Thousands gathered in Montgomery, Ala., on May 16 to defend Black political representation and voting rights amid ongoing legal battles over congressional redistricting and recent Supreme Court decisions that activists say have weakened protections for Black voters. Speakers, including U.S. Sen. Cory Booker, civil rights veterans and community advocates, warned that rollbacks to the Voting Rights Act threaten decades of progress secured during the Civil Rights Movement and urged renewed activism to protect fair representation.
Tag: Rosa Parks
Posted inNAACP
Legendary San Francisco pastor, Rev. Dr. Amos C. Brown, to receive NAACP’s Spingarn Medal at 117th National Convention in Chicago
By National Association of the Advancement of Colored People The NAACP announces that Rev. Dr. Amos C. Brown, longtime civil rights leader, pastor, and tireless advocate for justice, will be honored with the 111th Spingarn Medal this July at the 117th NAACP National Convention in Chicago, recognizing his extraordinary contributions to civil rights, social justice […]
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 inCommentary
One woman’s refusal and the future of the Fed
By Eric Morrissette Recently, the Supreme Court heard arguments that could reshape the global financial system. The case before the justices asks a deceptively simple question: Can the President of the United States fire Dr. Lisa Cook, a member of the Federal Reserve Board of Governors, before the end of her statutory term? But everyone […]
Posted inOpinion
Claudette Colvin, MLK, and the erasure of Black women from civil rights canon
Claudette Colvin, a civil rights activist who challenged segregation as a teenager, is pictured years after her historic arrest that preceded the Montgomery Bus Boycott. Julienne Louis Anderson, a lifelong educator, womanist and a fellow of The OpEd Project in partnership with the National Black Child Development Institute, argues that Colvin’s story, long excluded from textbooks and curricula, reflects the broader erasure of Black women from the Civil Rights Movement.
Posted inBlack History
Claudette Colvin, who refused to move before the nation was ready, dies at 86
Claudette Colvin, who refused to give up her seat on a segregated Montgomery bus at age 15—months before Rosa Parks—has died at 86. Though her arrest did not immediately spark a boycott, her courage helped lay the groundwork for the Civil Rights Movement, including her pivotal role as a plaintiff in Browder v. Gayle, the Supreme Court case that ended bus segregation in Alabama.
Posted inNational News
Statue of Barbara Rose Johns, Virginia civil rights activist, replaces Robert E. Lee statue in the U.S. Capitol
Virginia officially replaced its statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee in the U.S. Capitol with a statue honoring Barbara Rose Johns, the teenage civil rights activist whose 1951 student-led protest against segregated schools helped spark the legal fight that culminated in Brown v. Board of Education. The dedication marked a historic moment, recognizing Johns as one of only four Black women represented by statues in the Capitol and symbolizing a broader shift away from honoring Confederate figures toward celebrating champions of justice and equality.
Posted inDMV News
UniverSoul Circus brings culture, creativity and high-flying thrills to the D.C. area
The UniverSoul Circus, currently performing at National Harbor until Aug. 10 before heading to Baltimore, offers a high-energy, multicultural experience filled with breathtaking acts and audience participation. More than just entertainment, the show celebrates Black culture and creativity, honoring its legacy and impact on generations of families.
Posted inAfro Briefs
Feds charge alleged White supremacist over 2019 arson at Tennessee school that trained Rosa Parks
By Travis Loller and Aaron MorrisonThe Associated Press NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A suspect whom authorities have linked to white supremacist movements has been arrested in the March 2019 fire that destroyed an office at a storied Tennessee social justice center. Regan Prater was arrested April 24 and charged with one count of arson. An […]
Posted inAfro Briefs
24-hour shopping blackout begins Friday, February 28
A grassroots movement, dubbed the “Target fast,” is calling for a 24-hour boycott of Target stores in protest of their decision to end their diversity, equity, and inclusion programs, potentially impacting their sales and the broader economy.
Posted inEducation
In the classroom: A look at how Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy is addressed in school
Educators across the nation are making intentional efforts to educate students about the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., despite the efforts of some states to remove critical race theory from school curriculum.
