Race/Related: What Made Black History in 2021?

The year had its share of notable firsts for Black Americans, at home and abroad. [View in browser](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRjqYznP4QoAWh0dHBzOi8vbWVzc2FnaW5nLWN1c3RvbS1uZXdzbGV0dGVycy5ueXRpbWVzLmNvbS90ZW1wbGF0ZS9vYWt2Mj9jYW1wYWlnbl9pZD0zNyZlbWM9ZWRpdF9ycl8yMDIxMTIyNSZpbnN0YW5jZV9pZD00ODYyMiZubD1yYWNlJTJGcmVsYXRlZCZwcm9kdWN0Q29kZT1SUiZyZWdpX2lkPTc3Njc0OTUyJnNlZ21lbnRfaWQ9Nzc5NDkmdGU9MSZ1cmk9bnl0JTNBJTJGJTJGbmV3c2xldHRlciUyRjcyYWM1MDFiLWZjYjItNTgzNi04ZThiLWM1ODU2ZmI4ZjcwMSZ1c2VyX2lkPWFhNDkxZWY3ZjFkOTY0ZTQ5NzlmYjc4NGU3NGUwMWQ3VwNueXRCCmG75wfHYVhfxFVSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjkwQGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAAA~~)|[nytimes.com](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRjqYznP0SwaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vP2NhbXBhaWduX2lkPTM3JmVtYz1lZGl0X3JyXzIwMjExMjI1Jmluc3RhbmNlX2lkPTQ4NjIyJm5sPXJhY2UlMkZyZWxhdGVkJnJlZ2lfaWQ9Nzc2NzQ5NTImc2VnbWVudF9pZD03Nzk0OSZ0ZT0xJnVzZXJfaWQ9YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDdXA255dEIKYbvnB8dhWF_EVVIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luOTBAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAA)[Continue reading the main story](#a11y-skip-ad-marquee) ~/AAAAAQA~/RgRjqYznP0RtaHR0cHM6Ly9saXZlaW50ZW50Lm5ld3lvcmt0aW1lc2luZm8uY29tL2NsaWNrP3M9MjA3NTgwJmxpPVJSJm09YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDcmcD1SUl8yMDIxMTIyNVcDbnl0Qgphu-cHx2FYX8RVUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~ [More Race/Related](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRjqYznP0S-aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vc3BvdGxpZ2h0L3JhY2U_Y2FtcGFpZ25faWQ9MzcmZW1jPWVkaXRfcnJfMjAyMTEyMjUmaW5zdGFuY2VfaWQ9NDg2MjImbmw9cmFjZSUyRnJlbGF0ZWQmcmVnaV9pZD03NzY3NDk1MiZzZWdtZW50X2lkPTc3OTQ5JnRlPTEmdXNlcl9pZD1hYTQ5MWVmN2YxZDk2NGU0OTc5ZmI3ODRlNzRlMDFkN1cDbnl0Qgphu-cHx2FYX8RVUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~) December 25, 2021 Kamala Harris with spouse, being sworn as Vice-President of the United States, as President-Elect Joe Biden looks on.Erin Schaff/The New York Times By Dodai Stewart Black History in the Making On a Wednesday morning in January, [Kamala Harris](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRjqYznP0ToaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vMjAyMS8wMS8yMC91cy9wb2xpdGljcy9rYW1hbGEtaGFycmlzLXZpY2UtcHJlc2lkZW50Lmh0bWw_Y2FtcGFpZ25faWQ9MzcmZW1jPWVkaXRfcnJfMjAyMTEyMjUmaW5zdGFuY2VfaWQ9NDg2MjImbmw9cmFjZSUyRnJlbGF0ZWQmcmVnaV9pZD03NzY3NDk1MiZzZWdtZW50X2lkPTc3OTQ5JnRlPTEmdXNlcl9pZD1hYTQ5MWVmN2YxZDk2NGU0OTc5ZmI3ODRlNzRlMDFkN1cDbnl0Qgphu-cHx2FYX8RVUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~) became the first Black woman — and the first woman of color — sworn into the office of Vice President of the United States. During the inauguration ceremony, Amanda Gorman, a Black writer and, at 22, [the youngest inaugural poet in U.S. history](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRjqYznP0TpaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vMjAyMS8wMS8yMC91cy93aG8taXMtYW1hbmRhLWdvcm1hbi1wb2V0LWluYXVndXJhdGlvbi5odG1sP2NhbXBhaWduX2lkPTM3JmVtYz1lZGl0X3JyXzIwMjExMjI1Jmluc3RhbmNlX2lkPTQ4NjIyJm5sPXJhY2UlMkZyZWxhdGVkJnJlZ2lfaWQ9Nzc2NzQ5NTImc2VnbWVudF9pZD03Nzk0OSZ0ZT0xJnVzZXJfaWQ9YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDdXA255dEIKYbvnB8dhWF_EVVIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luOTBAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAA), recited [“The Hill We Climb.”](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRjqYznP0TyaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuY25uLmNvbS8yMDIxLzAxLzIwL3BvbGl0aWNzL2FtYW5kYS1nb3JtYW4taW5hdWd1cmFsLXBvZW0tdHJhbnNjcmlwdC9pbmRleC5odG1sP2NhbXBhaWduX2lkPTM3JmVtYz1lZGl0X3JyXzIwMjExMjI1Jmluc3RhbmNlX2lkPTQ4NjIyJm5sPXJhY2UlMkZyZWxhdGVkJnJlZ2lfaWQ9Nzc2NzQ5NTImc2VnbWVudF9pZD03Nzk0OSZ0ZT0xJnVzZXJfaWQ9YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDdXA255dEIKYbvnB8dhWF_EVVIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luOTBAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAA) The New York Times critic Dwight Garner [wrote](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRjqYznP0T3aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vMjAyMS8wMS8yMS9ib29rcy9hbWFuZGEtZ29ybWFuLWJpZGVuLWluYXVndXJhdGlvbi1wb2V0LXBlcmZvcm1hbmNlLmh0bWw_Y2FtcGFpZ25faWQ9MzcmZW1jPWVkaXRfcnJfMjAyMTEyMjUmaW5zdGFuY2VfaWQ9NDg2MjImbmw9cmFjZSUyRnJlbGF0ZWQmcmVnaV9pZD03NzY3NDk1MiZzZWdtZW50X2lkPTc3OTQ5JnRlPTEmdXNlcl9pZD1hYTQ5MWVmN2YxZDk2NGU0OTc5ZmI3ODRlNzRlMDFkN1cDbnl0Qgphu-cHx2FYX8RVUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~) that