• Arts and Culture

by Jameelah Mullen

February 6, 2026

Strengthening The Legacy: Alvin Ailey Theater To Receive $10M Endowment 

Renowned choreographer Alvin Ailey established the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in 1958.

---

Renowned choreographer Alvin Ailey established the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in 1958.

The Alvin Ailey Dance Foundation announced that it received a historic $10 million gift to endow the position of Artistic Director of the Ailey Dance Company (AILEY). 

Daria L. Wallach, Chair of AILEY’s Board of Trustees, is providing the generous gift. To honor her contribution, the organization will name future leaders in the role the Daria L. and Eric J. Wallach Artistic Directors.

“It is not uncommon for the leaders of art museums to hold endowed positions, but in the field of dance, it is extremely rare to have such cornerstone support. We are immensely grateful to Daria Wallach for having the vision to create this endowment, and by doing so to give AILEY the flexibility to invest in artistic initiatives, foster new talent, and extend the artistic excellence that has defined the Company for more than six decades,” AILEY executive director Bennett Rink said in a press release. 

Daria L. Wallach highlighted her longstanding connection with AILEY. Wallach praised the organization’s profound cultural, intellectual, and emotional influence on both students and audiences. With this gift, Wallach aims to help sustain AILEY’s legacy and growth. The philanthropist notes that she made the gift in support of the organization’s current director, Alicia Graf Mack. The former AILEY dancer became the organization’s fourth director in Nov 2024.

“It is a true honor to assume this title and to celebrate Daria Wallach’s transformative gift. Daria’s generosity and guidance have shaped AILEY in profound ways, and because of that commitment, we are better equipped than ever to create boldly, invest in future generations of artists, and expand access to Alvin Ailey’s extensive legacy.” Graf Mack said in a press release. 
The organization announced the endowment gift as Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater embarks on its 2026 national tour. The tour, which began Jan 30, will visit 20 cities across the U.S.

• Education

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

February 6, 2026

The Boys & Girls Clubs Of Greater Detroit Opens New Location

The newest club is located inside The Station at Michigan Central.

---

Young people in Detroit have a new resource to help them prepare for careers in the creative economy, technology, and mobility sectors. The Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Detroit (BGCGD) has opened a new location.

The Michigan Central Boys & Girls Club is located inside The Station at Michigan Central.

The new club is a first-of-its-kind, 15,000-square-foot venue that will give young people ages 14 to 24 access to real-world learning, networking, and opportunities.

The club opens just in time to celebrate BGCGD’s 100th anniversary.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Detroit (@bgcgreaterdetroit)

“This Club represents an evolution in how opportunity is delivered,” said Shawn H. Wilson, president & CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Detroit and co-founder, Usher’s New Look. “BGCGD’s reimagined youth development model moves beyond preparation and into participation and ownership. When young people have proximity to innovation, relationships, and decision-makers, economic mobility stops being abstract and starts becoming achievable.”

This club is a new youth development model that was designed around access. By including high school- and college-aged youth in Michigan Central’s innovation district, the club will help them learn and build alongside the people and companies shaping the city’s future.

In the new space, core offerings include innovation labs, creative technology studios, special effects labs, autonomous and drone training spaces, and a literary and storytelling lounge. There is also a youth-run retail marketplace that offers real-world experience in brand building and entrepreneurship.

“Michigan Central is building an ecosystem that drives real-world progress and economic opportunity, and developing talent is the key in creating a sustainable, inclusive future,” said Carolina Pluszczynski, acting CEO, Michigan Central. “The work with Boys & Girls Club not only builds on years of work we’ve done to grow a future-ready talent pipeline, but also helps bring our vision forward by embedding youth directly into the same environment where founders, technologists, and creators are building what’s next, demonstrating how innovation districts can support earlier, more connected talent development and job placement.”

Programming at the Michigan Central Boys & Girls Club is slated to start Feb. 9. The Michigan Central Boys & Girls Club is the sixth club location to open under BGCGD. Among its partners are organizations created by Usher and Big Sean.

