Mar 30 Watch 5:15 Centenarian Bennie Fleming reflects on her dedication to a life of service By Michelle San Miguel, Barbara Dury and Justin Kenny, Rhode Island PBS Weekly For our “Hidden Histories” series as Women’s History Month draws to a close, Rhode Island PBS Weekly’s Michelle San Miguel introduces us to Bennie Fleming, a 100-year-old woman who embodies what it means to live a life of service —… Continue watching
Mar 11 Activists tap a sweet Indigenous tradition to connect youth of color in Detroit with the outdoors By Frances Kai-Hwa Wang The Detroit Sugarbush Project brings Anishinaabe traditions of sugarmaking and other outdoor nature activities to a new generation of Black and Indigenous youths in Detroit. Continue reading
Mar 01 Black Americans’ significant economic and civil rights progress threatened, report says By Matt Brown, Associated Press The report cites legal challenges to the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and backlash to efforts meant to advance racial progress such as affirmative action and diversity, equity and inclusion policies. Continue reading
Feb 25 Watch 3:05 The story of Granny Hayden, a Black midwife who was born into slavery By StoryCorps Mary Stepp Burnette Hayden was born into slavery on a plantation in Black Mountain, North Carolina. She remained there after being freed in 1865, going on to become a midwife. In this animated feature from our partners at StoryCorps, Hayden’s… Continue watching
Feb 22 Judge rules that Texas high school legally suspended Black student over hairstyle By Juan A. Lozano, Associated Press A Black high school student’s monthslong punishment by his Texas school district for refusing to change his hairstyle does not violate a new state law that prohibits race-based hair discrimination, a judge ruled on Thursday. Continue reading
Feb 17 How Black activists have long used mapmaking to document culture and racism in the U.S. By Joshua F.J. Inwood, Derek H. Alderman, The Conversation Ongoing research highlights the neglected history of Black mapmaking in America and shows the creative ways in which Black people have historically used mapping to tell stories. Continue reading
Feb 09 Ed Dwight was supposed to be the 1st Black astronaut. At 90, he’s finally getting his due By Jake Coyle, Associated Press An accomplished Air Force pilot, Ed Dwight was groomed by John F. Kennedy's White House to be the first Black astronaut. But in training, he faced discrimination that detoured his path. Now 90, Dwight is widely celebrated as a pioneer… Continue reading
Feb 05 Justice Department proposes major changes to address racial disparities in state crime victim funds By Claudia Lauer, Associated Press The Justice Department has proposed changes to rules governing state-run programs that provide financial assistance to violent crime victims in order to address racial disparities and curb the number of subjective denials of compensation. Continue reading
Feb 05 Family of Black girls handcuffed, held at gunpoint by Colorado police reach $1.9 million settlement By Colleen Slevin, Associated Press A Black woman and a group of young girls who were wrongfully forced out of their car, held at gunpoint and handcuffed by police in suburban Denver in 2020 have reached a $1.9 million legal settlement. Continue reading
Jan 28 Watch 5:58 A Black physician’s memoir looks at the legacy of medical racism in America By John Yang, Kaisha Young Dr. Uché Blackstock has seen firsthand how medical racism shapes health care in America. She's dedicated her career to work at the intersection of medicine, health equity and systemic racism. Her new memoir, "Legacy: A Black Physician Reckons with Racism… Continue watching