Ms. Gorman “offered a fortifying tablespoon of American plain-spokenness. She offered lucidity and euphony.” Chang W. Lee/The New York Times It was Black history in the making, televised to millions — and a hint at what was to come in the new year. 2021 was always destined to be viewed through the lens of the year that came before, and 2020 was a milestone in Black history. Following the death of George Floyd under the knee of a police officer, the summer of 2020 churned with turmoil. Americans took to the streets in what was estimated to be [the largest movement in U.S. history.](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRjqYznP0TvaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vaW50ZXJhY3RpdmUvMjAyMC8wNy8wMy91cy9nZW9yZ2UtZmxveWQtcHJvdGVzdHMtY3Jvd2Qtc2l6ZS5odG1sP2NhbXBhaWduX2lkPTM3JmVtYz1lZGl0X3JyXzIwMjExMjI1Jmluc3RhbmNlX2lkPTQ4NjIyJm5sPXJhY2UlMkZyZWxhdGVkJnJlZ2lfaWQ9Nzc2NzQ5NTImc2VnbWVudF9pZD03Nzk0OSZ0ZT0xJnVzZXJfaWQ9YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDdXA255dEIKYbvnB8dhWF_EVVIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luOTBAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAA) There were demonstrations, confrontations, protests and declarations; over and over, we heard the phrase “Black lives matter.” When The Times launched the [Black History, Continued](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRjqYznP0TgaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vaW50ZXJhY3RpdmUvMjAyMS91cy9ibGFjay1oaXN0b3J5LWNvbnRpbnVlZC5odG1sP2NhbXBhaWduX2lkPTM3JmVtYz1lZGl0X3JyXzIwMjExMjI1Jmluc3RhbmNlX2lkPTQ4NjIyJm5sPXJhY2UlMkZyZWxhdGVkJnJlZ2lfaWQ9Nzc2NzQ5NTImc2VnbWVudF9pZD03Nzk0OSZ0ZT0xJnVzZXJfaWQ9YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDdXA255dEIKYbvnB8dhWF_EVVIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luOTBAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAA) project in January 2021, part of the project’s mandate was to explore the wide variety of ways in which Black history unfolds. This ongoing series has been assembled, in part, to expand the kinds of stories that are — and aren’t — canonized as part of progress’s march, as well as to shine a spotlight on some lesser-known yet remarkable moments in Black history and figures in Black culture. In many ways, 2021 demonstrated the breadth of stories that make up Black history. Some of those moments made headlines: Along with the inauguration of the first Black woman to the executive branch, there was the election of Raphael Warnock as [the first Black senator](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRjqYznP0TqaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vMjAyMS8wMS8wNS91cy9wb2xpdGljcy9yYXBoYWVsLXdhcm5vY2stZ2VvcmdpYS1zZW5hdGUuaHRtbD9jYW1wYWlnbl9pZD0zNyZlbWM9ZWRpdF9ycl8yMDIxMTIyNSZpbnN0YW5jZV9pZD00ODYyMiZubD1yYWNlJTJGcmVsYXRlZCZyZWdpX2lkPTc3Njc0OTUyJnNlZ21lbnRfaWQ9Nzc5NDkmdGU9MSZ1c2VyX2lkPWFhNDkxZWY3ZjFkOTY0ZTQ5NzlmYjc4NGU3NGUwMWQ3VwNueXRCCmG75wfHYVhfxFVSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjkwQGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAAA~~) to represent Georgia. President Biden became the first president to [formally memorialize the Tulsa massacre](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRjqYznP0TlaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vMjAyMS8wNi8wMS91cy9wb2xpdGljcy9iaWRlbi10dWxzYS1yYWNlLW1hc3NhY3JlLmh0bWw_Y2FtcGFpZ25faWQ9MzcmZW1jPWVkaXRfcnJfMjAyMTEyMjUmaW5zdGFuY2VfaWQ9NDg2MjImbmw9cmFjZSUyRnJlbGF0ZWQmcmVnaV9pZD03NzY3NDk1MiZzZWdtZW50X2lkPTc3OTQ5JnRlPTEmdXNlcl9pZD1hYTQ5MWVmN2YxZDk2NGU0OTc5ZmI3ODRlNzRlMDFkN1cDbnl0Qgphu-cHx2FYX8RVUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~), and he later [signed legislation declaring Juneteenth a federal holiday](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRjqYznP0TkaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vMjAyMS8wNi8xNy91cy9wb2xpdGljcy9qdW5ldGVlbnRoLWhvbGlkYXktYmlkZW4uaHRtbD9jYW1wYWlnbl9pZD0zNyZlbWM9ZWRpdF9ycl8yMDIxMTIyNSZpbnN0YW5jZV9pZD00ODYyMiZubD1yYWNlJTJGcmVsYXRlZCZyZWdpX2lkPTc3Njc0OTUyJnNlZ21lbnRfaWQ9Nzc5NDkmdGU9MSZ1c2VyX2lkPWFhNDkxZWY3ZjFkOTY0ZTQ5NzlmYjc4NGU3NGUwMWQ3VwNueXRCCmG75wfHYVhfxFVSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjkwQGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAAA~~). [Continue reading the main story](#a11y-skip-0) ADVERTISEMENT ~/AAAAAQA~/RgRjqYznP0RtaHR0cHM6Ly9saXZlaW50ZW50Lm5ld3lvcmt0aW1lc2luZm8uY29tL2NsaWNrP3M9MTc0MTQ5JmxpPVJSJm09YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDcmcD1SUl8yMDIxMTIyNVcDbnl0Qgphu-cHx2FYX8RVUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~ The year also had its share of notable firsts for Black Americans, at home and abroad. In 2021, Tishaura Jones became [the first Black woman to be elected mayor of St. Louis](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRjqYznP0TraHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vMjAyMS8wNC8wNy91cy9zdC1sb3Vpcy1tYXlvcmFsLWVsZWN0aW9uLXRpc2hhdXJhLWpvbmVzLmh0bWw_Y2FtcGFpZ25faWQ9MzcmZW1jPWVkaXRfcnJfMjAyMTEyMjUmaW5zdGFuY2VfaWQ9NDg2MjImbmw9cmFjZSUyRnJlbGF0ZWQmcmVnaV9pZD03NzY3NDk1MiZzZWdtZW50X2lkPTc3OTQ5JnRlPTEmdXNlcl9pZD1hYTQ5MWVmN2YxZDk2NGU0OTc5ZmI3ODRlNzRlMDFkN1cDbnl0Qgphu-cHx2FYX8RVUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~). In fact, for a brief period of time during the summer and fall, there were [a record number of Black women mayors](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRjqYznP0TeaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vMjAyMS8xMC8yNy91cy9ibGFjay13b21lbi1tYXlvci11cy1jaXRpZXMuaHRtbD9jYW1wYWlnbl9pZD0zNyZlbWM9ZWRpdF9ycl8yMDIxMTIyNSZpbnN0YW5jZV9pZD00ODYyMiZubD1yYWNlJTJGcmVsYXRlZCZyZWdpX2lkPTc3Njc0OTUyJnNlZ21lbnRfaWQ9Nzc5NDkmdGU9MSZ1c2VyX2lkPWFhNDkxZWY3ZjFkOTY0ZTQ5NzlmYjc4NGU3NGUwMWQ3VwNueXRCCmG75wfHYVhfxFVSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjkwQGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAAA~~)at the helm of large U.S. cities. The Rev. Raphael Warnock, the first Black Georgia Senator. Lynsey Weatherspoon for The New York Times Josephine Baker became [the first Black woman to have the honor of being interred at the Panthéon in Paris](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRjqYznP0TsaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vMjAyMS8wOC8yMi93b3JsZC9ldXJvcGUvam9zZXBoaW5lLWJha2VyLXBhbnRoZW9uLWJ1cmlhbC5odG1sP2NhbXBhaWduX2lkPTM3JmVtYz1lZGl0X3JyXzIwMjExMjI1Jmluc3RhbmNlX2lkPTQ4NjIyJm5sPXJhY2UlMkZyZWxhdGVkJnJlZ2lfaWQ9Nzc2NzQ5NTImc2VnbWVudF9pZD03Nzk0OSZ0ZT0xJnVzZXJfaWQ9YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDdXA255dEIKYbvnB8dhWF_EVVIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luOTBAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAA). Terence Blanchard, 59, is [the first Black composer to have his work performed at the Metropolitan Opera](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRjqYznP0TmaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vMjAyMS8wOS8yMy9hcnRzL211c2ljL3RlcmVuY2UtYmxhbmNoYXJkLW1ldC1vcGVyYS5odG1sP2NhbXBhaWduX2lkPTM3JmVtYz1lZGl0X3JyXzIwMjExMjI1Jmluc3RhbmNlX2lkPTQ4NjIyJm5sPXJhY2UlMkZyZWxhdGVkJnJlZ2lfaWQ9Nzc2NzQ5NTImc2VnbWVudF9pZD03Nzk0OSZ0ZT0xJnVzZXJfaWQ9YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDdXA255dEIKYbvnB8dhWF_EVVIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luOTBAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAA). [Continue reading the main story](#a11y-skip-1) ADVERTISEMENT ~/AAAAAQA~/RgRjqYznP0RtaHR0cHM6Ly9saXZlaW50ZW50Lm5ld3lvcmt0aW1lc2luZm8uY29tL2NsaWNrP3M9MjA3NTc3JmxpPVJSJm09YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDcmcD1SUl8yMDIxMTIyNVcDbnl0Qgphu-cHx2FYX8RVUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~ Sika Henry [became the first African American woman to be recognized as a pro triathlete](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRjqYznP0TbaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vMjAyMS8xMS8yMy9zcG9ydHMvc2lrYS1oZW5yeS10cmlhdGhsb24uaHRtbD9jYW1wYWlnbl9pZD0zNyZlbWM9ZWRpdF9ycl8yMDIxMTIyNSZpbnN0YW5jZV9pZD00ODYyMiZubD1yYWNlJTJGcmVsYXRlZCZyZWdpX2lkPTc3Njc0OTUyJnNlZ21lbnRfaWQ9Nzc5NDkmdGU9MSZ1c2VyX2lkPWFhNDkxZWY3ZjFkOTY0ZTQ5NzlmYjc4NGU3NGUwMWQ3VwNueXRCCmG75wfHYVhfxFVSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjkwQGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAAA~~) and, at the Olympics in Japan, the 28-year-old Texas native [Tamyra Mensah-Stock became the first Black woman to win a gold medal in wrestling](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRjqYznP0TtaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vMjAyMS8wOC8wMy9zcG9ydHMvb2x5bXBpY3MvdGFteXJhLW1lbnNhaC1zdG9jay13cmVzdGxpbmcuaHRtbD9jYW1wYWlnbl9pZD0zNyZlbWM9ZWRpdF9ycl8yMDIxMTIyNSZpbnN0YW5jZV9pZD00ODYyMiZubD1yYWNlJTJGcmVsYXRlZCZyZWdpX2lkPTc3Njc0OTUyJnNlZ21lbnRfaWQ9Nzc5NDkmdGU9MSZ1c2VyX2lkPWFhNDkxZWY3ZjFkOTY0ZTQ5NzlmYjc4NGU3NGUwMWQ3VwNueXRCCmG75wfHYVhfxFVSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjkwQGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAAA~~). And