Ed Dwight, the pioneering African American who came close to becoming America’s first Black astronaut six decades ago, achieved his long-awaited journey into space at the age of 90. On Sunday, May 19, Dwight, along with five crewmates, soared aboard Blue Origin’s New Shepard rocket.
President Joe Biden delivered a stirring speech at the National Museum of African American History and Culture on Friday to help commemorate the 70th anniversary of the landmark Brown v. Board of Education decision. That ruling struck down the 1896 Plessy v. Ferguson decision that institutionalized racial segregation under the doctrine of “separate but equal.”
A nighttime session of the House Oversight Committee intended to discuss a resolution recommending Attorney General Merrick Garland be held in contempt of Congress, descended into chaos amid personal attacks and partisan bickering.
A housing crisis is gripping tens of millions of families nationwide, cutting across political lines and sparking bipartisan action in state legislatures.
President Joe Biden will award 19 individuals the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor. Civil rights icon Medgar Wiley Evers and South Carolina Democratic Rep. James Clyburn lead the list of recipients whose legacy of bravery and activism inspires generations.
Former Baltimore State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby’s legal team, under the direction of public defender James Wyda, vehemently opposed the imposition of a prison sentence and argued for a lesser punishment than the potential 40 years that are still on the table. “‘Just’ punishment does not mandate, or always include a prison sentence.,” Wyda demanded.
In April, employers in the United States added 175,000 jobs, signaling a slower but steady pace of labor market growth. According to the latest Labor Department report, this is the 27th consecutive month the unemployment rate has remained below 4 percent.
“Flint’s Still Fighting” is Word In Black’s series about the decade-long water crisis, and the resulting struggles and triumphs still transforming the majority-Black city.
In recent weeks, California’s mostly tranquil college quads have erupted into epicenters of pro-Palestine and anti-Israel activism. At Stanford’s White Plaza, dozens of tents have sprung up, while UCLA’s Royce Hall was tagged with the graffiti message “Free Gaza”. Students are demanding divestment from companies linked to Israel and calling for a U.S. government-brokered ceasefire in the ongoing Israeli-Hamas conflict.
In the wake of Portugal’s President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa’s acknowledgment of his country’s role in committing crimes during the transatlantic slave trade and colonial era, the Portuguese government has dismissed calls for reparations. The president’s assertion during an event for foreign correspondents that Portugal should “pay the costs” for slavery and other colonial-era atrocities was met with governmental opposition.
Democratic State Senator Tim Kennedy clinched victory in the special election for New York’s 26th Congressional District, effectively reducing the House Republican majority to a mere one-seat margin. Kennedy’s win could prove pivotal in balancing power and intensifying party-line struggles within the chamber.
Fort Wayne Councilwoman Sharon Tucker has made history after becoming Indiana’s second-largest city’s new mayor. Tucker becomes Fort Wayne’s first Black mayor and second woman to hold the position. She was selected during a Democratic caucus to replace the late Mayor Tom Henry, who died in March.
Resolute in their stand against the recent budget proposal by House Republicans, President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris are intensifying their efforts to lower healthcare costs and safeguard crucial provisions of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), Medicaid, and Medicare. In a Fact Sheet, the White House noted that Biden and Harris underscored the administration’s commitment during a visit to North Carolina, where they outlined a comprehensive strategy to make health care more affordable for all Americans.
While the New York hush money trial involving the twice-impeached and four-times indicted former President Donald Trump took its weekly Wednesday hiatus, Trump, along with his former chief of staff Mark Meadows and attorney Rudy Giuliani, faced new legal challenges. They were named as unindicted co-conspirators in the Michigan attorney general’s case against the state’s “fake electors” from the 2020 election, where Trump and his allies allegedly tried to overturn the results of his loss to Joe Biden.
Less than three months after his formal installation as President and CEO of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, Rev. Frederick D. Haynes III has announced his resignation. Roland Martin first reported the news.
Fort Wayne Councilwoman Sharon Tucker has made history after becoming Indiana’s second-largest city’s new mayor. Tucker becomes Fort Wayne’s first Black mayor and second woman to hold the position. She was selected during a Democratic caucus to replace the late Mayor Tom Henry, who died in March.
A bill introduced this month in the Alabama Legislature aims to revise the state’s holiday calendar by adding Juneteenth as a recognized state holiday. The proposed legislation, known as HB367, also proposes that state offices will no longer close on Confederate President Jefferson Davis’s birthday, sparking debate among lawmakers and activists.
The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled in favor of a female police sergeant from St. Louis, making it easier for workers to pursue employment discrimination claims related to job transfers. The court sided with Sgt. Jatonya Clayborn Muldrow, who alleged she was reassigned to a less prestigious role within the St. Louis Police Department because of her gender.
A federal criminal investigation has been initiated into the ship crash that led to the collapse of Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge. The FBI and the US Coast Guard are spearheading the inquiry to determine if the crew neglected to report a prior issue with the vessel, which could have contributed to the tragic incident.
It’s Tax Day, and the ideological differences between President Joe Biden and the twice-impeached former President Donald Trump couldn’t be starker. Transparency is another issue, with Biden being open and direct about his finances and Trump remaining evasive.
