Actor Richard Roundtree, the Original ‘Shaft,’ Has Joined the Ancestors
He was our Black action hero! Richard Roundtree was born in New Rochelle, New York, and was a celebrated football star at Southern Illinois University, NBC News reports. After college, he dabbled in modeling before getting his big break in the world of acting. A member of New York’s Negro Ensemble Company, Roundtree made his […]
Morgan State Makes History as First HBCU to Offer Division 1 Acrobatics and Tumbling
Morgan State is diversifying NCAA sports! Acrobatics and tumbling is one of just two American sports, alongside football, that was founded at the college level, The Baltimore Banner reports. For long, it wasn’t considered a “real” sport and is most associated with cheer teams. But in 2020, all of that changed when acrobatics and tumbling […]
Sha’Carri Richardson to Have Track Field Renamed After Her by Dallas School District
Sha’Carri Richardson deserves her latest honor! The Dallas Independent School District Board of Trustees voted recently to rename the track field at Jesse Owens Athletic Complex’s John Kincaide Stadium, reports Olympics.com. In a unanimous decision, the track will now be named after three-time world medalist Richardson, who has been making history as one of the […]
Magic Johnson Partners With Only Existing Black-Founded and Owned Insurance Company for Brand Relaunch
Magic Johnson is helping a historic Black-founded insurance company is transition into a new era. Alonzo Herndon, a formerly enslaved man, created Atlanta Life Insurance Company in 1905, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. The business was lucrative, making Herndon the first Black millionaire in Atlanta and growing Atlanta’s Black business scene, with Atlanta Life having a […]
Meet Leslie Diuguid, Owner of the First Black-Owned and Woman-Owned Fine Art Print Shop in New York City
She’s making art more accessible! Kansas City native Leslie Diuguid moved to New York City in 2013 to pursue a career in art, BK Reader reports. She got her start working at art galleries and printmaking shops, learning the ropes and networking with everyone she could. In 2017, her father Lewis Diuguid published his book […]
Virginia Teen Named America’s Top Young Scientist for Inventing Cancer-Fighting Soap
14-year-old Heman Bekele is a ninth grader at W.T. Woodson High School in Annandale, Virginia. And for the last four months, Bekele has been competing in the 3M Young Scientist Challenge, WCAX reports.. Over the summer, Bekele was paired with 3M mentor Deborah Isabelle, who works on developing new products in 3M’s Automotive Aftermarket Division, […]
Oldest Living Spelman College Alum and Fashion Trailblazer Celebrates 104th Birthday
She’s lived a life! Annie Jewell Moore was born in Daytona Beach, Florida, on September 20, 1919, Fox 5 Atlanta reports. After the death of her father, the family moved to Atlanta when she was just 3 years old. It was there that Moore first discovered her love of fashion after a family friend’s daughter […]
Former NFL Player Myles Jack and His Mother Make History as First Black Majority Owners of Professional Hockey Team
They’re helping to bring diversity to hockey! Myles Jack was drafted to the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2016, with the linebacker making quite a name for himself during his six seasons in the NFL. In 2022, he played his last season with the Pittsburgh Steelers, retiring at the age of 28, just two weeks after signing […]
Serena Williams Makes History as First Athlete to Receive CFDA Fashion Icon Award
Serena Williams is being recognized as a trailblazer in athletic fashion! Williams has always pushed the fashion envelope on the court. From skirts to bespoke tennis outfits and Flo-Jo inspired get ups, she has been just as influential in athleisure as she has been in the game of tennis. That love of fashion led the […]
Black-Owned Uncle Nearest Whiskey Purchases Largest Grand Champagne Vineyard in France
The Uncle Nearest brand is making history as it prepares for the launch of a new cognac! Uncle Nearest, the award-winning Bourbon and American Whiskey brand, has just become the largest Grand Champagne vineyard owner in Cognac, France, Shoppe Black reports. The brand acquired the 100-acre Domaine Saint Martin estate in Cognac, France. Situated along […]