An original first edition of “Our Nig; or Sketches From the Life of a Free Black” by Harriet Wilson was recently donated to the Black Heritage Trail of New Hampshire. After some restoration, the organization will be displaying the book at its headquarters in Portsmouth. Wilson was known for her autobiographical work while she was living in 1859. She also…
A high school spoken word club changed students’ lives, and now you can read their poems. Oak Park and River Forest High School’s Peter Khan created an after-school spoken word club. For over 20 years, the club has provided a space for students to engage in storytelling. “Respect the Mic” is an anthology featuring 76 honest and powerful poems by…
The Museum of the Moving Image in Queens, New York has a new exhibition called “Deepfake: Unstable Evidence on Screen.” The exhibit looks at the technology of deepfakes and how they’re used to populate viewers. Deepfakes are deceptive videos created using artificial intelligence and machine learning. The centerpiece of the exhibit is the video ‘In Event of Mood Disaster’ a…
Elizabeth Meaders collects thousands of Black History Artifacts for over 70 years. In an attempt to document the full history of Black Americans in the U.S., Meaders has gathered around 50,000 objects. Read more here: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/why-a-schoolteacher-spent-70-years-collecting-thousands-of-black-history-artifacts-180979602/
Scientists have reason to believe that ostrich eggshells carved into beads in Africa 50,000 years ago might have been part of humans’ first social network. Researchers examined around 1,500 ancient beads excavated from 31 sites across eastern and southern sections of Africa and found artifacts were nearly identical in shape, size, and style. The findings identified that the oldest beads…
Over 20 years ago, an accountant named Jonnet Solomon was driving through Pittsburgh when she came across an abandoned home. After stopping to take a closer look at the home, she discovered a historical plaque outside. Solomon decided to research the house in Homewood, where it is located, but she did not get very far. The locals knew nothing about…
Ludacris Partners with his eldest daughter, Karma Bridges, to produce an animated series on Netflix. The show was inspired by Karma herself and will be called Karma’s World and is expected to release soon. Karma’s World is a coming-of-age story that will follow the life of 10-year-old Karma Grant, an aspiring musical artist who wants to change the world with…
Hesperia Branch Library in California hosted its 4th annual African American Read-In on Feb 7th. This read-in featured the sharing of literary contributions from African Americans. This event highlighted “Black voices, current and classic” by having participants read 3-to-5-minute poems, passages, or condensed biographies. Read more here: https://news.yahoo.com/black-history-month-local-writers-193017991.html
The Walker River Paiute Tribe of Nevada was awarded a $1 million grant for a nutrition center. A community store and food pantry have been operating out of the tribe’s technology center for the past two years. The community food center will provide nutrition and wellness programs. The grant awarded is a part of a new round of funding from…
“Wicked” is a Broadway musical based on the novel by Gregory Maguire, music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz, and a book by Winne Holzman. “Wicked” has been a blockbuster since its opening at Gershwin Theatre in 2003. The story is inspired by “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz,” but instead of focusing on the main character of Oz, Dorothy, “Wicked” follows…