By Rev. Stacy Swimp As a person of half-Nigerian heritage, I carry within me the Igbo philosophy that a person is only a person through their relationship with others. In this tradition, human dignity—Mmadụ—is not an individual possession but a communal bond; to insult one is to fracture the spirit of the whole. As we […]
Category: Black History
Posted inBlack History
Vernon AME Church absorbed the terror of the Tulsa Race Massacre. Now it will ‘teach truth.’
By Shaunicy MuhammadThe Oklahoma Eagle (NNPA Newswire) – More than a century after the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, members of Greenwood’s Vernon AME Church are determined to tell their own stories. Archivists, archeologists and elected officials lined the pews of the church Feb. 12 for the unveiling of The Vernon Witness, a multi-year project to […]
Posted inBaltimore News
On the line with Jesse Jackson: Lessons from a voice that changed history
By Alexis TaylorAFRO Managing Editor I never imagined Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr. would pick up the phone. It was 2012. On June 14 of that year, Adidas, the international shoe and sports apparel company, boldly unveiled a pair of sneakers that came complete with a pair of orange, plastic ankle bracelets. After public backlash to […]
Posted inNational News
Civil rights leader Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr. dies at 84
The Rev. Dr. Jesse Jackson Sr., civil rights leader, Baptist minister, and founder of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, has died at 84. A protégé of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and a two-time presidential candidate, Jackson spent his life fighting for racial, economic and social justice— inspiring generations of leaders and activists.
Posted inBlack History
Dr. Carter G. Woodson: The man who shaped Black History Month
Dr. Carter G. Woodson, the founder of Negro History Week, Black History Month, and the Association for the Study of African American Life and History, is remembered for his dedication to preserving and promoting the accomplishments of African Americans.
Posted inBlack History
Black patriots of the Revolutionary War: Maryland’s forgotten soldiers
Scholars and descendants are uncovering the forgotten role of Black Marylanders in the Revolutionary War, highlighting how free and enslaved men fought for independence yet were largely erased from history.
Posted inBlack History
Black artists as historians: Preserving memory through art
For generations, Black artists have documented Black life, preserving memory and identity where traditional histories have overlooked or erased their stories. From painting and performance to film and public art, their work captures the everyday, the ancestral and the deeply personal— creating a living record of Black history.
Posted inHBCU
Pepsi National Battle of the Bands presents ‘The Best of the Battles’ in honor of Black History Month
The Pepsi National Battle of the Bands airs “The Best of the Battles” from Jan. 31 to March 1 in honor of Black History Month, highlighting 15 years of performances by more than 30 HBCU marching bands. The film revisits iconic moments from showcases across the country, including the 2026 event in The Palm Beaches, and celebrates the cultural impact and legacy of HBCU band tradition.
Posted inOPINION
The AFRO: A vanguard to civil rights
In this opinion commentary, Rev. Stacy Swimp traces the historic role of the AFRO-American Newspaper as a cornerstone of Black self-definition, intellectual advocacy and civil rights activism. From its founding by John Henry Murphy Sr. in 1892 to its modern-day mission, the AFRO is presented as a vital institution that has equipped Black communities to confront media bias, preserve historical truth and exercise collective agency through literacy, scholarship and service. Credit: AFRO Photo
Posted inOPINION
Opinion: Erasing exhibits will never erase Black history
By Alice T. Crowe Crews equipped with crowbars dismantled an exhibit at Independence National Historic Park in Philadelphia on Jan. 22. The panels removed honored the lives of nine people enslaved by George Washington. Under a Federal directive, staff were to take down information that “disparages” American icons and fosters national shame. The take-down of […]
Posted inEducation
5 free resources for teaching Black history
The Zinn Education Project offers free resources to help educators teach Black history with honesty and depth, connecting past struggles to present-day civil rights issues. From virtual workshops and study groups to lesson plans on systemic racism, the Constitution, and the fight for Black education, the project equips teachers to give students a fuller understanding of African American history and resistance.
Posted inOPINION
Black History Month 2026: We proclaim it!
By Dr. Kaye Whitehead In 1926, during the nadir of Black history, Dr. Carter G. Woodson—the founder of the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH), the son of formerly enslaved parents, a former sharecropper and miner, and the second Black person to receive a Ph.D. from Harvard University—launched the first […]