Showing results by author "Artika R. Tyner" in All Categories

Kwanzaa is about celebrating! It honors African American heritage. Some people mark the holiday by lighting the kinara. Families and friends gather to eat a big feast. Listeners will discover how a shared holiday can have multiple traditions and be celebrated in all sorts of ways.

When the United States entered World War II, it had to face its own contradictions at home. Opportunities opened up for Black people and women in support of the war effort. But ideas about race and gender didn't change as swiftly. Listen to the story of the first all-Black battalion in the Women's Army Corps—the Six Triple Eight—and its leader, Major Charity Adams. These women bravely confronted the racism and sexism they experienced. And they did it while creating a system to make sure millions of letters and packages got to soldiers fighting in Europe.

Most people know about Madam C.J. Walker’s success selling hair care products for Black women in the early 1900s. Before she started her own business, though, she worked for Annie Turnbo Malone. Malone had built a huge business creating hair care and cosmetic products for Black women.

Most people have heard about Rosa Parks’s brave actions that led to the Montgomery Bus Boycott of 1955. But there were other Black women who challenged segregation in transportation. Three years earlier, Sarah Keys Evans—a veteran—refused to give up her seat on a bus traveling through the South.

So you want to be a Supreme Court justice? Find out the requirements, the roles and responsibilities, and how you can put yourself on the path to sitting on the highest court in the nation.

What is it like to live in or visit South Africa? What makes South Africa’s culture unique? Explore the geography, traditions, and daily lives of South Africans.

Written by Dr. Artika Tyner, passionate educator and global citizen, Kofi Loves Music is a guide for learning about the history of music and celebrating the beauty of diverse cultures.

In the past and present, Black people have developed new products and created new processes in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics). Their work has addressed problems such as medical and healthcare inequality and the negative impacts of climate change. Celebrate the people who have made great achievements in STEM, including PlayVS founder Delane Parnell, astronaut, doctor, and engineer Mae Jemison, and environmental justice leader Peggy Shephard.

Black politicians have served in all levels of the United States government. As mayors, congresspersons, president, and more, Black politicians have created policies and initiatives to better serve community members. They have also addressed issues such as access to education, criminal justice, and affordable housing. Celebrate politicians such as Kamala Harris, Cory Booker, Ilhan Omar, and Maynard Jackson Jr. who have made astounding achievements in politics.

Activism focuses on changing systems. Black activists address injustices in everything from education to the environment. Throughout history, activists have led protests, researched policies, organized community members, and more to transform the world around them. Shine a light on how activists such as Mari Copeny, John Legend, and Marian Wright Edelman have led change in their communities and worked to make justice possible for everyone.

Large-scale protests, marches, and demonstrations in cities all over the globe have followed high-profile fatal encounters involving law enforcement and people of color. Citizens have taken to the streets and demanded answers to the chronic problems of police violence and lack of accountability, particularly at the intersection of law enforcement and race in the United States. Many have demanded reform, defunding, and even the outright abolishment of police departments. How did we get here? And what does the future of public safety look like?

Justice has grown up witnessing the many ways her grandma serves the community. She wants to make a difference in the world, too, but how? Isn't she too young? Through conversations with her grandma and their shared love of books, Justice learns about important women and men throughout history who changed the world: Ella Baker, Shirley Chisholm, Charles Hamilton Houston, Dr. Wangari Maathai, Paul Robeson, and Ida B. Wells. Justice learns how each leader was a champion for advancing justice and improving the world, and she dreams of becoming a change maker, too.