Houston’s Ensemble Theatre is celebrating 50 years of artistry, culture, and community with a golden anniversary season packed with powerful productions and special events. We were joined by Artistic Director Eileen J. Morris and Associate Artistic Director Rachel Hemphill Dickson to preview what’s ahead including regional premieres, returning favorites, and celebrations honoring Black artistry, history, and legacy.

Georgia's Democratic congressman David Scott has died at age 80.

The Trump administration and Louisiana officials have lifted another decades-old school desegregation order, part of a campaign to end court orders they describe as outdated.

Federal judges have allowed North Carolina to use a redrawn congressional map designed to give Republicans an additional U.S. House seat.

One in eight Americans use federal food aid but halting the SNAP program would hurt Black Americans more than anyone else.

The site is the final resting place of veterans from the Spanish-American War, World Wars I and II, a Buffalo Soldier, doctors, attorneys, and countless other community leaders, according to a board member.

Freedmen’s Town, Houston’s historic heart of African American culture, is getting a fresh breath of life!

Donald Trump’s campaign has nourished a fusion of hard-right politics and theology to energize evangelical Christians in swing states.

Vice President Kamala Harris has announced a series of proposals designed to give Black men more economic opportunities as she works to energize a key voting bloc that has Democrats concerned about a lack of enthusiasm.

American Airlines is putting employees on leave after they were involved in an incident in which several Black passengers were removed from a flight earlier this year.

📢 Join the Harmony & Health Study, which aims to reduce sitting time, increase movement, and improve health in Black and African American adults at risk for cancer. 🏃💃 Participants will get to experience yoga-based stretches, guided relaxation, and spirituality. 📞 Call 713-792-9400 or email HarmonyHealth@MDAnderson.org to participate. #MDAnderson #HealthStudy #CancerPrevention #JoinTheStudy

A medal richly deserved but long denied to an African American combat medic wounded on Omaha Beach in the D-Day landings has been tenderly laid on the hallowed sands where he saved lives and shed blood.

As the church continues to be a pillar within the Black community, those in Galveston are gearing up to celebrate the Juneteenth holiday with Grammy-Award winning gospel artist Fred Hammond.

Three Black men are suing American Airlines, claiming they were discriminated against when ordered to leave a plane in January.

Check out the rich history and ongoing struggles of Acres Homes, a historic African American community in Houston. From its early days as a rare opportunity for African American families to own substantial acreage to its current challenges of inequality and limited city services, Acres Homes has a story that deserves to be heard. #AcresHomes #HoustonCommunity #EqualityMatters

President Joe Biden’s administration is again delaying a sweeping plan to ban menthol cigarettes.

Refrigerators without food, and filthy hotels. These are both conditions local activists say some children across the state are being subjected to while in custody of Child Protective Services. Now, those activists who say the CPS system is overwhelmed are taking matters into their own hands and are asking the public to help them in their mission.

Introducing Houstonians to the story of the “Blue Helmets,” the first African American combat division to be activated during World War II.

One black inventor that changed lanes and history

One black inventor that changed lanes and history

A growing number of Black Americans see the struggle of Palestinians reflected in their own struggles for racial equality and civil rights.

Jill Biden has hosted a White House listening session with about 60 female faith leaders, community leaders and others.

Tulsa's Greenwood District suffered great racial tension that destroyed buildings and lives about a century ago. But today, a design team led by native Houstonian and friend of Houston Life Jon Pierre Tjon-Joe-Pin is revitalizing the community in his new uplifting docuseries 'Rebuilding Black Wall Street.'

Some of the nation’s most influential Black leaders say many of the threats to democratic institutions in the U.S. appear to be aimed squarely at their community, including efforts to make voting more difficult, censor lessons around race and weaken social safeguards such as affirmative action.

Let's test your skills!

The wide empty spaces in pews between parishioners at a Sunday service at Zion Baptist Church in South Carolina’s capital highlight a post-pandemic reality common among many Black Protestant churches across the nation.

