After World War II, the General Assembly of the United Nations outlined basic rights that all human beings should have. On December 10, 1948, they created the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) — a document that declared those basic human rights would be protected universally, making the UDHR and its message to protect freedom for all people accessible to many communities.

The first article states: “All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.”

The Universal Month of Human Rights’ goal is to acknowledge people of all different religions, cultures, races, as well as beliefs. We are all people who deserve to be treated with dignity and respect. Unfortunately, these words on paper are not always held up in action.

All over the world, there are groups fighting for their inalienable rights. Over the summer, Iran’s Morality Police unexpectedly reappeared in several Iranian cities. They had been withdrawn after the death of Mahsa Amini, a young woman who died in police custody in September 2022, which led to weeks of widespread protests and demonstrations. Now, they have the audacity to say that they will be taking a “softer approach.” A new law would specify the consequences for women not wearing the hijab. But it’s the regime’s fixation with women’s modesty that seems more likely to reignite the protests.

The Israel-Hamas war has inflicted unspeakable horrors, with a particularly devastating impact on women and a rising toll of sexual attacks. Amongst the destruction of homes, schools, and hospitals, and the killing of civilians, there has been disproportionate suffering of women and children. The images we see on social media only paint a surface level picture of what is happening. Israel has executed a targeted assault on the very heart of Palestinian society, which are mothers, daughters, and sisters.

More than 16,000 Palestinians have lost their lives in the conflict; over half are women and children. The situation is particularly terrible for about 50,000 pregnant women in Gaza, who are confronted with the reality of childbirth under the most awful conditions — in makeshift shelters, within rubble, or in overwhelmed health care facilities where there is the risk of infection.

Audre Lorde once said, “I am not free while any woman is unfree, even when her shackles are very different from my own.” Over forty years later, her words are still poignant and relevant.

The hard truth is that human rights laws have failed to accomplish their objectives. The weaknesses seem to undermine the laws, while there is not much evidence that human rights treaties, on the whole, have really improved the well-being of people. The reason is that human rights have never been universally applied in the way that people hoped for; the idea that they could be forced upon countries as a matter of law was misguided from the very beginning.

The human rights movement shares something in common with economic development, which has tried and failed to eradicate poverty. Top-down solutions for developing countries just don’t work. But where development economists have modified their approach to adjust from the bottom up, the human rights movement has yet to acknowledge where it has failed. After looking at the charter, it never gave the General Assembly the power to make international law. Additionally, the rights were described in vague terms that could be interpreted in many different ways. We’ve seen this time and time again with civil rights, voting rights, women’s rights, and LGBTQIA+ rights.

Human history has a way of saying one thing, yet doing another. The history books continue to teach that slavery ended in the United States with the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863. However, there were many who ignored the law and continued the institution of slavery. It wasn’t until June 19, 1865 — what we now refer to as Juneteenth — that Union soldiers arrived in Galveston, Texas, to announce the war had been won and slavery must come to an end.

We must stay mindful that the application of equal justice has to be intentional, and as citizens, we have to act with purpose. December is a busy month, and it is easy to bypass what people are going through in other parts of the world. So, while the season is a great time to celebrate and spend time with loved ones, it is also the perfect time to research a human rights movement you feel led to support; to remember that we are not all free. It’s time to wrap up the year resolving to do what we say, in the name of equity for us all.

The post December Is Universal Human Rights Month appeared first on Black Girl Nerds.

The persistence of these claims reveals less about the genealogical truth of these leaders and more about this country’s unresolved relationship with race. Whether or not the rumors are factual is almost beside the point. The larger picture is they expose the symbolic weight of Blackness in the national narrative, including how it has been used as both weapon and lineage, threat and inheritance.

The presidents at the center of these rumors share some common traits. They are overwhelmingly presidents or national leaders whose actions were deeply entangled with questions of race, citizenship, and American identity. Their presidencies marked moments of cultural tension and social transformation.

Thomas Jefferson’s life remains defined by contradiction: author of the Declaration of Independence, enslaver of over 600 people, almost certainly the father of Black children he refused to free. Historical research and DNA analysis have established that Thomas Jefferson fathered children with Sally Hemings, an enslaved woman in his household. Sally Hemings had six children fathered by Jefferson, and their descendants form a Black family line of his descendants. There are numerous descendants such as news anchor Shannon LaNier.

