Navy Ship Renamed to Honor American Hero Robert Smalls
Have you ever heard of Robert Smalls? The U.S. Navy just renamed a ship, the USS Robert Smalls, in his honor. Robert Smalls was an African American man who captured a Confederate steamer loaded with guns during the Civil War. Smalls surrendered the vessel to the Union Navy. By reaching Union lines, this act also […]
Cookbook Highlights Impact of African American Chefs
African American chefs have had a major impact on American food. Many of today’s popular food preparations, from delicious dinners to tasty treats, were developed by enslaved and free African Americans who lived there. However, most of these great chefs are unknown, and their important contributions have not received due credit. In 2000, though, a […]
The “I Dream A World” Exhibit
Founded by the U.S. Congress in 1962, the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery collects and displays portraits of individuals who have made significant contributions to the United States. Beginning on February 10 and running through September 10, 2023, the Gallery will feature the second installment of the two-part series I Dream a World: Selections from Brian […]
African American-Led Alternative Newspaper, the “Baltimore Beat” Relaunches
The Baltimore Beat is an African American-led alternative newspaper that focuses on the community of Baltimore, Maryland. After closing in 2020, the newspaper relaunched as a nonprofit in August 2022. The relaunch was made possible by a $1 million gift from the Lillian Holofcener Charitable Foundation. . The Holofcener family sees the bold move as […]
Historically Black Colleges and Universities Increase Enrollment
During the COVID-19 pandemic, numerous factors caused Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) to experience a significant rise in student applications and enrollment nationwide. While enrollment rates rose at HBCUs, American colleges and universities overall suffered record-breaking enrollment declines. How, then, did HBCUs attract new students and increase their numbers? Here btw takes a closer […]
Who is Megan Piphus Peace?
The well-known American children’s show Sesame Street has been a part of television history since 1969. It is broadcast in more than 150 countries. It has also won 142 Emmy awards–more than any other show in television history. Sesame Street has always prided itself on breaking down barriers during its more than fifty-year run, but […]
Stuff YOU Should Know
Honoring Bessie Coleman In June 1921, Bessie Coleman became the first African American woman to earn an international pilot’s license. Bessie Coleman learned to fly in France, because no flying schools in the United States would admit an African American woman. In honor of the anniversary of Coleman’s achievement, American Airlines operated a flight with […]
Stuff YOU Should Know
Judge Jackson Confirmed to Supreme Court On April 7, 2022, the Senate voted to confirm Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to the U.S. Supreme Court. Three Republicans and all of the Senate Democrats voted to accept Jackson’s appointment. The announcement of her confirmation was met with applause in the Senate chamber. Judge Jackson is the first […]
Women’s History Month: Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson
On February 25, 2022, President Joe Biden announced that he was nominating Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to the U.S. Supreme Court to replace Justice Stephen Breyer, who is retiring. If the nomination is approved by the Senate, Judge Brown Jackson will be the first African American woman to serve on the nation’s highest court. Who […]
Stuff YOU Should Know
Georgia Proclaims February 23 Ahmaud Arbery Day On February 23, 2020, an African American man named Ahmaud Arbery was jogging in a residential area in Georgia when he was pursued, confronted, and fatally shot by three armed white men: Travis McMichael, Gregory McMichael, and William “Roddie” Bryan. On February 22, 2022–almost two years exactly from […]