Author: Melissa Noel

Essence Magazine:

Updated February 22, 2024

A Texas judge has ruled that the monthslong punishment of a

The post Texas Judge Rules That School Legally Punished Black Student Over His Hairstyle appeared first on Essence.

Essence Magazine:

By Melissa Noel ·Updated February 19, 2024

An act of kindness by school bus driver Larry Farrish Jr. is touching the hearts of people across the country. 

Farrish Jr., who drives buses in Louisville, Kentucky, recently noticed a little boy named Levi was having a rough morning. 

The 35-year-old told Today that when he came to pick up the first grader who attends Engelhard Elementary School, the usually upbeat student was in a downhearted

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Tom Williams via Getty Images By Melissa Noel ·Updated February 16, 2024

The descendants of some of the most well-known civil rights activists of the 1950s and 1960s and other prominent historical leaders gathered at the White House for a special celebration of Black History this week. 

Attendees included the families of Frederick Douglass, Harriet Tubman, Booker T. Washington, Sally Hemings, Ida B. Wells, Malcolm X, Rosa Parks and Emmett Till.

They were greeted

Essence Magazine:

By Melissa Noel ·Updated February 15, 2024

After posting an image of a racist ideology on social media this week, a Republican lawmaker in Michigan has lost his committee assignment and staff.

Representative Josh Schriver, who is white, recently posted “The great replacement!” along with a map of the world with Black figures outnumbering white figures on X, according to The Associated Press. 

The conspiracy theory contends that there’s a plot to diminish the

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Screenshot of TikTok video By Melissa Noel ·Updated February 15, 2024

In a Boston Sephora store, a group of white teenage girls were caught apparently wearing blackface with dark makeup.

A viral TikTok video showed three girls trying makeup testers at Sephora, with two covering their faces with cosmetics meant for darker skin tones.

A University of Southern California track and field athlete who filmed the girls in the video describes the scene as

Essence Magazine:

By Melissa Noel ·Updated February 14, 2024

The Wichita Kansa Police Department announced that they have arrested a suspect in the theft and destruction of a Jackie Robinson statue stolen from a local park in January.

A 45-year-old man named Ricky Alderete has been charged with felony theft, aggravated criminal damage to property, identity theft, and making false information, according to CBS News.  Additional arrests are expected. The statue, valued at $75,000, belonged to League 42,

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Photo Credit: Bee Alyssa Trofort Wilson By Melissa Noel ·Updated January 30, 2024

When LaChina Robinson stepped onto the basketball court for the first time as a teenager, it gave her a sense of belonging. What she didn’t realize then was that her love for the game, which she played through college, would fuel her lifelong passion for creating impactful change and paying it forward in the world of sports. 

“I always say

Essence Magazine:

By Melissa Noel ·Updated January 22, 2024

Soufriere, Dominica— Tucked away in the lush tropical rainforest of Dominica is Jungle Bay, a Black-owned luxury eco-resort overlooking the ocean. It features all the amenities you’d expect, including beautiful villas, world-class massages, sunset yoga, snorkeling, and diving adventures. 

However, when it comes to food, Jungle Bay has a standout local experience that you won’t find anywhere else. 

Guests are invited to venture outside their villas and

Essence Magazine:

By Melissa Noel ·Updated January 10, 2024

A 94-year-old woman from South Carolina who made national headlines over her legal battle with developers to keep her family’s land and home has died.

Josephine Wright died “surrounded by family, loved ones, and prayers” on January 7, according to an update her family posted on their GoFundMe page.

“It is with heavy hearts that the Wright Family announces the passing of our beloved