Author: Carma Henry

     Historians agree that  the earliest record of the West African chattel, commonly called slaves, arrived in America in 1619. Two and a half centuries later President Lincoln brought this reprehensible sin to an end. 

As Black History Month approaches, there is no shortage of concerts, recitals, activities, food and drink to help you celebrate. Here’s a lineup of some of the Magic City’s must-see events.

     In Delray Beach, Charlene Farrington leads Saturday morning classes at the Spady Cultural Heritage Museum to teach teenagers the history that schools often omit. Her lessons cover South Florida’s Caribbean roots, the state’s grim history of lynchings, the lasting effects of segregation and the grassroots activism that fueled the Civil Rights Movement. “You need to know how it happened before so you can decide how you want it to happen again,” Farrington told her students, according to the AP.

The 17th Judicial Circuit is pleased to announce that Broward Circuit Court Judge Carol-Lisa Phillips will serve as the Circuit’s next Chief Judge. Her fellow jurists unanimously elected her today to the position, which carries a 2-year term. Judge Phillips ran unopposed.

In a historic decision, the City of Fort Lauderdale has appointed Rickelle Williams as its first Black female City Manager, following a unanimous 5-0 vote by the city commission. Williams, who previously served as the Economic Development Director for the City of Miami Beach, brings a wealth of experience in urban planning and economic development to her new role.

The Black Press is the trusted news and information source for millions of Americans and is bringing on news trailblazer, April Ryan. This is April Ryan’s 6th Presidency, having covered five presidents as a White House correspondent and bureau chief.

     “It’s important for us in this season to hold a perspective, and our perspective, as Black people, is we’ve had bad leaders before. This is a time in which we have to grab a hold of the tenacity of our foreparents and know that we have what it takes to make it through this time as well,” said the Rev. Tony Lee, addressing concerns about the future of Black America in a Jan. 9 segment of “Let’s Talk WIN-TV.”

Starting a new job is always exciting but can also be nerve-wracking. Whether stepping into a new office for the first time or joining a virtual team, the first few weeks can set the tone for your experience. You want to make a great impression, but that doesn’t mean you need to come in and change the world on day one. In fact, some of the best advice for a new job is knowing what not to do. Navigating the early days with caution, patience, and humility can go a long way in building a strong foundation for success.

Thriller Author Reflects on Overcoming Racial Barriers and Honoring Martin Luther King Jr.’s Vision Through His Literary Works

      The 2025 Black History Month theme, African Americans and Labor, focuses on the various and profound ways that work and working of all kinds – free and unfree, skilled, and unskilled, vocational and voluntary – intersect with the collective experiences of Black people. Indeed, work is at the very center of much of Black history and culture. Be it the traditional agricultural labor of enslaved Africans that fed Low Country colonies, debates among Black educators on the importance of vocational training, self-help strategies and entrepreneurship in Black communities, or organized labor’s role in fighting both economic and social injustice, Black people’s work has been transformational throughout the U.S., Africa, and the Diaspora. The 2025 Black History Month theme, “African Americans and Labor,” sets out to highlight and celebrate the potent impact of this work.