Posts by Erin Olson
Meet Emilie Kouatchou, Broadway’s 1st Black Christine in ‘Phantom of the Opera’
By Randi Richardson, NBC News Kouatchou opens up about taking over a historic role and the significance of Black representation on Broadway. Broadway’s groundbreaking musical “Phantom of the Opera” has once again made history. The musical is the longest-running show on Broadway, celebrating 34 years last month. It marked the milestone by debuting its first…
Read MoreIn ‘South to America,’ Imani Perry travels below the Mason-Dixon to shed light on the soul of a nation
By Elaina Patton, NBC News In her new book, “South to America: A Journey Below the Mason-Dixon to Understand the Soul of a Nation,” Imani Perry engages with the long literary tradition of writing about one’s travels through the South. Joining writers such as Albert Murray, James Baldwin and V.S. Naipaul, the Alabama native charts…
Read MoreFamily trees fill in the gaps for Black people seeking their ancestral roots
By Curtis Bunn, NBC News Black people have been able to connect with the past and give new agency to their identities through building family trees and researching their family histories. Growing up in Philadelphia, Amber Jackson said she knew so little of her history that she felt disconnected from who she was. “They didn’t…
Read MoreIda B. Wells, Black journalist and suffragist, honored with new Barbie doll
By Adela Suliman, Washington Post Black American journalist, suffragist and anti-lynching crusader Ida B. Wells will have her likeness transformed into a Barbie doll to honor her historic achievements. Wells, who was born into slavery in Mississippi in 1862 during the Civil War, went on to break boundaries as a prominent suffragist fighting to expand…
Read MoreCould Billionaire Robert F. Smith Become the NFL’s 1st Black Owner?
By Jay Connor, The Root The prolific philanthropist and entrepreneur would make our ancestors extremely proud. Apparently, actual billionaire Robert F. Smith—who spends his free time doing things like pouring money into organizations that focus on Black culture, education, and human rights, and paying the entire outstanding balance of student loans for Morehouse’s 2019 graduating class (which, by the…
Read MoreLusia ‘Lucy’ Harris, The Only Woman Ever Drafted In The NBA Draft, Passes Away At 66
By Travis Caldwell, CNN Lusia “Lucy” Harris, a star in women’s collegiate basketball during the 1970s and the first and only woman ever to be officially drafted by an NBA team, died Tuesday, according to a statement from her family as well as Delta State University. She was 66. “We are deeply saddened to share…
Read MoreBlack activists say Jan. 6 insurrection was part of white supremacist playbook
By Jessica Floyd, The Grio EXCLUSIVE: Voting rights advocates connect Capitol attack to racial riots throughout history that sought a common goal to strike fear in Black voters and anyone who validated their political power. LaTosha Brown, co-founder of Black Voters Matter received a call from the Federal Bureau of Investigations on Jan. 6, 2021 notifying…
Read MoreLouisiana Governor Pardons Homer Plessy From ‘Separate But Equal’ Ruling
By BET staff, BET News The landmark 1896 case solidified Jim Crow. Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards has pardoned Homer Adolph Plessy, of the 1896 Plessy v. Ferguson ruling. According to CBS, Edwards signed the pardon during a ceremony outside the former rail station in New Orleans where Plessy was arrested 130 years ago for sitting in a white area…
Read MoreGeorge Floyd’s 4-Year-Old Niece Shot While Sleeping in Houston Home on New Year’s Day
By Noah A. McGee, The Root.com Houston Police took four hours to arrive at the scene of the shooting. A shooting that occurred on New Year’s Day in Houston, Texas injured a 4-year-old girl, Arianna Delane, while she was sleeping. The girl turned out to be the niece of George Floyd, who was killed last year after…
Read MoreWrongfully Accused: The Exoneration of Black People
By Noah A. McGee, The Root.com Experts explain why we ‘re seeing so many high-profile exonerations of Black people in the United States during the last few decades. In 2021, a total of 132 people received exonerations: 81 of them were Black. Just a decade ago in 2011, only 40 Black people were exonerated. Since 1989 there’s…
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