On this day in Black history, February 28: — In 1704, Frenchman Elias Neau established the first school open to Black people in New York City, which originally began as visits to homes of the enslaved community. — In 1943, renowned musical Porgy and Bess opened on Broadway with Anne Brown and Todd Duncan in starring roles.…
Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images Two men from Queens have been found guilty on all counts in the October 30, 2002, murder of Jam Master Jay, a member of the iconic hip-hop group Run DMC. Karl Jordan Jr., also known as “Little D” and “Noid,“ and Ronald Washington, also known as “Tinard,“ were charged with one count of…
Burak Cingi/Redferns Latto has been tapped by AT&T to headline the NCAA Final Four Super Saturday Concert, taking place this spring. The “Big Energy” rapper is set to take the stage on Saturday, April 6, a day ahead of the Women’s Final Four Division I championship game in Cleveland, Ohio, April 7. The event is free to…
Paramount+ The new Paramount+ film As We Speak: Rap Music on Trial explores more than just the criminalization of rap lyrics in courtrooms in the United States. Director J.M. Harper tells ABC Audio that with the documentary, he intended to highlight the decadeslong weaponization of Black art dating back to slavery. Harper describes a scene in which rapper Kemba, who narrates and interviews prominent rap…
Jerritt Clark/Getty Images for Savage X Fenty Show Vol. 2 Presented by Amazon Prime Video Normani is gearing up for the release of her upcoming debut album by dropping a snippet of new music. In a clip shared to a fan account on social media, the “Wild Side” singer is seen lip-syncing lyrics to a…
Courtesy Gap Earlier this month, Tyla won a Grammy, and now, she’s starring in a major fashion campaign. The “Water” star is spotlighted in Gap’s Spring 2024 campaign, which is focused on the brand’s linen clothing. In the commercial, Tyla, wearing a linen crop top and loose-fitting linen cargo pants, dances to the song “Back on 74”…
Paras Griffin/Getty Images Sean “Diddy” Combs was hit with another sexual assault lawsuit, filed by a music producer in New York federal court Monday. The 73-page claim, brought forth by Rodney “Lil Rod” Jones, accuses Combs of repeated instances of sexual harassment, including the “unsolicited and unauthorized groping and touching” of his private body parts. It also says Jones was…
On this day in Black history, February 27: — In 1872, Charlotte E. Ray graduated from Howard University Law School, making her the first Black woman to graduate from a law school. Two months later she became the first Black woman to formally practice law in the United States. — In 1883, William B. Purvis…
Lionel Hahn/Getty Images Jodie Turner-Smith is opening up about her divorce from fellow actor Joshua Jackson. “Sometimes things we really want to work just don’t end up working,” the Star Wars: The Acolyte actress told the U.K.’s The Sunday Times. “And that’s OK.” “The most important thing is that you choose what’s healthiest for you…
NBCU Photo Bank The cast of A Different World is hitting the road for a 10-city reunion tour of various historically Black colleges and universities. Taking place more than 35 years after the iconic sitcom’s premiere, cast members Kadeem Hardison, Jasmine Guy, Darryl M. Bell, Dawnn Lewis, Cree Summer, Charnele Brown, Glynn Turman and Sinbad —…