They represent West Coconut Grove when it was a vital majority-Black neighborhood hidden among some of the most affluent areas in Miami that boomed with family businesses, local hangouts and sporting events. Some call it West Grove, Black Grove or Little Bahamas in a nod to its roots. Most just call it The Grove — a place steeped in cultural history transformed by the decades.

“When you talk about what is The Grove, you’re talking about true history of South Florida,” said Charles Gibson, grandson of one of the first Black members of the Miami City Commission, Theodore Gibson.

Sports was its heartbeat. It nurtured the early careers of Olympic gold medalists and football stars like Cooper, national champions and future football Hall of Famers like Gore, all of whom trace their first sports memories to this close-knit community.

Today, few remnants of that proud Black heritage exist. Years of economic neglect followed by recent gentrification have wiped out much of the neighborhood’s cultural backbone. Robust youth leagues and sports programs have dwindled. Now, the community that once created an environment for young athletes to succeed — a trusted neighbor watching out for a young football player on his walk to practice, a respected coach instilling discipline and persistence in a future track star — is at risk of extinction.

To read this article in its entirety, visit The Associated Press

The administration is describing the pardons as the largest state pardon to date. The governor’s action regarding cases relating to use of paraphernalia make Maryland the first state to take such action, his office said.

The pardons will forgive low-level marijuana possession charges for an estimated 100,000 people, according to The Washington Post, which first reported on the order Sunday night.

Moore plans to sign the executive order Monday morning in the state Capitol in Annapolis with Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown in attendance.

Recreational cannabis was legalized in Maryland in 2023 after voters approved a constitutional amendment in 2022 with 67% of the vote. Maryland decriminalized possession of personal use amounts of cannabis on Jan. 1, 2023. Now, 24 states and the District of Columbia have legalized recreational cannabis.

“The Moore-Miller Administration is committed to promoting social equity and ensuring the fair and equitable administration of justice,” the governor’s office said. “Because the use and possession of cannabis is no longer illegal in the state, Marylanders should not continue to face barriers to housing, employment, or educational opportunities based on convictions for conduct that is no longer illegal.”

Brown, a Democrat, described the pardons as “certainly long overdue as a nation” and “a racial equity issue.”

To read this article in its entirety, visit The Grio

A study from the Pew Research Center found that majorities of Black people believe in ‘racial conspiracy theories,’ specifically that American institutions are designed to hold them back. Pew defines “racial conspiracy theories” as “the suspicions that Black adults might have about the actions of U.S. institutions based on their personal and collective historical experiences with racial discrimination.” 

(After the study was published, Pew later added an editor’s note to its report stating that the study is under review, and using the term “racial conspiracy theories” was “not the best choice” to make. “Black Americans’ doubts about the fairness of U.S. institutions are accompanied by suspicion. How Black Americans think those institutions impact their ability to thrive is worthy of study, and that’s the purpose of this survey,” the Pew editor said.)

To read this article in its entirety, visit The Grio

Gauff, 20, became the youngest woman tennis player to win her first Grand Slam singles and doubles in 20 years title after she fellow tour member Katerina Siniakova defeated Italians Jasmine Paolini and Sara Errani 7-6 (5), 6-3 on Court Philippe Chatrier at the French Open on Sunday. 

Coco Gauff accomplishes another momentous tennis feat

With the conquest, Gauff becomes the youngest player to win Grand Slam singles and doubles titles since Svetlana Kuznetsova in 2005, according to Tennis.com. 

This was Gauff’s third trip to a Grand Slam doubles finals, losing the previous two at Roland Garros in Paris in 2022 and the U.S. Open in New York in 2021.

“Third time’s a charm. Thank you, Katerina, for playing with me. We decided two days before the tournament to play together,” Gauff said during her victory speech. “Thank you to the fans. I know 11:30 Sunday morning is early for most people. It’s early for me.”

To read this article in its entirety, visit RollingOut

Donalds seemed to suggest while speaking at a “Congress, Cognac, and Cigars” event in Philadelphia that Black families were better off during the Jim Crow era because they were “together.” He also noted that, “more Black people were not just conservative — Black people have always been conservative-minded — but more people voted conservatively.”

Those remarks made the rounds Wednesday, sparking criticism from others in the Black community — including his colleagues.

Asked Wednesday evening by CNN’s Abby Phillip whether he regretted using that time frame as a reference, he argued that his words were taken out of context.

“Nobody ever made nostalgia,” Donalds responded Wednesday night, in an interview highlighted by Mediaite. “That was never the point. It wasn’t even about that. So where now I’m gonna get my backup is, I didn’t say that. I didn’t even insinuate that.” 

To read this article in its entirety, please visit The Hill

That was eight years ago. Back when she was still just a teenager. Still kind of “ditzy.”

