ilhan, Omar, ICE, Minnesota
by Sharelle B. McNair

January 28, 2026

Ilhan Omar Rejects Intimidation After Being Targeted In Town Hall Assault

While her team could be heard urging her to go get checked out, the congresswoman was overheard saying “that’s what they want.”

Minnesota Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar is proof that Minnesota is built to fight after she continued her speech following being sprayed by an unknown substance during a Minneapolis town hall discussion. 

Omar was speaking about her stance on the tragic instances that have taken place in the city and throughout the state at the hands of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), taking the lives of Renee Good and Alex Pretti. “ICE cannot be reformed, ICE cannot be rehabilitated. We must abolish ICE,” Omar said. 

Shortly after, a man was seen standing up and approaching Omar at the podium, spraying her with an unknown substance. 

Security and those standing behind her immediately came to her assistance. While her team could be heard urging her to go get checked out, the congresswoman was overheard saying, “That’s what they want.”

“Please don’t let them have the show,” the leader was heard saying. 

“Here is the reality that people like this ugly man don’t understand. We are Minnesota strong, and we will stay resilient in the face of whatever they may throw at us.”

According to ABC News, the Minneapolis Police Department identified the suspect as 55-year-old Anthony James Kazmierczak, who was charged with third-degree assault. 

Following the troubling incident, Omar told reporters that she won’t be intimidated by anyone as she is a survivor. “You know, I’ve survived more, and I’m definitely going to survive intimidation and whatever these people think that they can throw at me because I’m built that way,” she said.

Before the Trump administration targeted Minnesota and the city of Minneapolis, Omar had been attacked by President Donald Trump, referring to her as a “fake sleazebag” and calling for her and other members of the Somali community to be thrown out of the U.S. 

When asked for his thoughts on the attack, the president revealed he doesn’t have any, even blaming her for the attack. “I don’t think about her. I think she’s a fraud,” Trump said. 

“She probably had herself sprayed, knowing her.”

The president may not believe her, but many supporters on social media were praising how she handled herself during the situation. One X user even pointed out how Omar approached the man after he was taken down by security, seemingly standing up for herself. “Can we talk about how Ilhan Omar was ready to throw hands with a man twice her size and then just got straight back to work?” @karlykingsley wrote. 

“I wish I lived in Minnesota just so I could vote for her.”

Another pointed out how her survival makes her more American than most, especially Trump. “Ilhan Omar spent four years in a refugee camp and ended up becoming a Congresswoman,” @strandjunker said.

“She represents the best of America, while Donald Trump represents the worst.”

RELATED CONTENT: Megyn Kelly Shows Audacity And Apathy For ICE Agents Killing Alex Pretti

ICE, detroit, civil rights leaders
by Nahlah Abdur-Rahman

January 28, 2026

Metro Atlanta Leaders Urge Citizens To Stay Alert After ICE Agent Sightings

City leaders have yet to verify if the federal government directed ICE agents to Metro Atlanta.

City leaders in Metro Atlanta have warned citizens of potential ICE sightings around parts of the city.

Although it is unverified whether the immigration agents have been designated to Metro Atlanta, city officials in College Park, Georgia, want residents to stay alert. The area’s mayor and other elected officials have also called out the federal government’s lack of transparency about whether ICE agents are stationed in their area.

Despite the lack of verification, several reports have placed ICE agents in the city, particularly near the Georgia International Convention Center and surrounding neighborhoods, all located in the College Park area. According to Fox 5, the increased sighting reports have led College Park Mayor Bianca Motley Broom to issue a statement.

“Like many of you, I’ve heard about the federal immigration enforcement presence in our area. I want to be clear: ICE is not operating out of the Georgia International Convention Center,” shared the mayor on her website.

However, Motley Broom has yet to receive word from any federal agency confirming the ICE sightings, but has encouraged citizens to remain vigilant amid safety concerns. As violent ICE raids that have even taken lives in Minnesota, many Georgians are especially hesitant to have these agents roam the streets.

Although Mayor Motley Broom could not verify the claims, other College Park City Council members have taken matters into their own hands to confirm the sightings.

Dr. Jamelle McKenzie, who represents Ward 1, validated claims that ICE is in Atlanta but not stationed at the convention center. Despite this, she still warned citizens to carry proper identification in case they are stopped. Vice-Mayor Joe Carn, on the other hand, has suggested that the agents have actually found their home base in College Park’s 5th district.

