'Black Cowboys: An American Story' Exhibition Opens at the Dallas Holocaust and Human Rights Museum

The Dallas Holocaust and Human Rights Museum announces a new special exhibition, Black Cowboys: An American Story, which will be on view from October 9, 2026 to April 18, 2027. This powerful exhibition explores the lives and work of enslaved and free Black men, women, and children who labored on Texas ranches and participated in cattle drives from before the Civil War through the turn of the twentieth century.

Black Cowboys: An American Story, created by the Witte Museum in San Antonio, Texas, illuminates the pivotal yet often overlooked role of Black cowboys in shaping the American frontier. Comprising one in four cowboys on the trail, these skilled horsemen, lawmen, and entrepreneurs were instrumental in driving Texas' economic growth. Visitors can explore a curated collection of personal artifacts, photographs, and more that bridges history with the present, honoring the grit and legacy of those who defined the West and continue to inspire American culture today.

"Black Cowboys: An American Story is a powerful exhibition that brings to life the remarkable men, women, and children who played a vital role in shaping the American West despite facing immense adversity," said Mary Pat Higgins, president and CEO of the Dallas Holocaust and Human Rights Museum. "By bringing these too-often overlooked stories to North Texas, we hope visitors of all ages leave with a deeper appreciation of the American West's history, and an understanding of how expanding our view of our shared past can challenge assumptions and help us better understand one another today."

Museum visitors will discover how Black cowboys tamed and trained horses, tended livestock and rode on the trail with thousands of cattle across America. Over time, the role of Black cowboys evolved as they used the skills they learned on the ranch and trail to establish their own ranches, serve as lawmen, ride in rodeos, become singers, and perform in movies. Today, the lives and legacies of Black cowboys have inspired new generations to explore the past through music, film, fashion, and design.

Unique to the Dallas Holocaust and Human Rights Museum is a special section honoring the late Cleo Hearn, based in Lancaster, Texas, who passed away in 2025, celebrating his lifelong dedication to reclaiming the place of Black cowboys in the West. Hearn was the co-founder of the American Black Cowboy Association, the founder of the Cowboys of Color Rodeo, and known as "Mr. Black Rodeo." The exhibit showcases some of his personal artifacts including a prize saddle, boots, spurs, and photographs that bring his remarkable legacy to life.

"The individual stories of Black cowboys, illustrating courage in the face of discrimination, skill, despite great odds, and success through generations as ranchers and leaders in their field are powerful," said Michelle Everidge, Ph.D., CEO and President of the Witte Museum, which organized the exhibition. "The Witte Museum was privileged to work closely with an outstanding steering committee and advisors, including community leaders, scholars and Black cowboys and ranchers, to create this unparalleled exhibition, which reveals what life was like for Black cowboys during this time."

The Dallas Holocaust and Human Rights Museum extends its gratitude to the Jean Baptiste "Tad" Adoue III Fund of The Dallas Foundation, with additional support from American Airlines, Dallas Tourism Public Improvement District, H-E-B/Central Market, and NFI Industries for their generous contributions to this special exhibition.

Black Cowboys: An American Story was developed by the Witte Museum, San Antonio (WitteMuseum.org). The exhibition is presented by Bank of America and generously supported by the John L. Santikos Charitable Fund of the San Antonio Area Foundation, H-E-B and Ed Rachal Foundation.

Black Cowboys: An American Story will run October 9 through April 18 at the Dallas Holocaust and Human Rights Museum. Tickets can be reserved at dhhrm.org/black-cowboys-an-american-story

About the Dallas Holocaust and Human Rights Museum
The Dallas Holocaust and Human Rights Museum teaches the history of the Holocaust and advances human rights to combat prejudice, hatred, and indifference. Founded in 1984 by Holocaust survivors, the Museum serves as an educational center for the community. The Museum has three educational wings highlighting Holocaust history and human rights violations that shaped our world; a Dimensions in Testimony Theater featuring an opportunity to interact directly with a holographic image of a Holocaust survivor; a 250-seat theater with daily screenings and regular special events, and a rotating special exhibition gallery. Through powerful exhibitions, engaging programs, and grade-appropriate resources, the Museum inspires students and visitors to become Upstanders who make a positive difference. Visit DHHRM.org or call (214) 741-7500 for more information.

