To Boycott or Not to Boycott, Beyoncé's Quest for AOTY, Fisk Gymnastics Breaks Barriers
Plus, Black women face alarming cervical cancer rates, Lencia Kebede makes "Wicked" history, Belair and Sasha Banks’s WrestleMania milestone, transgender rights in Atlanta, and more.
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The Rundown
Beyoncé Eyes Long-Withheld Grammy Win & Over 10,000 Black Women Thank Kamala Harris
Beyoncé is no stranger to Grammy controversy, but this year feels like the breaking point. With 32 wins under her belt, she holds the record for most Grammys ever. Yet, she’s still without an Album of the Year trophy. This Sunday, she’s up for her fifth shot at the prize with her eighth solo album, Cowboy Carter. Despite critical acclaim and global impact, Beyoncé remains snubbed in this category, and fans and non-fans alike are left wondering why. As scholar Farah Griffin points out in an excellent New York Times piece, Black women like Beyoncé are often “perceived as mere vocalists” instead of multidimensional artists, a bias that could be at the root of this Grammy blindspot.
Meanwhile, in the political arena, a collective of over 10,000 Black women have come together to pen an open letter thanking Vice President Kamala Harris for her leadership. The Win With Black Women collective, which has been a strong force in amplifying Black women in politics, is sending a clear message: despite the current political climate that seeks to undermine their progress, they are united. Jotaka Eaddy, founder of Win With Black Women, put it best: “We will continue to work together and vow to never give up.”
A Cervical Cancer Crisis & A Bold New Cancer Study
Black women are dying from cervical cancer at far higher rates than other groups. St. Jude’s HPV Cancer Prevention Program reports that Black women over 70 are three times more likely to die from the disease than their counterparts. Mistrust in the medical system, compounded by implicit bias and lack of follow-up care, contributes to this heartbreaking reality. Dr. Idehen urges women to keep up with Pap smears and get vaccinated if needed, and encourages men to get vaccinated as well. “Prevention is key, and it’s never too late to make these health changes,” she writes for BlackDoctor.org.
And in related news, researchers are launching an ambitious new cancer study. The American Cancer Society is looking to enroll 100,000 Black women in a groundbreaking 30-year cancer study. With cancer being one of the leading causes of death in the U.S., and Black women facing the highest mortality rates, this study hopes to illuminate the unique risks Black women face and provide critical insights to save lives.
Patrice’s Pick
The DEI rollbacks at Target, Walmart, and other mega corporate retailers—along with the pushback at Costco—made major headlines this week. Black women entrepreneurs are particularly impacted, as we’re not only the fastest growing demographic of entrepreneurs in the U.S. with nearly 2.7 million businesses nationwide, but also face systemic barriers to funding and support.
When I heard about Target’s DEI rollback, Tabitha Brown (above) immediately came to mind. She rose to fame with her warm, empowering TikToks on vegan cooking, natural hair, and affirming life advice, building a massive multihyphenate empire. Her line of beauty, fashion, food, and lifestyle products are famously sold and celebrated at Target, Walmart, and Amazon. But now, the real question is not whether Black women should protest this corporate move, but how? Is it possible to protect individual Black businesses and entrepreneurs while also ensuring the broader well-being of the Black community? The challenge is clear: businesses may have to take a hit and our community must strategize and organize effective ways to support one another through this struggle.
A press conference was recently held at Target’s headquarters in Minneapolis, where local activists are calling for a nationwide boycott. "For decades, Target has benefitted from nearly unfettered support from Minnesota residents, families and consumers all around the country,” said civil rights attorney Nekima Levy Armstrong, according to CBS News. “In the past, Target was known for its diversity initiatives and reputation for supporting diverse communities. Now Target has shown its true face by deciding to roll back its focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion by putting profits and politics over people."
Yet, in the face of this push, many Black business owners—mostly, Black women—sold at these retailers have suggested boycott alternatives, like selling out their products to send a message of solidarity and financial power. Tabitha Brown shared a heartfelt message on Instagram. “This is bigger than me,” she said. “It’s for everyone who is a woman-owned business, minority-owned business, and Black-owned business.” Some criticized her response in the comment section, feeling she was prioritizing her personal success over the larger fight. Similarly, Melissa Butler, founder of The Lip Bar, the “largest Black-owned makeup company in Target”, expressed disappointment but wasn’t surprised, pointing to the Trump administration’s role in emboldening these corporate moves. Eunique Jones-Gibson, founder of Culture Tags, emphasized being mindful of where we spend our dollars, urging a thoughtful response to the boycott calls. She said, “We should be intentional with our dollars while being cognizant of the unintentional harm we may cause by completely withdrawing support.”
This is just the start of a bigger conversation about how we, as a community, respond to these rollbacks and the waves of disenfranchisement coming down the line. In 2025, as we face a landscape more divided and complex than anything we saw during the Civil Rights Movement, the fight for Black businesses, civil rights, and social justice will look a lot different. Unlike the solidarity of the Montgomery Bus Boycott (which keeps popping up in many arguments making as case for the boycotts), today’s struggle is tangled up in deeper divisions of class, cultures, and identity and a lack of prominent, verifiable Black-owned and operated information sources. What’s needed now is radical thinking, bold moves, selfless sacrifice, and a kind of cross-class unity that may feel unfamiliar but is essential if we’re going to push back against this new era of homogeneity, inequity, and exclusion.
Cultural Reset
Entertainment:
Lencia Kebede makes history as the first Black actress to play Elphaba in Wicked, following in the footsteps of Brittney Johnson, who became the first Black Glinda in 2022. With roles in Hamilton and Rent, Kebede now tackles one of Broadway’s most iconic characters, breaking barriers with each performance.