Zaila Avant-garde, a 14-year-old from Louisiana, became the [first Black American contestant](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRjqYznP0ToaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vMjAyMS8wNy8wOS91cy96YWlsYS1hdmFudC1nYXJkZS1zcGVsbGluZy1iZWUtd2lubmVyLmh0bWw_Y2FtcGFpZ25faWQ9MzcmZW1jPWVkaXRfcnJfMjAyMTEyMjUmaW5zdGFuY2VfaWQ9NDg2MjImbmw9cmFjZSUyRnJlbGF0ZWQmcmVnaV9pZD03NzY3NDk1MiZzZWdtZW50X2lkPTc3OTQ5JnRlPTEmdXNlcl9pZD1hYTQ5MWVmN2YxZDk2NGU0OTc5ZmI3ODRlNzRlMDFkN1cDbnl0Qgphu-cHx2FYX8RVUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~)to win the Scripps National Spelling Bee — after almost 100 years of competitions. Zaila Avant-garde, 14, from Harvey, Louisiana celebrates after winning the finals of the 2021 Scripps National Spelling Bee at Disney World Thursday, July 8, 2021John Raoux/Associated Press Ms. Avant-garde, in particular, provided some of the year’s most memorable images, exuding an infectious joy upon winning — she spun around in the confetti, laughing — and delighting newfound fans with her varied list of accomplishments. (She also rides a unicycle, [can divide five-digit numbers by two-digit numbers in her head](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRjqYznP0SzaHR0cHM6Ly92aW1lby5jb20vMjY1NjY2OTI0P2NhbXBhaWduX2lkPTM3JmVtYz1lZGl0X3JyXzIwMjExMjI1Jmluc3RhbmNlX2lkPTQ4NjIyJm5sPXJhY2UlMkZyZWxhdGVkJnJlZ2lfaWQ9Nzc2NzQ5NTImc2VnbWVudF9pZD03Nzk0OSZ0ZT0xJnVzZXJfaWQ9YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDdXA255dEIKYbvnB8dhWF_EVVIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luOTBAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAA) and set [three Guinness world records](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRjqYznP0TnaHR0cHM6Ly9raWRzLmd1aW5uZXNzd29ybGRyZWNvcmRzLmNvbS9yZWNvcmRzL3lvdW5nLWFjaGlldmVycy96YWlsYS1hdmFudC1nYXJkZT9jYW1wYWlnbl9pZD0zNyZlbWM9ZWRpdF9ycl8yMDIxMTIyNSZpbnN0YW5jZV9pZD00ODYyMiZubD1yYWNlJTJGcmVsYXRlZCZyZWdpX2lkPTc3Njc0OTUyJnNlZ21lbnRfaWQ9Nzc5NDkmdGU9MSZ1c2VyX2lkPWFhNDkxZWY3ZjFkOTY0ZTQ5NzlmYjc4NGU3NGUwMWQ3VwNueXRCCmG75wfHYVhfxFVSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjkwQGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAAA~~) for dribbling and juggling basketballs.) [Continue reading the main story](#a11y-skip-2) ADVERTISEMENT ~/AAAAAQA~/RgRjqYznP0RtaHR0cHM6Ly9saXZlaW50ZW50Lm5ld3lvcmt0aW1lc2luZm8uY29tL2NsaWNrP3M9NzI4Njk5JmxpPVJSJm09YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDcmcD1SUl8yMDIxMTIyNVcDbnl0Qgphu-cHx2FYX8RVUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~ But as Imani Perry explained in the Black History, Continued series’ opening essay, [“Do We Ask Too Much of Black Heroes?”](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRjqYznP0TXaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vMjAyMS8wMS8yOS91cy9ibGFjay1oaXN0b3J5LWhlcm9lcy5odG1sP2NhbXBhaWduX2lkPTM3JmVtYz1lZGl0X3JyXzIwMjExMjI1Jmluc3RhbmNlX2lkPTQ4NjIyJm5sPXJhY2UlMkZyZWxhdGVkJnJlZ2lfaWQ9Nzc2NzQ5NTImc2VnbWVudF9pZD03Nzk0OSZ0ZT0xJnVzZXJfaWQ9YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDdXA255dEIKYbvnB8dhWF_EVVIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luOTBAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAA), Black history is about so much more than firsts. “No one person can tell the whole story,” she wrote, “no matter how heroic that person might be.” In that spirit, many of this year’s notable moments were not stately rites or celebratory breakthroughs. 2021 also brought significant achievements that were more personal and incremental — the baby steps a nation takes as Black history marches forward. Ida B. Wells was one of the nation’s most influential investigative reporters. “Somebody must show that the Afro-American race is more sinned against than sinning, and it seems to have fallen upon me to do so,” she wrote in 1892. One year after the Pulitzer Prize Board [posthumously recognized Ida B. Wells-Barnett](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRjqYznP0TEaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cucHVsaXR6ZXIub3JnL3dpbm5lcnMvaWRhLWItd2VsbHM_Y2FtcGFpZ25faWQ9MzcmZW1jPWVkaXRfcnJfMjAyMTEyMjUmaW5zdGFuY2VfaWQ9NDg2MjImbmw9cmFjZSUyRnJlbGF0ZWQmcmVnaV9pZD03NzY3NDk1MiZzZWdtZW50X2lkPTc3OTQ5JnRlPTEmdXNlcl9pZD1hYTQ5MWVmN2YxZDk2NGU0OTc5ZmI3ODRlNzRlMDFkN1cDbnl0Qgphu-cHx2FYX8RVUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~), who died in 1931, for “her outstanding and courageous reporting