Black History

Cover of Running While Black byAlison Mariella Desir.

'Running While Black' tells a new story about who belongs in the sport

4:33pm November 16, 2022

by Beandrea July

In a new book, writer Alison Mariella Désir shares her journey into long distance running, reveals the hidden contributions of Black runners and calls for the sport to become more inclusive.

Dr. Nancy Caroline with paramedic Walt Brown in 1975

How a team of Black paramedics set the gold standard for emergency medical response

6:00am November 05, 2022

by Akilah Wise

In American Sirens, writer Kevin Hazzard recounts how a group of Black paramedics in Pittsburgh in the 1970s pioneered and professionalized the modern day ambulance service.

Juneteenth, or Emancipation Day, commemorates the end of slavery on June 19, 1865, in Galveston, Texas, in compliance with President Lincoln's 1863 Emancipation Proclamation. Here, a young woman stands near a piece of art created during the Louisville Jun

Companies are selling Juneteenth branded products. Here's why that's a big problem

10:30am June 17, 2022

by Jonathan Franklin

Brands and companies are working to remove their Juneteenth items from shelves, as experts say those who are selling Juneteenth-branded products are "tone-deaf."

Tenor Jamez McCorkle, who debuted the title role in the opera Omar, by Rhiannon Giddens and Michael Abels, which received its world premiere on May 27 in Charleston, S.C., at Spoleto Festival USA.

The debut of 'Omar,' a thoroughly American opera

12:20pm June 07, 2022

by Anastasia Tsioulcas

Composers Rhiannon Giddens and Michael Abels have brought a true story to the opera stage: the life of Omar Ibn Said, a Senegalese Muslim scholar who was enslaved and brought to the Carolinas.

Queue Listen Now

Niecy Nash and Jessica Betts are the first same-sex couple to be featured on the cover of Essence.

Niecy Nash and Jessica Betts are the 1st same-sex couple on the cover of Essence

7:57pm February 25, 2022

by Jonathan Franklin

In the interview with the magazine, the couple opened up about their love story and how their relationship blossomed into marriage, as the duo tied the knot in August 2020.

At the March on Washington on Aug. 28, 1963, African Americans carry placards demanding equal rights, integrated schools, decent housing and an end to bias.

National

Here's the story behind Black History Month — and why it's celebrated in February

10:41am February 01, 2022

by Jonathan Franklin

Black History Month grew from a weeklong celebration that started nearly 100 years ago — and it's not random that it's in February.

The Maya Angelou quarter is the first in the American Women Quarters Program, which will feature other prominent women in U.S. history. The other quarters in the series will begin rolling out later this year and through 2025, according to the U.S. Mint.

The poet Maya Angelou is the first Black woman to be featured on a U.S. quarter

9:35pm January 10, 2022

by Jonathan Franklin

The Maya Angelou design is the first quarter in the "American Women Quarters Program" — a four-year program that will feature prominent women in U.S. history.

The new Emancipation and Freedom Monument in Richmond, Va., features two 12-foot bronze statues of a man and woman holding an infant who have been newly freed from slavery.

National

An Emancipation Statue Debuts In Virginia Two Weeks After Robert E. Lee Was Removed

3:04pm September 22, 2021

by Deepa Shivaram

The Emancipation and Freedom Monument — two 12-foot bronze statues of a man and a woman holding an infant newly freed from slavery — was unveiled in Richmond, the former Confederate capital.

Race

Greensboro Celebrates Juneteenth With Full Day Of Events

6:00am June 18, 2021

by David Ford

On Thursday, President Biden signed a bill into law making Juneteenth a national federal holiday.

The landscape at Longwood Gardens, Kennett Square, Pa., is still beautiful in the winter.

Environment

Black History Walks Through Longwood Gardens, Other Areas

11:04am March 02, 2021

by Eva Tesfaye

Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square, Pa., is one place taking advantage of people being forced to gather outdoors. It's got a Black History Month focus on nature.