Category: Black Excellence

https://www.npr.org/2026/04/16/nx-s1-5685086/thundercat-talks-about-his-new-album-distracted

The bass player known as Thundercat is cherished by fans of funk and jazz, and he recently revealed his love of “yacht rock” in a popular documentary. His new album is called “Distracted.”

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thundercat_(musician)

Stephen Lee Bruner (born October 19, 1984),^[4] better known by his stage name Thundercat, is an American musician, singer, record producer, songwriter, and bassist from Los Angeles, California. First coming to prominence as a member of crossover thrash band Suicidal Tendencies, he returned to his musical roots, placing a strong focus on funk, soul, progressive R&B, psychedelia and jazz-fusion. He has since released five solo studio albums and is noted for his work with producer Flying Lotus and his appearances on Kendrick Lamar‘s 2015 album To Pimp a Butterfly.^[5] In 2016, Thundercat won a Grammy for Best Rap/Sung Performance for his work on the track “These Walls” from To Pimp a Butterfly. In 2020, Thundercat released his fourth studio album, It Is What It Is, which earned him a Grammy Award for Best Progressive R&B Album. Rolling Stone has ranked him as one of the greatest bass players of all time.^[6]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bisa_Butler

Bisa Butler (born Mailissa Yamba Butler in 1973) is an African American fiber artist^[1][2] who is credited with creating a new genre of quilting, using photographs, sketches, and vivid traditional textiles to create vibrant life-size portraits in fabric.^[3][4][5] She is known for celebrating Black life and identity, portraying both everyday people and notable historical figures.^[6][7][1] Although quilting has long been considered a craft, Butler’s use of interdisciplinary methods to create elaborate quilts that look like paintings is bringing recognition both to her work and to the medium of quilting as a whole, as a fine art form.^[4][8]

https://www.npr.org/2024/01/24/1198909207/racism-minority-health-psychology

Scientists know that Black people are at a greater risk for health problems like heart disease, diabetes and Alzheimer’s disease than white people. A growing body of research shows that racism in health care and in daily life contributes to these long-standing health disparities for Black communities.

Now, some researchers are asking whether part of the explanation involves how racism, across individual interactions and systems, may physically alter the brain.

“That could be behaviors like, let’s say, a woman clutching her purse as a black man is walking next to her. Or they could be verbal, like someone saying, like… ‘I didn’t expect you to be so articulate,'” says Negar Fani, a clinical neuroscientist at Emory University who studies people experiencing Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD.

Recently, Fani has collaborated with Nate Harnett, an assistant professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, to study how the brain responds to traumatic events and extreme stress, including the events and stress related to racism.

https://www.mcleanhospital.org/profile/nathaniel-harnett

Nathaniel G. Harnett, PhD, is a neuroscientist whose research is focused on understanding the brain basis for why some people are more likely to develop stress-related disorders, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), after trauma. His current work leverages magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques—including functional MRI, structural MRI, and diffusion weighted imaging—to identify multimodal neural signatures of PTSD susceptibility in the acute aftermath of trauma exposure.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edna_Lewis

Edna Regina Lewis (April 13, 1916 – February 13, 2006)^[1] was a renowned American chef, teacher, and author who helped refine the American view of Southern cooking.^[2][3] She championed the use of fresh, in season ingredients and characterized Southern food as fried chicken (pan-, not deep-fried), pork, and fresh vegetables – most especially greens. She wrote and co-wrote four books which covered Southern cooking and life in a small community of freed slaves and their descendants, including The Taste of Country Cooking and In Pursuit of Flavor.^[4]

https://www.npr.org/2026/04/27/g-s1-118116/infinity-song-tiny-desk-concert

Infinity Song, a band of siblings, has been on the road to glory for many years. And I can’t think of a better proving ground for the Tiny Desk than busking on the streets and in the subways of New York City.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infinity_Song

Infinity Song is an American soft rock band composed of siblings Abraham, Angel, Israel and Momo Boyd. Based in New York City, the group has released three albums under record label Roc Nation.^[1]

Historic Gains: Wisconsin’s LGBTQ+ Representation Expands in Spring Election

Camden Hargrove: Menomonie Common Council – District 8

One of the younger candidates in this cycle, Camden Hargrove, a transgender man, represented a new generation of LGBTQ+ leadership bringing a grassroots, community-centered campaign to local politics in Dunn County.

Camden Hargrove

https://www.wisconsinnetwork.org/leadership-team

Organizing & Engagement Coordinator

Camden Hargrove coordinates grassroots organizing efforts and digital engagement to ensure every Wisconsin child has access to high-quality public education. Camden is a proud, Black Transman, husband, and father who is recognized for his expertise in the fight for equity and justice. Throughout his career, he has focused on improving the lives of marginalized groups of people through education, politics, policy, and community engagement and empowerment.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlemae_Hill_Rollins

Charlemae Hill Rollins (June 20, 1897 – February 3, 1979)^[1] was a pioneering librarian, writer, and storyteller in the area of African American literature. During her 31 years as head librarian of the children’s department at the Chicago Public Library as well as after her retirement, she instituted substantial reforms in children’s literature.

This season, Florida gymnastics clinched its 13th SEC Championship, and its first since 2023. Undoubtedly, the Gators have been a team to be reckoned with, going 20-2 and 6-2 in the SEC. But they had a not-so-secret weapon.

Senior Selena Harris-Miranda, a UCLA transfer, came to Florida before her junior year. Though she was already a decorated gymnast, no one could have expected what awaited her as a Gator. 

Harris-Miranda is an 18-time All-American, scoring 10.0s on vault, bars and beam. She leads the Gators with 14 event titles. 

She earned the nation-leading all-around score with a 39.85 total against No. 2 Louisiana State March 8. With that, she also earned national gymnast of the week honors and her fifth SEC gymnast of the week honor in her career.

https://www.tedmed.com/person/wanda-irving

Wanda Irving is a dedicated advocate for health equity, driven by the tragic loss of her daughter, Dr. Shalon Irving. Her mission is to create a healthcare system that includes and supports everyone, regardless of their background. For nearly three decades, Wanda worked in various sectors, including federal and local government, as well as in nonprofit and faith-based organizations. In these roles, she focused on developing effective leadership and building community engagement to solve complex social problems.

https://www.charleslangfordmusic.com

Charles Langford has been writing music since his teenage years. This Springfield, Massachusetts jazz man does it all…tenor, alto, soprano sax, clarinet and flute. Mr. Langford came to the Northeast United States after attending the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and the New School for Social Research in New York City. He studied composition and teaching with Billy Harper, Donald Byrd, and Barry Harris, among others. Prior to that, Mr. Langford studied with Archie Shepp and Yusef Latef. Since then, Charles Langford has become one of the Boston area’s top A-list players, with artists ranging from The Toni Lynn Washington Blues Band to The Temptations and Mighty Sam McClain. He’s paid his dues and put in years with Melvin Sparks, Norman Connors, Solomon Burke, and Steve Turre.