Jeanette Epps may not be well-known yet, but by next year she will likely be a household name. Ms. Epps is poised to serve as Flight Engineer for Expeditions 56 and 57 to the International Space Station (ISS) beginning in May 2018. She will be the first African-American astronaut to serve as an ISS…
The documentary series, Africa’s Great Civilizations with Henry Louis Gates Jr., explores the cultural richness, impact and real history of Africa. Henry Louis Gates Jr., a long-time author and film documentary producer will walk us through the stages of how Africa became home to some of the greatest civilizations on earth. Gates Jr. is…
Harvard University has named Rihanna as their 2017 Humanitarian of the Year. In honor of the late Rev. Professor Peter J. Gomes, the award recognizes “prominent public-spirited leaders.” Past honorees include James Earl Jones, Kofi Annan, and Malala Yousafzai. Rihanna’s recognition is due to her extensive charitable work. S. Allen Counter, director of the…
Meet Haben Girma, the first deaf-blind graduate from Harvard School of Law and already a very accomplished civil rights advocate at the age of 28. Born in California, Haben is a first generation Eritrean American, her mother Saba having fled the nation in 1983 during the Eritrean war of independence. Saba walked to Sudan…
There is a meaningful quote by author John Kenneth Galbraith that reads,“There is certainly no absolute standard of beauty. That precisely is what makes its pursuit so interesting.” The way each of us looks and who we are on the inside makes us perfectly unique, and when we accept our individual beauty and persona, we…
Anna Murray-Douglass and Claudette Colvin are little-known figures in African-American history, often being left out of narratives involving prominent contributions towards black liberation. Anna Murray-Douglass grew up in the 19th century as the first emancipated child to her newly-freed parents. While she played a pivotal role in American history, most of us know her…
The 2016 biographical film Hidden Figures celebrated the important contribution made by a group of young African-American women whose mathematical prowess supported the United States Apollo Space Program. The film has been a box office hit and has received critical acclaim. Thanks to Hidden Figures, the American public is paying closer attention to the…
It’s been ten years since Andy Sandness tried to take his own life; however, he survived his attempt, which left him severely scarred after shooting himself in the face. For years Andy had to live with the fact that he had not only attempted suicide, but also had to endure an existence with a severely…
Some would say that there is nothing worse than the stigma attached to someone who has made unfortunate mistakes, endured much pain and triumphantly attained rehabilitation. As the late Nelson Mandela once said: “Everyone can rise above their circumstances and achieve success if they are dedicated to and passionate about what they do.” That is the kind of…
In 2002, at an international meeting on HIV/AIDS held in Geneva, 37 African First Ladies came together to form a body concerned with the most vulnerable in their continent: women and children infected with HIV/AIDS. OAFLA (Organization of African First Ladies Against HIV/AIDS) has a vision: an Africa with no HIV/AIDS, low maternal and child…