on the horrific and vicious violence against African Americans during the era of lynching,” the board again affirmed the ongoing contribution of Black women to citizen journalism. Darnella Frazier, 18, was [awarded a special citation](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRjqYznP0TJaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cucHVsaXR6ZXIub3JnL3dpbm5lcnMvZGFybmVsbGEtZnJhemllcj9jYW1wYWlnbl9pZD0zNyZlbWM9ZWRpdF9ycl8yMDIxMTIyNSZpbnN0YW5jZV9pZD00ODYyMiZubD1yYWNlJTJGcmVsYXRlZCZyZWdpX2lkPTc3Njc0OTUyJnNlZ21lbnRfaWQ9Nzc5NDkmdGU9MSZ1c2VyX2lkPWFhNDkxZWY3ZjFkOTY0ZTQ5NzlmYjc4NGU3NGUwMWQ3VwNueXRCCmG75wfHYVhfxFVSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjkwQGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAAA~~)by the Pulitzer Board, which praised her for “courageously recording the murder of George Floyd, a video that spurred protests against police brutality around the world.” Naomi Osaka took a step back from tennis, citing a need to “exercise self-care.”Calla Kessler for The New York Times Two champion Black athletes chose to step back from the spotlight, challenging the way fans think about the demands of public scrutiny. The tennis player Naomi Osaka withdrew from the French Open and [spoke openly about her battles with depression](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRjqYznP0ThaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vMjAyMS8wOS8wNC9zcG9ydHMvdGVubmlzL3VzLW9wZW4tbmFvbWktb3Nha2EuaHRtbD9jYW1wYWlnbl9pZD0zNyZlbWM9ZWRpdF9ycl8yMDIxMTIyNSZpbnN0YW5jZV9pZD00ODYyMiZubD1yYWNlJTJGcmVsYXRlZCZyZWdpX2lkPTc3Njc0OTUyJnNlZ21lbnRfaWQ9Nzc5NDkmdGU9MSZ1c2VyX2lkPWFhNDkxZWY3ZjFkOTY0ZTQ5NzlmYjc4NGU3NGUwMWQ3VwNueXRCCmG75wfHYVhfxFVSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjkwQGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAAA~~). The Olympic gymnast Simone Biles [opted out of several events](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRjqYznP0TgaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vMjAyMS8wNy8yOC9zcG9ydHMvb2x5bXBpY3Mvc2ltb25lLWJpbGVzLW91dC5odG1sP2NhbXBhaWduX2lkPTM3JmVtYz1lZGl0X3JyXzIwMjExMjI1Jmluc3RhbmNlX2lkPTQ4NjIyJm5sPXJhY2UlMkZyZWxhdGVkJnJlZ2lfaWQ9Nzc2NzQ5NTImc2VnbWVudF9pZD03Nzk0OSZ0ZT0xJnVzZXJfaWQ9YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDdXA255dEIKYbvnB8dhWF_EVVIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luOTBAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAA) at the Olympic Games in Tokyo, citing her mental health and a concern for self-care. Simone Biles arrives at the Costume Institute Gala at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, earlier this year.Calla Kessler for The New York Times In each case, many spectators were disappointed but the decision was regarded as [an important acknowledgment](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRjqYznP0TdaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vMjAyMS8wNy8yOC9zcG9ydHMvc2ltb25lLWJpbGVzLXNlbGYtY2FyZS5odG1sP2NhbXBhaWduX2lkPTM3JmVtYz1lZGl0X3JyXzIwMjExMjI1Jmluc3RhbmNlX2lkPTQ4NjIyJm5sPXJhY2UlMkZyZWxhdGVkJnJlZ2lfaWQ9Nzc2NzQ5NTImc2VnbWVudF9pZD03Nzk0OSZ0ZT0xJnVzZXJfaWQ9YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDdXA255dEIKYbvnB8dhWF_EVVIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luOTBAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAA) of the pressure of expectations that’s often disproportionately carried by superstar Black athletes. And in 2021 Hollywood [finally gave the greenlight](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRjqYznP4QJAWh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmhvbGx5d29vZHJlcG9ydGVyLmNvbS9tb3ZpZXMvbW92aWUtbmV3cy9ibGFjay1zdXBlcm1hbi10YS1uZWhpc2ktY29hdGVzLXdhcm5lci1icm9zLW1vdmllLTEyMzQ5NDc1OTkvP2NhbXBhaWduX2lkPTM3JmVtYz1lZGl0X3JyXzIwMjExMjI1Jmluc3RhbmNlX2lkPTQ4NjIyJm5sPXJhY2UlMkZyZWxhdGVkJnJlZ2lfaWQ9Nzc2NzQ5NTImc2VnbWVudF9pZD03Nzk0OSZ0ZT0xJnVzZXJfaWQ9YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDdXA255dEIKYbvnB8dhWF_EVVIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luOTBAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAA) to [a long-rumored movie about Black Superman,](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRjqYznP0TTaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vMjAyMS8wNC8yMy9hcnRzL2JsYWNrLXN1cGVybWFuLmh0bWw_Y2FtcGFpZ25faWQ9MzcmZW1jPWVkaXRfcnJfMjAyMTEyMjUmaW5zdGFuY2VfaWQ9NDg2MjImbmw9cmFjZSUyRnJlbGF0ZWQmcmVnaV9pZD03NzY3NDk1MiZzZWdtZW50X2lkPTc3OTQ5JnRlPTEmdXNlcl9pZD1hYTQ5MWVmN2YxZDk2NGU0OTc5ZmI3ODRlNzRlMDFkN1cDbnl0Qgphu-cHx2FYX8RVUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~) with