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Posts published in “Holidays”

MUSIC: Celebrating the Season with “The Ultimate Soul Christmas Soundtrack” Playlist (LISTEN)

MUSIC: Celebrating the Season with “The Ultimate Soul Christmas Soundtrack” Playlist (LISTEN)

By goodblacknews on November 28, 2020

by Jeff Meier (FB: Jeff.Meier.90)

I spotted Christmas decorations in Costco by early October and Hallmark Channel has been airing non-stop holiday movies already for weeks, but like many, our family has always marked Thanksgiving to be the point where we officially kick off the holiday season, including breaking out the yuletide tunes.

With that in mind, Good Black News is happy to offer the “Ultimate Soul of the Season Christmas Soundtrack” as a playlist to guide you through the holidays with ease.

[spotifyplaybutton play=”spotify:playlist:2FHQ8HVPzGR0pd9R4Tu1Zm”/]

This is a mega-playlist – 25 hours of music in honor of the 25 days of Christmas leading up to the big day.  It is not meant to be listened to all in one sitting – but rather to be just one-click away as your go-to soundtrack for the month. You can set it and forget it, or hit shuffle and mix it up.

Our inspiration was to capture the mood of those many radio stations around the country that turn to a festive Christmas musical format in the month of December – but with our own specific Good Black News twist.

In our playlist, ALL the songs are by or feature Black artists. Have it on in the background for decorating, cooking, wrapping presents, or just sitting in front of the fire sipping eggnog – and in the process you’ll be supporting Black artists through your streams.

Virginia Lawmakers Vote Unanimously to make Juneteenth a State Holiday

Virginia Lawmakers Vote Unanimously to make Juneteenth a State Holiday

By goodblacknews on October 20, 2020

According to the Associated Press, Juneteenth has officially become a state holiday in Virginia after lawmakers unanimously approved legislation during the Virginia General Assembly special session.

Juneteenth marks the day in 1865 when news of the Emancipation Proclamation and the abolition of slavery reached Texas via a Union Army general Gordon Granger, setting off celebrations among the newly freed.

Governor Ralph Northam proposed making Juneteenth a state holiday in June during a press conference that included musician and Virginia native Pharrell Williams, and issued an executive order that gave executive branch employees and state colleges the day off. Northam signed the statewide legislation on Oct. 13.

https://twitter.com/WTOP/status/1318492155321536512

MUSIC: July 4th Celebration of ’70s “Slow Jams” (LISTEN)

MUSIC: July 4th Celebration of ’70s “Slow Jams” (LISTEN)

By goodblacknews on July 4, 2020

by Jeff Meier (FB: Jeff.Meier.90)

No matter what your take on “Independence Day,” July 4th weekend usually provides an opportunity for Americans to get together around good food and good music.

This year however, due to the coronavirus pandemic, we’ve got to find other ways to stay connected to community and family. So although Good Black News can’t serve good food, we can serve good music!

Today we’ve got the perfect musical background for your entire weekend, as we journey back in time to offer up a massive mega-playlist of exclusively ’70s slow jams from artists such as Earth, Wind & Fire, Stylistics, Norman Connors, The Spinners, Shalamar, Phyllis Hyman and Rose Royce that lasts even longer than a D-Nice DJ set on Instagram.

Just set it and forget it – whether you are cooking on the BBQ, laying by the pool, reading in the shade, social distance drinking from red Solo cups in the backyard, watching the kids squirt the hose at each other, or just cleaning up the house by yourself with the windows open and the ceiling fans spinning.  Crank it up and enjoy!

[spotifyplaybutton play=”spotify:playlist:1QeF6xFDI5kJiee98DPUu7″/]

Good Black News Wishes You and Yours a Happy Mother’s Day in 2020

By goodblacknews on May 10, 2020

Good Black News joins in the honoring and remembrance of the women who gave us life, nurtured and raised us, and also offered us solace, counsel and wisdom.

Many of us can’t be with the mothers or mother figures in our lives today in person due to the global COVID-19 crisis, but we are with you in voice, online and always – in spirit!

To all the mothers out there – be they Aunties, Grandmothers, Cousins or Friends – thank you for all you do!

Happy Mother’s Day!

To Celebrate Martin Luther King Jr Day 2020, King’s Progeny Read From His 1965 “American Dream” Speech (WATCH)

To Celebrate Martin Luther King Jr Day 2020, King’s Progeny Read From His 1965 “American Dream” Speech (WATCH)

By goodblacknews on January 20, 2020

by Lori Lakin Hutcherson (@lakinhutcherson)

To honor Martin Luther King Jr. Day 2020, CBS This Morning aired Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s children, Bernice King and Martin Luther King III, and his granddaughter, Yolanda King, reading part of the civil rights icon’s insightful, inclusive “The American Dream” sermon, which built upon and extended his iconic “I Have A Dream” speech from 1963’s March on Washington. (See a brief history of that speech here.)