Similarly, rumors about Abraham Lincoln’s ancestry attach themselves to his role in ending slavery. Also, about his own lineage. While we know that Lincoln worked alongside abolitionists, understand that he didn’t consider himself one. His ending slavery was a political move. It was his platform for election.

Warren Harding faced public claims of Black ancestry during his 1920 presidential campaign. The charge was meant to be a political smear which is proof of the enduring racism that Blackness was seen as disqualifying.

The hard truth is that perceived proximity to Blackness is tricky when applied to leaders who either shaped racial policy, or were shaped by it. This country continues to grapple with the boundaries of who gets to be an American. Black ancestry functions as a floating symbol. For white supremacist ideology, it has historically been treated as a stain and a mark of impurity.

For a president to have Black ancestry is to rewrite the narrative from within. It suggests not only that Black people have always been here, but that they have always been at the center. So, all these rumors function on multiple levels: As political weapon; As cultural fantasy; As historical redress; As a challenge to national memory.

It is storytelling that wrestles with the truth we know: Black blood is in the soil, in the culture, and in the body politic of this country. These rumors cannot be separated from the racial logic that has defined American life. The one-drop rule – placing anyone with even a trace of Black ancestry into the category of “Black” – was both a tool of control and erasure. It created this fearful fascination with genealogical purity that still lingers to this day.

These rumors also signal a cultural awareness that whiteness, particularly political whiteness, has always depended on strict policing of lineage. To suggest that a president had Black ancestry is to puncture an illusion of that boundary.

From the earliest days of colonization, white and Black lives were together: forced and consensual. Enslavers fathered children with enslaved women; communities blended under the cover of silence; lineages were forgotten, or strategically reinvented. The politicians in these rumors often came from regions and families deeply bound to these histories. The rumors persist because they ring psychologically true, whether or not they are accurate.

I suppose the question we should ask is: “Why do so many Americans keep returning to this conversation?”

Maybe it is a desire to claim power by claiming ancestry, or another sloppy attempt to soften the brutality of history. Maybe it is a way to question hypocrisy: How could presidents who harmed Black people have badly treated their own blood? Or maybe it is simply a reminder that history is never as clean as textbooks try to twist.

Whatever the reason, the rumors insist that Blackness remains central to the American story. We know this. The nation, no matter how it tries, cannot distance itself from the people who built it.

I believe these rumors endure not because they reveal something definitive about the presidents themselves, but because they reveal something definitive about us. They shine a bright light on this country’s shame and denial. They reflect our ongoing struggle to reconcile myth with truth.

America is slow-coming with telling the full story. Perhaps, these recurring rumors provide us with the same reminder every time:

Black ancestry is not a secret; it is a foundation. It has always been here. This country keeps circling back because, deep down, it knows this story belongs to all of us.

The post Rumors Of Black Ancestry Persist About The Same Presidents: What Do They Have In Common? appeared first on Black Girl Nerds.

In October 1863, President Abraham Lincoln signed a proclamation to officially celebrate the holiday, months after signing the Emancipation Proclamation earlier that same year. Thanksgiving was usually a time when the enslaved planned escapes, due to the ending of crop season. With the new law, it transformed into a time where newly freed Blacks could actually come together.

In the Black community, Thanksgiving began in the church. Black pastors preached about struggles, hopes, and fears. These sermons usually denounced the institution of slavery and carried the belief that a slave-free America would one day be a reality.

For many of us, Thanksgiving means spending time traveling to visit family and friends. Growing up, Thanksgiving was one of my favorite holidays, simply because my whole family was together. The turkey, dressing, collard greens, sweet potatoes, and Nana’s cherry cobbler were what we all looked forward to.

But let’s be clear: The images of Pilgrims, in big hats, large belt buckles, and heavy black shoes, breaking bread with Indigenous American presents a broken view of the founding of this country. The local Indians taught the Pilgrims how to plant and hunt; a tenuous peace seemed possible, until things took a horrendous turn. The American colonies expanded; Indigenous people were slaughtered for their land and driven thousands of miles from their home. The truth is that the watered-down version in the history books masks the violence and oppression, and it manages to both legitimize and whitewash our country’s terrible actions against Indigenous people.

During the peak of the civil rights movement in 1964 speech, Malcolm X delivered a speech with a famous line: “We didn’t land on Plymouth Rock. The rock landed on us.”

This line has withstood the test of time because it exposes the long history of injustice towards Black people and marginalized communities that predates the writing of America’s Constitution. Initially, the line drew laughter and applause from the audience, but sometimes it takes dark wit and irony to shed light on the truth of a situation. It makes us stop and think about what is actually going on.