MORE THAN 200 ORGANIZATIONS ENDORSE MARTIN LUTHER KING PEOPLE’S CONVENTION FOR JUSTICE AND RESISTANCE

The 2ND Martin Luther King People’s Convention for Justice And Resistance that will take place Saturday, September 26, 2026, 8:30am to 4:00pm, at Essex County College, Smith Hall, 303 University Avenue in Newark, New Jersey.

The convention is sponsored by the People’s Organization For Progress (POP). It is co-sponsored by the Martin Luther King People’s Convention for Justice and Resistance Planning Committee.

The convention has been endorsed by more than 200 grassroots, civic, community, labor, student, religious, racial and social justice organizations.

“The purpose of this year’s convention is to develop a people’s agenda for social justice and resistance, and a broad coalition to oppose the racist, fascist, and right wing policies of the Trump controlled administration, Congress, and Supreme Court, Lawrence Hamm, Chairman, People’s Organization For Progress stated. 

“Also, at this year’s convention special emphasis will be placed on the importance of voter registration, education and most importantly mobilization for the upcoming midterm elections,” Hamm said. 

“We must beat back Trump’s racist and fascist MAGA movement that has a stranglehold on the federal government and is causing so much pain and suffering at home and abroad,” he asserted.

“We must work towards a massive record breaking voter turnout in this upcoming midterm election. And continue the work of organizing and mobilizing the people beyond the November elections,” he declared. 

The convention is open to the general public. Those who wish to attend are encouraged to register in advance. Registration for the convention is still open. There is no registration fee. 

To register for the convention sign up at https://www.mobilize.us/peoplesorganizationforprogress/event/1029296/. Those who are unable to register online can call the People’s Organization For Progress at (973)801-0001 or send an email to info@njpop.org. On-site registration will also take place at the convention.

Hamm said that this will be “a working convention” where the participants will deliberate throughout the day. The work of the convention will take place during morning and afternoon plenary sessions. 

“This will be a convention of the whole body of participants. All resolutions, issues, and business will be conducted before all of the delegates. There are no workshops,” he said.  

During the plenary sessions resolutions on a variety of domestic and international issues will be presented. There will be a closing session with presentations and a summary of the work of the convention.  

“The resolutions adopted at the convention are non-binding and do not supersede the policies and positions of the individual endorsing organizations. Support of the endorsing organizations for resolutions passed at the convention is voluntary,” he added. 

Hamm said endorsements of the convention are still being sought and will be received up to the day of the event. He said groups that wish to endorse should call, text, or email POP immediately. 

For more information contact the People’s Organization For Progress at (973)801-0001. 

NAACP Opposes the so-called "Protect College Sports Act"

Lawmakers are currently weighing a broad sweeping law that would reshape the future of college athletics, and the NAACP is sounding the alarm. In a letter to U.S. Senate leaders, we argue that lawmakers should not reward colleges and athletic conferences with new federal protections while many remain silent as Black voting rights come under attack in the states where they operate. 

Black athletes have helped build some of the most profitable college athletic programs in America, generating hundreds of millions of dollars in annual revenue, even as southern state governments are moving to limit, reduce, weaken, or erase Black voting representation by creating new, unconstitutional voting districts. 

This is about more than sports. This is a matter of both economic and political power. We're challenging the institutions that profit from Black athletes to also stand up for the Black communities that make their success possible. 

You can't have one without the other. Profiting off of Black athletes while suppressing their vote is out of bounds. Read the full letter to the Senate below. 

