By George Alexander
My home state of Alabama gets a bad rap.

On a recent visit home to see my parents in Mobile, I realized that people are always talking down about my home state. I swear, it seems like almost across the board, whenever I tell anyone—black, white, Asian, Latino, whatever—that I’m from Alabama, their reaction is visceral, dramatic, and visibly negative.

By Eisa Ulen
Family health history is vitally important. Doctor’s forms always ask for medical information about our biological families, but it seems that few of us pay close attention to what’s really going on in our own bloodlines.

L.P. Ray, inventor, patents the dust pan.  

Legendary gay author James Baldwin is born.

By Lee A. Daniels
The long fight to right a nearly century-old wrong against Jack Johnson, America’s first black heavyweight champion, took a substantial step closer to success Wednesday when the U.S. Senate approved by a voice vote a resolution urging President Obama to posthumously pardon him.

Adam Clayton Powell is elected as the East’s first black congressman.

By Oralandar Brand-Williams
The latest mantra on the lips of folks in Michigan and Motor City is, once again, “The last one out please turn out the lights.”

By The Editors
E. Lynn Harris, who died last week at age 54, gave voice and visibility to gay and bisexual men who are too often pushed to the margins of American life. Here is our tribute to his literary legacy.

By The Editors
With the U.S. Senate set to vote next week on the appointment of Judge Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court, the top Senate leadership and representatives from nearly a score of civil rights groups met this week in Washington to reiterate their fervent support of the nomination.

By The Editors
Efforts to equalize federal sentencing guidelines for offenses involving crack and powder cocaine gained significant momentum in Washington last week.