No, the Other Naomi: An American Supermodel’s Overlooked Legacy

There is much debate on who was the first Black supermodel. Several Black models have accumulated a series of firsts between them throughout history; Helen Williams became one of the most familiar faces in Black advertising in the 1950s, Donyale Luna was the first African-American model to appear on the cover of the British edition of Vogue in 1966,…

Historical Candidates for the Real-Life Carmen San Diego

The nefarious world of conning has long been considered a boy’s club. Even when you google “biggest con artists in the world,” men’s names overwhelmingly dominate the search. Historically, women were thought to have lacked the social capital needed to shrug off the moral trappings of propriety. For the con woman, however, their social limitations…

Pinup’s Colorful, Unseen Past

The atomic age of Americana was marked by post war prosperity, white picket fence idealism, and pinup models. Lots and lots of pinup models. Rosy cheeked redheads and buxom blondes graced magazines, calendars, billboards, and even book covers. These images were as ubiquitous as they were homogenous. Often, models shared features so indistinguishable from the…

Before Amelia Earhart, there was the Forgotten First Lady of Flight

We have all heard of Amelia Earhart, breaking records as the first woman to fly across the Atlantic Ocean, but where did the inspiration for her aviation adventure come from? Two decades earlier, the lesser known but equally high-flying Harriet Quimby blazed the trail and proved cockpits aren’t just for men. In 1911, she became the…

Seven Surprising Things You Probably Didn’t Know about Josephine Baker

Despite being a daughter of St. Louis, MO, for many years Josephine Baker was a virtually unknown name to the average American. These days, as we have come to learn more about Black history and its figures, Ms. Baker has come to be regarded as one of the most dynamic and influential people in history,…

Human Computer: The Forgotten Women’s Profession

For hundreds of years, the term “computer” was a job title for a human before machines took over the job, and in the late 19th century, computers weren’t just human, they were mostly women. An English Countess and Victorian mathematician, Ada Lovelace, is regarded as the first computer programmer and by World War II, American…

Black Debutante Balls: Curtsying with Pride since 1778

Debutante balls, or cotillions, are a centuries old tradition with roots in Europe as far back as the 1700s. The word “debutante” translates to female beginner in French, and refers to a young woman making her debut into polite society. The first of these lavish events was held by King George III in 1780 in…

Is a New Black Wall Street Breaking Ground in Georgia?

2020 was a year of civil unrest and uncertainty, but it was also a catalyst for social justice, unity, and change. Many people saw an opportunity during the lockdowns to better themselves and their communities, both individually and collectively. One monumental example of this type of unity is with the birth of Freedom Georgia, a…

K-pop Con Artists: A Cautionary Gen Z Tale

If you need a beginner’s introduction to the Gen Z world of K-pop, it’s advisable to do so by removing our rose-tinted glasses first. Over the last ten years, K-pop has become rooted in the Western musical landscape. This is due in large part to the intense fanbase that K-pop idols have managed to amass…

The Complicated Rise and Fall of Udoli, an Unsung Subculture of Black Fashion History

Black women have been at the forefront of many cultural trends throughout the centuries, from hoop earrings worn by ancient Nubian civilisations and 80s disco divas alike, to streetwear trends pioneered by R&B and Hip Hop artists of the 90s. There is one unsung fashion subculture however, which never quite took off with mainstream consumers…