The Black Informant | African American Commentary, News and Community Building

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January

Reggie Fowler’ s attempt to buy the Minnesota Vikings

HOT 97′s ‘Tsunami Song’

African-American Chamber Survey: 40 Percent of Black Businesses Have Difficulty Finding Trained Staff; 81.8 Percent of Black Firm Employees are African-American

February

First African-American to be Named Acting Head of NASA

The 2004 Census of African-American Directors on Fortune 500 Corporate Boards

The rebirth of SaVoy Magazine

The passing of Ossie Davis

March

The passing of Nelly’s sister

Usher Buys Into Cleveland Cavaliers

Tavis Smiley’s State of the Black Union conference in Atlanta

April

New DNA studies suggest that all humans descended from a single African ancestor who lived some 60,000 years ago.

Minority homeownership hits new high

Television celebrity and businessman Byron Allen on Tuesday said his Entertainment Studios Corp. may bid $2.2 billion in cash to acquire struggling Paxson TV network and remake it for black audiences. — I don’t know what came of this story

May

Chicago Defender–first black newspaper to create a podcast.

Navy Capt. Bruce E. Grooms has been named the 81st commandant of midshipmen at the , the first time an African-American has held the No. 2 post at the 160-year- old Annapolis military college.

Colonel Stayce Harris was installed Sunday as the first African-American woman to command an operational Air Force flight wing.

June

Early Humans May Have Crossed Sea to Leave Africa

The Mexican Stamp

Author Terry McMillan has filed for divorce from the man who inspired the 1996 novel “How Stella Got Her Groove Back,”

Lt. j.g. Jeanine McIntosh smiled from ear to ear as her father, Conrol McIntosh, pinned golden wings on her uniform Friday, making her the first black female U.S. Coast Guard aviator.

FDA Endorses Drug For African Americans; Stirs Debate

Woman named new SA deputy leader

Ronald Winans, a Grammy-winning member of the Winans gospel family who was part of the quartet The Winans, has died. He was 48.

A Senate Apology for History on Lynching

Michael Jackson–cleared on all counts

Tyson gets his butt kicked one last time

Black securites firm makes a billion-dollar move

BET gets a new CEO

July

Minority and Women Business Ownership Increasing Faster Than National Average

Zimbabwe’s demolition blitz

Sheila Johnson – first woman to own a WNBA team and the first African-American woman to have a piece of three sports teams at once.

August

Katrina strikes!!!

Liberia’s first post-war presidential election

Million Father March

Canada’s first black governor general

John H. Johnson passes

The American Center for Voting Rights (ACVR–a non-partisan group backed by both Democrats and Republicans) releases the WHOLE story regarding voter suppression.

September

Aylwin Lewis takes Chief Exec spot with Sears

James Blake becomes first African-American man since Rodney Harmon in 1982 to make the quarterfinals of the U.S. Open

October

Black blogger inadvertently forces black Americans to face up to our usage of the word “Uncle Tom”.

Rosa Parks passes

Millions More March

August Wilson passes

Report shows how TV, Internet play different roles with black consumers

First black Archbishop to begin job

Mobile’s first black mayor ready for first full day in office (Alabama)

De Beers appoints first black to head S.Africa unit

Missouri Bar elects first black vice president

November

BET founder to set up hedge fund

NASA names first black flight director

380,000 votes in Detroit found tainted

December

Randal wins The Apprentice

Stanley “Tookie” Williams executed

Richard Pryor passes

If there are any stories that I missed, please add them via the comments feature below. Thanks!