In 2020, the toll of COVID-19 and the struggle over racial inequity made it a perfect time to reevaluate the Thanksgiving holiday for many Indigenous Americans. Along with teachers and professors, they rethought the holiday that has marginalized the United States’ violence and cruelty against Native Americans, with names like “Takesgiving” and “The Thanksgiving Massacre.”

On the National Day of Mourning, Native Americans gather in Plymouth, Massachusetts, for a day of remembrance for the millions of Indigenous people who were killed by European colonists. Prayers and speeches take place along with beating drums before participants march through the Plymouth Historic District.

Thanksgiving is complicated. The special place that Thanksgiving holds with Black people and religious tradition is full of the same contradictions of pain and joy. For Black people, celebrating Thanksgiving is similar to celebrating Independence Day — they are both rooted in oppression but we have found ways to infuse our own spirit into it. Even religious holidays at the center of Black culture carry the complex past of both salvation and enslavement. The fact that we celebrate and participate in so many traditions that are burdened with these contradictions is a central part of our complicated story.

I think about my nieces, who are five and seven years old, and what they are learning (and not learning) in today’s history books at school. I think about how necessary it is for them to know the truth about their history, even if it’s difficult and complicated. Our children deserve to know the history behind why we do the things we do. More importantly, we have to make a concerted effort to know the truth so we can teach them. It’s really a matter of building our own family traditions that will pass down through generations, essentially reframing the narrative.

So, here we are at another Thanksgiving. We know that scraps became soul food; spirituals born of out of pain and struggle became jazz, gospel, and blues. Religious holidays became reasons to escape from the hardships of slavery, then from Jim Crow. We know how to survive because we know where our help comes from.

Perhaps one day we’ll come to terms with the shared history of holiday contradiction and complicated feelings with many of the practices that we know as American. But until then, the secret to Nana’s cherry cobbler? Now that’s rebellion. You can’t help but go back for more.

The post Thanksgiving Is Complicated: Reimagining How We Celebrate appeared first on Black Girl Nerds.

One of the most searing recent incidents occurred at Teen Vogue, a title once praised for amplifying young, socially conscious voices. In early November 2025, Condé Nast announced that Teen Vogue would be “absorbed” into Vogue.com, and entire swaths of staff were laid off including the politics and news teams.

In the wake of that announcement, former (and now ex-staffer) Aiyana Ishmael took to Bluesky to post: “there are no Black women at Teen Vogue and that is incredibly painful to think about.” Her message cut past corporate spin to expose another truth: that structural support for Black women in media is often the first casualty of cost-cutting measures

I was laid off from Teen Vogue this week, alongside multiple other phenomenal team members. At our Summit, I was asked how it felt to be 1 of 2 Black women left and what that meant for representation. Now, there are no Black women at Teen Vogue and that is incredibly painful to think about.

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— Aiyana Ishmael (@aiyanaish.bsky.social) November 3, 2025 at 6:57 PM

While individual layoffs reveal painful moments, the “Blackout Report” published in October 2025 by Onyx Impact helps situate these patterns within a broader systemic project. The report attempts to catalog how policies under Trump’s return to office have disproportionately harmed Black communities, whether through regression in civil rights, rollbacks of protections, or the hollowing out of accountability systems. The report itself is part of a countercurrent, a pushback against erasure.

Beyond magazine media, the network news world has seen its own brutal reckoning. In October 2025, CBS News parent company (Paramount, in merger with Skydance) began sweeping layoffs that severely impacted its Race & Culture Unit, and dismantled verticals dedicated to race, gender, and culture. At the same time, Bari Weiss, newly installed as CBS News’ editor-in-chief, has been accused of shifting personnel in ways that systematically dislodge Black leaders in coverage of race stretching the narrative that the network is shedding its Black institutional memory.

A former CBS producer, Trey Sherman, went public via TikTok, alleging that the layoffs were in fact race-based. He claimed that on his team, “every producer laid off … was a person of color,” while white staffers were reassigned instead of terminated.

Meanwhile, eight on-air correspondents (all women, many of them women of color) were let go under Weiss’ tenure. Critics argue these decisions read as more than cost control: they signal a realignment of corporate ideology at the expense of inclusive reporting and institutional memory. But we really know what’s up.

