By Dr. Frances ‘Toni’ DraperWord in Black More than metal. More than money. More than nostalgia. A coin is a declaration — of who a nation chooses to honor, what it chooses to remember and what it is willing to erase. That is why what happened at the U.S. Mint should unsettle anyone who cares […]
Tag: Frederick Douglass
Posted inWashington D.C. News
‘Black Diary 1887’ expands to D.C. with GPS walking tours
Black Diary 1887 is a revolutionary, GPS-enabled mobile app that connects users with overlooked narratives from the African Diaspora through interactive maps and audio storytelling, and is now available in 30 US cities, including Washington, D.C.
Posted inWashington D.C. News
‘Black Diary 1887’ expands to D.C. with GPS walking tours
By Yolanda Young and Thomas Bowen Black Diary 1887, the revolutionary, GPS-enabled mobile app reimagining cultural tourism through a Black lens, is officially launching its Washington, D.C. edition. Originally launched in Paris, with nearly 1,000 entries featuring people, places and events, Black Diary 1887 is now available in 30 U.S. cities, with the D.C. edition […]
Posted inOpinion
Independence Interrupted: What Fort Gregg-Adams teaches us this Fourth of July
The renaming of Fort Lee back to Fort Gregg-Adams, and the reversal of progress for Black women in the military and media, are part of a larger pattern of erasing Black history and undermining equity, and must be resisted in order to ensure that freedom fully includes Black Americans.
Posted inOPINION
Erasing Black history and culture is a key step in erasing Black lives – and we must resist
Kimberlé Williams Crenshaw is the executive director of the African American Policy Forum (AAPF), a leading organization in the Freedom to Learn Network. In this column she discusses the advocacy needed to combat the 47th president’s attempts to erase African American history.
Posted inNational News
Ida B. Wells-Barnett: The journalist whose legacy lives on
Ida B. Wells-Barnett was a pioneering journalist, educator and advocate who used her pen and voice to document and address the injustices faced by Black Americans, and her legacy is being revived this year with the release of a book and coin.
Posted inBlack History
Caulking the path to progress: Meet Isaac Myers, the man who sealed the gaps in opportunity for maritime workers
Issac Myers was a pioneering activist and maritime worker who advocated for union rights in the 1800s and founded the Colored Caulkers Trade Union Society and the Colored National Labor Union, fighting for better working conditions and fair wages for Black workers.
Posted inBlack History
Black History Month 2025: We proclaim it
Dr. Karsonya Whitehead, national president of the Association for the Study of African American Life and History, reflects on the gear-shifting moments in history that have contributed to the fight against racial oppression and the importance of celebrating Black history.
Posted inBUSINESS
Ben Crump speaks at NNPA Midwinter Training Conference
Civil rights attorney Ben Crump emphasized the importance of preserving the freedom and power of the Black press in his address at the NNPA Midwinter Training Conference, urging African Americans to challenge the status quo and fight against attempts to roll back civil rights and diversity, equity and inclusion.
Posted inWashington D.C. News
A tale of two cities: Nation’s capital divided on Martin Luther King Day 2025
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy was honored at the National Action Network’s MLK Day rally in Washington, D.C., while the inauguration of President Donald Trump’s successor took place, highlighting the ongoing divide in America.
Posted inCivil Rights
PRESS ROOM: Rev. Al Sharpton and NAN announce major MLK Day mobilization to defend Dr. King’s legacy as second Trump term nears
Rev. Al Sharpton and the National Action Network will lead a series of events in Washington, DC and New York City during the week of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday to rally for a defense in the fight for DEI, voting rights, civil liberties and beyond.
Posted inBaltimore News
A name that tells the whole story
Senator Cory V. McCray has introduced legislation to rename the Banneker-Douglass Museum in Maryland to the Banneker-Douglass-Tubman Museum, in order to honor the legacy of Harriet Tubman and recognize her contributions to the fight for freedom, equality and justice.