As the situation escalates with more sightings reported, officials urge those across Atlanta, regardless of citizenship status, to remain alert and carry necessary legal documents at all times during this period. News of ICE agents’ presence is especially alarming as the nation sees their impact in Minnesota. While immigration enforcement continues to occupy Minneapolis, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, both American citizens, were killed in fatal shootings by ICE officers.

Of Pretti’s death, Mayor Motley Broom also issued a statement calling for clear protocols and justice. She also reminded her constituents that the loss in Minneapolis could happen anywhere, even in their Georgia city.

“We need to ensure that every community is safe, that protocols are clear, and that justice and accountability are paramount. This situation is a stark reminder that what happens in one part of our nation resonates everywhere. If it could happen in Minneapolis, it could happen in College Park.”

RELATED CONTENT: Anger And Activism Rises As ICE Agents Can Now Access Ring Cameras

Tyra Banks, Smize
by Kandiss Edwards

January 28, 2026

‘Reality Check: Inside America’s Next Top Model’ Exposes The ‘Monster’ Created By Tyra Banks

The forthcoming docuseries will revisit memorable and frequently commented on aspects of ANTM.

Netflix is dropping Reality Check: Inside America’s Next Top Model, and the snippets are showing the dark side of the Tyra Banks creation.

The three-part documentary, peeling back the layers of the show, will premiere Feb. 16, giving an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the long-running model competition series America’s Next Top Model, which is drama- and tear-filled.

Netflix dropped a sneak peek trailer to promote the upcoming documentary. The exposé features interviews with key characters from the original show, including the creator and host of ANTM, Tyra Banks, and judges Jay Manuel, Miss J Alexander, and Nigel Barker. Additionally, former contestants are speaking up to share the horrors they endured on their quest to be the best. 

The production aims to explore both the show’s cultural impact and its controversial moments from its 24-season run. Banks said her goal was to “fight against the fashion industry,” though it seems in many instances she acknowledges she’d “gone too far.”

Netflix describes Reality Check: Inside America’s Next Top Model as an in-depth look at a program that became a global phenomenon with millions of viewers. The show was the first of its kind and shaped reality television history.

The forthcoming docuseries will revisit memorable and frequently commented-on aspects of ANTM. While visibility for unseen models was guaranteed, visibility for other, now frowned-upon, subjects, such as body-shaming, was also brought into the spotlight. The promotion of models maintaining a thin, nearly unhealthy aesthetic, as well as ethnic insensitivity, are only a few of the topics being broached. Contestants also spoke about on-the-fly medical procedures.

America’s Next Top Model originally aired from 2003 to 2018 and helped launch modeling careers while also drawing scrutiny for its competitive format and provocative challenges. The new Netflix docuseries is positioned as part of the streamer’s slate of documentary projects that revisit influential media properties with a fresh perspective. 

RELATED CONTENT: Alfonso Ribeiro Says Tyra Banks Was ‘Set up For Failure’ During ‘Dancing With The Stars’ Stint

Paul Tazewell
by Jeroslyn JoVonn

January 28, 2026

Paul Tazewell, Emma Grede, JJ Johnson Among TIME 2026 Closers List

Released on Jan. 27, just ahead of Black History Month, the third annual list highlights 18 Black leaders from diverse fields who leverage their talents to drive positive change.

British businesswoman Emma Grede, Oscar-winning costume designer Paul Tazewell, and James Beard Award-winning Chef JJ Johnson are among TIME Magazine’s 2026 “Closers,” 18 Black leaders advancing greater equality.

Released on Jan. 27, just ahead of Black History Month, the third annual list highlights 18 Black leaders from diverse fields who leverage their talents to drive positive change.

This year’s honorees span social justice, business, sports, entertainment, and the arts, including Erin Jackson, Olympic champion speed skater; Abre’ Conner, director of the NAACP Center for Environmental and Climate Justice; and Marc Philpart, CEO of the Black Freedom Fund.

“Our annual Closers list launches just ahead of Black History Month,” TIME editors said. “We are proud to tell the stories of these 18 leaders who, despite ever-evolving challenges, remain determined to make change and to better the world we share.”

