Poets and poet laureates across the country are using poetry to foster racial healing, helping communities process grief, confront history, and build connection. Creative expression becomes a tool for reflection, storytelling, and reclaiming erased narratives.
Category: Media
Posted inBooks
Dr. Jewell Parker Rhodes, R. Gregory Christie win 2026 Coretta Scott King Book Awards
Dr. Jewell Parker Rhodes and illustrator R. Gregory Christie are the 2026 winners of the Coretta Scott King Book Awards, presented by the American Library Association to honor outstanding African American authors and illustrators of children’s and young adult literature. Arriel Vinson received the Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe New Talent Award, while additional Author and Illustrator Honor Books recognized works by Derrick Barnes, Calvin Alexander Ramsey, Marie Arnold, Lamont O’Neal and Alexis Franklin.
Posted inBlack History
Black artists as historians: Preserving memory through art
For generations, Black artists have documented Black life, preserving memory and identity where traditional histories have overlooked or erased their stories. From painting and performance to film and public art, their work captures the everyday, the ancestral and the deeply personal— creating a living record of Black history.
Posted inWord In Black
Can Twitch star Kai Cenat inspire Black kids to start reading?
By Alvin BuyinzaWord in Black For the past few years, Kai Cenat has been one of the biggest names on the internet, a Twitch streamer who has evolved from playing video games online into creating outlandish comedy that often goes viral. With more than 20 million followers, Cenat, 24, has rubbed shoulders with fellow internet […]
Posted inENTERTAINMENT
Bad Bunny makes Grammy history as Lamar, SZA and Olivia Dean lead night of milestones
Bad Bunny made history at the 68th Grammy Awards, winning album of the year for “Debí Tirar Más Fotos,” the first all-Spanish-language project to earn the top prize, while Kendrick Lamar and SZA captured record of the year for “luther.” Lamar also became the most-awarded rapper in Grammy history with 26 wins, and British singer Olivia Dean was named best new artist as the ceremony highlighted both musical achievement and social commentary.
Posted inBooks
Enoch Pratt to highlight work of Angela Flournoy at 38th Annual Booklover’s Breakfast
Enoch Pratt Free Library will host its sold-out 38th Annual Booklovers’ Breakfast featuring award-winning novelist Angela Flournoy on Feb. 7 at the Baltimore Marriott Waterfront.
Posted inBlack Press
In memoriam: Media icon and pioneer Thomas H. Watkins Jr., Daily Challenge publisher, is remembered and honored
Thomas H. Watkins Jr., founder and publisher of the New York Daily Challenge, died Dec. 19, 2025, leaving behind a legacy as a pioneering figure in Black media and a steadfast advocate for his Brooklyn community. Over decades, he used his newspapers to amplify Black voices, cover critical social issues, and mentor generations of journalists, earning admiration from civil rights leaders, activists, and peers.
Posted inENTERTAINMENT
Beyoncé enters billionaire ranks few Black Americans have reached
By Stacy M. Brown Beyoncé Knowles-Carter has joined the small and closely watched group of Black American billionaires, a milestone that places her alongside a handful of individuals who built vast wealth in a country where Black ownership has long been restricted, delayed or denied. According to Forbes, Beyoncé is now worth at least $1 […]
Posted inBlack Press
Family and friends gather for celebration of journalist James L. Wright Jr.’s life and legacy
Family, friends, and journalists gathered on Dec. 19 at Hemingway Memorial AME Church to honor the life and legacy of James L. Wright Jr. Wright Jr. was a staff writer for the Washington Informer, and a former writer for the AFRO News and Washington Post. He also was a member of the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.
Posted inNational News
Remembering Black leaders and icons who died in 2025
As 2025 ends, the AFRO honors the Black leaders, artists, and trailblazers who passed away this year. Their legacies shaped culture, politics and society, leaving a lasting impact on communities worldwide.
Posted inMedia
Urban One celebrates 45 years of media innovation and community impact
Urban One marked its 45th anniversary in 2025, celebrating its evolution from a single radio station founded by Cathy Hughes into one of the nation’s largest African-American media companies. Hughes reflected on the company’s legacy, innovation and continued expansion.
Posted inWord In Black
7 Christmas carols with a touch of soul
Black composers and arrangers shape the Christmas repertoire, adding spirituals and gospel songs that endure across generations.