Those days are long gone. The evidence isn’t just on Biles drivers’ license or her marriage certificate but in how the now 27-year-old is able to see beyond herself. The tunnel vision that most great athletes have in pursuit of greatness has fallen away.

And maybe that’s the biggest difference between the national title the gymnastics star won on Sunday night — her ninth, this one with an all-around total of 119.750 — and her first over a decade ago.

The defining moment of Biles’ victory wasn’t a twist, a turn or a jump, but a walk.

It came early on, when Biles watched 2020 Olympic champion and good friend Sunisa Lee spin awkwardly in the air during her vault and landed on her back, a mixture of surprise and fear spreading across her face.

“I was kind of thinking that this was over,” Lee said.

Then Biles appeared at her side, unprompted. She knew exactly where Lee was in that moment better than anyone.

Three years ago at the Tokyo Games, a similar wayward vault by Biles started a chain of events that led to her withdrawing from multiple competitions and dragging the discussion on the importance of mental health front and center.

Watching Lee, who has spent most of the last two years battling kidney issues that have made her weight yo-yo and complicated her training, try to gather herself, Biles left her World Champions Centre teammates and gave Lee the kind of support Biles relied on so heavily back in Japan.

“I know how traumatizing it is, especially on a big stage like this,” Biles said. “And I didn’t want her to get in her head, so we just went and talked about it.”

The two retreated off the floor to talk, with Biles reminding Lee she “could do hard things.”

To read this article in its entirety, visit The Associated Press

CHICAGO (AP) — Dorothy Jean Tillman II’s participation in Arizona State University’s May 6 commencement was the latest step on a higher-education journey the Chicago teen started when she took her first college course at age 10.

In between came associate’s, bachelor’s and master’s degrees.

When Tillman successfully defended her dissertation in December, she became the youngest person — at age 17 — to earn a doctoral degree in integrated behavioral health at Arizona State, associate professor Leslie Manson told ABC’s “Good Morning America” for a story Monday.

“It’s a wonderful celebration, and we hope … that Dorothy Jean inspires more students,” Manson said. “But this is still something so rare and unique.”

Tillman, called “Dorothy Jeanius” by family and friends, is the granddaughter of former Chicago Alderwoman Dorothy Tillman.

When most students are just learning to navigate middle school, her mother enrolled Tillman in classes through the College of Lake County in northern Illinois, where she majored in psychology and completed her associate’s degree in 2016, according to her biography.

Tillman earned a bachelor’s in humanities from New York’s Excelsior College in 2018. About two years later, she earned her master’s of science from Unity College in Maine before being accepted in 2021 into Arizona State’s Behavioral Health Management Program.

Most of her classwork was done remotely and online. Tillman did attend her Arizona State commencement in person and addressed the graduating class during the ceremony.

Tillman told The Associated Press on Tuesday that she credits her grandmother and trusting in her mother’s guidance for her educational pursuits and successes.

“Everything that we were doing didn’t seem abnormal to me or out of the ordinary until it started getting all of the attention,” said Tillman, now 18.

There have been sacrifices, though.

“I didn’t have the everyday school things like homecoming dances or spirit weeks or just school pictures and things like that … that kind of create unity with my peers,” she said.

She has found time to dance and do choreography. Tillman also is founder and chief executive of the Dorothyjeanius STEAM Leadership Institute. The program includes summer camps designed to help young people in the arts and STEM subjects.

She said her plans include public speaking engagements and fundraising for the camp, which Tillman said she hopes to franchise one day.

Tillman is motivated and has innovative ideas, said Manson, adding, “And truly, I think what is inspiring is that she embodies that meaning of being a true leader.”

Jimalita Tillman said she is most impressed with her daughter’s ability to show herself and her successes with grace, but to also understand when to “put her foot down” when choosing between social outings and her education.

“Let me take this opportunity, in a very special way, to bring you warm greetings from the people, the government of Kenya, and your brothers and sisters across the African continent,” Ruto said.

The Kenyan president’s official trip to the U.S. is the most recent African nation to be formally embraced in this manner, with the last delegation visiting over 15 years ago. The welcome program started early in the morning and opened with hymns performed by Howard University’s Gospel Choir, a 21-gun salute and both country’s national anthem, with hundreds of guests in attendance. 

“For me, I am extremely happy because he is a brother from Africa. The President is from our region so I was doubly happy to receive him,” Mathilde Mukantabana, Rwanda’s Ambassador to the U.S.  told The Informer about President Ruto. “I hope they continue because those kinds of relationships can be very important. I hope more presidents will be visiting but what I can say is that it was good.”