Thelma Golden, director and chief curator of The Studio Museum in Harlem

Here’s the full 2026 Closers List:

  • Abre’ Conner, director of the NAACP Center for Environmental and Climate Justice
  • Angela Doyinsola Aina, co-founder and executive director of Black Mamas Matter Alliance
  • Calvin Butler, CEO of Exelon
  • Danielle Deadwyler, actor and producer
  • Dara Eskridge, CEO of Invest STL
  • Darren Walker, philanthropist
  • Emma Grede, founder, entrepreneur, author, and host of Aspire with Emma Grede podcast
  • Erin Jackson, Olympic champion speed skater
  • Imani Perry, author and scholar
  • JJ Johnson, chef and advocate
  • Jamal Joseph, filmmaker and professor
  • Jennifer Eberhardt, social psychologist and Stanford professor
  • Karen Pittman, actor, producer, and activist
  • Marc Philpart, CEO of the Black Freedom Fund
  • Nneka Ogwumike, president of the WNBA players association
  • Paul Tazewell, Oscar-winning costume designer
  • Sarah Lewis, art historian and Harvard professor

The list highlights Black leaders across the U.S. committed to building a more equitable world.

Pittman uses her experience with food insecurity to advocate for those relying on government assistance. Ogwumike is fighting for a collective bargaining agreement to reward players as the WNBA grows. Together, these leaders drive innovative, community-focused initiatives at a time when equity initiatives have been challenged.

“We have to meet the moment,” Perry said. “We can still read the banned books, teach each other what needs to be taught, and maintain an imagination for a just society.”

A ceremony celebrating the 2026 Closers List will be held Feb. 12 in Atlanta.

RELATED CONTENT: Costume Designer Paul Tazewell’s Award-Winning Looks Part of Upcoming Chicago Exhibit

SOCCER,Michelle Alozie, Houston Dash Pierreline Nazon
by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

January 28, 2026

Trinity Rodman Inks New Deal With Washington Spirit, Now Highest-Paid Female Soccer Player

Her deal deal is reportedly worth over $2 million annually.

Trinity Rodman has recently signed a new three-year contract with the Washington Spirit, making her the world’s highest-paid female soccer player. The Spirit announced the record-breaking contract.

Rodman will be with the franchise until 2028.

ESPN reports that the deal is worth over $2 million annually, including bonuses. Rodman’s agent, Mike Senkowski of Upper 90 Sports Group, confirmed that she is now the highest-paid player in National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) history.

The previous record was held after Rodman extended her rookie contract in 2022, signing a four-year contract with the Spirit worth more than $1.1 million. That happened after she led the team to the NWSL championship and was named the league’s rookie of the year.

“I’ve made the DMV my home and the Spirit my family, and I knew this was where I wanted to enter the next chapter of my career,” said Rodman in a written statement. “I’m proud of what we’ve built since my rookie season, and I’m excited about where this club is headed. We’re chasing championships and raising the standard, and I can’t wait to keep doing that with my teammates and the best fans in the NWSL.”

Rodman broke into professional sports as the second overall selection in the 2021 NWSL Draft. At 18, she was the youngest player ever drafted by a NWSL team.

“Trinity is a generational player, but more importantly, she represents the future of this club and the future of women’s soccer,” said Michele Kang, owner of the Washington Spirit and founder of Kynisca. “This agreement reflects our belief that elite talent deserves elite commitment. At the Spirit, we are building something enduring: a club that competes for championships every year, invests in excellence, and creates an environment where world-class players can thrive long-term. Trinity choosing to continue her career in Washington is a powerful statement about what we are building here.”

Rodman, the youngest player in league history to reach 50 career goal contributions, is a two-time Ballon d’Or Féminin finalist and a 2024 NWSL MVP finalist. In less than five years with the Spirit, she holds the franchise’s all-time assists record. She is also a member of the U.S. Women’s National Team (USWNT) which won a gold medal at the 2024 Summer Olympics.

RELATED CONTENT: Dennis Rodman’s Son To Join Bronny James On USC Basketball Team

A Different World, including Jasmine Guy, Kadeem Hardison, Dawnn Lewis, Cree Summer, Darryl Bell and Debbie Allen
by Kandiss Edwards

January 28, 2026

‘A Different World’ Reboot Hosts Casting Call For The Series’ HBCU Students

The original series ran from 1987 to 1993.

Netflix is holding an open casting call for background actors to appear in its upcoming sequel series to A Different World, the classic ’90s sitcom. 

Set at the ficticous HBCU Hillman College, the Atlanta-based production posted the ad on ProjectCasting.com.