RELATED CONTENT: A$AP Rocky Covers Rent For Residents In Old Harlem Neighborhood

• Sports

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

February 5, 2026

Deontay Wilder Angrily Leaves In Middle of TV Interview

"Why is it so hard to believe a Black man?"

---

After requesting that an interviewer stop asking about a white fighter who had nothing to do with his upcoming match, Deontay Wilder left the television studio exclaiming, “Why is it so hard to believe a Black man?”

Derek Chisora is set to fight Wilder in London April 4 at the O2 Arena. The fighters were on the talkSPORT set on Wednesday, Feb. 4, to discuss the upcoming bout.

Interviewer Simon Jordan asked Wilder about his three fights against his rival, Tyson Fury, whom he has lost to twice. As Jordan questioned Wilder, he brought up that Wilder had accused Fury of cheating.

“I don’t want to talk about him,” Wilder said. “We’re here about Derek Chisora. We’re not going to talk about him. Understand that.”

Jordan pushed back. Wilder became noticeably agitated. He explained that Fury cheated in their matches and called him “the biggest cheat in boxing.” He then said that there will be a documentary exposing Fury’s cheating ways.

“When the documentary and everything start to come out, I’m going to show everything,” Wilder blurted.

When Jordan disputed what Wilder was saying, it set Wilder off. He said Jordan believed Fury because Fury is white. Chisora, a Black man, agreed with his upcoming opponent.

Wilder, visibly angry, asked Jordan, “You done had a great life? You think your life has been like mine?” before telling Jordan that he has white privilege. The boxer continued, “I’m a Black man with dark skin. 
Ain’t nothing ever been given to me. I mean, I’ve had [to] kick in every opportunity.”

The host and the boxer went back and forth before Wilder calmed down. That didn’t last long. Wilder got agitated and left the studio in disgust, about 27 minutes into the sitdown.

You can view the full video below.

RELATED CONTENT: Baltimore Judge Issues Arrest Warrant For Gervonta Davis

• Uncategorized

by Kandiss Edwards

February 5, 2026

Family Sues California City Over Ancestral Home Seized By Eminent Domain in 1924

Both the lawsuit and the Piedmont Historical Society thoroughly detail the extended campaign against the Dearings.

---

Descendants of the first Black family to own property in Piedmont, California, have filed a lawsuit against the city over the 1924 seizure of their ancestors’ home.

The complaint, filed in Alameda County Superior Court on behalf of the heirs of Sidney and Irene Dearing, challenges a longstanding condemnation assertion as the reason for the sale.

Condemnation, more commonly known as eminent domain, was evoked to take the property unfairly over a century ago, according to Piedmont Historical Society.

The lawsuit alleges that the city eventually used eminent domain to condemn the property for a public purpose and then sold the land to a different buyer a few months later. The complaint alleges the condemnation and subsequent sale were racially motivated and harmed the family’s ability to accumulate generational wealth through homeownership.

“The city never intended to build the road,” said Leah Aden, senior counsel at the Legal Defense Fund, told SFGate. “We know based upon the factual record that they put the home up for sale and sold it to a white person a mere few months after the condemnation action was settled, which to us is indication that they were not intending to build or complete a road to the home, but that the city lied to the Dearings because they did not want a Black family to live in the city of Piedmont.”

Though the claim made by the family comes after the expiration of the statute of limitations, the lawsuit argues that due to extreme circumstances the case should be heard.

The Dearings purchased the home on 67 Wildwood Avenue in 1924 in a neighborhood that barred Black Americans from ownership, but Irene Dearing convinced sellers she was French-Canadian. Shortly after they moved in, the family’s Black ancestry was discovered, which led to harassment and intimidation.

The complaint alleges that the Dearings experienced threats and intimidation linked to their ownership. The Piedmont Historical Society details the multiple attempts to remove the Dearings from their home, including a mob of 500 “protestors” backed by Piedmont Police Chief Burton Becker, a Klu Klux Klan member.

Both the lawsuit and the Piedmont Historical Society thoroughly detail the extended campaign against the Dearings.