Among an audience of hundreds were also Washingtonians, like local teacher Rictor Craig, who was invited to bring his young students to enjoy this event for the first time. As co-founder and head of school at Statesmen College Preparatory Academy for Boys in Southeast, he said the ceremony welcoming the Kenyan president left his students feeling encouraged and inspired.

“Our boys could not stop talking about that experience. They’re nine so they don’t truly understand yet,” said Craig.

“On as many occasions as we can, we try to put our boys in front of a spectrum of Black men that are successful in the world, just like the president of Kenya, like Obama. We try to show them examples of Black men leading.”

The young men were among the seated participants in the crowd, alongside both Ruto and Biden’s children. As luminaries and dignitaries welcomed the foreign leader, Biden made it clear that he was committed to partnering with Kenya in several ways.

“For while we may have been divided by distance, we’re united by the same democratic values,” Biden shared.

He announced that the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) would provide $1.3 million for a youth empowerment program aimed at strengthening political engagement at the subnational level and $600,000 to advance disability inclusion in Kenya. 

“By undertaking this state visit, we will have the opportunity to discuss and to have a conversation about building global partnership and leadership around the issues that pose challenges regionally, globally, and in countries like Kenya and many others– challenges of climate change, challenges of insecurity, challenges around debt distress,” said President Ruto.

The nation launched the Nairobi Initiative geared toward eradicating student hunger last year. It’s well known as the largest school meal program on the continent and aims to serve 250,000 pre-primary and grade 1-8 learners in the county’s public schools with a plate daily.

Throughout Ruto’s time in America, the leader has been working to build connections with people like Tyler Perry and Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens in hopes of creating more economic stability for his people. 

The leader was granted honorary membership by the Congressional Black Caucus and designated as a non-NATO major ally by President Biden, a symbol of a more permanent political tie.

“I am making this designation in recognition of Kenya’s many years of contributions to the United States Africa Command area of responsibility globally and in recognition of our own national interest in deepening bilateral defense and security cooperation with the Government of Kenya,” said President Biden. “Kenya is one of the United States government’s top counterterrorism and security partners in sub-Saharan Africa, and the designation will demonstrate that the United States sees African contributions to global peace and security as equivalent to those of our Major Non-NATO Allies in other regions.”

Josh Gibson, one of the greatest sluggers in the history of the Negro Leagues, is now listed as MLB’s new all-time career leader in batting average at .372, moving ahead of Ty Cobb at .367.

The MLB website shows Gibson also overtaking Babe Ruth in career slugging percentage.

“We are proud that the official historical record now includes the players of the Negro Leagues. This initiative is focused on ensuring that future generations of fans have access to the statistics and milestones of all those who made the Negro Leagues possible,” said MLB commissioner Rob Manfred in a statement.

“Their accomplishments on the field will be a gateway to broader learning about this triumph in American history and the path that led to Jackie Robinson’s 1947 Dodger debut.”

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Gibson was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1972.

“I know Josh Gibson had a great career in the Negro Leagues. He is considered one of the greatest players of all time, but we always considered Josh Gibson a major leaguer anyway. It’s just now that he is recognized in the Major League Baseball stats,” Sean Gibson, the slugger’s great grandson, told ABC’s Good Morning America.

The power-hitting catcher’s Baseball Hall of Fame plaque – he’s one of 35 Negro League stars enshrined in Cooperstown – says he “hit almost 800 home runs in league and independent baseball” during his 17-year career.

However, the majority of those homers came not in league-sanctioned games (about 50 to 75 per season) but in exhibitions played against former big leaguers and White semi-pro teams.

“It’s a big day,” Negro League Museum president Bob Kendrick told Yahoo Sports. “The great thing about it is that we’ve been saying that quite a bit over recent days and weeks as it relates to the Negro Leagues.

“This is the result of a lot of intensive effort by some incredible historians and researchers who have completely dedicated themselves to trying to do something that people thought probably wasn’t possible.”

More than 2,300 Negro Leagues players from 1920-1948 – including Hall of Famer Willie Mays – were added to the MLB database as more stats are “still being discovered.”

Also, MLB career statistics for other Hall of Famers like Jackie Robinson, Satchel Paige and Minnie Miñoso now reflect their Negro Leagues’ accomplishments.

For example, Robinson’s 49 hits with the Kansas City Monarchs in 1945 increase his career total from 1,518 to 1,567. Paige’s career wins total goes from 28 to 125 and Miñoso’s 150 hits with the New York Cubans raised his career total over the 2,000 hits milestone to 2,113.

This comes about three and a half years after MLB recognized the Negro Leagues as its equivalent and counted the statistics and records of thousands of Black players who played in the Negro Leagues from 1920 to the late 1940s.

