Virginia is recognizing the remarkable story of Henry “Box” Brown, who escaped slavery by mailing himself in a wooden box to Philadelphia and later lectured on the evils of slavery across New England and in Great Britain. Brown is being honored with a historical marker in Louisa County, where he was born into slavery in [...]

World-renowned poet Sonia Sanchez has been named Philadelphia’s first poet laureate. Mayor  Michael Nutter will name Sanchez, 77, the city’s first poet laureate  in an 11 a.m. ceremony Thursday at City Hall. A poet, teacher, mentor and activist, Sanchez has authored at least 18 books of poetry, as well as plays and children’s books. For [...]

Michelle Duster, great-granddaughter of civil rights pioneer Ida B. Wells For six decades, civil rights pioneer Ida B. Wells was woven into the fabric of Chicago’s South Side as the namesake of a public housing project. A Rosa Parks-like figure during her era, the journalist and suffragist was so revered that 1930s leaders put her [...]

SAN FRANCISCO — A black Navy veteran credited with saving the lives of some of his shipmates during a World War II battle will be getting a long-awaited medal for his heroism, a Northern California congresswoman said. Carl Clark, 95, will be awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal with the Combat Distinguished Device [...]