By Maya Pottiger, Word in Black Juneteenth is a federal holiday. A bill to make it the 12th federal holiday was passed by the Senate and House, and President Joe Biden signed it into law on June 17, 2021. So, what exactly is Juneteenth? On June 19, 1865, the last slaves in the United States […]
Category: Word In Black
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#WordinBlack: Texas native son talks Juneteenth: better late than never
By Patrick Washington, Word in Black The Texas-birthed holiday of Juneteenth is a very interesting holiday, to say the least. See, I, a native-born Texan, have two Yankee parents. As such, I’ve been able to hear both sides of the “idea” of Juneteenth and now, I am at a final resting place for my attitude […]
Posted inAfro Briefs
#WordinBlack: Parents and students struggle to feel safe after Buffalo and Uvalde shootings
By Kara Thompson, MDDC Intern On May 24, a total of 19 students and two teachers were killed at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas after an armed teenager entered the school with an AR-15 and locked himself in a classroom with victims. He remained for over an hour. Just 10 days before that on […]
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#WordinBlack: Is the redistricting process taught thoroughly enough in schools?
by Kara Thompson, MDDC Intern Most Americans know the basics of the election process by the time they reach age 18 and receive the right to vote. We know presidential elections happen every four years, but oftentimes, less attention is paid to other elections that occur. Ask the average American about midterms that happen every […]
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#WordinBlack: Black Summer reading club
By Word In Black Fiction, nonfiction, memoir… Team Word In Black loves books. During our meetings, we regularly talk about what we’re reading and share book recommendations. We also come across plenty of must-reads during our reporting. (It turns out that experts in their field also somehow find the time to write books!) That’s why […]
Posted inNational News
Summer can be hard for Black LGBTQ students. Here’s how to handle the break
By Maya Pottiger, Special to the AFRO Though DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince’s iconic anthem “Summertime” heralds that school’s out and it’s time — as Will Smith raps — to “sit back and unwind,” the end of the school year isn’t good news for everyone. For LGBTQ kids, being home for the summer […]
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#WordinBlack: Juneteenth Ice Cream: Black exploitation or cultural celebration?
By Laura Onyeneh, Word in Black By now you would have thought corporations would have learned their lesson about exploiting Black pain for capital gain after the killing of George Floyd. Well… guess not. Walmart recalled its Juneteenth ice cream commemorating the holiday after it received heavy backlash on social media. The ice cream which […]
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#WordinBlack: Coppin Academy students display creative
By Kara Thompson, AFRO MDDC Intern In a special partnership with AFRO Charities and Leaders of Tomorrow Youth Center, students of Coppin Academy have been exploring the rich history of Black Baltimore and the influence of African Americans on multiple genres of art. The program recently closed out their semester with the Student Fellowship Showcase, […]
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#WordinBlack: Freed Slaves Started First Memorial Day in the U.S.
By New York Amsterdam News This post was originally published on New York Amsterdam News EDITOR’S NOTE: The article was originally published on May 29, 2017 Memorial day is a day that is set aside to honor those who fought in for the United States Military. As many headed out to the beach or maybe a family barbeque […]
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#WordinBlack: Few eligible families have applied for government help to pay for COVID funerals
By Blake Farmer, Nashville Public Radio, Word in Black On a humid August afternoon in 2020, two caskets ― one silver, one white ― sat by holes in the ground at a small, graveside service in the town of Travelers Rest, South Carolina. The family had just lost a mom and dad, both to Covid-19. […]
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#WordinBlack: Acts of racial violence don’t happen in a bubble – they happen in America
By Alexa Spencer, Word in Black Two things are clear about the recent mass killing of Black people on May 14 in a Buffalo, New York grocery store. First, the attack committed by 18-year-old White male Payton Gendron that resulted in the death and injury of 11 Black people was an outright racist act. Second, […]
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Protect the Memories, Don’t Sleep on Symptoms
Catch the replay of the full program here to learn more about Alzheimer’s Disease with special musical guests Dru Hill (official), host Quinnes Parker, Singer/Songwriter/Co-Founding Member of 112, a special appearance by Richard Wingo, Jagged Edge, testimonials, tips, and more! This event is a partnership with Word in Black with generous support from Biogen Additional […]