the award-winning author Ta-Nehisi Coates on board as the writer. As the comic-book writer Tom Taylor told us: “Everyone needs heroes. And everyone deserves to see themselves in their heroes.” Alexis NelsonAdraint Bereal for The New York Times Many of the stories in our Black History, Continued series focused not on newsmakers but on everyday expressions of Black joy, wherever they were found. The forager Alexis Nikole Nelson, so cheerfully charming on TikTok, is one of the urban adventurers [who are ensuring that future generations of Black Americans understand their heritage and legacy](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRjqYznP0TqaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vMjAyMS8wNy8zMC9kaW5pbmcvYmxhY2stZm9yYWdlcnMtbmF0dXJlLWFsZXhpcy1uZWxzb24uaHRtbD9jYW1wYWlnbl9pZD0zNyZlbWM9ZWRpdF9ycl8yMDIxMTIyNSZpbnN0YW5jZV9pZD00ODYyMiZubD1yYWNlJTJGcmVsYXRlZCZyZWdpX2lkPTc3Njc0OTUyJnNlZ21lbnRfaWQ9Nzc5NDkmdGU9MSZ1c2VyX2lkPWFhNDkxZWY3ZjFkOTY0ZTQ5NzlmYjc4NGU3NGUwMWQ3VwNueXRCCmG75wfHYVhfxFVSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjkwQGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAAA~~) when it comes to connecting with the land. On the water, Black surfers are reclaiming the waves, and their place in surfing’s storied history, as they [become a more visible and vital presence in the sport](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRjqYznP0TgaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vaW50ZXJhY3RpdmUvMjAyMS8wOC8zMS9zcG9ydHMvYmxhY2stc3VyZmVycy5odG1sP2NhbXBhaWduX2lkPTM3JmVtYz1lZGl0X3JyXzIwMjExMjI1Jmluc3RhbmNlX2lkPTQ4NjIyJm5sPXJhY2UlMkZyZWxhdGVkJnJlZ2lfaWQ9Nzc2NzQ5NTImc2VnbWVudF9pZD03Nzk0OSZ0ZT0xJnVzZXJfaWQ9YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDdXA255dEIKYbvnB8dhWF_EVVIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luOTBAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAA). As Diane Cardwell (herself a [surfer](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRjqYznP0SyaHR0cHM6Ly9kaWFuZWNhcmR3ZWxsLmNvbS8_Y2FtcGFpZ25faWQ9MzcmZW1jPWVkaXRfcnJfMjAyMTEyMjUmaW5zdGFuY2VfaWQ9NDg2MjImbmw9cmFjZSUyRnJlbGF0ZWQmcmVnaV9pZD03NzY3NDk1MiZzZWdtZW50X2lkPTc3OTQ5JnRlPTEmdXNlcl9pZD1hYTQ5MWVmN2YxZDk2NGU0OTc5ZmI3ODRlNzRlMDFkN1cDbnl0Qgphu-cHx2FYX8RVUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~)) wrote, “Surfing with other Black people can also foster a profound sense of healing, of being seen and understood, and of finding kinship through an experience shared with people who know your culture and history in an ocean that your ancestors may have traversed.” And much of the year’s consideration of Black history involved exactly that — history — and the ongoing work to revisit the past to forge a new understanding of the present. The author and historian Martha S. Jones traveled a couple hundred years back to bring readers the story of Abigail, [an enslaved woman who was brought to Paris in 1782 by the American statesman John Jay](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRjqYznP0TlaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vMjAyMS8xMS8yMy90cmF2ZWwvam9obi1qYXktcGFyaXMtYWJpZ2FpbC1zbGF2ZXJ5Lmh0bWw_Y2FtcGFpZ25faWQ9MzcmZW1jPWVkaXRfcnJfMjAyMTEyMjUmaW5zdGFuY2VfaWQ9NDg2MjImbmw9cmFjZSUyRnJlbGF0ZWQmcmVnaV9pZD03NzY3NDk1MiZzZWdtZW50X2lkPTc3OTQ5JnRlPTEmdXNlcl9pZD1hYTQ5MWVmN2YxZDk2NGU0OTc5ZmI3ODRlNzRlMDFkN1cDbnl0Qgphu-cHx2FYX8RVUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~), writing, “To give a fuller accounting of our nation’s founding and the many early Americans who contributed to it, I have collected small shards of the past that bring Abigail more clearly into view.” Amid debates over whose work is commemorated in public art and monuments, we examined the highly acclaimed but often overlooked sculptor [Augusta Savage, who was the only Black artist whose work was shown at the 1939 New York World’s Fair in Queens, N.Y.](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRjqYznP0T3aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vMjAyMS8wMy8zMC91cy9hdWd1c3RhLXNhdmFnZS1ibGFjay13b21hbi1hcnRpc3QtaGFybGVtLXJlbmFpc3NhbmNlLmh0bWw_Y2FtcGFpZ25faWQ9MzcmZW1jPWVkaXRfcnJfMjAyMTEyMjUmaW5zdGFuY2VfaWQ9NDg2MjImbmw9cmFjZSUyRnJlbGF0ZWQmcmVnaV9pZD03NzY3NDk1MiZzZWdtZW50X2lkPTc3OTQ5JnRlPTEmdXNlcl9pZD1hYTQ5MWVmN2YxZDk2NGU0OTc5ZmI3ODRlNzRlMDFkN1cDbnl0Qgphu-cHx2FYX8RVUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~) Chanell Stone for The New York Times Betty Reid Soskin, the oldest active ranger in the