Across the aisle, NBC News also laid off about 150 people in its news division earlier in the same month. Those cuts disproportionately affected editorial teams focused on NBC BLK, NBC Latino, NBC Asian America, and NBC OUT. Entire units built to surface issues of race, gender, culture supposedly core to inclusive news coverage are being collapsed at the same time as Black voices are being laid off or reassigned. The shape of what remains is narrower, blander, and less rooted in the communities it once served.

We can’t treat these events at Teen Vogue, CBS, NBC as isolated episodes of bad leadership or poor corporate strategy. Rather, they reflect a broader structural assault on Black media under conditions of political rollback, information warfare, and media consolidation.

When Black-led and culturally centric editorial spaces are squeezed, the margins of what Black creators and journalists can do become unbearably thin. The layoffs at Teen Vogue are especially emblematic: Black women are not just losing jobs, they are losing institutional homes and creative space. The wounds are not only material but symbolic. As Aiyana Ishmael put it: “there are no Black women at Teen Vogue.” That erasure hurts future talent pipelines and legitimacy.

When media corporations fold political verticals, lay off Black staff, or reassign coverage meant to amplify marginalized voices, they’re not just making business decisions, they’re actually reshaping whose stories matter. There is power in Black storytelling. Power to shift culture, challenge systems, and build connection. That belief is more urgent now than ever. As we watch the erasure unfold across legacy newsrooms, it’s on us readers, creators, and culture lovers alike to keep pushing back and keep creating to keep telling our stories on our own terms.

The post Black Media in Crisis: Teen Vogue, CBS, and NBC Layoffs Signal Alarming Setback Under Trump’s America appeared first on Black Girl Nerds.

According to reports from The Washington Post, the indictment stems from allegations that James falsely claimed a Norfolk, Virginia property as her primary residence to obtain favorable mortgage terms. Prosecutors allege she misrepresented the details while serving as New York’s top law enforcement official. Her team calls what it appears to many: political retribution dressed up as criminal prosecution.

For context, James made national headlines for leading the civil fraud case that cost Trump hundreds of millions in penalties. She’s been a constant thorn in his side, a Black woman wielding power unapologetically in spaces where she’s not “supposed” to. Now, as she faces a criminal indictment pushed by Trump-aligned federal officials, the optics are hard to ignore.

The U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, Lindsey Halligan — a Trump appointee — reportedly took the unusual step of personally presenting the case to a grand jury, despite internal hesitations about its strength. It’s a detail that underscores the uneasy sense that this is less about justice and more about vengeance.

James, never one to mince words, has called the charges “baseless” and “an abuse of power.” Whether this case holds legal water or collapses under the weight of politics remains to be seen. But one thing is clear: when prosecutors start targeting political opponents under dubious pretenses, democracy itself feels a little less steady.

Letitia James has spent her career standing firm against intimidation from corporate giants to political ones. If this indictment was meant to silence her, it might do the opposite. Because for many watching, this isn’t just about one woman’s mortgage paperwork. It’s about what happens when truth and power collide in America and who pays the price when they do.

The post Power, Politics, and Payback: The Letitia James Indictment Feels Personal appeared first on Black Girl Nerds.

Let’s be clear Bari Weiss has never been neutral. Her career has been defined by grievance politics, platforming anti-woke outrage, and amplifying narratives that comfort the powerful while punching down on marginalized communities. Through The Free Press, Weiss cultivated a brand built on skepticism toward social justice movements, academic diversity efforts, and progressive causes all under the guise of “free speech.” That brand has now been bought and institutionalized by Paramount’s new right-wing leadership, giving corporate fascism a glossy mainstream makeover.

This isn’t about journalistic balance. It’s about rebranding reactionary politics as objectivity.

Weiss’ rise at CBS follows the network’s recent settlement with Donald Trump and its merger with Skydance Media, whose new executives have made no secret of their disdain for so-called “liberal bias.” This appointment is a strategic move, not to restore trust, but to sanitize authoritarian narratives and weaken the watchdog role of the press. When billionaires start handpicking ideological editors, what we get isn’t journalism; it’s propaganda in a trench coat.

Her track record speaks volumes. She’s framed Black Lives Matter activism as divisive, dismissed systemic racism as “woke hysteria,” and smeared pro-Palestinian voices as antisemitic. Even as journalists face intimidation and censorship for reporting on human rights abuses. Her “free speech” crusade consistently protects conservative voices while silencing or delegitimizing progressive ones. That’s not freedom, it’s just fascism with a friendlier face.

