Black Elites

The executives and thinkers setting the standard.

Interviews, essays and reporting from the boardrooms where the next decade is being decided.

In Leadership

10 Surprising Facts About the Civil Rights Activist Rosa Parks.

Rosa Parks (1913—2005) started a major part of the civil rights movement in the United States when she refused to give up her seat to a white man on a bus in Montgomery, Alabama, in 1955. Her brave...

Nelson Mandela: His Road from Prison to Becoming President

Nelson Mandela, South Africa’s most famous political prisoner, walked free from Victor Verster Prison on 11 February 1990, at 16:14 local time. Hand-in-hand with his then-wife Winnie, after 27...

6 Timelines of Black Protest Movements in America

American history is rich with stories of Black Americans who have resisted and protested against systemic racism and oppression. Far from being passive victims of white supremacist structures, Black...

6 Lesser-Known Black Civil Rights Activists Whose Stories You Need to Know

While luminaries like Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X are synonymous with the fight for civil rights, numerous other activists contributed profoundly to the movement’s successes yet remain...

James Earl Jones Overcame a 10-Year Stutter to Speak Again: An Inspirational Lesson for Everyone

The passing of famous actor James Earl Jones at age 93 has made many people look back on his amazing career. He won all major American entertainment awards—an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony—and was...

Maya Angelou: The Poet Who Gave a Voice to the Voiceless

Maya Angelou was a remarkable woman whose life was full of poetry, fighting for rights, and inspiring others. She was famous for using words to promote fairness, equality, and the strength of people...

How Aretha Franklin Rose from her Struggles to Become the ‘Queen of Soul’

Aretha Franklin’s voice is recognized by millions, but her personal story remains less well known—by her own choice. In her 1999 memoir, From These Roots, the Queen of Soul opted to keep many of her...

Meet the 26-Year-Old Black Woman Who Designed This Year’s Super Bowl Logo

Tahj “Queen Tahj” Williams, a New Orleans-based artist known for her expressive Black Masking technique, has made history as the first artist to handcraft the Super Bowl logo and theme...

Tracy Chapman: From Hit Songs to Big Impact in Music and Activism

Tracy Chapman made history as the first Black artist to receive a CMA Award for Song of the Year and has been honoured with an honorary doctorate in Fine Arts from Tufts University, her alma mater...