Benjamin Banneker was a mathematician, astronomer, landowner, and author of a commercially successful series of almanacs.
Category Archive: Culture
Mary Bowser operated as a Union spy in the White House of the Confederacy during the Civil War.
Dr. Solomon Carter Fuller was the first African American psychiatrist and a pioneer in the study of Alzheimer’s disease.
Poet and spoken word artist Madison “Mocha” Hunter drops by Keep Your Voice Down for a chat. Alek, Doug, and Madison discuss the poet’s current locale, Memphis, Tennessee, where she is pursuing a Master’s degree in creative writing and a certificate in African American literature, and how it compares to her previous stops in Alabama and her hometown Detroit. The trio touch on Afrofuturism, Black history and culture, fathers and their impact on us, the American South, subtle racism and the legacy of Fannie Lou Hammer. Madison also performs her piece “Fannie Lou Hamer: Appropriating Nikki Giovanni’s Rosa Parks,” which you can read on Watershed Voice.
A.M. Darke is first person to create an open-source platform dedicated to black hair.
Black hair has long been undervalued, and poorly represented. Not only in gaming or other types of simulations, but also with toys available, non-toxic hair care products by big name companies, and television. Proper representation can help eliminate prejudice and restore a sense of cultural pride.
Elizabeth Freeman, best known as “Mum Bett,” was the first Black woman to sue and win her freedom in the state of Massachusetts.
This is the story of Tom Molineaux, America’s first international boxing superstar.
WSV’s Madison “Mocha” Hunter shares a powerful piece she penned titled “Fannie Lou Hamer: Appropriating Nikki Giovanni’s Rosa Parks.”
In this piece, WSV’s Debbie Allen digs into the feelings and emotions that inspire her work, and offers a poem she penned titled “The Brilliance of Her Art.”
Maggie Lena Walker was the first woman to found a bank.
Dr. Daniel Hale Williams III was the first surgeon to successfully perform open heart surgery in 1893.
WSV’s Aundrea Sayrie writes, “Birthed out of a need to preserve the history that had too long been purposely manipulated, Black History Month has always been accompanied by controversy. However, it provides a unique opportunity to center Blackness outside of the context of conflict or conflict resolution. Due to erasure through whitewashing and omission there is a ton of Black history that is not taught in schools, so it is also a time for enlightenment, acknowledgement, and engaging conversations between strangers and friends.”
Alek and Doug address the Georgia Bulldog in the room: Former Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford is Super Bowl bound, and they’re here for it. After fawning over Stafford and what he meant to Detroit, Doug and Alek discuss rooting for a player after they leave your favorite team, silver linings from the trade that sent Stafford to the Los Angeles Rams and the Lions’ ensuing rebuild, and the man standing between Stafford and his first championship, Cincinnati Bengals’ sophomore phenom Joe Burrow.
WSV’s Nancy Boyd writes, “If we are seeking happiness from the outside inward, things may become pretty discouraging. If, on the other hand, we seek happiness from our inward being, we will not only learn to experience happiness from within, but to encourage others with whom we share our lives.”
Author Matthew Roberson stops by Keep Your Voice Down to discuss his forthcoming novel “Interim,” set to be released in March, and all things writing. Doug, Alek, and Matt talk process, influence, young writers’ dependence on film, television, and video games in lieu of reading literature, and Central Michigan University where Matt teaches creative writing.
WSV’s Dan Robinson writes, “Whether it’s a moment along the banks of the St. Joseph River, a stop by Lake Michigan’s shore, or even virtually with this photo essay, it’s good to reflect on what in your life needs rest and what potential you have waiting to spring forth.”
WSV’s Steph Hightree writes, “I promise you it will be OK. Do I expect you to feel better tomorrow? Not at all. But I do hope that you start to heal soon. You are not alone in this. Contrary to popular belief I used to be young and in love, and I have experienced heartbreak myself. I may not be an expert but I can help you navigate this new normal.”
WSV’s Charles Thomas writes, “The Most Reverend Desmond Tutu was one of the great spiritual giants of our time, so when I learned that he had once visited our fair city of Three Rivers, I was shocked.”