February, 2023 - Greater Diversity News

Black Hands, White House Slave Labor and the Making of America

By Renee K. Harrison
Black Hands, White House documents and appraises the role enslaved women and men played in building the US, both its physical and its fiscal infrastructure.

Black Entrepreneur Makes History With Her Big Sister Sisterhood Clothing Brand That Empowers Women

Nationwide — Kieaira Francis, founder and CEO of Big Sisters/Sisterhood, an online women’s clothing store centered on female empowerment and giving back, has now officially been certified by the U.S. Black Chamber, Inc. First launching in April 2021, Big Sisters/Sisterhood

A New Bill in Florida Would Give the Governor Complete Control Over the State’s Higher Education System

In perhaps the most racist, sexist, homophobic, and xenophobic bill crafted since the end of slavery in America, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and his Republican cronies have authored a bill that takes “breathtaking control of viewpoint and content throughout all

Obesity Care Week Begins as Report Reveals that Nearly 50 Percent of African Americans Have Obesity

Obesity Care Week 2023 (OCW) kicked off on Monday, Feb. 27, with a focus on the disproportionate impact of obesity on communities of color. Health officials responsible for OCW said racial and ethnic minorities have a higher rate of chronic

Meet Amerrah Garrison, A Rising Hollywood Star and Lover of ‘People Stories’

Amerrah Garrison, also known as A.G. Oktoberose, has won Char’Actors Michigan’s Great “AGON” Ultimate Monologue Slam. A performance or competition known as a “Monologue Slam” is quite comparable to the more well-known “Poetry Slam.” In this version, however, actors gather,

What Could the US Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing on the ERA Mean for Equality in THE US?

In a historic move, on the eve of Women’s History Month, on February 28th at 10:00 am EST, the United States Senate Judiciary Committee will hold a hearing about the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA). Specifically, the hearing is to discuss

UNC Bans Non-Woke Students and Staff From Being Forced to Make Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Statements

The University of North Carolina (UNC) has voted to ban students and staff from being forced to make diversity, equity and inclusion statements. The decision was made at its Board of Governors meeting on Thursday. It comes just days after another North Carolina school

Globetrotting Black Nutritionist Flemmie P. Kittrell Revolutionized Early Childhood Education and Illuminated ‘Hidden Hunger’

Nutrition is among the most critical issues of our time. Diet-related illnesses are shortening life spans and the lack of conveniently located and affordable nutritious food makes it hard for many Americans to enjoy good health. Physicians are also alarmed

People Produce Endocannabinoids – Similar to Compounds Found in Marijuana – That Are Critical to Many Bodily Functions

Over the past two decades, a great deal of attention has been given to marijuana – also known as pot or weed. As of early 2023, marijuana has been legalized for recreational use in 21 states and Washington, D.C., and

Imagination Makes Us Human – This Unique Ability to Envision What Doesn’t Exist Has a Long Evolutionary History

You can easily picture yourself riding a bicycle across the sky even though that’s not something that can actually happen. You can envision yourself doing something you’ve never done before – like water skiing – and maybe even imagine a

How to Help Teen Girls’ Mental Health Struggles – 6 Research-Based Strategies for Parents, Teachers and Friends

It’s a well-established fact that children’s and teens’ mental health took a hit during the pandemic. But new research suggests that teen girls in particular are suffering in unprecedented ways. A survey by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

After Oil: The Challenge and Promise of Getting the World off Fossil Fuels – Podcast

Our dependence on fossil fuels is one of the biggest challenges to overcome in the fight against climate change. But production and consumption of fossil fuels is on the rise, and expected to peak within the next decade. In this

$1 Trillion in the Shade – The Annual Profits Multinational Corporations Shift to Tax

About a decade ago, the world’s biggest economies agreed to crack down on multinational corporations’ abusive use of tax havens. This resulted in a 15-point action plan that aimed to curb practices that shielded a large chunk of corporate profits

GDN Print Edition March 2023

Greater Diversity News (GDN) is participating in this initiative and doing student outreach and media coverage. In Part 2 of this series, GDN urged all Black families to sign up for free membership.

Chairman Thompson Says Classified Tapes Turned Over to Fox News ‘Serious National Security Implications’

Mississippi Democratic Congressman Bennie Thompson revealed that some of the 41,000 hours of video footage from the January 6, 2021, insurrection that House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) turned over to Fox News included classified material that could threaten national security.

COMMENTARY: Chaos or Community, Circa 2023!