RELATED CONTENT: Nebraska Castle, Once A Green Book Safe Haven For Black Travelers, Earns National Historic Status

• Celebrity News

by Jeroslyn JoVonn

February 5, 2026

Shaboozy Admits He ‘Should Have Been More Intentional’ Before Saying Immigrants ‘Built This Country’ During Grammy Speech

Shaboozy clarified his comments in a tweet.

---

Country music star Shaboozy is now saying he “should have been more intentional” before saying that immigrants “built this country” in his Grammy acceptance speech.

Shaboozy, born Collins Chibueze, took to social media on Feb. 3 to address the backlash in an open letter after his emotional speech for Best Country Duo/Group Performance with Jelly Roll, in which he said that “immigrants built this country.”

“To be clear, I know and believe that we—Black people, have also built this country,” Shaboozy tweeted. “My words were not meant to erase, diminish, or overlook that truth, and I sincerely apologize for how they came across. That history, sacrifice, and resilience are undeniable, and I should have been more intentional in honoring that in my moment on stage.”

Shaboozey aslo reflected on the significance of being the first Black artist to win the Grammy for Best Country Duo/Group. He described the moment as “not just my achievement—it is a continuation of Black history,” adding that it “stands on the shoulders of those who fought, created, and paved the way long before me This moment belongs to all of us.”

The “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” hitmaker highlighted his commitment to “lifting people up, honoring where we come from, and expanding what’s possible.”

“I am proud to be a part of this legacy, and I intend to continue doing that work for the rest of my life,” he concluded in his statement.

Shaboozey, who was born and raised in Virginia to Nigerian parents who immigrated to the U.S., came under fire after his Grammy speech.

While accepting his award, he praised his mother, noting that she “worked three to four jobs just to provide for me and my four siblings as an immigrant in this country,” before expanding his comments to address immigration more broadly.

“Immigrants built this country, literally. So this is for them,” the singer said. “For all children of immigrants, this is also for those who came to this country in search of better opportunities, to be part of a nation that promised freedom for all and equal opportunity to everyone willing to work for it.

“Thank you for bringing your culture, your music, your stories, and your traditions. You give America color, I love y’all so much. Thank you,” he added.

RELATED CONTENT: Mickey Guyton Reflects On ‘Black Like Me’ And The Road Country Music Still Has To Travel

• Sports

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

February 5, 2026

WBC Strips Shakur Stevenson Of Lightweight Title

'100k to some crooks who don’t deserve it? Nah,' Stevenson said

---

The World Boxing Council (WBC) is mired in another controversy after stripping Shakur Stevenson of the lightweight title after his latest victory, in which he moved up in weight to capture the WBO championship.

According to ESPN, the WBC has declared the title vacant, citing its rules and regulations for titleholders because Stevenson moved up in weight. 

“The WBC wishes Champion Stevenson continued success in all his future endeavors, both inside and outside the ring,” the WBC said in a written statement. “The WBC will provide further information regarding the process to crown a new Lightweight World Champion in the near future.”

Stevenson handily defeated Teofimo Lopez to take home the WBO junior welterweight title at their matchup, Jan. 31 at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

The stripping comes less than two months after the sanctioning body stripped undefeated fighter Terence Crawford of his super middleweight title.

Stevenson took to social media to respond to the news, accusing the organization of stripping him of his title for refusing to pay the $140,000 sanctioning fee.

“100k to some crooks who don’t deserve it?” He stated that they had nothing to do with his last fight and “it’s eating them alive.”

The controversial move mirrors the complaint Crawford raised when the WBC stripped him of his title. Crawford said he wouldn’t pay the $300,000 fee, which is why the WBC stripped him of the title.

Stevenson expressed the same sentiments and blamed them for the WBC’s issues with Crawford over unpaid fees.

Shakur Stevenson became a four-division champion after the Jan. 31 victory. In November 2023, he won the WBC lightweight title when he beat Edwin De Los Santos by unanimous decision. He has defended the title three times, winning each match. The 28-year-old boxer has an undefeated 25-0 record and has secured 11 knockouts.

