By Judayah Murray For many years, there has been a fierce debate over whether or not whipping a child for discipline should actually be considered child abuse. Many people spank their children as a way to teach them right from wrong. And they believe it works, too. Twenty-year-old Terrence Lanham admits that he was in…
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…
Freedom’s Journal and the Birth of the Black Press
By Maya King Decades before Frederick Douglass published The North Star and more than a century prior to John H. Johnson’s Jet and Ebony magazines, freedmen Samuel Cornish and John B. Russwurm established Freedom’s Journal. Founded in 1827, the newspaper was the first to be written and published by black Americans, thus giving birth to…
Are Black Entrepreneurs Being Locked Out of the Burgeoning Marijuana Business?
By Niaja Smith WASHINGTON –The market for marijuana is booming. Seven states and the District of Columbia have legalized marijuana for recreational use. An additional 22 states have made medical use of marijuana lawful. Along with buying marijuana to smoke, customers can now get cannabis-infused candy, cookies, brownies, sodas and cuisine prepared by specialized marijuana…
As the Floodwaters Rose, So Did Some Retailers’ Prices
After nearly every major disaster, there are reports of businesses taking advantage of desperate and dazed consumers, jacking prices up by two or three times the normal cost for the basics. This year was no different. In the wake of hurricanes Harvey, Irma and, most recently, Maria, thousands of complaints of price gouging followed. Soon…
Is Interest in Classical Music Dying?
By Bria Nicole Stone Classical music is one of the oldest forms of music, lasting for over 400 years. In the past classical music was so popular that it was once a core class for many students during the Renaissance Era. Classical music has been a way to indicate class and social status, and many…
Haitian Immigrants Ordered to Return Home
By Tyler Brady WASHINGTON –The Trump administration announced Nov. 20 that it is ending a program that for the past seven years has allowed thousands of Haitians to live and work in the United States following a natural disaster in their country. When and Why Did the Haitians Come to the U.S.? In 2010, an…
Is It Time to Put Down Soul Food?
By Tyler Brady WASHINGTON — As we enjoy the holiday season, Americans will be involved in two of their favorite seasonal activities– shopping and eating. It is the time to dine on many of those dishes primarily reserved for this time of the year, and for black Americans, it is a chance to indulge in…
Is Chicago Really the Most Dangerous City in America?
By Tyler Brady Chicago has been dubbed “Chiraq” by some because of its alarming violent crime rate and how often its citizens are either victims or perpetrators of murder. The nickname combines the names for the nation’s third-most populous city and the war-torn country of Iraq to suggest it is the most violent city in…