When leadership skews toward ideologies that have historically minimized the struggles of marginalized groups, it’s fair to ask whether stories about race, gender, and justice will receive the same attention or be reframed through a more skeptical, less empathetic lens.

By rewarding Weiss with one of the most powerful editorial positions in American media, CBS is signaling to the public that right-wing leanings are now mainstream news policy. It’s a betrayal of journalistic integrity and a capitulation to billionaire interests that view truth as an inconvenience.

The stakes couldn’t be higher. As democracy teeters under the weight of disinformation, the last thing America needs is another major outlet bending the knee to the far-right. Weiss’ appointment isn’t an attempt to fix journalism is an attempt to redefine it in the image of those who created it.

CBS is gambling with its legacy and with the truth. Because when fascism comes for the news, it doesn’t just sit in executive positions at the White House, it now wears a press badge.

The post Bari Weiss’ Appointment at CBS Signals a Right-Wing Takeover Disguised as “Balance” appeared first on Black Girl Nerds.

Even with the never-ending battle of which is better, East Coast or West Coast rap, many Blacks in the United States have this unspoken connection. 

However, this unity among Blackness can be limited to US borders. This limitation became more apparent while listening to a podcast Black Stories Black Truths, which gave me a new perspective on identity and Black culture. I became more aware that the commonalities that many Black Americans share don’t always exist with Black immigrants within the United States. 

In the podcast, several Black immigrants spoke about their transition into America and their abrupt introduction to Black American culture. After listening to the episode titled “I didn’t know I was Black until I came to this country,” I questioned how the concept of Blackness has been used to divide and unite Black people throughout the diaspora. In addition, it made me see the importance of Black people coming together despite cultural differences. 

Learning from the perspective of African immigrants in the United States

When I think of Black people in the United States, thoughts of Southern hospitality and hip-hop culture come to mind. Likewise, when I think of immigrants, I don’t necessarily think of Africans coming to the United States. Yet a Pew Research study showed that 1 out of 10 Black Americans are African immigrants.

Unlike immigrants from other cultures, Africans who have immigrated to the United States face a unique experience. Because of Africans’ dark skin color, there is a double layer of expectation and assumption. 

African immigrants are often expected to assimilate into Black American culture without knowing much about Black American lingo and social norms and little about Black history. For instance, one immigrant on the podcast admitted not knowing who Martin Luther King Jr. was simply because it wasn’t taught in her African schools.

Every immigrant coming to the United States carries the expectation to in some way assimilate into the larger American culture. African immigrants face the uncomfortable choice of trying to assimilate to Black culture or not assimilating and identifying more with their African culture to separate themselves from Black American culture.

Why would an African immigrant create this separation of culture? The simple answer is racism. Being a Black American means there is a higher chance you will receive more mistreatment because you are Black.

The divide between African immigrants and Black Americans

On social media, I have occasionally come across what is known as the diaspora wars. According to the National Black Cultural Information Trust, the diaspora wars can be described as cross-cultural arguments in which different people of African heritage or background dislike one another for various reasons. 

These wars, although rooted in white supremacy, have caused great misunderstanding and misperceptions of a variety of Black cultures across the world. For instance, due to limited media coverage, Black Americans often know little about the recent conflicts in countries such as Sudan or South Africa. The same could be said for the Africans not knowing about the water crisis in Michigan and Mississippi.

Because of the misinformation and lack of information in the mainstream media, social media can often spread false narratives that further divide Black Americans from Africans or other people of African descent worldwide. Thus, Black people worldwide must focus on what connects and strengthens us. 

Bridging our cultural gaps

I believe three main things connect Black Americans with Africans and those of African descent. The three things are food, music, and dance.

Our food

As highlighted in an article on Feathers and Whiskey, no matter the dish’s name, there are common ingredients between Southern Black American cuisine and African cuisine. When brought to the United States, enslavers stripped enslaved Africans of their African culture. Yet their culture was reborn through food. Many Southern dishes use staple African ingredients such as black-eyed peas, collard greens, watermelon, okra, and yams. 

Our music 

Black Americans held onto their music despite threats of having their hands cut off if they played traditional African instruments. They created spirituals, music with their hands, and jazz music. Music has often been this unspoken language of influence between Africans and Black Americans — something very evident in the new African music craze Amapiano, which is heavily influenced by jazz music.  