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Dear Majority Leader Thune and Democratic Leader Schumer:

I write to express the NAACP's opposition to S. 4668, the Protect College Sports Act of 2026, and to urge the Senate not to advance this legislation.

The Protect College Sports Act is not simply an NIL bill. Public institutions cannot depend upon Black athletes to fill their stadiums, secure television contracts, attract donations, and build nationally recognized brands, then claim neutrality when the political rights of those athletes, their families, and their communities are under attack.

Over the past decade, schools in the Atlantic Coast Conference, Southeastern Conference, and Big 12 have generated approximately $16 billion in athletic revenue, excluding NIL activity. 

Black men make up an average of approximately 66 percent of their football rosters. Yet the representation of Black athletes on the field bears little resemblance to the representation of Black students across many of these campuses. At a time when Black male college enrollment has fallen to levels not seen in decades, major universities continue to recruit Black men most aggressively when their physical talent can generate revenue.

That contradiction is at the center of the NAACP's "Out of Bounds" campaign. Our campaign asks families to make informed decisions about the institutions seeking to benefit from their talent. Those decisions should consider not only playing time, facilities, compensation, and professional opportunity,
but also whether the school, conference, and state respect the political rights, economic interests, and long-term well-being of the communities from which those athletes come.

Our message is straightforward: No Representation. No Recruitment. No Revenue.

The responsibility for correcting this system rests with institutions and policymakers. This is basic accountability. Any state that works to erase a Black congressional district cannot expect to celebrate a Black athlete's touchdown on Saturday without being held accountable for suppressing that athlete's community during the rest of the week.

Public universities and athletic conferences are not powerless bystanders. They are among the most influential economic and political institutions in their states. When their revenues, competitive positions, or legal exposure are at issue, these institutions have no difficulty finding their voices. 

Yet, when Black communities ask those same institutions to oppose racially discriminatory maps and the dilution of
Black voting strength, too many retreat behind claims of institutional neutrality. Silence under those circumstances is not neutrality. It is a decision to devalue Black participation while profiting from Black talent.

That arrangement is a modern version of Jim Crow. It is an ultimate irony that many of the states attacking Black voting rights also receive more in federal outlays (and dollars from Black taxpayers) than they contribute to federal revenue. Black taxpayers are therefore subsidizing the states, institutions, and athletic systems that work to diminish their political power. That is unacceptable.

Congress should not grant new federal benefits, legal protections, or economic advantages to public institutions and athletic conferences that profit from the talent and labor of Black college athletes while remaining silent as their states dilute Black voting power.

Substantively, the amended legislation remains problematic because its framework confers consequential legal and economic benefits on institutions that already exercise enormous power.

We recognize that the bill contains provisions concerning scholarships, health care, athlete agents, safety standards, and student athlete representation. College athletes deserve those protections. They should not, however, be used as political cover for provisions that insulate institutions and conferences from legal and economic accountability. Congress can protect athletes directly without simultaneously rewarding the institutions that have profited from an inequitable system.

Institutions should not receive additional federal insulation through antitrust protection, federal preemption, expanded media bargaining authority, or limits on legal liability. States and institutions cannot invoke fiscal responsibility while relying upon federal taxpayers, institutional subsidies, and the revenue generated by Black athletes, then ask Congress to protect that arrangement from meaningful accountability.

Senators who have defended voting rights must not surrender their leverage merely to complete a college sports agreement before the November elections. Voting is a foundational right of citizenship.

Elected officials have responsibility for upholding this right.
The Senate should reject S. 4668. At a minimum, the Senate should not schedule the legislation for floor consideration, invoke cloture, or attempt to advance it by unanimous consent.

Necessary protections for college athletes should instead be considered separately and on their own merits, without granting
extraordinary federal privileges to institutions and conferences that refuse to defend the fundamental rights of the Black communities upon which their athletic success depends.

