Author: Carma Henry

     They call them “costed platforms.” The phrase sounds dull, bureaucratic. But inside it is a quiet radicalism. A spreadsheet with a soul. An arithmetic of empathy. Because to cost a platform is to admit there are limits; not to our dreams, but to the lies we tell in their name.

Yvette N. Harris, the creator and chief executive of Harris Public Relations, received the esteemed Arts and Cultural Tourism Award during the 2025 Serving the Arts Awards. This accolade was given by the Arts & Business Council of Miami in collaboration with the Miami-Dade County Cultural Affairs Department.

       Eleven Black women belong to the elite sorority of Oscar winners, including Halle Berry, Whoopi Goldberg, Mo’Nique, Jennifer Hudson, and Regina King. This group of extraordinary actresses owes a debt to Fredi Washington, who paved the way for Black women in Hollywood. In 1921, amidst the burgeoning Harlem Renaissance, Fredi, a recent arrival from Savannah, joined the “Happy Honeysuckles” of Shuffle Along, Broadway’s first Black-led show. To become a “Honeysuckle,” one had to pass the discriminatory “Brown paper bag test.” Josephine Baker barely passed and endured teasing for her ebony complexion. Fredi stood up for her, and they became lifelong friends.

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — The event took place under the shadow of a second Trump administration that has launched fresh attacks on press freedom, barring the Associated Press from the presidential pool and moving to shut down the Voice of America broadcaster.

President Donald Trump has signed an executive order demanding a rewrite of what he calls America’s “distorted” narrative. The target? The Smithsonian Institution: the world’s largest museum and research complex, home to 21 museums, the National Zoo, and more than a century’s worth of collective knowledge. This sounds torn straight from a dystopian history book. 

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — The demonstration began at sunrise, with Jeffries and Booker livestreaming a conversation across TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, X, and YouTube, urging Americans to speak out against what they called a “cruel” and “reckless” budget.

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — Host Stacy Brown and co-host Niele Anderson debated the fallout from Sanders’ slide in the NFL draft. Brown called for Black America to stop seeking validation from institutions like the NFL

Florida A&M is gearing up for a game-changing move that has the entire Rattler Nation buzzing: legendary Florida State quarterback and former NBA point guard Charlie Ward is close to finalizing a deal to become the next head coach of FAMU men’s basketball.

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — This speech comes as President Donald Trump’s approval ratings are underwater. According to MSNBC, his current poll numbers have him at a 55% disapproval rate.

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — dozens of congressional Democratic members of Congress gathered on the steps of the U.S. House of Representatives from sunrise to sunset Sunday, April 27 to speak out against budget cuts.