Calvin Duncan, Exonerated After 30 Years In Prison, Elected As Court Clerk
Calvin Duncan, a New Orleans man who spent three decades in prison for a 1981 murder before his conviction was overturned, has won Saturday’s (November 15) race to serve as the city’s chief criminal court record keeper, per the Associated Press. Duncan, a Democrat, spent years fighting to clear his name after being convicted of carrying out a fatal shooting. In 2021, a judge vacated his conviction after Duncan uncovered evidence that police officers had lied in court. He is now listed in the National Registry of Exonerations. According to the
Grace Wales Bonner Becomes First Black Woman To Lead At Major Fashion House
Grace Wales Bonner has made fashion history. According to WWD, Wales Bonner was appointed as menswear creative director at Hermès, making her the first Black woman to lead design at a major European luxury fashion house. The announcement from Hermès International follows the departure of Véronique Nichanian, who held the role for 37 years. “I am deeply honored,” Wales Bonner said in a statement. “Joining such a lineage of artisans and creators is a dream for me.” Born in London to a British mother and Jamaican father, Wales Bonner launched
Political Powerhouses RaShon Young, LaVon Bracy Davis Win Special Elections
Florida Democrats scored decisive victories in two special elections on Tuesday (September 2), signaling growing opposition to Republican leadership. According to the Orlando Sentinel, RaShon Young and LaVon Bracy Davis both won their races for the Florida House and Senate, respectively. Young, a legislative staffer and former NASA engineer, won House District 40 with 75 percent of the vote. Bracy Davis, who previously held the House seat, won Senate District 15 with 73 percent of the vote. Both Democrats surpassed the share won by 2024 Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris in their respective districts. On Tuesday, Bracy Davis,
Tulsa’s 1st Black Mayor Makes History: Monroe Nichols Proposes $100M Reparations Plan For Race Massacre
Democratic Oklahoma State Rep. Monroe Nichols made history in the city of Tulsa, when in November of 2024, he won the Tulsa Mayoral election, besting his challenger, Tulsa County Commissioner Karen Keith and replacing the sitting mayor, GT Bynum. When he accepted the victory, Nichols delivered his acceptance in front of images of Black Wall Street, a thriving district in Tulsa that was destroyed by a white mob in 1921. The Democratic lawmaker prioritized adding more affordable housing and ending homelessness during his mayoral campaign. Nichols said he wants to
Keisha Lance Bottoms: Her Next Act
Photo: Getty Images Former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms hinted at her next move in politics after President Donald Trump attempted to fire her from the senior advisory position she held under the Biden administration. In a recent interview with WSB-TV, Bottoms, who served in the President’s Export Council, spoke out about Trump trying to fire her from a job she had already resigned from. Trump took to his Truth Social platform earlier this week to “fire” Lance Bottoms and several other members of the Biden-Harris administration, including Chef Jose Andres from the President’s Council on Sports,
Angela Alsobrooks, Lisa Blunt Rochester Make History as Newly Elected Black Senators in 2024 Election
Two years ago, the U.S. Senate did not have a single Black woman. And before that, only two Black women had ever served in the upper chamber of Congress. Lisa Blunt Rochester in Delaware and Angela Alsobrooks in Maryland have changed the math. They both won their races on Tuesday, Nov. 5 — making history while bringing greater representation to Congress and maintaining the Democrats’ hold on the seats. This is also the first time that two Black women will serve as senators together — and they will each take
Monroe Nichols Becomes First Black Mayor of Tulsa
Photo: Oklahoma House of Representatives Democratic Oklahoma Rep. Monroe Nichols has made history in the city of Tulsa. On Tuesday (November 5), Nichols was projected to win the Tulsa Mayoral election, besting his challenger, Tulsa County Commissioner Karen Keith, per 2 News Oklahoma. Nichols will serve as Tulsa’s first Black mayor. He delivered his acceptance on Tuesday night in front of images of Black Wall Street, a thriving district in Tulsa that was destroyed by a white mob in 1921. Nichols, who’s served as a State Representative for House District 72 since 2016, will take over for
Nick Brown Makes History as Washington’s First Black Attorney General
Photo: Nick Brown For Attorney General Democrat Nick Brown made history on Election Night. On Tuesday (November 5), Brown was projected to win the race for Washington attorney general, besting Republican Pete Serrano, per the Associated Press. Brown's win makes him the first Black person to serve as Washington's attorney general. He is succeeding Bob Ferguson, who ran for governor instead of seeking reelection, to become the state's first new attorney general in 12 years. During his campaign for AG, Brown, a former U.S. attorney for western Washington, faced Serrano, a
Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears could become nation’s 1st Black woman governor
Photo: Getty Images Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears (R), the first Black woman to ever serve in a statewide office in Virginia, could again make history with her bid for governor. On Wednesday (September 4), Earle-Sears launched her campaign for Virginia governor as the state's Department of Elections accepted the necessary document for her run, per NBC News. Earle-Sears could make history as the nation's first-ever Black woman governor if she's elected. She is the first Republican to officially make her bid for the party's nomination in 2025. Current governor Glenn Youngkin
Meet Opal Lee — The Woman Who Fought To Make Juneteenth a U.S. Holiday
On June 17, 2021, President Joe Biden signed a bill into law officially making Juneteenth a federal holiday. The push to get the historic day recognized at the federal level had been decades in the making, and 94-year-old Opal Lee, known as the “Grandmother of Juneteenth,” had championed efforts for years. Lee told NPR that the wait for Juneteenth being a US holiday has been 155 years 11 months and 28 days in the making. “And now we can all finally celebrate. The whole country together,” Lee said after