandering…Dems are warning that a third of the Congressional Black Caucus could be wiped out by the GOP’s redistricting push…For the Nation, Elie Mystal explained that the Democrats are five years too late to the fight for voting rights…
Must read: For The Nation, Jafari Sinclaire Allen explored the dismantling of Black Studies…
Byron Allen, a media entrepreneur and comedian, will soon take over BuzzFeed as chairman and CEO following a $120 million deal. BuzzFeed is HuffPost’s parent company, so I’m watching this deal closely. His next target is Starz…
Black communities are far more vulnerable to flooding, according to First Street Foundation’s research…
Rev. Dorothy S. Boulware wrote about how church hats remain one of the most enduring symbols of Black church culture…
South Carolina’s GOP-led Senate rejected Trump’s push to redraw the state’s congressional districts, which would have eliminated Rep. Jim Clyburn’s seat…
In the nation’s capital, Marion Barry Avenue Market and Cafe works to increase food access while creating economic opportunities and a place for the community to gather…
Louisiana’s state police have agreed to pay $4.85 million to the daughter of Ronald Greene, a Black motorist killed by authorities…
William Broussard previewed his forthcoming book, “Perspectives on HBCU Fundraising,” and examined how HBCUs can sustain amid the evolving philanthropic landscape…
“Chud the Builder,” a racist livestreamer who films himself calling others the N-word, is in custody following a shooting incident in Tennessee. He was later charged with attempted murder…
Dr Stacey Patton debunked a viral claim that one of the key figures associated with Project 2025 has a Ph.D. in “African American history”…
Entertainment News
TIME Magazine talked with Nicki Minaj about her embrace of Donald Trump and Make America Great Again…
NBA champion J.R. Smith played 16 seasons in the league. Now, he’s a graduate from North Carolina A&T…
Life coach Cheyenne Bryant explains why she won’t prove she has a doctoral degree, telling Marissa Mitchell that “my obedience is to God, not to people”...
Jayson Buford for The Guardian: Drake lost the beef and embraced the manosphere. Is it too late for him to win back his audience?... Related: Drake dropped three albums overnight…
For Southern Living, Symiah Dorsey talked with Josie Gbadamosi, the owner of Shady Grove Road Blueberry Patch and known as “The Blueberry Lady” in her hometown of Tuskegee, Alabama…
The Los Angeles Sparks are honoring WNBA legend Lisa Leslie with a statue, to be unveiled in September…
The Atlantic reported on the return of the Indianapolis Clowns, a Negro League era team and one of the most controversial franchises in baseball history...
Callie Fin, a Las Vegas Aces’ beat writer, wrote about what she learned about reporting while pregnant…
Simone Umba tackles the question: Why are adaptations so white?...
58 years since its release, Philly soul singer Barbara Mason’s “Forever” is going viral on TikTok...
Ledisi is set to join the cast of the highly anticipated new Broadway musical “WANTED”....
Marcus J. Moore penned an essay about the iconic Minnie Riperton and her legacy…
Go-go pioneering band Rare Essence reflects on its legacy as the DC-based genre marks its 50th anniversary…
Obituaries
Charlie Neal, the pioneering HBCU sports broadcasting legend and voice of HBCU GO, has died. He was 80…
Clarence Carter, the soul singer known for his hits “Strokin’”, “Patches” and “Slip Away,” has died. He was 90…
Bobby Eaton Sr., a champion of civil rights in Tulsa and the son of a race massacre survivor, has died. He was 90…
Mary Lovelace O’Neal, a legendary painter, professor and activist known for her monumental abstract works, has died. She was 84...
Jason Collins, the NBA’s first openly gay player who served as a global ambassador for the sport, has died. He was 47…
Brandon Clarke, a forward for the Memphis Grizzlies, has died. He was 29…
Don’t Miss
Can you beat my time on Black Crossword? 51 seconds!...
Have you been looking for a smart, new listen? Congratulations to Kimberly Adams on becoming the new host of “Marketplace Morning Report”...
Check out the Noname Book Club, coming to a location near you this month…
Blair LM Kelly will discuss her forthcoming book, “Black Freedom: A Visual History of Juneteenth,” with Mark Anthony Neal on June 16 at Flyleaf Books in Chapel Hill, North Carolina…
The National Museum of African American History and Culture is hosting a Juneteenth celebration in Washington, DC…
A powerful convening of Black writers, from Roxane Gay to Morgan Jerkins to Deesha Philyaw, will attend “Belonging,” a one-day conference on June 20 at Rutgers University. Here’s how to register...