College sports cannot be separated from the economic, civic, and political conditions surrounding the athletes who make the enterprise possible. Public institutions should not profit from Black power on the field while accepting the destruction of Black power at the ballot box.

No Representation. No Recruitment. No Revenue. And no federal reward for institutions that profit from Black athletes while standing by as Black votes are erased.

Don Lemon is Launching the Don Lemon Channel

Former CNN anchor and Emmy award winning journalist Don Lemon announced that he will launch a free 24/7 network, The Don Lemon Channel. This will be the first channel for Lemon’s media company, Lemon Media Network.

Lemon has been working as an independent journalist since leaving CNN. He launched The Don Lemon Show in 2024, and streams live every weekday at 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET on YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, Substack, Facebook and Twitch. The show has has won Webby Awards for Best Video Podcast Host, including the People’s Voice Award, and four NAACP Image Awards, including Outstanding News and Information. 

The Don Lemon Channel will launch with Swerve TV, a distributor of free, ad-supported channels.

“We built this network on the idea that people want the truth delivered straight without a corporate boss deciding what makes air,” Don Lemon said in a press release Friday. “Almost 11 million followers later, they are still asking for more. So, we are giving them more.  More hours, more voices, and now a channel on their televisions. That is what America is demanding. We go where the audience is.”

The channel will feature twice-daily live programs, daily news drops, archival shows, and partner programming from other independent voices including The Monique Pressley Show, Josh the Progressive, Michael Fanone, and Dr. Frita.

“After more than a decade anchoring prime time on CNN, Don has built his own independent network for his more than 10 million followers across multiple platforms,” said Steve Shannon, CEO of Swerve TV.  “The Don Lemon Channel brings even more reach to his award-winning reporting and commentary, as well as to a cadre of other high-frequency, independent news voices.”

Association of Black Cardiologists Names 2026 Spirit of the Heart Honorees

For 16 years, the Association of Black Cardiologists (ABC) has used its Spirit of the Heart celebration to answer a question that matters more than any statistic: who is actually changing outcomes for the patients who need it most? This year's five honorees answer it in five separate ways.

"The contributions of the honorees demonstrate that advancing heart health requires more than scientific discovery alone," said Icilma Fergus, MD, Awards Program Co-Chair and ABC Board Chair. "It requires leaders who teach and mentor, organizations that bring research closer to the communities it is meant to serve, and partners willing to invest in better health outcomes. These honorees reflect the many ways meaningful change happens in cardiovascular health. ABC is proud to recognize these remarkable individuals and organizations and the lasting impact of their work."

The 16th Annual Spirit of the Heart Awards Program & Fundraiser will take place Saturday, October 3, 2026, at Cipriani Wall Street in New York City. Additional event details and ticket information are available at abcardioevents.org.

Celebrating the 2026 Spirit of the Heart Honorees

Distinguished Leadership Award
Anekwe E. Onwuanyi, MD, and Tiffany M. Powell-Wiley, MD, MPH

ABC's Distinguished Leadership Award recognizes individuals whose careers reflect exceptional achievement in cardiology through teaching, mentorship, research, and administrative leadership.

Dr. Anekwe E. Onwuanyi, Chief of Cardiology at Morehouse School of Medicine, has distinguished himself through clinical leadership, program development, and mentorship, including establishing a comprehensive heart failure program within a public hospital setting and helping build the Morehouse School of Medicine Cardiology Fellowship Program. As ABC President from 2022 to 2024, he also helped expand the Association's reach through the creation of the Heart Failure and Global Health Committees.

Dr. Tiffany M. Powell-Wiley, an Earl Stadtman Investigator and Chief of the Social Determinants of Obesity and Cardiovascular Risk Laboratory at the National Institutes of Health, has built an influential body of work — more than 90 peer-reviewed publications and over 13,000 scholarly citations — examining the connections among social determinants of health, obesity and cardiovascular disease. Her mentorship of more than fifty research fellows has helped translate that discovery into public health impact in the communities most affected by it.

