Lukas Hartmann/Pexels By Rebecca Johnson Millennials across all races are attending church less, but black millennials’ church attendance has gone down the least out of all racial groups, according to a Pew Research Center study. Thirty-eight percent of black millennials attend church on a weekly basis, which is 12 percentage points lower than older black…
Vaping’s Earthly Aftereffects
Black May Not Crack, But It Definitely Will Burn
By Sydney Stallworth With summer on the horizon, hundreds of thousands of vacationers will flock to the nearest beach to enjoy some time in the sun. Suitcases will be stuffed with swimsuits, flip flops, and club ‘fits. But what’s one crucial item being left off so many young black millennials’ packing checklist? Sunscreen. Ever received…
Flint Residents’ Water Woes Include High Cost
By T’Keyah Hayes “Flint pays the highest rate of water in the entire United States,” First Trinity Missionary Baptist Church first lady Catrina Tillman told a group of students in April as she discussed the severity of the crisis in Flint. As Flint enters its fifth year in the water crisis, many residents continue to…
Blackface in the Spotlight, Again
By Tai Spears A recent series of scandals, and the backlash and public scrutiny that follow, has brought the issue of “blackface” to the forefront. Although it has become a trending topic of controversy, the use of blackface is nothing new in American culture. Its reemergence in the news, however, has reminded many of the…
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…