The BBC has recently released their list of Sound of 2017 artists. The winner for 2017 is Ray BLK, an unsigned 23-year-old R&B and soul artist from London. The annual list is determined by polling music critics and other industry figures and aims to highlight “the most exciting rising stars” in music. Based on…
Only a few days ago, Jammeh was adamant about remaining in position until a formal investigation could be played out in response to his claim of “irregularities in the election.” Now, in front of the Gambian people, Jammeh stated it is “not necessary that a single drop of blood be shed.” The announcement reportedly…
Inauguration Day is a day for celebration, and thousands of Americans lined the streets to welcome the newest President into office. The parade was filled with marching bands, music, and of course President Trump taking his time riding through D.C. in his armored car. The press lined Pennsylvania Avenue all trying to get a…
Hidden Figures is the previously untold story of three African-American women—two mathematicians and one engineer —who worked at NASA in the early 1960s. With both their gender and race serving as obstacles to their advancement and acceptance by colleagues, mathematicians Katherine Goble Johnson and Dorothy Vaughn, along with engineer Mary Jackson, helped set…
In a historical moment, Donald J. Trump took the stage on Capitol Hill today while being sworn in as the 45th President of the United States. The official first step to become president is taking the oath, but that wasn’t all Trump did to welcome the new job. Surrounded by his family, Trump…
Celebrities and entertainers are facing a fork in the road. Like all Americans, they have to make a choice whether or not to support the newest President, Donald Trump. While the consensus is that actors and musicians are mostly liberal, those are unfounded misconceptions, and many high profile artists are stepping forward to…
Donald Trump woke up this morning to one of the biggest days in his life. His supporters are jubilant, his family is proud, and the world is anticipating change, but not everyone is so eager to see Trump take over the White House. In fact, some protesters couldn’t even wait until Friday, starting their defiance…
It’s a rainy and gloomy day at the White House as President Obama prepares to step down as Commander-in-Chief—an appropriate ambiance for many Americans as their President of “Hope” spends his final moments in Washington. Obama spent his final hours wrapping up his last-minute checklist, including offering multiple pardons and commutations, treating his staff…
PEN America has given African literature enthusiasts reason to celebrate. Four African authors are among the finalists for the 2017 PEN America Literary Awards. Among them is Nigerian-American Teju Cole, the first writer in the awards’ 54-year history to be nominated twice in one year: for the $10,000 PEN/Diamonstein-Spielvogel Award for the Art of…
Chelsea Manning has served nearly seven years of her 35-year sentence for leaking over 750,000 documents containing classified information to WikiLeaks. Manning, who is transgender, has been serving her sentence in an all-male military prison, despite her request to be transferred to a more appropriate facility. To be clear, Obama did not grant a full…
Work it, girl! The runways were graced with gorgeous African-American models at New York Fashion Week this year. One of the industry’s freshest faces is Blésnya Minher. The lovely 19 year old captured her special catwalk moments on her Instagram page. Minher was discovered through an open casting call in Angola. She walked for Calvin Klein as her star is just beginning…
This year’s Toronto International Film Festival features several films about the black diasporic experience, with a few profiles of well-known black figures as well as drama and satire. One contribution, A Season in France, tells the story of a man who migrates from the Central African Republic to France, where he falls in love with…
Technology analysts who predicted that Apple would do something big on the ten-year anniversary of the iPhone were initially disappointed on June 29. However, on September 12, consumers were certainly not let down as the company introduced the iPhone X to great fanfare and lots of media attention. At the new Apple Park campus in Cupertino, CEO…
On September 1st, Serena Williams and her fiancé Alexis Ohanian welcomed their baby girl into the world. Excitement engulfed the air with news headlines graced by this life-changing moment that added another chapter to the life of the prominent athlete. And now, Serena Williams is the mother to a beautiful baby girl. In what may be…