Applicants must be 18 or older and able to portray members of an HBCU campus community, including students, parents, or faculty, as background actors in scripted scenes. The posting says filming will take place in the Atlanta area. Actors will be paid for their work.

The listing encourages performers, particularly HBCU students and alumni, to bring authentic campus life to the series’ backdrop. No prior acting experience is required, though applicants are expected to be reliable, punctual, and professional during filming.

The production is part of Netflix’s intention to revive the A Different World universe. As opposed to the more common spin-off, the platform is blending returning legacy cast members with a new generation of characters.

Original stars such as Jasmine Guy and Kadeem Hardison are reportedly reprising their roles. The sequel series will follow the next generation at Hillman College under creative leadership that includes Bel-Air showrunner Felicia Pride. Filming is scheduled to extend into mid-2026 in the Atlanta region.

A Different World ran on NBC from 1987 to 1993. The spin-off of The Cosby Show aired 144 episodes and introduced such talents as Guy, Hardison, Marisa Tomei, and Sinbad. 

Known for its cluster of HBCUs, Clark Atlanta University, Morris Brown College, Spelman College, and Morehouse College, Atlanta is a prime location for the revival. The show will incorporate Black campus culture and stories grounded in Black youth experiences in higher education.

RELATED CONTENT: Interim Leadership Appointed At HBCU, But Former President Of Morris Brown College Isn’t Leaving Quietly

Megyn Kelly
by Keka Araújo

January 27, 2026

Megyn Kelly Shows Audacity And Apathy For ICE Agents Killing Alex Pretti

Instead of empathy, Megyn Kelly opted for a narrative of self-righteous claptrap.

Conservative Megyn Kelly is once again at the center of a national firestorm, but this time, the backlash is crossing traditional political lines. Following the Jan. 24 shooting of 37-year-old intensive care nurse Alex Pretti by ICE agents, Kelly’s response was a chilling masterclass in supercilious dehumanization.

During a recent broadcast of The Megyn Kelly Show, Kelly offered a “hard-line” take on the tragedy that left the Minneapolis medical community reeling.

Rather than addressing the nuances of an ICE operation that ended in ten rounds being pumped into a pinned civilian, Kelly opted for a narrative of self-righteous claptrap.

“I know I’m supposed to feel sorry for Alex Pretti, but I don’t,” Kelly stated, her voice devoid of the gravity usually reserved for the loss of a frontline healer. “Do you know why I wasn’t shot by Border Patrol this weekend? Because I kept my a** inside and out of their operations. It was very simple.”

As she was being lambasted virtually, Kelly doubled down on her trash rhetoric, writing on X, “He was an agitator. He was in a physical confrontation w/the Feds A WEEK EARLIER. Still, he went back & injected himself into a law enforcement op. FAFO. As for me, I have plenty of compassion for the innocent Americans being killed, raped & molested by illegals. Where are your tears for them?”

He was an agitator. He was in a physical confrontation w/the Feds A WEEK EARLIER. Still, he went back & injected himself into a law enforcement op. FAFO. As for me, I have plenty of compassion – for the innocent Americans being killed, raped & molested by illegals. Where are your… https://t.co/E5zHc2oAX6

— Megyn Kelly (@megynkelly) January 27, 2026

After her damning commentary, the internet–swiftly and rightfully–ate her up.

“Cancel this twatzi immediately,” one user penned on  Instagram.

IG user Floki Kleiner wrote, “Shame on you. Your response to this situation shows exactly why so many people no longer trust you! You’ve replaced moral judgment with political loyalty. You don’t analyze first; you pick a side, then justify it. When a human life is lost, empathy and accountability should come before partisanship. That used to be journalism. This is something else entirely.”

Kelly’s logic rests on a dangerous binary: that safety is a reward for silence and that presence—even the presence of a professional trained to assist in crises, including saving lives—is a justification for state-sanctioned execution. 

Her assertion that Pretti simply “got himself into a bad situation” by exercising his right to witness and protest suggests a world in which the sidewalk is no longer a sanctuary but a kill zone for the noncompliant.

The callousness of the rhetoric was apparently too sharp even for some of Kelly’s ideological peers. Marjorie Taylor Greene, in a rare break from federal law enforcement sycophancy, challenged the narrative that Pretti’s status as a legal gun owner made him an inherent threat to ICE agents.

