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The Best Things to Happen to Black People in 2023 (So Far)

Pharaoh


We’re celebrating all of the good news happening and the inspiring Black folk creating positive change in our communities.

2022 was a wild year. Book bans swept the country, the U.S. The Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade, and 10 Black people were tragically gunned down in a grocery store in Buffalo, New York.

But there was also plenty to celebrate in the Black community. Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson became the first Black woman to be confirmed to the U.S. Supreme Court, Brittney Griner came home to her family, and the Emmett Till Anti-Lynching Act finally passed.

Knowing that, even in hard times, our community members were fighting — and winning! — battles for racial justice and equity gives us hope. That’s why we’ll keep turning the spotlight on the organizations and people working to create positive change. We’ll update this list periodically with all the good news happening to Black folks in 2023.

2. You can stream The 1619 Project. The Pulitzer Prize-winning work The 1619 Project exists as a news series, a book, and now a show on Hulu. Nikole Hannah-Jones’ longform work will be told in a six-part docu-series of the same name.

3. A historic deal and better food in Houston’s airport. LaTrelle’s, a Black-owned and family-led restaurateur firm, recently inked a $334 million contract for a space in the William P. Hobby Airport. The funds go toward the renovation and revitalization of the airport’s dining hub.

4. Sticking the landing. Fisk University made history as the first HBCU to compete in NCAA gymnastics. Morgan Price, their five-star recruit, was the team’s strongest performer in all four events.

5. Well-deserved flowers. The Recording Academy announced The Supremes and Slick Rick will receive Lifetime Achievement Awards at this year’s GRAMMYs ceremony in February.

6. A sweet reunion. Cleveland Cavalier guard Donovan Mitchell reunited with a special fan. Before he was traded and played in Louisville, Josh waited for Mitchell outside the arena after every game for five years. The two got to hug again for the first time since Mitchell was traded.

7. A one stop Black-owned business shop. The D.C. area is now home to a strip mall made of entirely Black-owned businesses. When Angel Gregorio opened her new spice shop, she invited others to join her, ultimately transforming a 7,500 square foot space into a one-stop-shop for local Black-owned businesses, called Black And Forth.

8. Doctors in the making. Morgan State University is the first HBCU in 45 years to open a medical school. The new school will be in partnership with Ascension Saint Agnes Hospital, and it aims to open doors in 2024.

9. Puzzle practice. Test your knowledge of the Black diaspora with Black Crossword, a free mini crossword puzzle made of terms and clues from the diaspora. New puzzles are released daily.

10. Never stop exploring. Now 78, J.R. Harris hasn’t stopped exploring since 1966. He hikes mountains, goes river rafting, travels to remote villages across the globe — and he visits elementary schools to encourage kids to follow their dreams.

11. Need renovations. After years of walking past a portrait of likely enslaver Cecilus Calvert in Maryland’s Senate building in Annapolis, Sen. William C. Smith Jr. had enough. He began a project to get that painting taken down, and it was replaced by a painting of Baltimore’s Thurgood Marshall, created by West Baltimore artist Ernest Shaw Jr.

12. Mayoral power. For the first time in history, four of the largest cities in the United States are being led by Black mayors. New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Houston all have Black leaders in the mayoral office.





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