Race

Quilombo Machado community, one of 11 quilombo communities in Porte Allegro, Brazil, 2017. 

'Existing and resisting': Black quilombo communities fight for land, rights in Brazil

Monday is Black Consciousness Day in Brazil. It falls on day of death of Zumbi dos Palmares, the leader of Palmares Quilombo, a community of runaway slaves and their descendants, in 1695. There are still thousands of quilombos across Brazil, and many continue to fight for their land and their rights.

'Existing and resisting': Black quilombo communities fight for land, rights in Brazil
Screenshot from "Cape Flats Kung Fu" by Eavesdrop.

'Planet Hip Hop': The music will always be the voice of the people, Samy Alim says

'Planet Hip Hop': The music will always be the voice of the people, Samy Alim says
Belgian artists Charlotte Adigéry and Bolis Pupul.

‘It’s not about you, it’s about the conversation’: This Belgian music duo gets you dancing — and talking

‘It’s not about you, it’s about the conversation’: This Belgian music duo gets you dancing — and talking
"Les Princes de la Ville" by 113, a French rap group.

Planet Hip Hop: How French rappers continue to raise their voices for justice and identity

Planet Hip Hop: How French rappers continue to raise their voices for justice and identity
The group Obiní Batá has taught dozens on women how to play Afro-Cuban drums since it started in the early 1990s.

How a group of Cuban female musicians claimed a drum — and a tradition

How a group of Cuban female musicians claimed a drum — and a tradition
Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis arrives at the Foreign Office to visit Britain's Foreign Secretary in London, Friday, April 28, 2023.

Will Gov. DeSantis win his battle to dismantle DEI programs at state universities?

Widely viewed as a potential 2024 Republican presidential candidate, Florida's Gov. Ron DeSantis has been on a path to dismantle diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs at universities as part of his plan to overhaul publicly funded higher education.

Will Gov. DeSantis win his battle to dismantle DEI programs at state universities?
Brazilian President Luis Inacio Lula da Silva and Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa during welcome ceremonies outside the 16th century Jeronimos monastery in Lisbon, Saturday, April 22, 2023. 

Portugal’s president says country should apologize, 'assume responsibility' for slave trade

This week, President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa said Portugal should formally apologize for its role in the trans-Atlantic slave trade. The Portuguese were responsible for selling nearly 6 million people into slavery — mostly in Brazil. Some activists and scholars say an apology is just a start and there's still a long way to go.

Portugal’s president says country should apologize, 'assume responsibility' for slave trade
Rescue workers clear the rubble from an apartment building that was destroyed in a Russian rocket attack at a residential neighbourhood in the southeastern city of Dnipro, Ukraine, Monday, Jan. 16, 2023. 

'We lost everything': African students who fled war in Ukraine continue to struggle

By and large, many African countries have stayed on the sidelines of the Russia-Ukraine conflict. As major importers of wheat and fertilizers from the two warring nations, they are reluctant to jeopardize those vital supplies by taking sides, observed Olayinka Ajala, a lecturer at Leeds Beckett University in Britain.

'We lost everything': African students who fled war in Ukraine continue to struggle
View of the Earth as seen by the Apollo 17 crew.

NASA’s iconic image of Earth still inspires 50 years later. Fmr astronaut Mae Jemison reflects on it.

Former NASA astronaut Dr. Mae Jemison, who now directs the 100 Year Starship Project, talks about the power of the "big, blue marble" image of planet Earth, taken 50 years ago.

NASA’s iconic image of Earth still inspires 50 years later. Fmr astronaut Mae Jemison reflects on it.
The Supreme Court is deciding a case on whether, and how, universities may consider an applicant’s race when making admissions decisions.

What is affirmative action? Here are 4 essential reads.

Scholars explain what affirmative action is — and isn’t — as well as what its effects are, and why, among others, the military has supported it for decades.

What is affirmative action? Here are 4 essential reads.
From left to right: Yeleyeni Songsore and her Ghanaian husband; Mawiyah Kambon and Kamal Kambon; Kwaku Asantu Maroon Asare.

‘This is where I should be’: 1,500 Black Americans make Ghana their new home

At least 1,500 Black Americans have moved to Ghana since 2019, when the government declared its "Year of Return" initiative, calling on Africans in the diaspora to return to Africa. As the US continues to confront its history of racism and police brutality against Black people, many are heeding Ghana's call.  

‘This is where I should be’: 1,500 Black Americans make Ghana their new home
women in billowing dresses

This Brazilian city is home to a US Civil War colony. It banned racist symbols at its annual Confederate festival.

The Brazilian town of Santa Bárbara d’Oeste is known for one thing above all — its annual Confederate festival. Descendants of thousands of people who emigrated to Brazil from the US South after they lost the Civil War celebrate their American heritage. Typically, the Confederate flag stands out. But recently, the City Council voted to ban the flag because of its racist symbolism.

This Brazilian city is home to a US Civil War colony. It banned racist symbols at its annual Confederate festival.
Magdi Omar Ytreeide Abdelmaguid and Chirag Patel are the artists behind Karpe, a Norwegian rap duo whose latest hit "PAF.no," has gotten people across the country talking about Norwegianess and belonging. 

This Norwegian chart-topper speaks to Norway’s immigration story

The song “PAF.no,” one of the biggest hits in Norway this year, features a chorus in Arabic that has everyone singing along — and also discussing what it means to be Norwegian. 

This Norwegian chart-topper speaks to Norway’s immigration story
Filmmaker Crystal Kwok speaks to a customer at shop featured in the film,"Blurring the Color Line."

'I want people to have uncomfortable conversations': A new documentary explores Chinese and Black relations in the Jim Crow South

Crystal Kwok is the director of "Blurring the Color Line," a new documentary about her family’s experience in Augusta, Georgia, and the relationships between Chinese Americans and Black people during the Jim Crow era.

'I want people to have uncomfortable conversations': A new documentary explores Chinese and Black relations in the Jim Crow South
dancers in flouncy dresses

Samba schools at Carnival take a stand against the racism and violence that Black Brazilians face

Through glittering costumes, provocative floats and bold song lyrics, several samba schools at this year’s Carnival — the first since the pandemic hit — are paying tribute to the country’s Black history while also lambasting the racism and violence that Black Brazilians continue to face. 

Samba schools at Carnival take a stand against the racism and violence that Black Brazilians face