By Sabrina Shanghie What if I told you the trendy cornrow styles of 2019 once served as a gateway to freedom for enslaved African Americans hundreds of years ago? In the past decade, many cultures have embraced the beauty of cornrows, including some who don’t understand the deep history that the style holds. Braids may…
Betty Boop: Inspired by a Black Jazz Singer
By T’Keyah Hayes Betty Boop is widely recognized as one of the most notable cartoon characters and one of the first cartoonized American sex symbols. Her vocal trademark, “Boop Oop A Doop,” and her contoured figure in a form-fitting dress traces back to a black woman by the name of Esther Jones. Esther “Baby Esther”…
Valentine’s Day Is A Holiday Retailers Can Love
By Zadriuna Bridges Valentine’s Day, Feb. 14, has become the day for love and all things that represent it. We spend our time planning the best dates and gifts, hoping to give our Valentine a perfect day. But how much did that perfect day cost us this year? According to Business Insider, $20.7 billion is…
Josephine Baker: The Original Queen B
By Sydney Stallworth You’ll be hard pressed to find anyone today who isn’t a fan of mega-star Beyonce. She is described as a musical genius, the best dancer in Hollywood, and the ultimate triple threat. But if you’re a fan of Queen Bey, you need to know the OG queen of performance. A woman who…
Claudette Colvin: Teen Paved the Way in Integrating Buses
February commemorates the annual celebration of Black History Month, which highlights the important contributions by people of African descent. Each year, however, we discover that there are many more black individuals and groups that significantly contributed to today’s world, yet remain unacknowledged in today’s history lessons. Black people have made (and continue to make) considerable…
Gladys Bentley: Testing the Limits in Entertainment
February commemorates the annual celebration of Black History Month, which highlights the important contributions by people of African descent. Each year, however, we discover that there are many more black individuals and groups that significantly contributed to today’s world, yet remain unacknowledged in today’s history lessons. Black people have made (and continue to make) considerable…
Dr. Vivien T. Thomas: Uncharted Black Medical Professional
February commemorates the annual celebration of Black History Month, which highlights the important contributions by people of African descent. Each year, however, we discover that there are many more black individuals and groups that significantly contributed to today’s world, yet remain unacknowledged in today’s history lessons. Black people have made (and continue to make) considerable…
2 Years In, Trump’s Promises on Immigration Are Mostly Unfilled
By Kamilah Tom In the closing days of the midterm campaign, President Trump promised to make it no longer possible for children whose parents are not citizens of the United States to be citizens themselves just because they were born here. “We’re the only country in the world where a person comes in, has a…
Initiative 77 Was Approved–Then Repealed. I’m Confused: Do I Still Need to Tip My Server?
By Noni Marshall When the D.C. Council recently repealed a bill that aimed to end the so-called “tipped minimum wage,” it rejected a measure that 55 percent of Washington voters had approved only a few months earlier. However, the vote to kill Initiative 77 is being applauded by those most affected: servers and restaurant owners….
Election Day Brings Steady Rain, Determined Voters
By Alexandria Frank Many voters in the eastern part of the U.S. awoke to a pouring rain on Election Day, but the nasty weather didn’t wash away people’s desire to be heard. At polling locations in Washington, voters still came out to perform their civic duty. The morning rain cleared up around noon, leaving the…