The College Board says changes will be made to its new AP African American studies course, after critics said the agency bowed to political pressure and removed several topics from the framework, including Black Lives Matter, slavery reparations and queer life.

The National African American Male Wellness Agency hosted the 1st ever walk at Texas Southern University, and local groups are making sure Black men in Houston are prioritizing their health.

Get a glimpse of the menu for Black Restaurant Week. And a lesson in making mouthwatering oxtails.

Americans have long had an intense conversation about what race and ethnicity says about who they are.

A survivor of domestic abuse, Dr. Conti Terrell started Fresh Spirit Wellness in 1997 after realizing there was a different type of dynamic for African American women who are dealing with it. She discovered that certain conversations that needed to happen were not taking place and many fears that these women had were not being addressed.

Isaac Yowman is a young African American Director taking the film industry by storm. He joined Houston Life today to discuss his most recent project, directing the documentary ‘Memory Builds The Monument,’ streaming now on BET+.

The organization that created a high school African American studies program rejected by Florida says it’s still waiting for specifics from the state about how the course violates state law.

In celebration of Black History Month, a local museum will offer tips, resources and records for locating African American ancestors, according to a release.

On this day in Black History, an African American man patented something your childhood would’ve been prett hard without.

The official curriculum for a new Advanced Placement course on African American studies released Wednesday downplays some components that had drawn criticism from conservatives including Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who said the class would be banned in his state.

The pioneering Black performer Josephine Baker — who left the United States to find global fame in Paris in the 1920s — was Dior’s muse for an old school spring couture collection of archetypal classicism.

California law enforcement searched teenagers whom officers perceived to be Black youths between 15 and 17 years old at nearly six times the rate of teens believed to be white during vehicle and pedestrian stops in 2021.

– Houston Health Foundation (HHF) is seeking applications from small community organizations that serve Hispanic, African American, Asian American, and other minority populations in the following zip codes: 77075, 77047, 77031, 77051, 77017, 77013, 77026, 77076, 77080, 77016, 77028, 77078, 77091, 77093, 77034, and 77092. This disbursement of grants will address inequities in COVID-19 outreach, expand health education, and increase testing and vaccinations.

In 1992, Dr. Mae Jemison became the first black woman to travel into space aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour.

Marine Gen. Michael Langley took over as the top U.S. commander for Africa Tuesday, heading U.S. military operations on a continent with some of the most active and dangerous insurgent groups and a relatively small Pentagon footprint.

The Marine Corps has its first African American four-star general.

Emmett Till's Chicago home is one of more than two dozen historically significant sites that will share $3 million in grant money from a preservation organization.

The $1 million grant from the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas, allows TSU to provide free breast cancer screenings and other services to more than 1,300 Black and other ethnic minority women over a three-year period.

Houston Health Foundation (HHF) is seeking applications from small community organizations that serve Hispanic, African American, Asian American, and other minority populations for the disbursement of grants that will address inequities in COVID-19 outreach, expand health education, and increase testing and vaccinations in Houston.

A lawyer, who is African American, has filed a federal discrimination lawsuit after he says he was wrongfully denied entry into a night club on Washington Avenue near downtown Houston due to his race and sex.

America’s hiring boom of the past year has narrowed racial disparities in unemployment.

The history of racial violence in the U.S. is the backdrop as President Joe Biden signs the Emmett Till Anti-Lynching Act into law.

Each exhibit showcases unique artifacts that tell a story and help connect the dots in a crucial timeline of our nation’s past and present.

Mayor Sylvester Turner made a special announcement Monday about the historic houses at Sam Houston Park, according to a release.

Americans are starkly divided by race on the importance of President Joe Biden’s promise to nominate a Black woman to the Supreme Court.

The Coast Guard is searching for a missing cruise ship passenger, approximately 150 miles offshore SouthWest Pass, Louisiana.The passenger is described as a 32-year-old African American woman.

Afrofuturism will be highlighted at Carnegie Hall, placing a spotlight on the movement as the bastion of New York City music and culture takes another step toward normalcy.