Our dance

From music, dance naturally evolved. Dance is an art form that plays ping pong between African culture and Black American culture. Thanks to pioneers such as Pearl Primus, who brought African dances back to the United States, and the streaming of dance craves worldwide, Black dance has evolved into a collective work of art. 

When Black people, whether African or Afro-Latina, stay open and curious, we can all strengthen our connections and become stronger as a collective. 

The post How Blackness Divides and Unites Black Immigrants and Black Americans appeared first on Black Girl Nerds.

However, those rumors could also be attributed to some people who believe that the complexion of Lincoln’s skin is tied to his “ethnic roots” going back to his Black lineage. Now, it’s time for us to finally explore these unsubstantiated rumors that have floated around for more than a century and cast some light on Abraham Lincoln’s relationship with race and slavery, as it evolved significantly during the course of his political career.

What makes this theory so fascinating is Lincoln’s role in the Civil War. As president, he led the Union against the Confederacy, a group of southern states that broke away largely to protect the institution of enslavement. His Emancipation Proclamation shifted the war’s moral purpose toward ending slavery, forever altering the course of the nation.

While southerners vilified him, prominent Black leaders like Frederick Douglass praised his evolving stance on racial justice, even while acknowledging that Lincoln’s early policies — such as his support for colonization of freed Black people to Africa— fell short of true equality.

2024 just so happens to be the 160th anniversary of one of the biggest political media hoaxes in US history. This story rather incredible similarities to the political scene of the 21st century and the age of disinformation that is currently taking over the media — including the web. It involved then-President Abraham Lincoln, a covert government program focused on miscegenation, pro-slavery politicians and republicans, and their newspaper editing marionettes. Apparently, fake news isn’t a novelty.

In February 1864, Abraham Lincoln’s re-election campaign was shaken by the alleged “proof” of the President’s secret plan to address America’s “race problem” through miscegenation — a term derived from “mixed”, “negro” and “species” — that would result in the creation of a new “American race.” This “proof” was in the form of a pamphlet whose unknown author called upon the Republican Party — the abolitionists — to openly admit to their desires for mixing of ancestry by adding it to Lincoln’s political platform for re-election.

Of course, the whole thing was a forgery created by the then-managing editor of The World, David Goodman Croly, who was in charge of editing the leading pro-slavery newspaper in the North. Of course, Croly wasn’t alone in his endeavor, but he was the mastermind behind the deployment method: the pamphlet was actually the favorite format of anti-slavery writers since they were cheap and easy to produce with contemporary technology. His devious plan worked, and the format just gave more credibility to the lies.

By the time Lincoln’s administration caught wind of what was going on, every major newspaper in the nation had dubbed the Emancipation Proclamation (Lincoln’s executive order that declared all enslaved people “then, thenceforward, and forever free”) the Miscegenation Proclamation. Regardless of how that particular political fiasco ended, the rumors of Lincoln’s love towards African-Americans began to take on new shapes.

Inside the White House, Lincoln’s leadership was defined by pragmatism as much as moral conviction. He was not alone among presidents in grappling with the legacy of slavery—figures like Thomas Jefferson and Andrew Jackson left far more overtly racist legacies, while later presidents such as Calvin Coolidge and Dwight Eisenhower would face their own reckonings with civil rights and racial inclusion.

If Lincoln had secretly been a Black man, the revelation would fundamentally reshape how Americans view the presidency, the Civil War, and the very identity of the United States. But so far, historical evidence leans heavily toward him being white—what endures is the symbolic power of the idea in a country where Black people have too often been excluded from the highest seats of power.

Some claimed that his mother, Nancy Hanks, was of African descent, some rumors suggested that he was part African-American due to his very dark skin, and even Lincoln described himself as a “long Black fellow” and his complexion as “dark.” However, it’s unknown whether either was meant in an ancestral sense. Whatever it may be, the rumors of Abraham Lincoln’s African-American heritage are largely considered unsubstantiated and haven’t been acknowledged by historians.

The rumors themselves, whether true or not, did contribute to a form of symbolic identification. For some African-Americans, the very notion that Lincoln might’ve had African heritage adds a layer of personal connection, given his pivotal role in abolishing slavery. However, it’s important to remember that Lincoln was very much a figure shaped by his times and places. While a good portion of the African-American community still sees him as a Great Emancipator, the facts are that he was born into a racist family in a racist region during a racist era of American history.

