history

President Issues Executive Orders on Voting on Anniversary of Bloody Sunday

“The right to vote is the foundation of American democracy. Free and fair elections that reflect the will of the American people must be protected and defended,” President Biden remarked during the Martin & Coretta Scott King Unity Breakfast. “But many Americans, especially people of color, confront significant obstacles to exercising that fundamental right. These obstacles include difficulties with voter registration, lack of election information, and barriers to access at polling places.”

JUSTICE REFORM IN LA: On the Cusp

Since the 1970s, in an era now known as the Age of Mass Incarceration, Los Angeles County has operated the largest jail system in the nation.

NBA Legend Isiah Thomas Sets Up to Dominate the Pan-American Cannabis Space

Superstar and NBA Icon Isiah Thomas, whose Cheurlin Champagne is one of the best-selling in the world, announced that his company, ISIAH International, LLC, will invest $3 million into One World Pharma, Inc., a U.S. based, fully licensed, pure-play hemp and cannabis ingredient producer in Columbia.

Wendy’s Window: The Legacy of Family History

I have had a love for history for as long as I can remember. I often wonder why I did not make it my major in college. Family history is interesting to me, especially due to the complexity of my heritage. My mother’s family is from Germany and my father is from Texas.

UCLA Mellon Grant to Establish Archive About Mass Incarceration

UCLA scholars are launching an initiative to collect, digitize and preserve an archive of data, testimonies, artifacts and police files for the next generation of research on racial and social justice, the university announced today. “Archiving the Age of Mass Incarceration” is being funded in part by a three-year, $3.65 million grant from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, and it will bring together expertise from the UCLA Institute of American Cultures’ four ethnic studies centers and their established connections to local advocacy groups. “This vital and significant effort will expand our knowledge of mass incarceration, connect the academy and impacted

Former NBA Star Junior Bridgeman Purchases EBONY Magazine

According to the Michigan Chronicle, Bridgeman, who played for the Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Clippers, was once featured on a 2016 Forbes top-paid athletes list. He is the CEO of a Coca-Cola bottling company and part-owner of Coca-Cola Canada Bottling Limited. The former athlete attempted to purchase Sports Illustrated in 2018 but eventually withdrew his bid a year later.

California Judge Tosses Sexual Assault Suit against Russell Simmons

Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Mark Epstein granted Simmons a motion to dismiss that lawsuit after the anonymous alleged victim failed to respond to a court order regarding the statute of limitations. The judge said he found that the woman’s claims were legally time-barred since she alleged the incident happened in 1988 and only filed her suit in March 2018.

Black Press of America Celebrates 193 Years of Freedom-Fighting Journalism

“As we deal with some of the most challenging times in modern history, it is important that we understand the significance of the Black Press in reporting on and recording our history,” said National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) Chair, and publisher of the Houston Forward Times, Karen Carter Richards. The NNPA is the national trade association representing America’s Black Press.

New Jersey Seminary to Pay $27 Million in Reparations for Ties to Slavery

“The Seminary’s ties to slavery are a part of our story,” Barnes stated. “It is important to acknowledge that our founders were entangled with slavery and could not envision a fully integrated society. We did not want to shy away from the uncomfortable part of our history and the difficult conversations that revealing the truth would produce.”

How to Be an Anti-Racist, According to Ibram X. Kendi

“A combination of memoir and extension of towering Stamped from the Beginning… Never wavering… Kendi methodically examines racism through numerous lenses: power, biology, ethnicity, body, culture, and so forth… This unsparing honesty helps readers, both white and people of color, navigate this difficult intellectual territory… Essential.”