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In The News

Documenting and disseminating news about black grandmothers makes me feel like God sprinkled fairy dust over my head! Truly #blackgirlmagic. Sharing their stories in their many forms (personal accounts, oral and living histories, news, and culture) reminds me that I was made for this. The timing couldn’t be better (or more divine). I can set google alerts to capture when, where, and how they are being talked about and who is doing the talking. I can also disseminate this information using a number of social media platforms (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Tumblr). How are black grandmothers being cast in the public eye? Are they being politicized? For instance, Hillary Clinton recently stated, “Like every grandmother, I worry about the safety and security of my grandchildren. But my worries are not the same as black grandmothers.” Now imagine centuries of worry to this magnitude—hence the creation of RealBlackGrandmothers. Are they inspiring political action? Like Lee Daniels’ grandmother did, making him declare he would never not vote again. Or are they being revered (while at the same time fueling debate) like Simone Biles’s grandmother turned adoptive mom? RealBlackGrandmothers harnesses the power of global reach and digital media to bring representations of black grandmothers to public discourse that reflect their nuance, complexity, depth, and humanity. With gratitude, LaShawnDa

IN THE NEWS: AMANDA GORMAN’S GRANDMOTHER BERTHA GAFFNEY GORMAN
2 years ago

IN THE NEWS: AMANDA GORMAN’S GRANDMOTHER BERTHA GAFFNEY GORMAN

Amanda Gorman was named the first National Youth Poet Laureate in 2017 and graduated from Harvard last year with a degree in sociology. At just 22 years old, the …
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IN THE NEWS: NO JUSTICE FOR TAMIR RICE
3 years ago

IN THE NEWS: NO JUSTICE FOR TAMIR RICE

On November 22, 2014, Samaria Rice let two of her children go out to play while she prepared dinner. Twelve-year-old Tamir and 14-year-old Tajai went across the street to play …
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IN THE NEWS: CONGRATULATIONS VP KAMALA HARRIS
3 years ago

IN THE NEWS: CONGRATULATIONS VP KAMALA HARRIS

Real Black Grandmothers celebrates the powerful impact of the grandmothers that live in and through Kamala Harris- the new VP of the US! She is her paternal great-grandmothers’ – “Miss …
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IN THE NEWS: LESSIE BENNINGFIELD RANDLE
3 years ago

IN THE NEWS: LESSIE BENNINGFIELD RANDLE

 

According to Stetson Payne of the Tulsa World newspaper, when Black grandmother Lessie Benningfield Randle turned 105 on Nov. 10, she wanted two things for her birthday.


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RESILIENCE: NOTHING CHANGES UNTIL YOU PERSONALLY MAKE A CHANGE
3 years ago

RESILIENCE: NOTHING CHANGES UNTIL YOU PERSONALLY MAKE A CHANGE

Rapper Kendrick Lamar’s grandmother played a significant role in his life despite her death while he was just a teenager. He raps a verse from the perspective of his grandmother …
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IN THE NEWS: GRANDMOTHER IESHA SEKOU HELPS PAINT BLM ON THE STREETS OF NYC
3 years ago

IN THE NEWS: GRANDMOTHER IESHA SEKOU HELPS PAINT BLM ON THE STREETS OF NYC

 

Iesha Sekou is the founder and CEO of Street Corner Resources in Harlem, a nonprofit organization that aims to decrease gun violence in the neighborhood.

Iesha coordinated …
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IN THE NEWS: PROTESTOR LORRAINE BATES “AS LONG AS I’VE GOT MY HEALTH AND MY STRENGTH, I’LL BE OUT HERE EVERY DAY.”
3 years ago

IN THE NEWS: PROTESTOR LORRAINE BATES “AS LONG AS I’VE GOT MY HEALTH AND MY STRENGTH, I’LL BE OUT HERE EVERY DAY.”

When Hal Marx, the mayor of Petal, Mississippi learned about the death of George Floyd, he used Twitter to express his personal thoughts on the heinous killing and the political …
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IN THE NEWS: KEISHA LANCE BOTTOMS TALKS PROTEST & GRANDMOTHER RAMONA PEEK ROBINSON
3 years ago

IN THE NEWS: KEISHA LANCE BOTTOMS TALKS PROTEST & GRANDMOTHER RAMONA PEEK ROBINSON

Mayor of Atlanta, Keisha Lance Bottoms talks about her grandmother Ramona Peek Robinson and the ways in which she fuels her fight, her vision, and her commitment to something better. …
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IN THE NEWS: BLACK GRANDMOTHER TALKS ABOUT LIFE AFTER SURVIVING CORONAVIRUS
3 years ago

IN THE NEWS: BLACK GRANDMOTHER TALKS ABOUT LIFE AFTER SURVIVING CORONAVIRUS

Crosscut writer Dorothy Edwards and founder of Women United Alesia Cannady talk in this piece about how Seattle grandmother Sadie Pimpleton was hospitalized with COVID-19 for five days. Sadie says …
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IN THE NEWS: SPIKE LEE TALKS PROTEST & HIS GRANDMOTHER ZIMMIE REATHA SHELTON
3 years ago

IN THE NEWS: SPIKE LEE TALKS PROTEST & HIS GRANDMOTHER ZIMMIE REATHA SHELTON

Spike Lee’s late grandmother, Zimmie Reatha Shelton (1906-December 24, 2006) (3rd from left), was an art teacher for 50 years in the state of Georgia. Because of Jim Crow …
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