Thus, it’s safe to assume that Lincoln’s early life was undoubtedly influenced by the prevailing viewpoints and attitudes of his environment. This means that, despite his role in abolishing slavery, Lincoln still harbored views that were explicitly racist. He opposed slavery not out of his empathy for the slaves but because the practice conflicted with the free labor ideology that was the core of his political philosophy. Lincoln firmly believed in individual’s rights to the fruit of their labor, and slavery was the polar opposite of that principle.

Additionally, despite his opposition to slavery, Lincoln didn’t actually advocate for racial equality. In fact, he opposed voting rights for African Americans, interracial marriage, and social and political equality between the races. And these weren’t just his personal views but the broader sentiment of the white public, which he, as a politician, couldn’t safely disregard. Lincoln’s legacy is, thus, a study of contradictions. While he took significant action toward dismantling the institution of slavery, his views on race were still a product of the prejudices of his time.

In the end, history is a fickle mistress that always paints its figures whether by race, creed, or virtue and shows them in different lighting. One thing external to her influence are the annals of politics, in which Abraham Lincoln might’ve been painted as the Great Emancipator, but he was still the white man’s President who opposed slavery on nothing else but cold economic grounds.  

The post Was Abraham Lincoln Black? Let’s Talk About It appeared first on Black Girl Nerds.

Under the deal’s terms, which China must still approve, a new joint-venture company will oversee TikTok’s U.S. business while ByteDance holds less than 20% of the stock. The move aims to decouple TikTok’s powerful content engine from Chinese oversight, addressing longstanding concerns over national security, privacy, and propaganda.

But beneath the surface, serious questions remain.

For one, ByteDance isn’t being fully ousted. It will retain a minority stake and at least one board seat, albeit excluded from security-related decisions. Critics argue that this partial divestment doesn’t go far enough to eliminate potential foreign influence. Meanwhile, Chinese regulators must still sign off on the deal, and there’s no guarantee that Beijing will cooperate, especially given TikTok’s algorithm is considered a strategic asset under Chinese export laws.

Then there’s the issue of who’s gaining control. Reports suggest that some of the new investors are politically connected American firms, raising concerns that the platform’s governance could shift from foreign influence to domestic politicization. As TikTok’s ownership changes, so too might its approach to content moderation and free expression. Some fear the platform could become a tool of soft power, less a neutral social space and more a reflection of whichever interests hold the reins.

For users, the immediate good news is that TikTok isn’t going anywhere. At least not yet. The app will remain operational as the new entity takes shape. However, the experience may evolve in subtle ways. A “retrained” U.S. algorithm could alter how content is recommended, potentially changing the feel of the “For You” page that has defined TikTok’s magic. Content discovery might shift, trending topics might differ, and the balance of voices that rise to the top could tilt.

The promise of improved data protection is another major selling point. Storing user information domestically and under U.S. oversight could strengthen privacy safeguards if those mechanisms are implemented transparently. But trust isn’t just about geography; it’s about accountability. Will the new owners commit to robust user privacy standards, or simply swap one opaque system for another?

For creators, brands, and everyday users, the takeaway is cautious optimism. TikTok remains accessible, and the platform’s creative ecosystem can continue to thrive, for now. But as ownership shifts and algorithms evolve, the community may begin to feel the ripple effects in ways both subtle and profound.

Black creators are the engine of TikTok culture. From viral dances to memes to political discourse, much of what trends on the platform begins with Black creativity. With new ownership shifting control from ByteDance to a U.S. led consortium, questions emerge: Who will shape the algorithm? Who decides what gets amplified, monetized, or buried?

If the new U.S. based algorithm is “retrained” on different datasets, there’s a risk it could further entrench bias — prioritizing mainstream or advertiser-friendly content over the organic, community-driven culture where Black creators shine. Historically, algorithmic changes across social platforms (Instagram, YouTube, even TikTok itself) have sometimes led to reduced visibility for creators of color. Without transparency and inclusion in the retraining process, the “U.S. TikTok” could unintentionally diminish Black influence online.

If the new ownership structure comes with new monetization tools or partnerships, it could open doors for Black creators to access more equitable pay and brand deals — if equity and representation are prioritized. But if control moves into the hands of politically connected American investors without input from diverse stakeholders, we risk a repeat of old patterns: Black culture driving engagement while white creators reap the rewards.

For users, vigilance is key. Enjoy the reprieve, but keep your eyes on the feed. The next viral trend might not just be a dance; it could be a glimpse into the future of digital power.

