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  Lavelle Dontae to Host the Red Carpet as BET Honors the Power, Influence, and Impact of Black LGBTQ+ Excellence BET today announced the return of the BET Black + Iconic Soirée, set to take place on  Saturday, May 23, 2026 , at  MGM National Harbor in Oxon, Maryland . The annual event continues its mission of honoring and celebrating the intersectionality of the Black and LGBTQ+ communities, recognizing cultural leaders, and fostering collective impact. Emmy-nominated actress, producer, and advocate  Laverne Cox  will serve as host for this year's Black + Iconic Soirée, bringing her signature voice, visibility, and cultural influence to the evening. Comedian and content creator  Lavelle Dontae  will host the red carpet, setting the tone for the night ahead. The Black + Iconic Soirée brings together luminaries, advocates, and changemakers for an intimate evening of recognition, reflection, and celebration. Through powerful storytelling, performances, a...

A group of South Carolina House lawmakers is pushing to strip funding from South Carolina State University after students successfully protested Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette’s selection as commencement speaker — a move critics say is an abuse of legislative power. Students at the historically Black university staged a peaceful demonstration last month after President Alexander Conyers announced Evette as the keynote speaker. Many objected to her long‑standing opposition to diversity, equity and inclusion programs, arguing she was not an appropriate choice to address Black graduates about achievement and opportunity. The protest prompted the university to remove Evette from the program. Evette publicly blasted the decision, calling the students a “woke mob,” despite no reports of aggression or disruption during the demonstration. Now, five Republican members of the South Carolina House are backing a proposal to defund the state’s only public HBCU in response to the controversy. Evette has voi...

  Mona Austin is a Washington, D.C.-based multimedia journalist and the founder and creative director of Jireh Communications Group, established in 2002. She is known for her work as a White House and Congressional correspondent, with a focus on political, entertainment, faith-based, and lifestyle content. Austin has been a journalist since 2002, starting her career in community news at a small paper in Colorado. She has since worked as a nationally syndicated web and radio journalist, contributing to outlets such as EURweb, Essence, AXS, and The Slice News, where she serves as a White House reporter. Her reporting covers a wide range of topics, including significant political events like President Joe Biden’s infrastructure grants for marginalized communities, Dr. Jill Biden’s 2023 Africa visit, and the federal charges against police officers in the Breonna Taylor case. She also reported on cultural and political stories, such as Deion Sanders’ appointment as a college football c...

  Data on murders (homicides) committed by race in the United States primarily comes from the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program, which relies on reports from law enforcement agencies. The most recent detailed breakdown available is for 2023, but due to the FBI's transition to a new reporting system (NIBRS), not all agencies submitted complete data—only about 70-80% of the population was covered, so totals are undercounts. These figures represent known offenders (where race was identified), not arrests or convictions, and include single-offender and multi-offender incidents. In 2023, there were approximately 15,708 known murder offenders with identified race. Here's the breakdown: Race Number of Offenders Percentage of Known Offenders Rate per 100,000 Population White 8,842 56.3% 3.51 Black or African American 6,405 40.8% 14.00 Other (American Indian/Alaska Native, Asian, Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander) 461 2.9% 1.31 Notes on the...

“I often think about the brave people who make the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom.” First Lady Melania Trump opened her remarks at today’s White House tribute to military mothers, in advance of Mother’s Day. The First Lady honored the fallen Service Members from the 103rd Sustainment Command, who were killed on March 1, 2026, at Port Shuaiba in Kuwait while supporting Operation Epic Fury.   Mrs. Trump has long been an ardent supporter of America’s military and its families. With Mother’s Day approaching, she asserted, “It is these military mothers who find themselves alone, awake in their thoughts, in the darkest hours of the night. Of course, we must also remember the mothers with a spouse overseas, praying for a safe return so their family can become whole once again.” The First Lady called for military mothers to find strength while their loved ones defend our nation’s liberty. The First Lady also took time to address the important role mothers play within America, sharing t...

About 21% of American adults (roughly 43 million people) have low English literacy skills , according to data from the National Center for Education Statistics. But the crisis is not limited to adults. Recent federal assessments show that youth literacy, especially among Black students, has reached its lowest point in decades , deepening concerns about long‑term educational and economic inequality. NCES data from the 2024 Nation’s Report Card shows that only 17% of Black eighth‑graders read at or above proficiency , compared with 44% of White students. Among fourth‑graders, just 18% of Black students scored proficient in reading , a decline that mirrors national trends but hits Black communities harder. Overall, 34% of U.S. fourth‑graders cannot read at a basic level , signaling a multigenerational literacy emergency. The adult literacy picture reflects similar disparities. White adults make up about 35% of Americans with low literacy , while Black adults account for roughly 23% . Hi...

The U.S. Supreme Court has cleared the way for Louisiana to immediately begin redrawing its congressional voting map ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, bypassing the usual 32-day waiting period for such changes. The decision, issued Monday by Justice Samuel Alito, allows the state to move forward quickly with a new map after the previous one was ruled unconstitutional. The ruling exposed sharp divisions on the Court. Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, in a dissent, criticized the move as a break from standard procedure that risks undermining public trust. She argued the expedited action could create confusion, especially since overseas and military ballots had already been sent out for Louisiana’s May 16 primary. Jackson also invoked the “Purcell principle,” which discourages courts from altering election rules close to an election, accusing the majority of inconsistency and political bias. Alito, writing in support of the decision, defended the urgency, saying any delay would force Loui...