The Honorable U.S. Congresswoman Joyce Beatty Receives Who’s Who In Black Columbus 2025 Lifetime Achievement Award
U.S. Congresswoman Joyce Beatty was presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award by Who's Who in Black Columbus at a signature event on Nov. 20, 2025. The award recognizes her extensive career in public service and advocacy for Black communities. Who's Who In Black Columbus is part of the national Who's Who In Black series that celebrates Black excellence across America. Since 2013, Congresswoman Joyce Beatty has served as a powerful voice for Ohio’s 3rd Congressional District in Franklin County, which includes much of Columbus. On Capitol Hill, she has fought
Who’s Who in Black Dayton-Cincinnati Awards 2025 Lifetime Achievement Honors to Willis ‘Bing’ Davis
Internationally Renowned Artist of the African Diaspora, Educator, Community Activist Since the 1970s, Willis “Bing” Davis has created brilliant artwork in Dayton and beyond that reflects his spiritual feelings, visions, love, and appreciation for the storied culture and history of Africa and the entire African Diaspora. Whether teaching high school or college students or creating Afrocentric artwork and projects through his Dayton-based Willis Bing Davis Art Studio and EbonNia Gallery, Davis’ mission has been – and always will be - to create, exhibit, educate, promote, and preserve artwork
Meet Roxanne Brown, the first African American and the first woman President of the United Steelworkers
In a significant moment for the labor movement, Roxanne Brown, set to become the first African American woman elected as President of the United Steelworkers (USW), North America’s largest industrial union, joins Make It Plain with Rev. Mark Thompson. With the official transition happening in March, Brown’s ascent is more than just a personal achievement; it represents a shift in the labor movement’s leadership reflecting the demographics of today’s workforce. Born in Kingston, Jamaica, she moved to New York at the age of two and was raised by what
Detroit Man’s Split-Second Instinct Turns into Heroic Moment for 6-Year-Old Girl
On the cold morning of Dec. 8, in Detroit, as most of the city eased into its beginning-week routines, 32-year-old Joshua Threatt was simply heading home from the store. He wasn’t looking to stand in the glare of national attention. He wasn’t planning to go viral. He was thinking about coffee, work, and the day ahead. But within minutes, those plans would be swept aside by a moment that demanded instinct, courage, and – perhaps most importantly – empathy. “It was just like God put me there at the right place at the right time,” Threatt recalled. His voice is steady retelling the story,
Detroit’s ‘Mr. Basketball’ Darius Acuff Jr. Returns Home to Host Free Camp
On Tuesday, Dec. 23, one of the country’s most exciting young basketball talents will return to his hometown to give back to the next generation of players. Darius Acuff Jr., a freshman guard for the Arkansas Razorbacks and one of the top players in the 2025 recruiting class, will lead a free basketball camp at the ACC Youth Center on Seven Mile Road. The event, open to local youth, offers an opportunity for campers to develop skills, learn fundamentals, and play the game alongside a rising star who
Gateway Medical Society Honors ‘Black Excellence in White Coats’
Adaoro Okigbo, second from left. (photos by Chief Ikhana-Hal-Makina) Gateway Medical Society, a not-for-profit organization with a seven-decade history as a health care advocate and health policy champion for the socio-economically challenged and underserved communities of greater Pittsburgh, held its "Black Excellence in White Coats Awards & Scholarship Gala," Oct. 25, 2025, at the Pittsburgh Marriott City Center, Downtown. FELICIA E. SNEAD, M.D., FASTRO This year, Felicia E. Snead, M.D., FASTRO, was the 2025 Oswald J. Nickens, M.D., Physician of the Year. Dr. Snead’s contributions to the field of radiation
Atlanta’s Byron Amos Elected Second VP of National League of Cities’ Black Caucus of Local Elected Officials
District 3 Atlanta City Council member Byron Amos has been elected as the 2026 second vice president of the National Black Caucus of Local Elected Officials, a constituency group of the National League of Cities (NLC). The National Black Caucus of Local Elected Officials serves as a forum for communication and networking among demographic municipal officials and their colleagues to share ideas and develop leadership experience. Council member Amos was elected in November at NLC’s 2025 City Summit conference in Salt Lake City, Utah. "I am profoundly honored and
PRSA Detroit Elects New 2026 Leadership, Names Antonice Strickland President
Public relations professionals across Southeast Michigan gathered at Wayne State University on Nov. 20 as PRSA Detroit confirmed its 2026 Board of Directors and honored members whose work has shaped communications standards in the region. The meeting remains one of the largest annual convenings of communicators in metro Detroit, drawing representatives from corporate, nonprofit, education, government, and agency sectors. PRSA Detroit is the local chapter of the Public Relations Society of America, a national organization formed in 1947 to strengthen ethics, accreditation, and professional development across the communications field. Detroit’s chapter, established 78 years
DESC Appoints Talitha Johnson as New Communications Director
The City of Detroit’s workforce agency, Detroit Employment Solutions Corporation (DESC), has named Talitha Johnson as its new communications director. In this role, she will lead communications, branding and media relations for a wide range of major workforce initiatives managed by the agency, including key programs for the Detroit at Work system and Grow Detroit’s Young Talent. Johnson joined DESC in mid-November after serving as director of communications at the Downtown Detroit Partnership (DDP). “We are delighted to have Talitha joining to lead our communications team,” said Dana Williams, President of Detroit Employment Solutions Corporation. “This
Talia Kirkland Represented Black Women Powerfully and With Poise in Pittsburgh
Penn Hills native now works in Las Vegas by Naomi C. Ilochi For New Pittsburgh Courier Talia Kirkland is a multi-media reporter, wife, daughter and community advocate, shaped by her family, friends, hometown and life journey. Kirkland is a Penn Hills native, Penn Hills High School graduate (2010) and Duquesne University alumna with a degree in journalism and a Master of Science in Media Technology and Arts. She’s also a proud member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc., the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ), and a 2024 member of the