RELATED CONTENT: Floyd Mayweather Sues Showtime For $340M

• News

by Mitti Hicks

February 5, 2026

GOP Congressman Introduces Bill To Halt Immigration From Somalia

"Mass Somali immigration makes the United States weaker, poorer, and erodes social trust," Rep. Brandon Gill (R-TX) told Breitbart News.

---

Rep. Brandon Gill, a Republican from Texas, has introduced legislation to halt immigration from Somalia for 25 years.

Gill reasoning behind the Somalia Immigration Moratorium Act is Somalis “failure to assimilate” in the United States. He added that large-scale migration from the East African country has contributed to widespread misuse of federal assistance programs.

“Mass Somali immigration makes the United States weaker, poorer, and erodes social trust,” Gill told Breitbart News, which first reported on the legislation.

Gill introduced his legislation as an amendment to section 212 of the Immigration and Nationality Act. Since the act’s passage in 1965, more than 76 million immigrants have reportedly entered the United States.

Gill and his supporters argue that the Somali community has drawn increased scrutiny due to repeated fraud investigations that involve federal benefit programs. According to the New York Times, federal prosecutors said 59 people have been convicted in Minnesota in federal fraud schemes. Many of those convicted are a part of the Somali community. Federal prosecutors allege that more than $1 billion was stolen from taxpayers’ money in three plots they are investigating.

“The sole aim of our immigration system is to benefit American citizens, not facilitate mass migration from corrupt, failed societies,” Gill added in his statement to Breitbart News. “The recent fraud scandal in Minnesota highlights the acute dangers of unchecked immigration.”

Trump Administration

Weeks after the increased scrutiny of the Somali community in Minnesota following fraud allegations within the community, the Trump administration announced the termination of the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Somalia, effective March 17. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security cited improved conditions in the country and national interests for the decision. Between 700 and 2,400 individuals will likely be affected.

TPS for Somalia was granted in 1991 during the country’s civil war. With estimates between 50,000 and 100,000 people, Minnesota has the largest concentration of Somali immigrants in the United States.

Outside of the fraud allegations, Breitbart News reports that the Somali community overwhelmingly benefits from American welfare programs. 81% of Somali immigrant households are reportedly on welfare, 73% are on Medicaid, and 54% are on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

RELATED CONTENT: New York Attorney General Will Send Observers To Monitor Immigration Raids

• News

by Kandiss Edwards

February 5, 2026

50 Cent Partners With DoorDash To ‘Literally Deliver The Beef’

DoorDash admitted that 50 Cent's reputation precedes him.

---

DoorDash is partnering with rapper Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson in a nationwide promotion in which customers can purchase a 50-cent beef item from select restaurants during Super Bowl LX.

In a press release, DoorDash said the offer will be available during the big game and applies to qualifying beef menu items ordered through the DoorDash app. The promotion plays on Jackson’s track record of never shying away from beef, rap-centered or personal.

In an ad, Fifty acknowledges his behavior and claims to be done with his antics, but in his next breath, he doubles down.

“It’s come to my attention that everyone’s calling me a troll, some even said ‘king of trolls.’ First of all, I’m flattered, but I’m done with that. I would never do a deal with DoorDash and quite literally delivers the beef.”

In its announcement, DoorDash admitted that Jackson’s reputation precedes him, making him the perfect partner for the promotion. 

“[Super Bowl Sunday] is a day fueled by emotion, competition, and trash talk, no matter who you’re rooting for,” said Gina Igwe, vice president and head of consumer marketing at DoorDash. “DoorDash already has everything consumers need for the Big Game, and now we’re talking a big game with the help of cultural icon and beef expert, 50 Cent.”

According to DoorDash, the 50-cent beef promotion is limited to one qualifying beef item per customer while supplies last. The company said the promotion is available through participating merchants. Customers are required to meet minimum purchase requirements, which vary by restaurant. 

The company said the promotion is designed to showcase beef as a central part of Super Bowl food culture. DoorDash cited internal ordering data showing that beef-based items consistently rank among the most ordered foods on game day, particularly burgers, wings, and tacos. Beef-based items are also noted as one of the highest-grossing items during the Super Bowl.

