Don Scott makes history as Virginia’s first Black house speaker
The Virginia General Assembly unanimously elected Democrat Don Scott as the new House speaker, marking a watershed moment for the state. Del. Scott's inauguration as the first Black speaker in the Virginia House of Delegates' 400-year history was met with shouts and a standing ovation across the Read More...
Move Afrika: elevating African music on a global scale starting with concert in Rwanda
Two decades after Nelson Mandela's legendary 46664 concerts, a new movement, Move Afrika, developed on the African continent. Inspired by Mandela's vision, his grandson Kweku Mandela launched this five-year project to create an annual music tour to promote Africa's artistic environment while Read More...
Growing the green workforce: US commits $41M to clean energy training centers
The United States is preparing for an energy transformation, and it's no secret that a trained workforce is critical to making the transition to a cleaner future a success. The recent announcement by the Biden administration of a $40.8 million investment in 27 new training centers across the Read More...
35 years later: Tracy Chapman is first Black woman to win CMA Song of the Year
Tracy Chapman makes history at the Country Music Awards (CMAs), becoming the first Black woman to win the coveted Song of the Year award with her timeless song, "Fast Car." The unfading allure of "Fast Car" "Fast Car," which was published in 1988, has weathered the test of time, becoming an Read More...
What's in a name? Dozens of American birds to be renamed to promote inclusivity
"Names have power, and power can be for the good or it can be for the bad," says Colleen Handel, President of the American Ornithological Society. This power is driving a radical movement to revise the English names of all bird species named after people, as well as to erase any names deemed Read More...
American Women Quarters Program celebrates achievements of remarkable women
In a special run of quarters to be minted for 2025, the Treasury Department announced that five extraordinary women will have their own remarkable place on US coins. These individuals are the result of a four-year journey in the American Women’s Quarters Program, which was created to honor Read More...
Judge overturns Galveston’s discriminatory electoral map in a voting rights victory
A federal judge issued a stinging reprimand to the Republican commissioners of Galveston County, Texas in a landmark case. The decision, which Judge Jeffrey Brown described as a "stark and jarring" violation of the Voting Rights Act, is a watershed moment in the fight for fair representation. In Read More...
Same-sex marriage now legal in Nepal: A historic step toward equality in South Asia
Nepal, a conservative South Asian country, recently made great progress in the fight for LGBTQ+ rights. The country's highest court has authorized the legal registration of same-sex weddings, making it the first country in South Asia to do so. While same-sex marriages are first categorized as Read More...
Freedom, resilience, and empowerment on Juneteenth
Juneteenth is a wonderful monument to the African American community's indomitable spirit and its continuous quest for freedom. On this day in Galveston, Texas, in the year 1865, Major General Gordon Granger announced the historic news that slavery had ended and all enslaved Black people were now Read More...
Raising diverse voices and celebrating progress this Pride Month
With the arrival of June comes Pride Month, a time to gather together to celebrate the 2SLGBTQIA+ community and reflect on the progress achieved toward equality. Despite the ongoing challenges, such as anti-2SLGBTQIA+ laws, (according to the ACLU, there are currently almost 500 anti-2SLCBTQIA+ Read More...