Dr. Walter M. Booker Sr. Health Promotion Award
Georgia Arrhythmia Consultants & Research Institute (GACRI)

Named in honor of Dr. Walter M. Booker Sr., one of ABC's 18 founding members and a pioneer in the field, the Dr. Walter M. Booker Sr. Health Promotion Award recognizes organizations whose leadership, innovation and commitment to health promotion have created meaningful, lasting change in the communities they serve.

Georgia Arrhythmia Consultants & Research Institute (GACRI) brings that same spirit directly to Middle Georgia. Through the Georgia Arrhythmia Foundation, founded by GACRI physicians Dr. Felix Sogade and Dr. Joseph Poku, the organization has built a sustained grassroots effort to reduce death and disability from sudden cardiac arrest, anchored by its annual SCARE (Sudden Cardiac Arrest Research and Education) 5K. For 16 years, GACRI has also supported public education, CPR and AED training, and AED placement in schools, youth sports organizations and public spaces — work that extends internationally through the Africa Heart Rhythm Association, which the founders also established to strengthen electrophysiology education and clinical capacity across Africa.

Health Equity Award
Flourish Research

The Health Equity Award recognizes individuals and organizations that develop meaningful solutions to improve health outcomes and expand access to healthcare resources for populations most affected by health disparities.

Flourish Research is honored for strengthening clinical research by expanding opportunities within the communities where patients already live and receive care — placing diverse investigators and research opportunities closer to trusted healthcare providers rather than recruiting patients into unfamiliar settings. Across more than two dozen sites nationwide, 52% of Flourish's patient database and 62% of its employees self-identify as belonging to underrepresented communities, and its Boca Raton site has achieved a 97% retention rate in complex, long-term cardiovascular outcomes trials. Flourish sites have also contributed to major research milestones, including enrolling the first patient globally in a landmark cardiovascular outcomes trial spanning 388 sites in forty-two countries.

Spirit of the Heart Award
Merck

One of ABC's highest honors, the Spirit of the Heart Award, recognizes organizations whose excellence in cardiovascular health, community engagement, leadership, advocacy, and innovation has made a lasting impact on patients and communities alike.

Merck's recognition reflects a partnership with ABC spanning more than four decades, built on a shared investment in scientific advancement, education, and community engagement. From its cardiovascular research legacy to its support for emerging investigators through the ACC/ABC/Merck Research Fellowship Award, Merck has backed both the science and the people advancing cardiovascular medicine. That partnership continues today through Merck for Mothers, which supports ABC's maternal cardiovascular health work in communities with significant unmet need.

More Than a Night of Recognition

The Spirit of the Heart Awards Program & Fundraiser is more than an evening of celebration — it directly funds ABC's ongoing work in cardiovascular education, research, advocacy, community outreach, and prevention. In the coming weeks, ABC will also announce this year's recipients of its medical student scholarships and EP Fellowship Support Awards, continuing its investment in the next generation of cardiovascular professionals. Together, this year's honorees and awardees embody the spirit of ABC's 2026 theme, "Honoring Our Legacy, Shaping the Future of Health."

"Spirit of the Heart reminds us that progress is built by people who are willing to lead, teach, innovate and serve," said Barbara A. Hutchinson, MD, PhD, Awards Program Co-Chair and Past ABC Board Chair. "We are honored to celebrate this year's recipients and grateful for the opportunity to bring our members, partners, supporters and friends together around the day-to-day work of making every heart count."

About the Association of Black Cardiologists

Founded on the belief that every heart counts, ABC is dedicated to promoting the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease and achieving health equity for all through the elimination of disparities. Membership is open to all, regardless of race, ethnicity, or vocation. Through education, advocacy, research, patient and community outreach, and leadership development, ABC works to improve cardiovascular health and expand access to exemplary care for all communities. For more information, visit www.abcardio.org.