Noire History

A profile of Miriam Makeba, a South African entertainer who was exiled for 30 years in retaliation for her speaking out against apartheid. Show notes and sources are available at http://noirehistoir.com/blog/miriam-makeba .

A review of "Hidden Figures", a 2016 film about three Black women who used their talents in math and engineering to help America win the Space Race. Show notes and video are available at http://noirehistoir.com/blog/hidden-figures-movie-review .      

A profile of Anna Julia Cooper, a writer and educator who is regarded as one of the first Black feminists and specifically spoke to the intersection of gender and race. Show notes and sources are available at http://noirehistoir.com/blog/anna-julia-cooper .

In the February 2020 edition of Noire News I'll be discussing feature stories about the stigma of mental illness, the injustice system, Guyana's oil, Snoop Dogg v. Gayle King, attacks on civilians in Cameroon and Nigeria. As always, there's a memorial, good news, and now things you might want to participate in. Show notes, sources, and links to more info are available at http://noirehistoir.com/bl...

A profile of Mound Bayou, a town in the central Mississippi delta founded by former slaves who turned the area into a thriving self-sufficient Black community. Show notes and sources are available at http://noirehistoir.com/blog/mound-bayou .

A profile of the Harlem Renaissance, a period in history where Black people funneled their hopes and miseries into creative art forms that would define a generation and provide inspiration for many more to come.   Sources and show notes are available at http://noirehistoir.com/blog/harlem-renaissance

A profile of Bobby Seale, a social and political activist who co-founded the Black Panther Party. Show notes and sources are available at  http://noirehistoir.com/blog/bobby-seale .

If you're unfamiliar, Love Jones was one in a series of what's considered the modern classics of the 1990s golden age of Black films. The film tells the story of Darius Lovehall (Larenz Tate) and Nina Mosley (Nia Long) two twenty-somethings who meet and begin dating while living in Chicago during the 1990s. Show notes and video are available at http://noirehistoir.com/blog/love-jones-movie-review...

A profile of Frances Harper, a poet who published her first book of poetry when she was 20 and toured the East Coast and South where she gave lectures in support of the anti-slavery movement. Show notes and sources are available at http://noirehistoir.com/blog/frances-harper .

"Friends: A Love Story" tells the story of Angela Bassett's and Courtney B. Vance's individual personal and professional lives followed by how they came together and the resulting marriage. It's an incredible book about figuring out how to better define what you want in a partner and more importantly what you want within yourself. Show notes and video are available at http://noirehistoir.com/blog/...

A profile of Henry Highland Garnet, an escaped slave who rose to prominence as a fiery abolitionist preacher and called on slaves to revolt and take their freedom. Show notes and sources are available at http://noirehistoir.com/blog/henry-highland-garnet .

In the January 2020 edition of Noire News I discuss the Mississippi Prison deaths, the East African locust infestation, Caribbean earthquake, and the planned launch of the Black News Network. There is also a memorial to notable deaths in the community and some good news to balance things out. Show notes, sources, and video are available at http://noirehistoir.com/blog/january-2020-noire-news .    

A profile of Mary Ann Shadd Cary, the first Black woman publisher in North American, the first woman publisher in Canada, a graduate of Howard University Law School's first class, and the second Black woman in America to earn a law degree. Show notes and sources are available at http://noirehistoir.com/blog/mary-ann-shadd-cary .

"A Particular Kind of Black Man" by Tope Folarin tells the story of Tunde Akinola, the son of Nigerian immigrants who settled in Utah.   Show notes and video are available at http://noirehistoir.com/blog/a-particular-kind-of-black-man-book-review .

A profile of Blanche Bruce, the second Black man to serve in the U.S. Senate but the first to serve a full term. Show notes and sources are available at http://noirehistoir.com/blog/blanche-bruce .

In this episode of the career interview series, we are joined by Rohan Pessoa, a high school Guidance Counselor. Rohan's parents emigrated from Jamaica and he was the first generation in his family to be born in America. When the time came for him to select a college, his parents were unable to offer much guidance. That experience combined with a summer youth job at a job office sparked an interes...

A profile of Dorothy Height, an activist for civil and women's rights who helped to organize the March on Washington and spent decades leading the NCNW and the YWCA's Center for Racial Justice. Show notes are sources are available at http://noirehistoir.com/blog/dorothy-height .

A review of the movie "Just Mercy" starring Michael B. Jordan as Bryan Stevenson, a recent Harvard Law grad who fights wrongful convictions. Show notes and video are available at http://noirehistoir.com/blog/just-mercy-movie-review.

A profile of Ernie Barnes, a professional football player who became a notable artist after retiring from sports.  Show notes and sources are available at http://noirehistoir.com/blog/ernie-barnes .

A discussion of some of the major Black news stories and notable deaths from 2019. Also available as a YouTube video with show notes at  http://noirehistoir.com/blog/2019-noire-news-wrap-up .

A profile of Rosemary Brown, a Jamaica-born Canadian politician who worked to eradicate racial and gender discrimination.   Show notes are available at http://noirehistoir.com/blog/rosemary-brown .

Many of Selma, Alabama's Black history sites revolve around the Voter Registration and Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s. During my trip I visited the Selma Interpretive Center; Ancient Africa, Enslavement, & Civil War Museum; Voting Rights Museum; First Colored Baptist Church; Brown Chapel AME; and Tabernacle Baptist Church. Show notes are available at http://noirehistoir.com/blog/selma-alabama-...

A profile of Dr. Daniel Hale Williams, one of the first doctors to perform open-heart surgery and the founder of America's first Black-owned hospital. Show notes and sources are available at http://noirehistoir.com/blog/daniel-hale-williams .

A review of the movie "Queen & Slim", the story of a young Black couple that goes on the run after killing a police officer in self-defense. Show notes are available at http://noirehistoir.com/blog/queen-and-slim-movie-review .

A profile of Phillis Wheatley who was enslaved as a child, became a noted poet, and was the first Black woman to have a book published in America. Show notes and sources are available at http://noirehistoir.com/blog/phillis-wheatley .