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  • The Members of New Edition Made Sure BET’s Biopic Came Correct With Their Story

    In one of the most poignant scenes in the BET miniseries The New Edition Story, the young Ronnie DeVoe, Bobby Brown, Ricky Bell, Michael Bivins and Ralph Tresvant are fresh off their first major world tour. The tour bus, painted with the group’s name in graffiti letters on the side, pulls in slowly to drop the…

    By

    Ericka Blount Danois

    Published

  • Fat Joe Is Here to Remind You How Latino Rappers Changed the Game

    The South Bronx in New York City has sealed its place in history as the birthplace of hip-hop, where black and Latino youths created something out of nothing. But while the Latino community gets props for certain elements of hip-hop culture—including graffiti, DJing and breakdancing—it hasn’t gotten as much love for rapping. In the ’90s, Fat…

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    Ericka Blount Danois

    Published

  • Unsung: SWV Were the Supremes of the ’90s Who Had It All, Lost It and Got It Back

    If any group represented a contemporary version of Diana Ross and the Supremes, SWV (Sisters With Voices) was the girl group of the ’90s for R&B harmonies, ballads and up-tempo, hip-hop soul. And when we saw those three New York City-born girls with their fresh doobies, baseball jerseys and hip-hop style, we saw our own…

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    Ericka Blount Danois

    Published

  • Netflix and LOLz: Michael Che’s Bringing the Laughs With Several Other Black Comics

    If you’ve seen Michael Che’s subtle and deadpan comedy as the co-host of Saturday Night Live’s “Weekend Update,” you’ll be surprised by his hilarious, take-no-prisoners style on controversial topics in his Netflix special, Michael Che Matters, which will premiere Friday on the streaming service. Netflix is leading the charge ahead of networks like Comedy Central by…

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    Ericka Blount Danois

    Published

  • Media Mogul Cathy Hughes Is in It for the Long Run

    Media icon Cathy Hughes is always looking on the bright side. As a 16-year-old teen mom, married at 17 and eventually divorced, she saw her son as a blessing and an inspiration to work harder. In the early ’80s she purchased Washington, D.C., station WOL-AM with the help of a Chemical Bank loan at a 28…

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    Ericka Blount Danois

    Published

  • Former Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon Rejoins Race for Mayor With Write-In Campaign

    Some people thought they had seen the last of former Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon. They couldn’t have been more wrong. Dixon, alternately one of the most beloved and hated figures in Baltimore politics, will officially announce her write-in candidacy for mayor in the Nov. 8 general election Tuesday morning. “While a write-in candidate has never been…

    By

    Ericka Blount Danois

    Published

  • The Vilification of Marilyn Mosby

    Just last week, the right-wing Media Research Center’s annual black-tie gala honored the three arresting officers involved in the death of Freddie Gray. Officers Brian Rice, Edward Nero and Garrett Miller received standing ovations and “deafening cheers” while they explained how they have to deal with a hostile public that is down on cops in…

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    Ericka Blount Danois

    Published

  • The National Museum of African American History and Culture Opens, Housing ‘Sacred’ Objects

    It’s no easy task to encompass the history of a race of people with varying cultures, languages and religions who were forced to create a new culture and community in a foreign land under the brutality of slavery. But the National Museum of African American History and Culture has taken on the task and dug…

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    Ericka Blount Danois

    Published

  • Baltimore’s Reaction to the DOJ Report: ‘Well, Duh’

    The only people who weren’t surprised by the 164-page Department of Justice report on the Baltimore Police Department’s rampant brutality were black residents of Baltimore City whose protests and complaints have fallen on deaf ears for years. “The phrase ‘a few bad apples’ should now be banished from conversations about law enforcement in Baltimore,” said the…

    By

    Ericka Blount Danois

    Published

  • Freddie Gray Didn't Kill Himself, but Cop Obstruction Made It Hard to Prove: Prosecutor

    In a controversial move, Baltimore City State’s Attorney Marilyn J. Mosby dropped charges against Police Officer Garrett Miller, Police Sgt. Alicia White and Police Officer William Porter, the three remaining Baltimore officers accused in the arrest and death of 25-year-old Freddie Gray. The timing of the dismissals was surprising to medical professionals, lawyers and laymen alike who had theorized that Miller,…

    By

    Ericka Blount Danois

    Published

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Ericka Blount Danois
I am an author, journalist and professor. My first book, Love, Peace and Soul, the behind-the-scenes story of the television show, Soul Train, was published in 2013.