“I unapologetically believe in border security… but I also unapologetically support the Second Amendment,” Greene noted. She pointedly compared the aggressive federal response in Minneapolis to the tactical interventions involving Jan. 6 participants, highlighting a growing fear that federal agencies are being weaponized against citizens regardless of their political leanings.

The fundamental flaw in Kelly’s dismissive and disgusting posture as a journalist is its intentional erasure of the “witness.” To suggest that a citizen’s death is a “simple” consequence of being present is to advocate for a society that surrenders its right to oversight. Pretti was an ICU nurse—a man whose entire professional life was dedicated to moving toward trauma to provide care. 

To demand that an American citizen “stay inside” while his neighbors are subjected to tactical, unlawful force by ICE is to require the death of the human spirit.

Kelly’s “stay inside” philosophy is more than just a lack of empathy; it is a surrender of the very liberties she claims to defend. At the core of the matter is a simple truth: when the state is allowed to silence a healer on a public street, no one is truly “safe” inside their home.

RELATED CONTENT: ‘Minding Our Own Business—’ A Spotlight On Diaspora Enterprise and Culture: Lu Smith

50 cent, dame dash
by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

January 27, 2026

Shaniqua Tompkins Claims She Was Threatened To Sign Life Rights Contract With 50 Cent’s G-Unit Books

She claims 50 Cent's late manager forced her to sign it

Shaniqua Tompkins, the mother of 50 Cent’s first son, said she signed away her life rights to G-Unit, 50 Cent’s company, because she feared for her life.

According to AllHipHop, Tompkins, who signed the life rights deal in 2007, said that G-Unit intimidated her and broke the terms of the agreement. She is responding to a lawsuit brought by G-Unit Books, which is suing Tompkins for breaching the life-rights deal when she began talking about 50 Cent in interviews and on social media.

She has accused 50 Cent of physical and verbal abuse while she was pregnant and while they were in a relationship. 

Tompkins signed the deal that was supposed to give G-Unit Books broad, exclusive rights to her life story, name, and likeness, while restricting her from telling her side of the story without the company’s approval.

She now says the intimidation was initiated by 50 Cent’s then-manager, Chris Lighty, who has died. Tompkins says she received repeated phone calls from him, insisting she “had to sign the agreement,” even after she declined. 

She claims Lighty tracked her down and appeared at a Las Vegas hotel room with another man to get her to sign the agreement.

“During this encounter, Mr. Lighty told me that I would suffer severe consequences if I did not sign the agreement,” Tompkins said. She said she wasn’t allowed to read the full contract and was only shown the signature page, and she was made to sign it on the spot.

“Fearing for my life and for my children’s lives, I signed the agreement under extreme duress,” and that she “had no meaningful choice.”

She also claims G-Unit Books did not hold up their end of the bargain. The company was supposed to pay $80,000, but she only received $35,000 after they took $5,000 to pay a lawyer (allegedly one of 50’s attorneys) she says she never hired.

Tompkins argues that the company “did not honor the agreement it now claims to enforce,” and she should not be bound to a contract it allegedly broke first.

The affidavit also says that during this time, her relationship with 50 Cent was. not in a good space, so she was emotionally and financially dependent on him and under pressure from people in his circle. She also stated that she was a stay-at-home mother “entirely financially dependent on” the rapper, and left a house-flipping business at the insistence of 50 Cent.

RELATED CONTENT: Jadakiss Will Host ‘Look Thru My Eyes: Becoming DMX,’ A Podcast Series Powered By 50 Cent

Don, Lemon, released, arrest
by Sharelle B. McNair

January 27, 2026

Black Pastor Warns Don Lemon Against Church Protest: ‘It’s Going To The Royal Rumble’ 

Wooden offered sympathy for North Carolina's first Black lieutenant governor, Mark Robinson, following a bombshell report that he called himself a "black NAZI."

Following his viral Minneapolis church incident, journalist Don Lemon has ruffled some feathers with faith leaders like Bishop Patrick L. Wooden Sr, who have issued harsh warnings against the former CNN anchor making any appearances.

The pastor of Upper Room COGIC in Raleigh, NC, spoke out against the actions of Lemon and First Amendment protestors storming into a church service to confront Cities Church’s lead pastor, David Easterwood, who was revealed to be an ICE agent.

While things were seemingly peaceful during the service interruption, Wooden said that wouldn’t be the case if the same thing took place in Raleigh.