MLK Jr. originally delivered the “American Dream” speech at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta in 1965. To hear King himself, listen below:

To read the full transcript of “The American Dream,” go to: https://kinginstitute.stanford.edu/king-papers/documents/american-dream-sermon-delivered-ebenezer-baptist-church

 

Good Black News Wishes You and Yours a Very Happy New Year!

By goodblacknews on January 1, 2020

Good Black News would like to kick off this new decade by thanking our readers and followers, old and new, for making 2019 another strong year of progress and perseverance. Even when times and events are challenging, your steady support always keeps us going!

Please continue to read, share and spread the word as GBN continues to strive to share positive information with you as often as we can as much as we can.

Best of everything to you in 2020 and beyond. Happy New Year!

Umoja! Good Black News Wishes You and Yours a Very Happy Kwanzaa

Umoja! Good Black News Wishes You and Yours a Very Happy Kwanzaa

By goodblacknews on December 26, 2019

Heri Za Kwanzaa! Kwanzaa, for those who are new to the party or need a refresher, is an African American and pan-African seven day cultural holiday that goes from December 26 to January 1 and celebrates family and community.

During the holiday, communities and families celebrate with feasts, music, and dance, and end the holiday with a day dedicated to reflection and recommitment to the seven principles.

To read more: https://nationaltoday.com/kwanzaa-december-26/

Good Black News Wishes Blessings for You and Yours on this Very Merry Christmas

Good Black News Wishes Blessings for You and Yours on this Very Merry Christmas

By goodblacknews on December 25, 2019

On a day when so many family members, friends and loved ones come together to celebrate, GBN wishes you a Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, a blessed and bountiful Kwanzaa and Hopeful Holidays all around.

As we give to each other, let us always strive to remember what a gift we have in life, and to cherish that spirit always for ourselves as well as others all year long.

Love and Peace,

The Good Black News Team

Frederick Joseph, #BlackPantherChallenge Founder, Raises $35,000 For Children With #SantaClausChallenge

By goodblacknews on December 18, 2019

New York author and creator of the #BlackPantherChallenge, Frederick Joseph, launches the #SantaClausChallenge after learning the Operation Cover Chicago 2019 toy drive was short 9,000 toys. With only four days until the toy drive, Joseph called on others to join the challenge by donating or buying a gift for kids in Chicago.

Another Chance Church, launched Operation Cover Chicago 2019 with the aim to make it a Christmas to remember for 10,000 families who otherwise couldn’t afford to buy toys. Statistics show that the Chicagoland community is comprised of 9% of students who are homeless and 45% of adults who are unemployed or under-employed.

Frederick Joseph kicked off the #SantaClausChallenge with a $500 donation to their GoFundMe, which aims to raise $35,000 to purchase toys for children ages three to 15. Inspired by his generosity, GoFundMe made a donation of $5,000. “All children deserve to feel like they matter, especially during the Holidays,” said Frederick Joseph. “This is an opportunity to show them that the community cares and is standing behind all families. I’m calling on others to take action and donate to help more kids experience the joy of Christmas.”

As of December 17th, the challenge met its goal by raising $35,000 to service 10,000 families.

Joseph successfully created the #BlackPantherChallenge, an international movement that raised over $950,000 to send over 73,000 children to see the Black Panther film for free in 2018. He’s been rallying behind community based GoFundMes ever since, having raised over $1.25 million to date for good causes.

Operation Cover Chicago 2019 will be giving away the toys to 10,000 families on December 20, 2019 at 9550 S. Harvard Chicago IL, 60628 at 7pm. To make a donation, visit:

https://www.gofundme.com/f/operation-cover-chicago-2019

“Find Black Santa” App Helps Families Locate Black Santas Across U.S. and Abroad

By goodblacknews on December 14, 2019
Find Black Santa App created by Jihan Woods (photo via findblacksanta.com)

According to wthr.com, after having trouble finding a Santa Claus her sons could relate to, Dallas psychiatrist Jihan Woods decided to make sure others wouldn’t encounter the same problem.

In 2018, she created a Kickstarter campaign raising some $5,000 in 30 days. The result was a very special app called “Find Black Santa.”

“After several years of trying to find a Santa that was relatable – that my children could identify with, I realized that kind of all over the U.S., but specifically in Dallas, I wasn’t able to find a Santa that represented our family,” Woods explained.

The app lists Santas in 35 states and Washington, D.C. – from Oregon, to one in the Mall of America, and as far south as Florida. She’s even located them in London, Canada, and Amsterdam.

Since creating the app, organizations have reached out to Woods to tell her about their black Santas. And black Santas have asked her to list them for events.

To find Black Santa, click here.

To read more: https://www.wthr.com/article/app-helps-families-search-black-santa