Quit Playin’ Thankfully, I have not lost all of my senses. I’m still not talking with inanimate objects. This last week of watching the Republicans fumble the victory they won in November has been mind-blowing. However, as the old Black

Tulsa Race Massacre Survivors Set to Receive Ghanaian Citizenship at Ceremony in Washington

Viola Fletcher, the 108-year-old survivor of the Tulsa Race Massacre of 1921, and her 101-year-old brother, Van Ellis, will acquire Ghanaian citizenship during a ceremony at Ghana’s embassy in Washington on Tuesday, Feb. 28. In 2021, Fletcher, called “Mother Fletcher,”

Commentary: You Have a Do-Over! Includes Healthy Living in 2023

Big Mama Said Sitting on the back porch with my grandmother, Lucille “Big Mama” Allen as she filled her three sons and three daughters, 16 grandchildren, 50 great grandchildren, 38 great-great grandchildren, seven great great-great grandchildren and a host of

More Employers Demanding Employees Return to the Office

Josh Wright runs a small eCommerce business that helps consumers get good deals on cell phones and plans but doesn’t believe employers should demand everyone return to the office. Wright says that people who work at home are more productive

Rev. Rhett H. James Honored During Dr. King Program

One of the most crucial figures in the American civil and human rights movements, Rev. Rhett H. James, who also helped to pioneer significant desegregation efforts in Texas, was honored posthumously at the 41st annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Gala,

Global $80 Million E-Commerce Brand, Sassy Jones, Opens First Brick-and-Mortar Retail Store in Richmond, VA

RICHMOND, VA — Sassy Jones, the nation’s fastest-growing privately held retail brand, which launched in the founder’s minivan where she drove across the country to various trade shows after giving birth to her then 4-month-old twins, is now a multimillion-dollar enterprise

Khadeen Ellis & Devale Ellis’ New Book WE OVER ME: The Counterintuitive Approach to Getting Everything You Want from Your Relationship

Advances To The New York Times Best Seller List And Receives Media Praise See The New York Times Best Seller List HERE As Seen On: TODAY Show, Tamron Hall, FORBES, The Breakfast Club, PARENTS, ESSENCE, EBONY “Staying married in this day

Research on Teen Social Media Use Has a Racial Bias – Studies of White Kids Are Widely Taken to Be Universal

Most research on teen social media use has been conducted on white teens and college students. As a result, it is unclear to what extent overlooked populations such as racial and ethnic minorities, sexual and gender minorities and other vulnerable

Presidential Greatness Is Rarely Fixed in Stone – Changing Attitudes on Racial Injustice and Leadership Qualities Lead To Dramatic Shifts

Every American president has landed in the history books. And historians’ assessments of their performance have been generally consistent over time. But some presidents’ rankings have changed as the nation – and historians themselves – reassessed the country’s values and

Ashley “AC” Cox: Conquering the Unconquerable

I was born and raised in Pass Christian, Mississippi, on the Gulf Coast, about an hour from New Orleans. My grandfather was introduced to the game as a teenager in Mississippi when he started caddying at a local country club.

Rising Hollywood Star Rayan Lawrence Reflects on Hit Cable Series and the Influence of 50 Cent

Rayan Lawrence doesn’t let his success make him arrogant. Lawrence, who plays K-9 in the hit Starz show BMF (Black Mafia Family), is just enjoying his newfound fame as the show’s new lead character. Lawrence told the Informer, “I love

A Stanford collaboration with the Department of the Treasury Admits Black Taxpayers are Targeted for Audit More than Others

According to Stanford RegLab, Black taxpayers receive IRS audit notices at least 2.9 times more frequently than non-Black taxpayers and possibly as much as 4.7 times more often. The new study included research by Daniel E. Ho, the William Benjamin

Unhinged Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene Says Quiet Part Out Loud: She Wants Pre-Civil War United States Where Whites Dominated Enslaved Black People

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene has said the quiet part out loud. The Georgia congresswoman, like some of her peers, doesn’t want to live anywhere near people of color. Greene has called for the U.S. to be separated by red and

The Anti-poverty Organization Led a Successful Education Campaign to Help Enshrine Racial Justice in NYC Government

New York, NY – Jennifer Jones Austin, the CEO and Executive Director of FPWA (The Federation of Protestant Welfare Agencies), released the following statement today in response to President Joe Biden’s new executive order focused on addressing racial inequity. The

19-Year-Old HBCU Student Receives $25K From Pharrell Williams For Gun Safety Technology

Kayla Austin, a 19-year-old sophomore at Howard University, pitched and won $25,000 at Pharrell Williams’ Mighty Dream Forum and Black Ambition in Norfolk, Virginia, last year. Her patent-pending technology called “My Gun’s Been Moved” provides gun owners with a 24/7

African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) – What Does It Mean to You?

Wanted!!! Technical Advisors- Your input is vital!!! Join the conversation. Come hear all about it from the horse’s mouth When: Saturday, February 18, 2023, 1:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada) Register in advance for this Zoom meeting: www.ouraddi.org/zoomagoa After registering,

Do Elementary School Students Do Better When Taught by Teachers of the Same Race or Ethnicity?