The University of Alabama is reconsidering its decision last week to retain the name of a one-time governor who led the Ku Klux Klan on a campus building while adding the name of the school’s first Black student.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell says the criticism he received over a comment made about African American voters is outrageous and offensive.

Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner, Congressman Al Green and Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, along with members of the Black Heritage Society released details Wednesday for the 44th annual Original Martin Luther King Jr. Day Parade.

Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner, Congressman Al Green and Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, along with members of the Black Heritage Society released details Wednesday for the 44th annual Original Martin Luther King Jr. Day Parade.

When New York City voters this week chose Eric Adams as the city’s next mayor and Alvin Bragg as the Manhattan district attorney, they elevated two Black men into two of the city’s most powerful elected offices.

When Dusty Baker was a young man, he prayed he wouldn’t get drafted by a team in the south. He wasn’t sure how he would handle being an African American in the deep south; this was, of course, the 1960s.

The Ensemble Theatre kicks off its 45th Anniversary Season with a presentation of Respect: A Musical Journey of Women by Dorothy Marcic.

Black couple who escaped slavery in the U.S. state of Georgia and fled to Britain to campaign for abolition have been honored with a historic marker on their home in London.

Houston Newsmakers: Harris County Democrats elect new party chair

A lot has changed since the 1960s. And the world can change quickly, too. If there has ever been a time when that is clear, it’s now.

Mayor Turner and Houston’s City Council announced on Wednesday that the proposed $5.1 billion FY 2022 operating budget was passed.

Americans have commemorated a long-suppressed part of U.S. history.

The Democratic-led House has passed legislation to constrain a president’s power to limit entry to the U.S. The vote Wednesday was a response to former President Donald Trump’s travel ban covering five Muslim-majority countries.

Sisters Network® Inc. (SNI), the nation’s largest and only national African American breast cancer survivor-run organization and a leader in the Black Breast Cancer movement will host their 11th Annual Stop the Silence Virtual 5K Run/Walk Saturday, April 10, 2021 from 9 am – 11 am.

FILE - In this March 17, 2021 photo, President Joe Biden speaks in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington. Biden intends to nominate three African American prosecutors to run the U.S. attorneys offices in New York, including the first Black man to run the Southern District of New York. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)WASHINGTON – President Joe Biden is expected to nominate three prosecutors to run the U.S. attorney’s offices in New York state, including the first Black man to run the Southern District of New York in Manhattan and the first Black woman to head the Western District in Buffalo. Ross, a longtime federal prosecutor, is expected to run the office in the Buffalo-based Western District. Brooklyn federal prosecutors have been examining the state’s handling of COVID-19 outbreaks in nursing homes in a probe that drew public attention after a top aide to New York Gov.

HOUSTON – Doctors at UT Health School of Dentistry are hopeful an endowment will help them better understand a rare disorder affecting African American patients. The Katy mother of five is helping a group of oral surgeons at UTHealth better look at her DNA to figure out why her tongue enlarged back in 2017. AdA Florida man traveled to the Texas Medical Center last year for surgery after his tongue enlarged while being intubated in a hospital for COVID-19. “Second was long-term intubations.”Melville said of the five patients he has seen with the rare disorder, all of them were Black. Melville said he’s in the process of contacting former Macroglossia patients to have their blood drawn for the lab analysis.

HOUSTON – In 1992, Dr. Mae Jemison became the first black woman to travel into space aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour. Her name is Sharon McDougle, a former suit tech for the space shuttle program who talked to Houston Life about her incredible story. Sharon McDougle and Dr. Mae Jemison (Sharon McDougle)McDougle was responsible for processing the orange launch and re-entry pressure suit assemblies worn by all NASA space shuttle astronauts, including Jemison. It was like they didn’t even see me,’” said McDougle, who worked with the Space Shuttle Program for 22 years. Sharon McDougle (Sharon McDougle)“Everybody is trainable, that’s one thing I preach.