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Police violence and police brutality (the terms are related but not interchangeable) have resulted in a significant number of fatalities in recent years. As expected from a system in which institutionalized racism still runs rampant, these particular acts disproportionately affect minority communities. According to Campaign Zero, an American police reform campaign that aims to reduce police violence, more than 1,320 people were killed by US law enforcement in 2023, making it the deadliest year since CZ began collecting data.

An even more disturbing statistic is provided by Statista, stating that Black Americans face a higher rate of fatal police shootings compared to other ethnic groups, with a rate of 6.2 fatal shootings per million people between 2015 and October 2024. The rate for Hispanic people was considerably lower, standing at 2.8 per million. For comparison, the rate for white individuals stands at around 2.4 per million during the same period. These numbers highlight the ongoing issue of police violence and brutality in the United States, especially its disproportionate impact on minority communities.

However, while most of us understand what these numbers represent, what they mean, and how they indicate certain problems in the United States, children might have a difficult time understanding the concepts of police violence and brutality and how these issues might relate to race. Sadly, most parents approach these discussions with their kids only after tragedies about police brutality flood the news. However, those conversations often become inevitable once their young ones start asking questions. But how do you explain the issues of police brutality and race to children?

Those families who still haven’t had any substantial conversations with their kids about these topics should put a pin on discussing police brutality until they’ve discussed the foundations of what race is. You might think that race and racial issues are too complex for your seven-year-old to understand, but you’d be surprised, as research indicates otherwise. According to the National Institute of Health’s (NIH) research, infants and young children are capable of perceiving and responding to racial differences from an early age.

Studies have shown that by six to nine months, infants exhibit a preference for faces of their own race over those of other races, which is often referred to as the “other-race effect.” Additionally, research also suggests that children as young as three to five years old actually develop racial biases, which often aren’t reliably related to their parents’ beliefs. This is particularly true with white kids because 75% of white parents (three out of four) never or almost never discuss race, believing that children don’t notice race.

Of course, these numbers don’t imply that children are inherently prejudiced (though they may be); they simply indicate that children do notice differences. Moreover, approaching the discussions about race by diving right into systematic racism can unintentionally convey that being Black is solely about experiencing trauma. It’s really important to avoid this message regardless of your child’s skin color, ethnicity, or racial identity.

So, you can begin discussing race with your kids as early as three to five years old. Good approaches might involve focusing on the concept of differences in a non-judgmental way and covering different physical traits people have, such as skin color, hair texture, and eye shape, without adding any value judgment. It’s also really important to avoid colorblindness and “we’re all equal” arguments because they might imply that differences are something to ignore or to be ashamed of. Instead, teach your kid to acknowledge and celebrate diversity.

Using books and other resources, encouraging an open dialogue, and exposing your children to diverse communities can help with developing a healthy attitude, understanding, and respectfulness towards diversity. This can pave the way for further discussions about police violence and brutality in the context of race. However, the right time to discuss police brutality isn’t as easy to pinpoint because such discussions require understanding of the difference between good and bad, fairness, justice, and respecting others.

Fortunately, children grasp many principles of fairness by the age of three or four, though their behavior may not always reflect such understanding. However, they might not understand other concepts, which is why it’s best to discuss police brutality when your child inquires about it. This usually happens when they encounter news stories or discussions about police brutality. Remember, children understand fairness, so you can explain to younger children that police brutality is when law enforcement treats someone unfairly.

And while they might perceive race at an early age, they might not fully understand the concept of systemic racism, its historical context, and its correlation with police brutality at such a young age. So, while your child may be able to grasp both concepts, it might struggle to find the connection between the two. Also, make sure to give age-appropriate responses; if hearing certain information seems scary and can be avoided, it may not be the best time to have such discussions.

For children that are 8 to 10 years old, you can provide a more elaborate definition of police brutality (the one provided at the beginning) and more context about the history of racial inequalities in the US and how it links to police brutality and statistical data we provided in the opening paragraphs of this discussion. However, if your child is younger or not emotionally ready for such conversations, it’s best to wait until they’re more mature.

In the end, while there isn’t an exact age at which you should discuss police brutality and race with your kids, such conversations shouldn’t be a one-time event. It’s really important to revisit these discussions as your child grows and gains experience. These ongoing discussions will teach and empower your child to navigate the complex world of empathy, awareness, and courage to stand up for what’s right. They may perhaps lay the groundwork for a generation of kids better equipped to create a more just world for all of us.  

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