Marshall Walter “Major” Taylor was born in Indianapolis, Indiana in 1878. Major Taylor participated in his first bike race as a teenager. Shortly after, he moved to Worcester, Massachusetts to become a professional cyclist. Throughout his career, he received several world records from competing in races around the world but that didn’t stop the racist fans from throwing things at him and competitors trying to bump him off the track during his races. One competitor by the name of W.E. Becker choked Taylor until the police separated the two. ... read more »

With three NAACP Image Award nominations, books, and accolades in choreography, it’s not hard to believe why Darrin D. Henson continues to excel in his acting career. He’s taking those acting skills to the television screen again with BET Network’s drama The Family Business. ... read more »

It was three years ago that a group of national business leaders launched a movement called Black Wealth 2020 partially based on the economic vision articulated by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. King said in his final speech on April 3, 1968: "It's all right to talk about streets flowing with milk and honey, but God has commanded us to be concerned about the slums down here and his children who can't eat three square meals a day. It's all right to talk about the new Jerusalem, but one day, God's preacher must talk about the new New York, the new Atlanta, the new Philadelphia, the new Los Angeles, the new Memphis, Tennessee." ... read more »

Building on the vision and mission of the 2017 National Women’s March in the U.S., women around the world will mark January 19 with marches and other actions “supporting the advocacy and resistance movements that reflect our multiple and intersecting identities." ... read more »

VP Records, the world’s largest reggae music company, announces a year-long calendar of activities in celebration of its 40 years in the United States. The year will feature a variety of music and cultural events, products, historical exhibits and experiences, in Jamaica, across the U.S., Toronto, Canada and London, England.  ... read more »

A central Illinois congressman has introduced a measure to designate the site of 1908 race riots in Springfield as a National Historic Monument. ... read more »

The state approved a historical marker for Lane, the sixth sign in Raleigh to honor a former slave. Sometime in June, said Ansley Wegner of the N.C. Highway Historical Marker Program, the man born property of Sherwood Haywood will be recognized on Edenton Street, just across the street from the Capitol where he sold pipes for 10 cents each. ... read more »

Palmer recently shared “PIMP” with an intimate audience of NAACP voting members at the SAG/AFTRA Offices in Los Angeles. Following the screening, there was a Q&A moderated by Patrick Riley and Sidra Smith. ... read more »

It was March 1958 when an African American dancer named Alvin Ailey, then making his living on the Broadway stage, gathered up a group of fellow dancers and presented a one-night show of his own works. ... read more »

The goddaughter of Olivia Hooker of White Plains, New York, Janis Porter, says Hooker died Wednesday at her home. She was 103. ... read more »

Andrea Stewart-Cousins has been elected to serve as New York state Senate majority leader, making her the first woman to lead either chamber. Her selection also marks the first time in New York history that both state chambers will be led by African American members. DNC Chair Tom Perez, DNC Vice Chair and New York state Assembly member Michael Blake, and DNC Vice Chair and former New York state Assembly member Grace Meng released the following joint statement: ... read more »

The 50th Anniversary of Rep. Chisholm’s election offers our country a chance to renew our commitment to Black women, not only in elective office, but within the ranks of true political power. ... read more »

The Los Angeles Lakers have signed center Tyson Chandler, it was announced today by General Manager Rob Pelinka. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not released. ... read more »

At its core, we support Measure W because of its impact on empowering African-Americans and other communities of color in Los Angeles County – making business pay their fair share for the clean water that Black and brown residents are most likely, otherwise, to be deprived of. Measure W is a progressive tax that spreads the compliance burden equally with no groups paying more than their fair share. ... read more »

Anyone that’s been working inside Hollywood’s inner circle for the past two decades has either worked with or heard about producer Tracey Bing. Besides praising her solid business acumen —the product of a first-rate education received at Yale University and Harvard Business School—it was her superlative taste level and her ability to maneuver the creative and business side that really made the bees in the beehive buzz. ... read more »