Freddie Allen

Children on the Front Lines

I am so proud of the Freedom Schools scholars who have learned they are following in the footsteps of children and youths who were the foot soldiers and infantry of the Civil Rights Movement. Some of their stories from the Movement are well known: six-year-old Ruby Bridges in New Orleans walked through White mobs to attend school—even praying for those jeering at her; the Little Rock Nine; the four little girls killed in the bombing of Birmingham’s 16th Street Baptist Church. Thousands of children were on the frontlines of history. Whether sung or unsung heroes, we owe all of them a debt of gratitude.

NNPA, Chevrolet Launch 2018 “Discover the Unexpected” Journalism Fellowship in Detroit

Chevrolet and the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) have teamed up once again for the “Discover the Unexpected” (DTU) Journalism Fellowship program. The fellowship, in its third year, gives students attending Historically, Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) the opportunity of a lifetime: an eight-week, immersive training experience with the Black Press.

Toyota Wins Big at 1st Annual Diversity Volume Leadership Awards

Toyota demonstrated their commitment to reach minority consumers, winning 10 out of 20 top honors during the Diversity Volume Leadership (DVL) Awards in Detroit, Mich., a few days before the North American International Auto Show opened to the public. The awards were determined based on new vehicle registration data collected from October 2014 through September 2015 by IHS Automotive, a research group that provides insight into the global auto industry. The National Association of Minority Automobile Dealers (NAMAD), a non-profit group that advocates for diversity in the auto industry and IHS Automotive presented the awards. “We wanted to recognize, celebrate

Blacks ‘Left Behind’ in New Orleans Recovery

As Gulf Coast residents and policymakers celebrated the recovery of the Crescent City on the 10th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, advocacy groups challenged the narrative of a resilient and better New Orleans by launching KatrinaTruth.org, a website that shows that post-Katrina progress in New Orleans still hasn’t reached poor Black communities. Judith Browne Dianis, the co-director of the Advancement Project, a multiracial civil rights group, said that, 10 years ago, the Advancement Project was on the ground in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, working with communities to protect the rights of survivors. “Ten years later, the city of New Orleans