National Park Service, has dedicated her late-life career to ensuring that stories like hers are told at National Parks, including the Rosie the Riveter / World War II Home Front National Historical Park where she is stationed. “When I became a ranger,” [Ms. Soskin told us](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRjqYznP0TYaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vMjAyMS8wOS8yMC91cy9iZXR0eS1yZWlkLXNvc2tpbi0xMDAuaHRtbD9jYW1wYWlnbl9pZD0zNyZlbWM9ZWRpdF9ycl8yMDIxMTIyNSZpbnN0YW5jZV9pZD00ODYyMiZubD1yYWNlJTJGcmVsYXRlZCZyZWdpX2lkPTc3Njc0OTUyJnNlZ21lbnRfaWQ9Nzc5NDkmdGU9MSZ1c2VyX2lkPWFhNDkxZWY3ZjFkOTY0ZTQ5NzlmYjc4NGU3NGUwMWQ3VwNueXRCCmG75wfHYVhfxFVSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjkwQGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAAA~~) on the eve of her 100th birthday, “I was taking back my own history.” Having seen and made history over a full century, Ms. Soskin embodies a lesson that 2021 demonstrated: Black history is not a static and stately historical record but a living narrative that’s still unfolding, with many more stories to tell. Read more in our ongoing series, [Black History, Continued](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRjqYznP4QQAWh0dHBzOi8vd3d3Lm55dGltZXMuY29tL2ludGVyYWN0aXZlLzIwMjEvdXMvYmxhY2staGlzdG9yeS1jb250aW51ZWQuaHRtbD9hY3Rpb249Y2xpY2smY2FtcGFpZ25faWQ9MzcmZW1jPWVkaXRfcnJfMjAyMTEyMjUmaW5zdGFuY2VfaWQ9NDg2MjImbW9kdWxlPVJlbGF0ZWRMaW5rcyZubD1yYWNlJTJGcmVsYXRlZCZwZ3R5cGU9QXJ0aWNsZSZyZWdpX2lkPTc3Njc0OTUyJnNlZ21lbnRfaWQ9Nzc5NDkmdGU9MSZ1c2VyX2lkPWFhNDkxZWY3ZjFkOTY0ZTQ5NzlmYjc4NGU3NGUwMWQ3VwNueXRCCmG75wfHYVhfxFVSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjkwQGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAAA~~), that explores pivotal moments and transformative figures in Black culture. EDITOR’S PICKS We publish many articles that touch on race. Here are several you shouldn’t miss. [[Article Image] Court TV, via Associated Press](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRjqYznP0TiaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vMjAyMS8xMi8yMy91cy9tYW5zbGF1Z2h0ZXIta2ltLXBvdHRlci12ZXJkaWN0Lmh0bWw_Y2FtcGFpZ25faWQ9MzcmZW1jPWVkaXRfcnJfMjAyMTEyMjUmaW5zdGFuY2VfaWQ9NDg2MjImbmw9cmFjZSUyRnJlbGF0ZWQmcmVnaV9pZD03NzY3NDk1MiZzZWdtZW50X2lkPTc3OTQ5JnRlPTEmdXNlcl9pZD1hYTQ5MWVmN2YxZDk2NGU0OTc5ZmI3ODRlNzRlMDFkN1cDbnl0Qgphu-cHx2FYX8RVUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~) [Kimberly Potter is convicted of manslaughter for killing Daunte Wright. The prosecution and defense had agreed that the shooting was a mistake and that Ms. Potter, who is white, had meant to draw her Taser when she fatally shot Mr. Wright, a 20-year-old Black man, during a traffic stop. By Nicholas Bogel-Burroughs](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRjqYznP0TiaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vMjAyMS8xMi8yMy91cy9tYW5zbGF1Z2h0ZXIta2ltLXBvdHRlci12ZXJkaWN0Lmh0bWw_Y2FtcGFpZ25faWQ9MzcmZW1jPWVkaXRfcnJfMjAyMTEyMjUmaW5zdGFuY2VfaWQ9NDg2MjImbmw9cmFjZSUyRnJlbGF0ZWQmcmVnaV9pZD03NzY3NDk1MiZzZWdtZW50X2lkPTc3OTQ5JnRlPTEmdXNlcl9pZD1hYTQ5MWVmN2YxZDk2NGU0OTc5ZmI3ODRlNzRlMDFkN1cDbnl0Qgphu-cHx2FYX8RVUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~) [[Article Image] Tara Walton for The New York Times](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRjqYznP0TlaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vMjAyMS8xMi8yMy93b3JsZC9jYW5hZGEvaW5kaWdlbm91cy13YXRlci1sYXdzdWl0Lmh0bWw_Y2FtcGFpZ25faWQ9MzcmZW1jPWVkaXRfcnJfMjAyMTEyMjUmaW5zdGFuY2VfaWQ9NDg2MjImbmw9cmFjZSUyRnJlbGF0ZWQmcmVnaV9pZD03NzY3NDk1MiZzZWdtZW50X2lkPTc3OTQ5JnRlPTEmdXNlcl9pZD1hYTQ5MWVmN2YxZDk2NGU0OTc5ZmI3ODRlNzRlMDFkN1cDbnl0Qgphu-cHx2FYX8RVUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~) [Canada to Pay Billions to Indigenous Groups for Tainted Drinking Water A court-approved settlement will compensate Indigenous people for the decades that many have lived with dirty water, and will also fund the clean up. By Vjosa Isai](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRjqYznP0TlaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vMjAyMS8xMi8yMy93b3JsZC9jYW5hZGEvaW5kaWdlbm91cy13YXRlci1sYXdzdWl0Lmh0bWw_Y2FtcGFpZ25faWQ9MzcmZW1jPWVkaXRfcnJfMjAyMTEyMjUmaW5zdGFuY2VfaWQ9NDg2MjImbmw9cmFjZSUyRnJlbGF0ZWQmcmVnaV9pZD03NzY3NDk1MiZzZWdtZW50X2lkPTc3OTQ5JnRlPTEmdXNlcl9pZD1hYTQ5MWVmN2YxZDk2NGU0OTc5ZmI3ODRlNzRlMDFkN1cDbnl0Qgphu-cHx2FYX8RVUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~) [[Article Image] Sarahbeth Maney/The New York