Category Archives: articles

American artist Lorraine O’Grady is a conceptual artist and cultural critic whose work over four decades has employed the diptych, or at least the diptych idea, as its primary form. While she has consistently addressed issues of diaspora, hybridity and black female subjectivity and has emphasized the formative roles these have played in the history ofContinue reading “Lorraine O’Grady”

American artist Gwendolyn Clarine Knight preferred creating figural compositions rather than the Abstract Expressionist paintings that other artists of her generation embraced. Her vibrant paintings, primarily portraits and images of dancing figures, express her personal response to life experiences and reveal an abiding interest in her West African heritage. Her experimentation with improvisation and movement isContinue reading “Gwendolyn Knight”

Whether the mainstream likes it or not, Black actors and actresses are breaking down barriers that held them back for so long. In the past year we’ve seen shows like Atlanta, Master of None, Insecure, Empire and even reality show stars (hey, Cardi!) be recognized for their depiction of our varied Black experience. No longer are we a monolith —but weContinue reading “15 Monumental Moments In Black Hollywood History”

Three major federal laws protect the rights of people with disabilities. Knowing what these laws do helps people who learn and think differently speak up for what they need in school, work, and life. It also helps families know how to support kids who learn and think differently. Here’s a brief overview of the threeContinue reading “IDEA, Section 504, and the ADA: Which laws do what”

Mary White Ovington was deeply involved in two of the most important movements of the 20th century: civil rights and women’s suffrage. JOINING THE CIVIL RIGHTS CAUSE Ovington was born in 1865 in Brooklyn to parents who supported women’s rights and the abolition of slavery. As a young woman, Ovington decided to join the civilContinue reading “MARY WHITE OVINGTON”

The first general counsel of NAACP, Charles Hamilton Houston exposed the hollowness of the “separate but equal” doctrine and paved the way for the Supreme Court ruling outlawing school segregation. The legal brilliance used to undercut the “separate but equal” principle and champion other civil rights cases earned Houston the moniker “The Man Who KilledContinue reading “CHARLES HAMILTON HOUSTON”

A key figure of the Harlem Renaissance, James Weldon Johnson was a man of many talents. Not only was he a distinguished lawyer and diplomat who served as executive secretary at NAACP for a decade, he was also a composer who wrote the lyrics for “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” known as the Black nationalContinue reading “JAMES WELDON JOHNSON”

by Fredric K. Schroeder From the Editor: Fred Schroeder is one of the most reflective and intelligent people I know. He has been a significant leader in the National Federation of the Blind for decades, helped to promote the acceptance of blind travel instructors when that profession was thought to be exclusively for those withContinue reading “People with Disabilities: The Orphan Minority”

Throughout his short life, Medgar Evers heroically spoke out against racism in the deeply divided South. He fought against cruel Jim Crow laws, protested segregation in education, and launched an investigation into the Emmett Till lynching. In addition to playing a role in the civil rights movement, he served as the NAACP’s first field officerContinue reading “MEDGAR EVERS”

A prominent civil rights activist who became the first president of the Southern Poverty Law Center, Horace Julian Bond served as chairman of NAACP from 1998 to 2010, bringing the institution into the 21st century. Bond was also active in politics in Georgia, serving in both chambers of the state’s government for two decades. POLITICALContinue reading “JULIAN BOND”