RELATED CONTENT: 50 Cent Action Scales Globally Across Major Streaming Platforms

• Politics

by Jameelah Mullen

February 5, 2026

Trump To Honor Black Legends In ‘National Garden Of American Heroes’

Is he playing in Black people's faces during Black History Month?

---

As he continues efforts to dismantle diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, President Donald Trump announced plans to include Black historical figures in his proposed National Garden of American Heroes.

In a Feb

3 proclamation, the president stated that Black history is inseparable from American history and named several notable Black figures to be honored in the park. 

“ I have authorized the construction of the National Garden of American Heroes, a new statuary park honoring our greatest Americans, including black icons like Booker T. Washington, Jackie Robinson, Aretha Franklin, Coretta Scott King, Muhammad Ali, and many others,”  the proclamation reads. 

Trump initially announced plans for the garden in February 2025, praising abolitionists Harriet Tubman and Frederick Douglass as “black patriots.” He also revealed that the park will feature a statue of Prince Estabrook, who fought in the Revolutionary War while enslaved. The nation’s first convicted felon president noted that Estabrook was the first American to “spill blood” in the war, claiming that by fighting in the war, Estabrook “won his own freedom.” 

During that announcement, Trump slammed  far-left politicians, claiming that they “needlessly divide our citizens based on race, painting a toxic and distorted and disfigured vision of our history, heritage, and heroes.” 

Trump’s Black History Month proclamation seems to conflict with his administration’s efforts to defund organizations and programs that aim to support Black people and other marginalized groups.

“Since the start of Trump’s second term, we have seen a coordinated effort to erase or rewrite parts of American history, especially Black history and the legacy of the Civil Rights Movement,” Martin Luther King III, son of civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr., told Axios. 

Last month, the Trump administration ordered the removal of a slavery exhibit at Philadelphia’s Independence National Historical Park as part of its effort to comply with the administration’s goal of “restoring truth and sanity to American history.” This action was part of a broader effort to eliminate narratives about slavery and racism in U.S. history. 

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

• News

by Sharelle B. McNair

February 5, 2026

Steve Bannon Says ‘Damn Right’ ICE Will ‘Surround the Polls’ 

The comments come just days after Trump doubled down on how he wants Republicans to take over elections - “in at least 15 places.”

---

Seems as if President Donald Trump has put a battery in his supporters’ backs to “nationalize” elections, as former White House strategist and podcaster Steve Bannon suggested.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents will be present at the polls during the 2026 midterm elections.

During a segment of his own podcast, War Room, Bannon, who spent four months in federal prison for contempt of Congress, made unspecified claims that ICE officers will “surround the polls” during the hotly anticipated upcoming midterm elections because “we” can’t “allow you to steal the country again.”

“You’re damn right we’re going to have ICE surround the polls come November. We’re not going to sit here and allow you to steal the country again,” he said. 

“And you can whine and cry and throw your toys out of the pram all you want, but we will never again allow an election to be stolen.” 

The comments come just days after Trump doubled down on how he wants Republicans to take over elections — “in at least 15 places” — and continued his years-long claims of “horrible corruption” in Democratic-led cities such as Atlanta. “I want to see elections be honest, and if a state can’t run an election, I think the people behind me should do something about it,” the president said. 

All claims are a trickle-down effect of the president’s 2020 loss to former President Joe Biden. The FBI recently raided Fulton County, Georgia, offices to seize records, which Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) called “nothing more than Jim Crow 2.0,” according to The Hill.

Bannon may seem to know something American voters don’t, as his sole focus has shifted to the midterm elections, which he sees as making room for a Democratic takeover. 

With Black leaders like Rep. Jasmine Crockett working on a campaign for Texas senator and Illinois Congresswoman Robin Kelly looking to take over Dick Durbin’s seat, during a speech, Bannon alleged that if the right-leaning party loses, “some in this room are going to prison, myself included.”

“We have to understand that if we don’t take this to the maximum, the maximumist strategy with a sense of urgency…if we don’t do that now, we’re going to lose this chance forever,” he said. 

“’Cause you’re never going to have another Trump.” 

RELATED CONTENT: Steve Bannon Lectures Black Businesses on ‘Economic Nationalism’