Times](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRjqYznP0TuaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vMjAyMS8xMi8yMy91cy9wb2xpdGljcy9rYW1hbGEtaGFycmlzLWJpZGVuLWFkbWluaXN0cmF0aW9uLmh0bWw_Y2FtcGFpZ25faWQ9MzcmZW1jPWVkaXRfcnJfMjAyMTEyMjUmaW5zdGFuY2VfaWQ9NDg2MjImbmw9cmFjZSUyRnJlbGF0ZWQmcmVnaV9pZD03NzY3NDk1MiZzZWdtZW50X2lkPTc3OTQ5JnRlPTEmdXNlcl9pZD1hYTQ5MWVmN2YxZDk2NGU0OTc5ZmI3ODRlNzRlMDFkN1cDbnl0Qgphu-cHx2FYX8RVUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~) [Heir Apparent or Afterthought? The Frustrations of Kamala Harris. The vice president’s allies are increasingly concerned that President Biden relied on her to win but does not need her to govern. By Katie Rogers and Zolan Kanno-Youngs](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRjqYznP0TuaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vMjAyMS8xMi8yMy91cy9wb2xpdGljcy9rYW1hbGEtaGFycmlzLWJpZGVuLWFkbWluaXN0cmF0aW9uLmh0bWw_Y2FtcGFpZ25faWQ9MzcmZW1jPWVkaXRfcnJfMjAyMTEyMjUmaW5zdGFuY2VfaWQ9NDg2MjImbmw9cmFjZSUyRnJlbGF0ZWQmcmVnaV9pZD03NzY3NDk1MiZzZWdtZW50X2lkPTc3OTQ5JnRlPTEmdXNlcl9pZD1hYTQ5MWVmN2YxZDk2NGU0OTc5ZmI3ODRlNzRlMDFkN1cDbnl0Qgphu-cHx2FYX8RVUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~) [[Article Image] Motown Records Archives, via Universal Music](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRjqYznP0TmaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vaW50ZXJhY3RpdmUvMjAyMS8xMi8yMi9tYWdhemluZS9tYXJ5LXdpbHNvbi1kZWF0aC5odG1sP2NhbXBhaWduX2lkPTM3JmVtYz1lZGl0X3JyXzIwMjExMjI1Jmluc3RhbmNlX2lkPTQ4NjIyJm5sPXJhY2UlMkZyZWxhdGVkJnJlZ2lfaWQ9Nzc2NzQ5NTImc2VnbWVudF9pZD03Nzk0OSZ0ZT0xJnVzZXJfaWQ9YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDdXA255dEIKYbvnB8dhWF_EVVIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luOTBAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAA) [Mary Wilson Refused to Let the Supremes Fall Apart She was not in the spotlight, but she was the one who kept them together. By Hanif Abdurraqib](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRjqYznP0TmaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vaW50ZXJhY3RpdmUvMjAyMS8xMi8yMi9tYWdhemluZS9tYXJ5LXdpbHNvbi1kZWF0aC5odG1sP2NhbXBhaWduX2lkPTM3JmVtYz1lZGl0X3JyXzIwMjExMjI1Jmluc3RhbmNlX2lkPTQ4NjIyJm5sPXJhY2UlMkZyZWxhdGVkJnJlZ2lfaWQ9Nzc2NzQ5NTImc2VnbWVudF9pZD03Nzk0OSZ0ZT0xJnVzZXJfaWQ9YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDdXA255dEIKYbvnB8dhWF_EVVIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luOTBAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAA) [[Article Image] Jonathan Mannion](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRjqYznP0TeaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vaW50ZXJhY3RpdmUvMjAyMS8xMi8yMi9tYWdhemluZS9kbXgtZGVhdGguaHRtbD9jYW1wYWlnbl9pZD0zNyZlbWM9ZWRpdF9ycl8yMDIxMTIyNSZpbnN0YW5jZV9pZD00ODYyMiZubD1yYWNlJTJGcmVsYXRlZCZyZWdpX2lkPTc3Njc0OTUyJnNlZ21lbnRfaWQ9Nzc5NDkmdGU9MSZ1c2VyX2lkPWFhNDkxZWY3ZjFkOTY0ZTQ5NzlmYjc4NGU3NGUwMWQ3VwNueXRCCmG75wfHYVhfxFVSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjkwQGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAAA~~) [DMX Took a Trust Fall With His Music He bore the kind of pain Black men rarely get to air in public, hoping that transparency would manifest the tenderness he desired. By Ismail Muhammad](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRjqYznP0TeaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vaW50ZXJhY3RpdmUvMjAyMS8xMi8yMi9tYWdhemluZS9kbXgtZGVhdGguaHRtbD9jYW1wYWlnbl9pZD0zNyZlbWM9ZWRpdF9ycl8yMDIxMTIyNSZpbnN0YW5jZV9pZD00ODYyMiZubD1yYWNlJTJGcmVsYXRlZCZyZWdpX2lkPTc3Njc0OTUyJnNlZ21lbnRfaWQ9Nzc5NDkmdGU9MSZ1c2VyX2lkPWFhNDkxZWY3ZjFkOTY0ZTQ5NzlmYjc4NGU3NGUwMWQ3VwNueXRCCmG75wfHYVhfxFVSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjkwQGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAAA~~) [[Article Image] Shayan Asgharnia/AUGUST](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRjqYznP0TnaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vaW50ZXJhY3RpdmUvMjAyMS8xMi8yMi9tYWdhemluZS9taWNoYWVsLWstd2lsbGlhbXMuaHRtbD9jYW1wYWlnbl9pZD0zNyZlbWM9ZWRpdF9ycl8yMDIxMTIyNSZpbnN0YW5jZV9pZD00ODYyMiZubD1yYWNlJTJGcmVsYXRlZCZyZWdpX2lkPTc3Njc0OTUyJnNlZ21lbnRfaWQ9Nzc5NDkmdGU9MSZ1c2VyX2lkPWFhNDkxZWY3ZjFkOTY0ZTQ5NzlmYjc4NGU3NGUwMWQ3VwNueXRCCmG75wfHYVhfxFVSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjkwQGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAAA~~) [Michael K. Williams Brought Humanity to Men on the Brink of Disaster He was a window into the lives we rarely choose to see. 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