Breaking News! History in the Making

A couple looks at the charred remains of their home burned in the Eaton Fire in Altadena, California, January 9, 2025. Massive wildfires that engulfed whole neighborhoods and displaced thousands in Los Angeles remained totally uncontained January 9, 2025, authorities said, as US National Guard soldiers readied to hit the streets to help quell disorder. Swaths of the United States' second-largest city lay in ruins, with smoke blanketing the sky and an acrid smell pervading almost every building. (ZOE MEYERS/AFP via Getty Images)

How to Help Black Wildfire Survivors in Altadena and L.A.

Here’s how you can help the Black residents impacted by LA’s ongoing fires secure food, housing, and medical needs.

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This Day in History: America Elects Its First Black Governor

The Richmond native served in the senate before becoming governor of Virginia and, eventually, Richmond’s mayor.

Monique Bitu Bingi, one of the plaintiffs in the case, holds holds a photo of herself as a young girl before she was forcibly removed from her parents. (Francisco Seco/AP)

Court ruling on Belgium’s conduct in colonial Africa hailed as turning point

The ruling recognizes the pain of the families of and the mixed-raced children in Africa who were kidnapped to Europe.

Toronto police confirm that four Black boys from the city remain missing amid concerns about missing Black youth in the GTA. (Courtesy: THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christopher Katsarov)

Community leaders sound the alarm about missing Black boys in the GTA

The press and police have failed to respond appropriately as cases of missing Black boys in the Toronto area rack up.

Sam Moore arrives at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts for the 18th annual Mark Twain Prize for American Humor in Washington, Oct. 18, 2015. (Owen Sweeney/Invision/AP)

Legendary soul singer dies at 89 from surgery complications

The talented singer and half of Sam & Dave has passed between 1961 and 1981, according to his representatives.

California Governor Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass tour the downtown business district of Pacific Palisades as the Palisades Fire continues to burn on January 8, 2025.(Photo by Eric Thayer/Getty Images)

Los Angeles Burned, Now They’re Coming for Karen Bass 

The first woman and second-ever Black person to serve as mayor of L.A. is under attack by conservative trolls like Elon Musk and Donald Trump.

A woman is aided by her family as she leaves her home during the Eaton Fire in Altadena, California, on Jan. 8. More than 1,000 buildings have burned in multiple wildfires that have erupted around America's second-biggest city, forcing tens of thousands of people from their homes. (Robyn Beck/AFP)

Generational Black Homes in LA Reduced to Ash Amid Growing Wildfires

As multimillion-dollar mansions in celebrity enclaves dominate headlines, Black communities in Altadena face an uphill battle to rebuild their lives.

Tour highlights race-based poverty and inequity across Mississippi Delta region

Tour highlights race-based poverty and inequity across Mississippi Delta region

The regions unique history and geography have resulted in unique economic disparities for Black residents.

Flames from the Palisades Fire burn a building on Sunset Boulevard amid a powerful windstorm on January 8, 2025 in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, California.  (Apu Gomes/Getty Images)

Los Angeles Fires: Uncovering The Hidden Struggles Of Incarcerated Firefighter Heroes

Among those battling fires in California are inmates who may earn as little as a dollar per day while putting their lives on the line.

Former Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Michael Regan has been credited with elevating the issues facing Black communities across the South amid more concerted attacks than ever seen before from Congress and state legislators. (Courtesy of the Environmental Protection Agency)

Michael Regan Rebuilt the EPA, but Did It Deliver for Black Communities?

He campaigned for Black communities as the department’s leader and leaves a complicated legacy behind him.

Resident Jeannette Francis explains why some peopel vote for the Labour Party to stay in their comfort zone, despite a lack of progress (Christopher Thomond/The Guardian)

‘I haven’t seen any change’: black Labour voters in Liverpool and London six months on

Residents of Black neighborhoods in the UK are frustrated by a lack of progress despite voting for the liberal Labour Party.

The Antioch Police Station (Terry Chea/AP)

California police force whose officers shared racist texts agrees to reform deal

After an investigation into racist and sexist messages, one California police department must reform, according to the Justice Department.

Downtown Detroit gained a new building in 2024 (Spencer Platt.Getty)

‘It’s buzzing here’: Detroit’s revival takes shape after decades of decay

The tech scene is booming in the US’s largest Black-majority city, with foreign investment and a recent population boost

Kadreal Hebert, who moved to New Orleans about three years ago, hopes the New Year's Day attack shines light on the issues that affect Black New Orleanians every day. (Adam Mahoney/Capital B)

‘Our City Is Always Hurting’: Black New Orleans Residents Grapple With Inequity

While the nation has recently turned its attention to New Orleans, the city’s longstanding issues will persist after the spotlight leaves.

Simone Biles

Simone Biles Named SI’s Sportsperson of 2024; Travis Hunter Named Breakout Star

The immensely talented athlete is the first gymnast to be named athlete of the year by Sports Illustrated Magazine.

Waiting for the Hour:
Carte-de-visite of an emancipation watch night meeting 1863 (Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture)

The Historical Legacy of Watch Night

Where once enslaved people waited for the clock to strike midnight and announce their freedom, their descendants participate in a vigil.

Presidential candidate Jimmy Carter and Rep. Barbara Jordan, D-Texas, at the Democratic National Convention in New York on July 15, 1976. (Brownie Harris / Corbis via Getty Images file)

Jimmy Carter’s single term in office was a springboard for Black women in politics

After President Carter’s passing at 100 years old, we reflect on how he helped Black women during his four years as president.

The survey also found that people living with a disability alongside cancer were less likely to feel supported. (Marina Krasnokutska/Alamy)

Black cancer patients in England less likely to feel supported in hospital, says charity

Black patients receive less support after diagnosis than white patients, with those cancer patients with disabilities faring even worse.

Shomari Figures (second from the left) says that the commitment to racial justice demonstrated by his father, Michael Figures, was instrumental in helping him to choose a path. (Courtesy of the Figures family)

His Father Bankrupted the Klan. Now He’s Going to Congress to Continue the Fight.

Though Democrats will be in the minority in the House, Shomari Figures says that his mission, including healthcare and voting, hasn’t changed.

Happy Kwanzaa

Heri za Kwanzaa (Happy Kwanzaa)!

December 26th marks the first day of Kwanzaa, or Umoja, which means “unity” in Swahili. According to the African American Registry, Kwanzaa was founded by Dr. Maulana Karenga in 1966.Umoja is the foundational principle of the Nguzo Saba (seven principles); without it, all other principles suffer. Kwanzaa is a unique African American celebration focused on the traditional…

Manager Shania Hutchins stands behind the register at Milwaukee’s Kinship Cafe on Dec. 19, 2024. (Nick Rommel/WPR)

At Milwaukee’s Kinship Cafe, new beginnings are on the menu

Milwaukee’s Kinship Community Food Center is more than just a pantry; it now includes a café that helps to employ those from the community.