Native Houstonian Lauren Anderson has flourished in one the most detailed artforms in the world -- professional ballet. Her persistence to excel resulted in a remarkable breakthrough in American ballet history. At the age of 18, she joined the Houston Ballet (the fourth-largest professional ballet company in the U.S.) as a ballerina in the Corps de Ballet, which means a group of dancers. The Houston Ballet received pushback for its decision to promote Anderson. However, in a photo that was taken during the Swan Lake performance, Anderson can be seen directly in the center of the formation.

Texas Southern University’s renowned debate team was in the spotlight again with a mesmerizing performance celebrating Black culture in a virtual pre-presidential inaugural program. The debate team was featured with several other HBCUs that were chosen to participate virtually in the “We Are One” Biden-Harris pre-inaugural event. The team made history as the first-ever debate team to perform at a pre-inaugural event. Gloria Ekezie (TSU)The debate team performed a two-minute reader’s theatre-style piece, which was pre-recorded and played during the virtual event. They were on semester break so their dedication and loyalty were very much appreciated.”Coach Gloria Batiste-Roberts (TSU)The debate team had a message that they wanted America to know.

People walk to the entrance of the National Museum of African American Music, Saturday, Jan. 30, 2021, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)NASHVILLE, Tenn. – A new museum two decades in the making is telling the interconnected story of Black musical genres through the lens of American history. Even as Nashville has long celebrated its role in the history of music, the new museum fills a gap by telling an important and often overlooked story about the roots of American popular music, including gospel, blues, jazz, R&B and hip-hop. “Most music museums deal with a label, a genre or an artist,” said H. Beecher Hicks III, the museum’s president and CEO. She noted that the museum put gospel music in context with how it inspired social change, especially during the civil rights era.

United States Ambassador to the United Nations nominee Linda Thomas-Greenfield testifies during for her confirmation hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Capitol Hill, Wednesday, Jan. 27, 2021, in Washington. Johnson asked her why she had said the United States is not in a new Cold War with China. “This speech is cheerleading for the Chinese Communist Party” and makes no mention of China’s human rights violations, he said. Johnson asked her what the stronger language and tougher tactics would be toward China. “And yet, I had an extraordinary 35-year career, that culminated as the assistant secretary of state of African affairs,” Thomas-Greenfield said.

HOUSTON – The figure of Martin Luther King is so pivotal, that continues to be an important topic of conversation for a local podcast. It’s called Gentlemen’s History Hour and its hosted by Equality and Rob Jay 10X. They chatted with Houston Life about this remarkable project and what they want people to know about Dr. King on this important holiday. Gentlemen's History Hour Podcast (Gentlemen's History Hour Podcast)In the podcast, the duo breaks down the current state of African American culture in a quick and informative conversation. The Gentlemen’s History Hour podcast airs every Thursday at 11am via Spotify, Apple Podcasts and YouTube.

HOUSTON – The Houston Branch of the NAACP is hosting a virtual town hall on the COVID-19 vaccine. The town hall begins Tuesday and you can register for the event here. The NAACP’s Houston Branch is hoping to allay those fears by hosting this virtual town hall, connecting the community with medical experts who can answer questions and address concerns. “So you’ve got this institutional racism that exists and that harbors that mistrust,” said Roger Harris, a member of the NAACP Houston Branch’s executive committee. “The community can then be able to say, ‘well, I was at a virtual town hall meeting hosted by the NAACP and this is what I heard,” Harris said.

