By: Tiasia Saunders, Editor-in-Chief of TBT Tiffany Ahianor’s high school graduation picture. Photos Courtesy of Nathalie Ahianor-Kongo and Jasmine Jones Tiffany Ahianor was an outgoing and caring 20-year-old psychology major at Howard University. She committed suicide on Nov. 21, 2021, and her family members and friends are still grappling with it. “You would have had…
When a Hairstyle Is … Sustenance
By Kyra Azore Cornrows have a rich history in the black community, a traditional hairstyle that traveled to America in the belly of the slave ship 400 years ago and can still be seen marching in the streets for freedom today. But cornrows have a more engrained purpose in the history of African Americans. It…
When a Hairstyle Is … Freedom
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”…
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…
She Disguised Herself as a Man to Join the U.S. Army
By Alexa Imani Spencer Cathay Williams is history’s only known female Buffalo Soldier, according to the National Park Service. In 1866, she enlisted in the United States Army under the pseudonym “William Cathay,” becoming the first known black woman to enlist in the Army and the only documented African-American woman to serve as a soldier…
Snatching Faces and Equality for All Races
BLACK HISTORY: Activists of the Past and Present By Judayah Murray Jackie Aina, a popular beauty YouTuber, is stepping up in the world and emerging as an important voice in the black community. Using her platforms of over 2 million subscribers on YouTube, 829,000 followers on Instagram and 280,000 followers on Twitter, Aina regularly distributes…