Even though that recognition happened in December 2020, MLB at the time said it needed time to review how that recognition would affect MLB record books. That was in part because some statistics were still being compiled and because MLB needed to sort league-sanctioned games from exhibitions.

“Shortened Negro League schedules, interspersed with revenue-raising exhibition games, were born of MLB’s exclusionary practices,” John Thorn, MLB historian who chaired the review Negro Leagues Statistical Review Committee, said in a statement. “To deny the best Black players of the era their rightful place among all-time leaders would be a double penalty.”

Baseball historian Larry Lester, who also served on the committee, added: “Stories, folklore and embellished truths have long been a staple of the Negro Leagues narrative. Those storylines will always be entertaining, but now our dialogues can be quantified and qualified to support the authentic greatest of these athletes.

“Every fan should welcome this statistical restitution towards social reparation.”

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MLB in 2020 said it was “correcting a longtime oversight” by elevating the status of the Negro Leagues — which consisted of seven leagues and about 3,400 Black and Latino players from 1920 to 1948.

“Many people have heard of Martin Dihigo and Josh Gibson and Satchel Paige. But what about the thousands of other men who played in the Negro Leagues from 1920 to 1948? They’re being recognized finally as major league caliber ballplayers,” Scott Simkus, one of the researchers credited by MLB with compiling and constructing the Seamheads Negro Leagues Database, said at the time.

“Their statistical records, their careers are going to be considered equal to anybody who had played in the National League or American League during that period of time.”

“It’s sad this great history has been kept from them,” Lester, co-founder of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City, said at the time.

Bob Kendrick, president of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, had said the recognition “serves as historical validation for those who had been shunned from the Major Leagues and had the foresight and courage to create their own league that helped change the game and our country, too.”

But it seems like his public reputation is finished.

This isn’t always the case with Black celebrities. There are plenty of examples of celebrities who have been able to maintain their success. Chris Brown may have a certain ceiling, but he’s continued to satisfy a loyal fan base despite assaulting Rihanna and having other, less visible cases that followed.

Basketball star Derrick Rose escaped a rape case in 2015 and had fans lauding him three years later when he had a 50-point game. Dr. Dre allegedly violently assaulted women in the 1990s, and he’s weathered the storm enough to even have a new Grammy Award named after him.

Many who have been found guilty of crimes such as sexual assault or domestic violence — whether legally or in the public eye — have been able to redeem themselves through a combination of silence, contrition, and continued quality of whatever product made fans fall in love with them in the first place. It’s all about the veneer of honesty and repentance, followed by art that’s so powerful that people can’t deprive themselves of it. Or, if there’s no proof of the crimes being committed, simply staying out of the public eye before returning with some of their best work.

But Combs’ journey toward public forgiveness is uniquely difficult for two reasons: because of damning video footage and because that footage surfaced after he had already begun the sort of rebranding campaign that allows so many to build themselves back up: In recent years he had taken on several strategic steps toward helping his image: adopting the moniker “Love,” releasing an R&B album loaded with guest appearances by other stars and returning masters ownership to artists who were previously signed to his label Bad Boy. There was still skepticism, but they were still steps in the right direction.

Shortly after Cassie and three others issued explosive lawsuits accusing him of crimes such as rape, sex trafficking, sexual misconduct with minors and more, he released a statement that denied all wrongdoing, with no concessions.

“Enough is enough,” he wrote in a December post. “I have sat silently and watched people try to assassinate my character, destroy my reputation and legacy… Let me be absolutely clear: I did not do any of the awful things being alleged.”

By spring 2024, Combs had already begun to lose all that he’d worked for, with his many corporate partners cutting ties. But he still may have had a chance at redemption. Some supporters may have chosen not to believe the allegations at all, adopting one or more of many methods of plausible deniability. They may have claimed that these were simply people going after a payday, that they “knew what they were getting into” by dealing with him, or that this was another example of powers that be corralling in an attempt to take down a Black man who had made it.

Even if people hadn’t believed his denials, they could have convinced themselves that he had changed. Had he stayed out of the public eye and continued his safe, sporadic posts about his family, there would have still been a substantial amount of people who refused to support him, but there also could have been people who came back around.

But the footage from the hotel changed things, because it put his duplicity in such clear and undeniable terms. The video directly corroborated one of the stories that Ventura said in her filing…stories that Combs had denied. Had this video been released upon the time of the lawsuits, he could have apologized, retreated, and returned after extended time away.

But a dismal attempt at accountability after he’s already so clearly lied won’t be enough. It’ll be difficult to forget such damning footage of him assaulting a woman who we so clearly recognize, and even more difficult to reconcile such adamant denials with the truth that we saw. Add that to the repeated memes and catchphrases against him, and the damage could be permanent.

Written By William Ketchum III