The big idea U.S. elementary school students do not particularly benefit from being taught by teachers of the same race or ethnicity. That’s the major finding from our new study, published in Early Childhood Research Quarterly. We analyzed a nationally

Extra Snap Benefits Are Ending as Us Lawmakers Resume Battle Over Program That Helps Low-Income Americans Buy Food

Millions of Americans will find it harder to put enough food on the table starting in March 2023, after a COVID-19 pandemic-era boost to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits comes to an end. Congress mandated this change in budget legislation

Many Americans Wrongly Assume They Understand What Normal Blood Pressure Is – And That False Confidence Can Be Deadly

Stunning as it may sound, nearly half of Americans ages 20 years and up – or more than 122 million people – have high blood pressure, according to a 2023 report from the American Heart Association. And even if your

Turning 50? Here Are 4 Things You Can Do to Improve Your Health and Well-Being

When the ball dropped on New Year’s Eve to mark the beginning of 2023, I came to grips with the fact that I would turn 50 years old this year. Entering a new decade is often a time to pause

Michigan State Murders: What We Know About Campus Shootings and the Gunmen Who Carry Them Out

A gunman opened fire at Michigan State University on Feb. 13, 2023, killing three people and injuring five others before taking his own life. A lot is still unknown about the campus attack. Police have yet to release a motive and said

Impact Network’s Show, “Healing & Hope” Featuring Dr. W. Franklyn Richardson & the Conference of National Black Churches

The weekly show will feature some of the nation’s most prominent faith leaders New York, NY (Friday, February 10, 2023) – The Impact Network will debut “Healing & Hope” highlighting the work, leadership and mission of the Conference of National Black Churches (CNBC) led by

World Health Officials Gather for Urgent Meeting Over Outbreak of Virus Deemed among Globe’s ‘Deadliest Disease’ that Has No Cure

The World Health Organization held an “urgent meeting” on February 14 to discuss the new Marburg outbreak in Equatorial Guinea and possible vaccine and treatment candidates. The organization said it would send teams to the affected areas and send experts

Justice Department Announces Over $200 Million in Investments in State Crisis Intervention

The Justice Department announced 49 awards to states, territories, and the District of Columbia as part of the Byrne State Crisis Intervention Program. Officials stated that the investment of over $231 million would fund state crisis intervention court proceedings, including but not limited

Queen of Afrobeats Tiwa Savage and Unbound Studios, Complete Principal Photography on a New Kind of Love Story in WATER AND GARRI

New York, NY, February 15, 2023 – Leading African production company, Unbound Studios and its subsidiary company, JM Films, have announced that they have wrapped principal photography on their first feature film WATER AND GARRI, directed by Meji Alabi (

Racist Buffalo Gunman Gets Life in Prison after Chaotic Court Appearance

People embrace Sunday outside the scene of a shooting at a supermarket a day earlier, in Buffalo, N.Y. – Matt Rourke/AP An emotional sentencing hearing for the 19-year-old white man who killed 10 Black people at a Buffalo grocery store

HBCUs Receive Funding for Technology Infrastructure – Center for Medical Humanities and Health Justice

Historically Black Howard University and Georgetown University are collaborating to establish a center for medical humanities. The Georgetown-Howard Center for Medical Humanities and Health Justice will focus on reducing health disparities in Washington by leveraging methods of critical inquiry at

CBD Is Not a Cure-all – Here’s What Science Says About Its Real Health Benefits

Over the last five years, an often forgotten piece of U.S. federal legislation – the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018, also known as the 2018 Farm Bill – has ushered in an explosion of interest in the medical potential of

Bust of Racist Former Supreme Court Justice Removed from U.S. Capitol

The bust of Roger Taney, the racist justice who wrote the infamous 1857 Dred Scott decision that said African Americans were not citizens, has been removed from the United States Capitol. The removal is the result of an effort led

Mississippi Lawmakers Seek Return to Jim Crow with Separate White System of Justice

Mississippi’s Black community is outraged that state lawmakers are moving closer to establishing a separate justice system in Jackson for whites and African Americans. According to Mississippi Today, the proposed new law would let the state’s white chief justice of

What a Second-century Roman Citizen, Lucian, Can Teach Us About Diversity and Acceptance

People who don’t fit the dominant demographic of where they live can often be asked, “Where are you really from?” In 2017, CNN surveyed about 2,000 people who shared their stories on social media with the hashtag #whereiamreallyfrom. The participants

Rev. Sharpton Takes on Florida Gov. Ron Desantis’ Latest Crusade to Whitewash Black History

Civil rights leader travels to Tallahassee this Wednesday to take a stand against GOP attempts to put classrooms back in the 1960s Tallahassee, FL (Monday, February 13, 2023) – Rev. Al Sharpton, Founder and President of the National Action Network (NAN),

A Black Woman-Owned Business Encounters Discrimination in Quest to Help Ukraine

Carolyn Davis, like many others, had an immediate reaction to the destruction in Ukraine caused by the Russian invasion. “Those folks need help,” said Davis, the CEO of the District of Columbia-based CDAG International. To help, her construction company visited

Black Educator’s Book, “Come Get These Kids,” Hits #9 on Amazon’s National Bestsellers List

Dr. Josiah Jackson is bringing attention to the school-to-prison pipeline to encourage more black parents to take action to protect their children from the American education system. Nationwide — Dr. Josiah Jackson, an educator and parent advocate from Minneapolis, Minnesota,

The SANS Institute Reopens HBCU Cyber Academy Applications to Address Need for Cybersecurity Professionals

Bethesda, MD – The SANS Institute is proud to announce the reopening of the HBCU Cyber Academy application window from February 1, 2023 to March 1, 2023. The HBCU Cyber Academy is a unique opportunity for students at Historically Black Colleges and

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