Tag: Black History

Being a legend is more than a title; it's about building an imprint through work that influences future generations. From Denzel Washington to Janet Jackson, Black entertainment has produced a class of icons whose careers have shaped the culture. Now, a new generation is following their blueprint.

From Black Wall Streets and affluent neighborhoods to thriving business districts, Black Americans built powerful networks where ownership, entrepreneurship and prosperity could flourish. But for many of these communities, that prosperity would come under threat as forces ranging from racial violence to displacement and urban renewal reshaped their futures.

If you think Martha's Vineyard is just about yachts and lobster rolls, think again. As thousands prepare to gather in Oak Bluffs this month for the 24th Annual Martha's Vineyard African American Film Festival, we're looking at the history of the gorgeous, historic island revered as the go-to summer capital of Black excellence and cultural heritage.

Walking alone into Little Rock Central High School, Elizabeth Eckford remained composed as an angry white mob screamed insults behind her. The photograph became one of the defining images of school desegregation, capturing her quiet courage and dignity in the face of hatred and intimidation during the fight for educational equality.

The 250th anniversary of America arrives as historians confront the full truth of the American Revolution and Black soldiers, spies and petitioners whose stories have been pushed to the margins. Around 5,000 Black men fought on the Patriots' side, while thousands more fought for the British. From double agents at Yorktown to Dunmore's Proclamation, Black contributions were vast and often crucial to victory.

The 250th anniversary of America arrives as historians confront the full, complicated truth of the Revolution and Black soldiers, spies and petitioners whose stories have been marginalized. While around 5,000 Black men fought for the Patriots, thousands more fought for the British. From double agents securing victory at Yorktown to Dunmore's 1775 proclamation pulling enslaved people into British lines, Black contributions were vast and often crucial. Figures like James Armistead Lafayette, a double agent who gained freedom in 1787, and Belinda Sutton, who petitioned for reparations based on her decades of forced labor, reveal how the Revolution extended into petitions, education and early Black community building.