African American

President Barack Obama is creating a new office to bolster education of African-American students.

Sherman Hemsley, the gifted character actor who gave life to the blustering Black Harlem businessman George Jefferson on "The Jeffersons," one of TV's longest running and most successful sitcoms — particularly noteworthy with its mostly Black cast, has died. He was 74.

On the lawn of Gracie Mansion in Manhattan yesterday, politicians, business owners and the Harlem community gathered to celebrate the official kick-off of Harlem Week 2012. This year’s affair marked the 38th anniversary of the event.

Sylvia Woods, founder of the famed Harlem restaurant that carries her name and is a must-stop for locals, tourists and politicians, has died.

During her lifetime, Maria Hawkins Cole was often overshadowed by her famous husband, Nat “King” Cole and later by her daughter, Natalie.  She died on July 10 at 89 and except for a few major media outlets she passed without notice. Such should not have been the case for a woman who gladly sacrificed her budding career as a vocalist to raise her family and look after the public affairs of her husband.

Boxing great Muhammad Ali, known for his unabashed self-confidence inside and outside the ring, is the recipient of the 2012 Liberty Medal.

Last week, basketball great and business tycoon Magic Johnson leveraged his clout and good name to launch his new cable network Aspire.

For nearly a quarter of a century Nat'l Association of Kawaida Organizations and Int'l African Arts Festival have been unstinting in keeping our community deeply informed and alerted on issues pertinent to culture and politics. That tradition continues on Saturday, June 30, and the NY Chapter of the organizations will present its 23rd Annual Symposium on Cultural, Community and Struggle, featuring renowned African and African American scholar Dr. Molefi Kete Asante of Temple University.

A disintegrating Harlem row house with an eminent history may soon become a victim of neglect and bureaucratic intransigence.

While many strides have been made in baseball, participation by African Americans has been decreasing. In fact, according to new research there are just 8.05% African-Americans in the sport. Now, Major League Baseball and the Chicago White Sox are trying to boost the number of minorities behind the scenes.