CONROE – It has been over a century since an African American cemetery has been lost in Conroe. Over the past several years, The Conroe Community Cemetery Restoration Project has been working to clean up, restore and preserve the cemetery. It was simply known as the Conroe Cemetery, No-Name Cemetery or the Community Cemetery, among the older African Americans in Conroe. John Meredith, the treasure for the Conroe Community Cemetery Restoration Project, says they’ve discovered 38 marked graves and 111 unknown graves so far. To learn more about The Conroe Community Cemetery Restoration Project, visit here.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – JPMorgan Chase said Thursday it will extend billions in loans to Black and Latino homebuyers and small business owners in an expanded effort toward fixing what the bank calls “systemic racism” in the country’s economic system. “Systemic racism is a tragic part of America’s history,” said JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon in a statement. Citigroup announced last month it is committing $1 billion toward closing “the racial wealth gap” in the United States, including $550 million toward homeownership programs for racial minorities. He noted that there’s a 30% gap between Black and white homeownership, amounting to about 4.5 million households. JPMorgan was one of 27 major New York-based companies that joined a program to recruit 100,000 workers from the city's low-income, predominately Black, Latino and Asian communities over the next 10 years.

Sarah Palafox, an African American woman who sings regional Mexican music, poses in Moreno Valley, Calif., in this undated photo. Palafox, an African American woman raised by a Mexican immigrant family, has generated excitement online with her versions of regional Mexican music. Other videos of her singing banda — another form of regional music from Mexico’s southwest coast — also have been shared thousands of times. She would only say the music will be different and she’s not listening to critics who tell her she’s shouldn’t be singing regional Mexican music. “I was told you can’t wear braids, you can’t wear your Afro and go on stage and sing Mexican music,” Palafox said.

HOUSTON – Highway Vodka is the first black-owned hemp based vodka distillery in Houston and has an amazing family lineage of great entrepreneurs including the famous Lucille B. Smith who many refer to as the first African American businesswoman in Texas. They decided to give Houston something different when it came to vodka and achieved that through their amazing hemp based product. Houston Life Reporter Joe Sam checks out Highway Vodka (Copyright 2020 by KPRC Click2Houston - All rights reserved.) The use of hemp at The Highway Distillery helps provide a nuanced, balanced, unique spirit with a character unlike any other in the world. of Pineapple Juice-Splash of Red Bull TropicalTo find out more about Highway Vodka and where you can get their product or help with any of their community initiatives, click here!

HOUSTON – Of the estimated 180 Texas babies born each year with sickle cell, a rare genetic blood condition, approximately 40% are in Houston, according to Dr. Titilope Fasipe, chair of the Houston Sickle Cell Collaborative. Kennedy Cooper, of Pearland, is one of the estimated 1,500 children in Houston living with sickle cell. Dr. Fasipe is a sickle cell patient herself. “We know bone marrow transplant can cure sickle cell but not everybody has a match. Participants who are impacted personally by sickle cell disease are encouraged to share their stories.

Black voters across Michigan will be pivotal in deciding who will win the battleground state in November. Biden visited Detroit earlier this month, and his running mate, Sen. Kamala Harris, was spending time in Flint and Detroit on Tuesday. In an interview this month with longtime Detroit radio host Mildred Gaddis, Biden noted that Michigan, and its Black voters in Detroit, are “critically important." Democratic state leaders said they learned hard lessons and that the party has worked to connect with Black voters. But challenges remain in connecting with apathetic voters and with younger Black voters who might have more progressive leanings — key demographics that Branden Snyder, the executive director of Detroit Action, said his organization is trying to reach.

These are the 5 places you can't miss at this year's Houston Black Restaurant Week | HOUSTON LIFE | KPRC 2Published: July 15, 2020, 1:47 pmFor a couple of days give your kitchen a rest, because this year's Houston Black Restaurant Week is in full swing with many businesses in town offering the best flavors of African American, African and Caribbean cuisine. Derek Robinson, co-founder of Black Restaurant Week, shared how you can support this event amid the COVID-19 pandemic through takeout and delivery.

HOUSTON – Houston will celebrate the Black culinary industry this week. The 2020 edition of Houston Black Restaurant Week will run from July 10-19, featuring 31 black-owned restaurants. According to their website, The 2020 Houston Black Restaurant Week will be a little different than previous years amid the coronavirus pandemic and the current racial unrest. Black Restaurant Week was founded in 2016 and participating major cities include Los Angeles, Atlanta, and Washington, DC. The restaurants participating in Houston Black Restaurant Week: