Author: Carma Henry

Long champions of social justice, Black athletes say their voices are needed now more than ever

Khadija “Bunny’’ Shaw bowed her head and raised a gloved fist after scoring a goal on her first start for Manchester City Women since pulling out of the team because of racist abuse directed at her on social media.

     The Trump administration’s proposal to cut half of federal workers at the nation’s housing agency is targeting employees who support disaster recovery, rental subsidies, discrimination investigations and first-time homebuyers, according to two documents obtained by The Associated Press.

     Knowing that Black designers make up only 7.3% of the fashion industry, despite the community’s significant influence on fashion, Barbie is committed to encouraging more young Black girls to consider a career in fashion design through partnerships that help break down barriers, unlock opportunity, and inspire the next generation.

In 1955, fed up with segregation on city transit buses, Black people in Birmingham, Alabama, refused to ride them at all. The months-long boycott, which hit downtown businesses along with the transit company, crippled the city; after losing millions in revenue, Birmingham officials agreed to integrate the bus system.

     Black entrepreneurs are the backbone of economic empowerment in America, yet they continue to face systemic barriers to financial support. D’Zhane Parker, Senior Director of Black Lives Matter, is on a mission to change that. During Super Bowl Week, Parker awarded $60,000 in grants to three Black-led organizations in New Orleans—NOLAvate Black, Excite All Stars, and Daughters Beyond Incarceration—fostering leadership, technological advancement, and family support within Black communities.

     “The official State of the Union will be filled with empty promises and misinformation, but the State of the People is our answer—a 24-hour livestream elevating the voices that truly reflect our community’s needs,” says Angela Rye, one of the organizers of StateOfThePeople.media. “It’s time for all of us to take a stand. Join us as we uplift the issues that matter, demand accountability for the harm caused and chart a path forward where we can thrive,” she adds.

The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is kicking off National Consumer Protection Week, March 2-8, 2025, with a warning about the dangers of imposter scams. Imposters are scammers who work very hard to convince consumers they are a friend or relative, or that they are from a legitimate source, such as a bank or government agency. These fraudsters then take personally identifiable information (PII) and use it to steal victims’ money.

Island City Stage in Wilton Manors, Brévo Theatre in Pompano Beach and GableStage in Coral Gables will present their collaborative production of Fat Ham, the 2022 Pulitzer Prize-winning play by James Ijames, this spring. This first-time historic partnership among three of South Florida’s leading theatre companies, made possible by a generous $250,000 grant from The Warten Foundation, will bring this imaginative and witty reinterpretation of Shakespeare’s Hamlet that tackles identity, belonging and generational issues, to both Broward and Miami-Dade counties. Fat Ham will premiere at Island City Stage from April 3 – May 4 and will move to GableStage from May 16 – June 15, 2025.

     “Minority owned businesses creates inclusivity within the market and the aim of this center is to provide services to help those businesses to succeed,” said FMU Interim President William McCormick. “Florida Memorial University is the only historic Black university in South Florida, and we are extremely proud to now have a business center in Fort Lauderdale’s oldest African American community, which is named after Dr. James Franklin Sistrunk, co-founder of Provident Hospital, Broward County’s first Black hospital. There is incredible history here and we are honored to be a part of the legacy.”