By Ariyana Griffin. Special to the AFRO Hundreds gathered at the Duggal Greenhouse in Brooklyn, N.Y. the weekend of Oct.7-8 to attend the sixth annual CultureCon. In 2017, Imani Ellis changed the landscape of social media when she created CultureCon, a conference for Black creators to unite, collaborate and expand their platform. Over the course […]
Category: Arts & Culture
Posted inMusic
Rudolph Isley, founding member of The Isley Brothers, dies at 84
By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspond (NNPA NEWSWIRE) – Rudolph Isley, a key figure in creating the popular soul group The Isley Brothers, has died at 84. Ronald Isley, his brother and fellow bandmate, expressed heartbreak in a statement: “There are no words to express my feelings and the love I have […]
Posted inBaltimore News
New Reginald F. Lewis Museum exhibit honors Black health professionals, examines disparities in medical field for Black people
By Karyn Cook, Special to the AFRO In Maryland, where 31.4 percent of the population is Black, only 12.3 percent of physicians identify as Black, according to data from the Association of American Medical Colleges. The Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History and Culture in Baltimore recently debuted a new exhibit, “Blacks […]
Posted inBaltimore News
Creatives of Baltimore prepare for 2023 Black Choreographers Festival
By Helen Bezuneh, Special to the AFRO The Black Choreographers Festival will celebrate talented Black choreographers on Oct. 13, 14 and 15 at Creative Alliance in Baltimore, Md. Working to honor Baltimore’s Black dance scene, the event will feature movement workshops, panel discussions, a networking event and performances. “For a very long time, we haven’t […]
Posted inNational News
Stories behind the Trail of Tears for every state it passed through
Written by Nicole Caldwell Ed Lallo // Getty Images Stories behind the Trail of Tears for every state it passed through Markers and remnants of the Trail of Tears stretch as a series of scars across the American landscape. The trail’s facilitators stand as a representation of America at her worst; its captives as a […]
Posted inBUSINESS
How JA Biztown is teaching financial literacy to students
Ashleigh FieldsAFRO Assistant Editorafields@afro.com Parents across the country often wonder what they can do to educate their children about finances in the early stages of life. While many rely on books, online saving games and budgeting spreadsheets few are aware that there are other options. The Junior Achievement non-profit organization’s finance park and “JA Biztown” […]
Posted inWashington D.C. News
‘Hattie’s Come Home’: The Academy replaces Hattie McDaniel’s missing Oscar at Howard event
By Ebenezer Nkunda, Howard University News Service Hattie McDaniel’s Academy Award has returned to its forever home at Howard University. McDaniel became the first Black actor to win an Academy Award in 1940 for her memorable role as “Mammy” in the 1939 film “Gone With the Wind.” In her last will and testament, McDaniel expressed […]
Posted inWashington D.C. News
Legacy playwright Pearl Cleage premiers ‘Something Moving: A Meditation on Maynard’ at Ford’s Theatre
By Deborah Bailey, AFRO Contributing Editor, Dbailey@afro.com Ford’s Theatre is bringing in its 2023 fall season with a world premiere from widely acclaimed author, poet and playwright Pearl Cleage. “Something Moving: A Meditation on Maynard” will be performed on stage through Oct. 15. Cleage was commissioned by Ford’s Theatre to put on the show as […]
Posted inWashington D.C. News
March on Washington Film Festival presents “Pulpits, Protest and Power: The Live Event”
By Re’Jon Jones, Special to the AFRO In the heart of the nation’s capital, where history has often been made and echoes of the civil rights movement still resonate, an event like no other unfolds each year. The March on Washington Film Festival is the longest running festival dedicated to civil rights. This year, the […]
Posted inArts & Culture
James Baldwin: The life story you may not know
Written by Taneasha White-Gibson James Baldwin: The life story you may not know James Baldwin was a prolific writer, poet, essayist, and civil rights activist. Though he spent much of his life abroad, he is undoubtedly an American writer, whose works serve as a prism through which to view Black American life. Apart from being […]
Posted inBaltimore News
Baltimore’s grand finale: A spectacular end to the summer season of arts and culture
By Ericka Alston Buck, Special to the AFRO As the summer sun gradually yields to the crisp embrace of fall, Baltimore’s arts and culture scene bids adieu to the old and hello to a new season in an extravagant fashion. This year’s swan song included a trifecta of remarkable events: the UNCF Mayor’s Masked Ball, […]
Posted inNational News
CultureCon, a Black creative’s paradise
By Ariyana Griffin, Special to the AFRO The Creative Collective NYC’s highly anticipated conference, CultureCon, is making its way to New York Oct. 7-8. The two-day event is the last to close out the year; in previous months it was hosted in Los Angeles and Atlanta. Billed as the “Biggest Creative Homecoming,” the annual event […]