Breaking News! History in the Making

For the first time in history, two black Senators will serve at the same time. (Photo: Charles Krupa, AP)

Meet the Newest Black Senator

The newest senator from Massachusetts, William “Mo” Cowan, is one of the most powerful Black politicians in the nation.

Confederate past: Uproar over changing park names

by Adrian Sainz, Associated Press, theGrio.com MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — The statue of Confederate fighter Nathan Bedford Forrest astride a horse towers above the Memphis park bearing his name. It’s a larger-than-life tribute to the warrior still admired by many for fiercely defending the South in the Civil War — and scorned by others for…

Alice Walker, awardwinning American writer and activist, author of The Color Purple, Meridian, The Temple of My Familiar, and other novels.

Happy Birthday, Alice Walker!

We recognize Alice Walker, an award-winning author whose work is well known in and outside of the Black community on her birthday.

Anti-Slavery Movement Poster, Salem MA, 1850 (Library of Congress)

Happy Birthday, Reverend John Rankin, Dedicated Abolitionist!

Reverend John Rankin worked toward equality through his religious weapons and work on the Underground Railroad.

Physicist and inventor George Carruthers built his first telescope at age 10, and has spent the rest of his life making important contributions to the study of outer space.

Two Black Scientists Receive the National Medal of Technology and Innovation

James Gates and George Carruthers have received medals from the Obama administration for their work in science.

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Black History Month Has Been an Epic Failure

Black History Month is well known, but the history of Black people before slavery is still a mystery to most people.

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What Was the 2nd Middle Passage?

Henry Louis Gates Jr. writes about the forcible movement of enslaved people after they were already on American soil.

Slaves Waiting for Sale: Richmond, Virginia, 1861. Oil on canvas, by Eyre Crowe. Collection of Teresa Heinz.

Painting Shows Slave-Auction Drama

Art is one way that we can understand the treatment of Africans and their descendants who were forced into slavery.

This new "Forever" stamp will go on sale February 4, 2013.

Rosa Parks Stamp to Be Unveiled on Her 100th Birthday, February 4th

The U.S. Postal Service will honor the activism of Rosa Parks by debuting a postal stamp bearing her image.

Credit - IStock

True Believers in Justice: Attorney Travis Williams

One lawyer fights for those who cannot afford representation and would otherwise be vulnerable to a racist criminal justice system.

Black Panthers stand as the funeral procession for George Jackson in 1971. (AP Photo/Robert Klein, File)

Fear of a Black Gun Owner

Edward Wyckoff Williams examines why Americans are so uncomfortable with certain people exercising their second amendment rights.

Dr. King in front of a crowd

Celebrating the ‘complete’ Martin Luther King Jr.; unfinished work and all

We are all familiar with Martin Luther King’s achievements, but the work he was unable to complete also tells an important story.

Underground railroad

Where Was the 1st Underground Railroad?

Henry Louis Gates, Jr. reveals a surprising fact about the Underground Railroad that challenges our understanding of American history.

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2nd Amendment Passed to Protect Slavery? No!

Scholar Paul Finkelman takes on an argument recently made about the second amendment’s connection to slavery.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., a founder of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) holds a picture of the three CORE workers killed during Freedom Summer in Mississippi, 1964. The three were registering black voters.

How We Can Truly Honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Marion Wright Edelman argues that we must redeem the soul of America to honor Dr. King because it won’t happen by chance.

Slave patrol drawing

The Second Amendment was Ratified to Preserve Slavery

Thom Hartmann argues that the second amendment was passed to give slave patrols power to discipline and return slaves.

A scene from Twelve Years A Slave, a movie released in 2013 made from a slave's narrative of the same title.

7 More Slave-Themed Films for You to Look Forward To in 2013

Tambay A. Obenson asks what it means that so many 2013 film releases give viewers a glimpse into slavery.

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Happy Birthday, Julian Bond, Civil Rights Hero!

A champion for Black and LGBTQ rights, Julian Bond held positions in politics, education, and activism over his life.

Cheadle accepts the award for Best Actor, Television Comedy Or Musical

Don Cheadle, Sole Non-White Winner At Last Night’s Golden Globe Awards. Ho-Hum…

Tambay Obenson opines about the lack of racial representation at one of the biggest entertainment awards ceremonies.

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Series of Brooklyn Billboards Put Racial Inequity on Display

Several Brooklyn billboards now feature information about racism in a recent awareness campaign.

The New Jim Crow

Intentional Bias in North Carolina

Three people on death row have had their sentences changed after successfully proving racial bias in their cases.