“Y’all see when those people invaded that church the other day? Now I just wanna say to protestors and all of them…don’t do that here. Amen,” the pastor started. “Don Lemon, don’t come here. You roll up in this church doing stuff like that, and it’s going to be the Royal Rumble.”

As parishioners started to giggle, Wooden stood firm on his stance: “The funny thing is, I’m not joking.”

He added, “We have worked hard. We built the church in the name of the Lord. We dedicated it to the Lord. It’s built for worship. Our blood, sweat, tears, and finances are in this place. So, people who have never knocked on the doors of the church, and never contributed one dime to it, going to roll up in here and disturb our service and scare our children and shout obscenities in the church—that will not stand in this church.”

The federal government feels Lemon and protestors went too far in disrupting the church service, resulting in the Department of Justice being hopeful that a judge would charge Lemon for his anti-ICE protest coverage.

That didn’t happen, upsetting U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi and Nicki Minaj.

This isn’t the first time Wooden has controversially spoken out on the day’s hot topics. Following the assassination of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk, Wooden praised him for promoting conservative Christian values, offering condolences, and urged his parishioners to do the same. 

In 2024, according to The Christian Post, he defended former North Carolina gubernatorial candidate and the state’s first Black lieutenant governor, Mark Robinson, following a bombshell report that he labeled himself as a “black NAZI” and praised slavery on a pornographic website between 2008 and 2012.

“Whether this stuff that they’ve unearthed is him or not …. he said those are not the words of Mark Robinson, and I believe him,” said the pastor, who once called Kamala Harris a danger to Black Americans. “I believe him more than I believe this media.”

RELATED CONTENT: Pam Bondi ‘Enraged’ After Judge Rejects DOJ Attempt To Charge Don Lemon For Anti-ICE Church Protest

Demond Wilson, ‘Sanford And Son’
by Nahlah Abdur-Rahman

January 27, 2026

Rest In Power. Dr. Gloria Wade-Gayles, Trailblazing Black And Women’s Studies Scholar, Dies At 88

Dr. Gloria Wade-Gayles leaves behind a legacy of scholarship focused on Black women's place in Americana.

Dr. Gloria Wade-Gayles, a scholar known for her studies centering Black women in Americana, has died.

Wade-Gayles became a leading voice for interdisciplinary women, gender, and Black studies, centering her work in this discipline. Born in Memphis in 1937, Wade-Gayles endured an upbringing under the Jim Crow doctrine of the South. From this experience, she developed a lifelong passion for academia and activism, using her scholarship to shape her curriculum and advocacy.

She first began her academic studies at LeMoyne College, graduating with a B.A. in English in 1959 from the Syracuse, New York-based institution. Wade-Gayles went on to pursue an M.A. in American Literature, becoming a Woodrow Wilson fellow at Boston University a few years later.

According to The EDU Ledger, her esteemed education landed her a post as a faculty member at Spelman College, teaching American literature at the all-women’s HBCU. However, her time at the college was cut short over her activism during the Civil Rights Movement. As a participant in the Freedom Summer of 1964, Wade-Gayles taught while on the road, taking the classroom to the frontlines.

Following a years-long career in education and social justice advocacy, she pursued her own scholarship in the early ’80s, obtaining a Ph.D. in American Studies at Emory University. She later returned to her original employer, shaping the lives of Black female students for the next four decades as a professor of English and women’s studies. Her legacy and foundational leadership led to her honor as the Eminent Scholar’s Chair in Independent Scholarship and Service Learning.

At the school, she also founded the Spelman Independent Scholar (SIS) program in 2001, along with its accompanying Oral History Project, and RESONANCE, a choral program, the following year. Her legacy in academia also made her a recipient of Georgia’s Professor of the Year Award from the Council for Advancement and Support of Education in 1991, in addition to the Presidential Award for Scholarship from Spelman.

As for her contributions to the literary world, Wade-Gayles wrote several novels and academic articles. This includes her 1984 work “No Crystal Stair: Visions of Race and Sex in Black Women’s Fiction” as well as her 1993 memoir “Pushed Back to Strength: A Black Woman’s Journey Home.”

With her storied research, emphasis on Black women’s experiences, and grounding in American culture, Wade-Gayles remains an integral figure in championing this field. Her incorporation of activist work into this scholarship also exemplifies the impact one can have beyond the classroom, shaping how history is told and by whom for years to come.

RELATED CONTENT: Hazel Dukes, NAACP Legend And NYC Civil Rights Activist, Dies At 92

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