Top Stories

ATLANTA (BAMM Network) — Labor Day weekend is becoming one of the South’s biggest annual showcases of Black LGBTQ+ culture, with major celebrations unfolding simultaneously in Atlanta and New Orleans — and generating business far beyond the official event stages. An attendee celebrates Atlanta Black Pride at Piedmont Park in 2025. Atlanta Black Pride marks its 20th anniversary this Labor Day weekend with parties, community events and Sunday’s Pure Heat Community Festival. (Th

BATON ROUGE, La. (BAMM Network) — Southern University System Board Chairman Tony Clayton wants the university system to consider a broader student dress code, arguing that students should present themselves in a way that reflects the professional preparation expected from a college education. Southern University students gather on the Baton Rouge campus. A proposed systemwide dress code is raising broader questions about professionalism, personal expression and how HBCUs shou

NEW ORLEANS (BAMM Network) — Jerome “Big Duck” Smith, a legendary New Orleans civil rights activist, Freedom Rider, educator and community leader whose work helped shape the city’s role in the national civil rights movement, has died. He was 87. Smith’s death was confirmed Friday. WDSU reported that the longtime activist and culture bearer had died, marking the loss of one of the city’s most enduring voices for racial justice and community empowerment. A lifelong New Orleania

ATLANTA — Historically Black colleges and universities are experiencing renewed interest from students, including a surge in applications at some of Georgia’s best-known institutions. But behind that growth is a troubling national trend: Black men are becoming a smaller presence in higher education. Students gather outside Graves Hall at Morehouse College in Atlanta. While Georgia’s HBCUs continue attracting students, national data show Black men make up a shrinking share of

A potentially deadly bacterium found naturally in warm coastal waters is raising renewed concerns across the Gulf Coast, with Louisiana and Florida reporting infections and deaths as summer temperatures keep millions of residents and tourists near beaches and other waterways. Vibrio vulnificus, commonly described as a “flesh-eating” bacterium because severe infections can rapidly destroy tissue, is naturally present in warm salt and brackish water. Infections are relatively r

MANILA, Ark. (BAMM Network) — An 18-year-old Arkansas woman has filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against a state trooper after dashcam video showed him taking her to the ground and punching her in the face during a traffic stop, an encounter now drawing calls for an investigation from civil rights leaders and state lawmakers. Alisa N. Hackett of Osceola was stopped by Arkansas State Police Trooper Moisses Arellano shortly before 11 p.m. Aug. 1 near Manila, in northeastern

Five Black candidates will carry the Democratic Party’s banner in gubernatorial races across the country this November, creating a notable moment for Black political representation in the 2026 midterm elections. The five pictured are Wes Moore of Maryland, Jermaine Johnson of South Carolina, Keisha Lance Bottoms of Georgia, Aaron Ford of Nevada and David Crowley of Wisconsin. The group includes Wes Moore in Maryland, Keisha Lance Bottoms in Georgia, Jermaine Johnson in South

WASHINGTON (BAMM Network) — President Donald Trump renewed his criticism of NBA superstar LeBron James on Friday, suggesting the basketball icon may be “a racist” while declaring Michael Jordan the greatest player in league history. Trump made the comments in the Oval Office after Fox News reporter Peter Doocy asked whether James should be considered the greatest NBA player of all time following his decision to join the Philadelphia 76ers. While sitting in the Oval Office dur