Race

Martin Luther King Jr. never said he thought Malcolm X "has done himself and our people a great disservice," a biographer says. The two civil rights leaders with opposing views on nonviolence met only once, in March of 1964.

National

New biography of Martin Luther King Jr. undercuts a widely cited quote about Malcolm X

4:58pm May 15, 2023

by Bill Chappell

A critical quote about Malcolm X that has been attributed to King has been taught for decades. But King didn't say the words that appeared in an article by Alex Haley, says biographer Jonathan Eig.

Pride in the Pews encourages Black churches to welcome LGBTQ people

4:43pm May 15, 2023

by Adora Namigadde

An African-American minister in Chicago is traveling the country holding workshops called Pride in the Pews in an effort to make Black churches more welcoming to the LGBTQ community.

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National

Remembering the racist attack at a grocery store in Buffalo, N.Y., a year later

8:02am May 14, 2023

by Ayesha Rascoe

NPR's Ayesha Rascoe asks Na'Kya McCann, host of the podcast "Embedded: Buffalo Extreme," about the racist attack in Buffalo, N.Y., on May 14, 2022.

Vehicles travel on Interstate 240 after the morning rush hour on a weekday in Memphis, Tenn. Highways are the fastest — and in some cases, the only — way to get from one place to another in the sprawling city.

National

In Tennessee, Black immigrants navigate a tricky course to a coveted driver's license

5:01am May 12, 2023

by Leah Donnella

Being able to drive makes life easier. It can open up job opportunities. But it also has challenges, especially if there's a language barrier. And traffic stops can be especially high stakes.

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When she first arrived in the U.S. decades ago, Queen Titile Keskessa didn't know who Martin Luther King Jr. was. Today, she is inspired by his legacy and the work of other African American civil rights icons.

National

Reporter's notebook: The South is home to a growing Black immigrant population

5:00am May 12, 2023

by Leah Donnella

What's it like to be a Black immigrant or refugee in America? We had a hundred or so conversations with people in Tennessee — one of the Blackest states in the country — to find out.

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Some white Portland homeowners are selling at a loss to Black and Indigenous buyers

4:29pm May 11, 2023

by Tiffany Camhi/OPB

A grassroots wealth redistribution effort in Portland, Ore., helps white homeowners purposefully sell their homes at well under market value. It links Black and Indigenous buyers with these sellers.

Jaleel Stallings said he fired at officers in self-defense — and after he surrendered, he was badly beaten. A former officer pleaded guilty to a felony charge in the case on Wednesday.

National

Former police officer admits to felony assault on Black man after George Floyd murder

4:22pm May 10, 2023

by Bill Chappell

Former Minneapolis police officer Justin Stetson told the court he "crossed the line" on May 30, 2020, when he repeatedly kicked, hit and kneed Jaleel Stallings in the face and head.

TJ is Sesame Street's first Filipino muppet.

Arts

'Sesame Street' introduces TJ, the show's first Filipino American muppet

2:38pm May 10, 2023

by Suzanne Nuyen

TJ the muppet joined actor Kal Penn and Korean American muppet Ji-Young this week to discuss the word of the day: confidence. He debuts during Asian Pacific American Heritage Month.

Trailblazing opera star Grace Bumbry dies at age 86

9:20am May 09, 2023

by Brandon Gates

The celebrated singer, who led an illustrious, jet-setting career, broke the color barrier as the first Black artist to perform at Germany's Bayreuth Festival.

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Swastika Mountain, located in a remote part of the Umpqua National Forest outside Eugene, Ore., has officially been renamed Mount Halo after a local indigenous leader.

Swastika Mountain is renamed Mount Halo in honor of a historical tribal leader

5:52am May 09, 2023

by Dustin Jones

The mountain in Oregon and a nearby town, no longer in existence, were named Swastika more than 100 years ago after a local ranch that bore the same name.