At the box office, the Keke Palmer and SZA-led One of Them Days defies expectations, earning over $25 million (on a $14 million budget) after weekend two, while Hard Truth’s Marianne Jean-Baptiste speaks out about the “dearth of great multilayered roles for Black women” in both the US and UK, admitting, “I’ve always had to compromise.”
Sundance Film Festival kicked off last week, featuring the world premiere of A24’s Opus, led by The Bear star Ayo Edebiri. Black Girl Nerds reviewed the horror thriller, noting, Edebiri’s “smart, relatable, and grounded” character feels authentic in a genre full of clichés, offering “a refreshing subversion of common horror tropes.” As for stale takes…SNL faces backlash for a segment that many say perpetuates harmful stereotypes. Michael Che and Ego Nwodim’s Weekend Update bit about Black women and hair extensions has sparked outrage.
Sports & Fitness:
Bianca Belair, Mercedes Moné, and Jade Cargill are shifting the landscape of wrestling, proving Black women are not just participants but headliners. Belair's historic WrestleMania 37 victory over Sasha Banks marked a turning point, as it was the first time two Black women battled at that level.
While wrestling redefines its own boundaries, over 100 Black women in Georgia are reshaping wellness through Soul Sistahs Hike Too. What started as a birthday hike between two friends, Sawanda Spinks and Magalie Remy, is now a thriving community focused on self-care and sisterhood.
Back in the spotlight, Temple University gymnast Kyrstin Johnson makes a bold statement with her viral routine set to Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us” (while wearing her natural curls unbound). "I want to show little girls you can do the same thing as well,” said Johnson.
Personal Essay:
At 38, one Black woman shattered the stereotype that Black people can’t swim, overcoming physical and emotional barriers with determination and her daughter’s encouragement. “There was no turning back,” she writes. In another powerful piece, a woman who says she looks white reveals the racist remarks white people casually make to her during everyday encounters. “They are doctors, judges, lawyers, social workers and politicians,” she reflects. “That’s frightening.”
Literature:
In her review of Charmaine Wilkerson’s Good Dirt, author Deesha Philyaw highlights the novel's exploration of grief and legacy in a Black family’s history. Unlike traditional slavery narratives, Wilkerson’s characters come from a lineage of landowners, not defined by proximity to whiteness but by resilience in adversity. Imani Perry’s latest title In Black in Blues uncovers the profound history of the color blue, from its ties to the brutalities of the Transatlantic slave trade to its modern-day symbolism.
A nuanced Sunday read, Scott W. Stern’s LitHub essay revisits the mixed reception of I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings to examine how Maya Angelou's impact and success as a Black woman author was framed as groundbreaking yet dismissive of other Black writers.
Power Moves
Roxanne Shanté, a pioneering figure in hip-hop, is receiving the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. This moment of recognition comes as Jennifer King makes history of her own, becoming the first full-time Black female coach in the NFL with the Washington Redskins. Over at Fisk University, the gymnastics team is breaking barriers as the first HBCU to compete in NCAA women’s gymnastics, proving their place alongside top competitors.
Across the country, Maria Elena Cruz is appointed the first Latina and Black justice on the Arizona Supreme Court, while Kyra Harris Bolden is sworn in as Michigan’s first Black woman Supreme Court justice. Meanwhile, Janelle Bynum just became Oregon’s first Black congresswoman. In Tennessee, Kimberly Diei won a $250,000 settlement after suing her university over a First Amendment violation. Norma Jennings made history as New York’s first Black LGBTQ+ Civil Court judge, and Kimberly Bizor Tolbert was appointed Dallas’s first Black city manager, continuing the momentum of change across the nation (h/t What I’m Reading, a Substack sharing Black news).
Under the Radar
Tensions over transgender rights are escalating after Trump’s executive order limiting gender identity recognition, forcing transgender women into male prisons. Critics in Georgia fear the implications for the trans community in the state’s federal prisons, where violence is already reportedly “rampant.”
The search for Ke’Yazlin Martin, missing from Cedartown, Georgia, continues. The 16-year-old was last seen wearing a gray hoodie and black jeans. In London, 12-year-old Mia St Hilaire died after drinking a contaminated milkshake and two Black women, Marianne Kilonzi and Jamelatu Tsiwah, were found dead in their homes, with one victim’s murder linked to a known suspect (h/t The Source, a Substack sharing Black UK news). And Civil rights attorney and incoming Howard University law professor Kiah Duggins, 30, was among the 67 victims of a deadly midair collision involving a passenger jet and Black Hawk helicopter near Washington, D.C.
Research from social epidemiology professor Shawnita Sealy-Jefferson shows nearly half of evictions experienced by Black women and families in metro Detroit are unlawful, adding to the strain on communities. Finally, as HIV cases among Black women rise, advocates continue to push for greater access to PrEP, which remains difficult to obtain.
Save the Dates
Red For Revolution Podcast Premiere
Loretta Devine, Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, S. Epatha Merkerson, Rutina Wesley, Jennifer Beals, Vanessa E. Williams, adrienne maree brown, and more star in Red For Revolution, a new six-part audio drama series created by writer/filmmaker Jana Naomi Smith about Black women, queer love, and liberation, debuting February 4 on Radiotopia. Learn more
Oscar-Qualifying Shorts from Reel Sisters
On March 6, BAM presents An Evening of Oscar-Qualifying Shorts curated by the Reel Sisters of the Diaspora Film Festival. This evening of powerful films by women of color celebrates family, faith, and resilience. Learn more
The Fairly OddParents: A New Wish Premieres
Hazel, a young Black girl, joins Cosmo and Wanda in The Fairly OddParents: A New Wish. The premiere airs May 20 on Nickelodeon. Learn more