Bessie Coleman, First Black Woman Pilot, To Appear On 2023 Quarter
The US Mint announced the next five women to be featured on the nation's quarters on Tuesday (April 5), among them is one Black and Native American woman who took flight and changed history forever. Bessie Coleman, the first Black woman pilot, will be featured on US quarters in 2023 as part of the American Women Quarters Program. Alongside Coleman are journalist–activist Jovita Idár, former First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, ballerina Maria Tallchief, and hula teacher Edith Kanaka'ole. Coleman blazed trails in the early 1900s, after she was rejected from American aviation schools on the
CROWN Act Passes In The House, Banning Race-Based Hair Discrimination
By Cherranda Smith, Black Information Network In a landmark vote Friday (March 18), lawmakers in the House passed the CROWN Act, which prohibits race-based hair discrimination in the workplace, school, and more. The Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair Act passed in a 235-189 vote, with only 14 Republicans supporting the legislation. The bill failed last month after Democrats put the legislation on a fast-track vote typically used for pieces of legislation not considered controversial. Supporters of the bill have tirelessly argued that banning hair discrimination is necessary for Black people who are far too often
Black Female WWII Military Unit Honored By Congress
Here's yet another history lesson they didn't teach in school, and it's right in time for the end of Black History Month and the start of Women's Month. On Monday (February 28) the US House of Representatives voted 422-0 to award the only all-Black, all-female military unit that served in Europe during World War II the Congressional Gold Medal. The 6888th Central Postal Battalion is credited with solving an urgent mail crisis in England when they arrived in Europe. The 855-membered group has for decades gone without proper recognition, but in recent years that has changed. In
Black Press Salutes President Biden’s Supreme Court Nominee Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson
Three times the Senate has confirmed Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson – twice unanimously. Now, an evenly divided Senate will face the task of confirming Judge Jackson to the highest court in America and, in the process, make her the first Black woman to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court. On Friday, February 25, President Joe Biden made Judge Jackson his choice to succeed Justice Stephen Breyer, who announced his retirement in January. “It’s because of Judge Brown Jackson’s experience in roles at all levels of the justice system, her character,
Joint Economic Committee and Congressional Black Caucus Release New Analysis Highlighting Economic Progress and Socioeconomic Barriers Facing Black Americans
Washington, D.C. — In recognition of Black History Month and in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC), the Joint Economic Committee (JEC) and the CBC released a new analysis of the impact of economic trends and barriers on Black Americans. State and national data spanning the last 50 years highlight significant areas of economic progress among Black Americans. However, the data also make clear the persistence of structural and economic barriers facing Black workers and families that result in disparities across broad socioeconomic indicators and outcomes. According to the analysis: Black
The Lasting Impact Of HBCUs On American History
In honor of HBCU Week, we're celebrating the gifts that are Historically Black colleges and universities! HBCUs serve many functions in American society. Not only did they provide educational opportunities to Black Americans when most predominantly white institutions shut them out centuries ago, but they continue to serve an important role in Black culture. These institutions have also left their mark on American history as a whole due to their various contributions. To understand these contributions, let's roll the clock back to the 1800s. The earliest HBCUs are dated back to the
Top Detroit Businessman and Philanthropist Donates $100,000 Gift to UNCF in Support of HBCUs
Washington, D.C., Feb 15, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- A $100,000 gift will be presented on Feb. 17 to UNCF (United Negro College Fund) in support of three UNCF-member historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) by William F. Pickard, Ph.D., founder and executive chairman of Global Automotive Alliance (GAA) Manufacturing and Supply Chain Management. The presentation will take place on the campus of UNCF-member Clark Atlanta University. Pickard’s gift includes donations to UNCF, Clark Atlanta University, Saint Augustine University and Philander Smith College. The donation is being made by Pickard
Black Farmer Takes Action In Fight Over Stalled $4 Billion Relief Funding
Dr. John Boyd, Jr., founder and president of the National Black Farmers Association, at the Rayburn House Office Building on Tuesday, July 1, 2008.Photo: Getty Images By Zuri Anderson A Black farmer is speaking out amidst the legal battle over $4 billion in federal aid meant to help minority farmers. Dr. John Boyd Jr., a fourth-generation farmer in Virginia and the president of the National Black Farmers Association, told The Hill he's been pressuring lawmakers and the Biden administration to help Black farmers in need. President Joe Biden signed off on a $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package almost a
Jesse L. Jackson, Jr. Pens Powerful Book
Former Congressman Jesse L. Jackson, Jr. is a man of courage, with a renewed mission. In his new book, THE FINGER OF GOD: FROM THE LINEAGE OF DAVID TO THE PRESIDENCY OF THE UNITED STATES (Archway Publishing – 2021), Jackson takes readers on a historical Constitutional odyssey intertwined with Biblical and scholarly quotes, along with illuminating transparencies about his personal, political and prison life. In his points of references in THE FINGER OF GOD Jackson relies upon his theological wisdom and the foundation of the forefathers of our
President Biden Nominates First Black Woman to Serve on Federal Reserve Board of Governors
By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent President Joe Biden on Friday announced the nominations of three individuals to serve on the Federal Reserve’s Board of Governors, including Lisa D. Cook, a professor of Economics and International Relations at Michigan State University. If confirmed, Cook would become the first African American woman to serve in that role. A Marshall Scholar from Spelman College who received a second B.A. in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics from Oxford University, Cook earned a Ph.D. in economics from the University of California, Berkeley. She