AFRO year in review: A look at the highs and lows of 2023

By Ariyana Griffin

Particular to the AFRO

The yr 2023 was a yr for the books, from celebrating the fiftieth anniversary of hip-hop to the premier of Rihanna’s second child bump on the NFL’s 2023 Superbowl Halftime present. After a yr of highs and lows, this week, the AFRO takes a take a look at the previous 12 months of Black neighborhood, tradition and leisure.

1. David Balogun, 9, graduates from Attain Cyber Constitution Faculty in Pennsylvania

David Balogun grew to become one of many youngest folks within the nation to finish highschool and obtain his highschool diploma in Pennsylvania in January. The younger scholar seems to be ahead to turning into an astrophysicist. Balogun is at present enrolled in Bucks County Neighborhood Faculty.

David Balogun Credit score: Courtesy of Chepp.org

2. American Signal Language takes the primary stage

In February, Justina Miles, an ASL interpreter and scholar at Bowie State College, grew to become the primary Black, deaf girl to carry out “Raise Each Voice and Sing” with Emmy Award Winner Sheryl Lee Ralph throughout the pregame of Tremendous Bowl LVII. She additionally translated for Rihanna’s legendary halftime efficiency, which additionally debuted the singer’s second child bump.

Justina Miles Credit score: Courtesy of Bowie State

3. Fisk Gymnastics workforce makes historical past

Fisk College grew to become the primary HBCU gymnastic workforce and the primary to compete on the NCAA stage in March.

FILE – Members of Fisk College workforce, together with coach Corrinne Tarver, in yellow, cheer throughout a Tremendous 16 gymnastics meet Friday, Jan. 6, 2023, in Las Vegas. Fisk is taking part in girls’s gymnastics this yr for the primary time, turning into the primary HBCU so as to add the game. (AP Picture/Chase Stevens, File)

4. Renaissance paints the nation silver

Beyoncé launched her seventh solo studio album in July 2022 and the Renaissance World Tour began Might 2023, serving as her ninth tour so far. It was her highest grossing tour so far— and should you missed it don’t fear, on Dec. 1 she launched “Renaissance: A Movie by Beyoncé,” a movie documentary. As of Dec. 24, the movie introduced in $39.9 million worldwide.

Beyonce accepts the award for finest dance/digital music album for “Renaissance” on the sixty fifth annual Grammy Awards on Sunday, Feb. 5, 2023, in Los Angeles. (AP Picture/Chris Pizzello)

5. Tupac receives Hollywood stroll of fame star

Tupac Shakur, award profitable rapper, actor, activist and poet, acquired a star on the Hollywood Stroll of Fame in Los Angeles on June 7. His sister, Sekyiwa “Set” Shakur accepted the star on his behalf. He additionally had a avenue in his stomping grounds of Oakland named after him.

Mopreme Shakur, left, and Sekyiwa Shakur discuss their brother Tupac Shakur throughout a avenue renaming ceremony for Shakur in Oakland, Calif., Friday, Nov. 3, 2023. A stretch of avenue in Oakland was renamed for Shakur, 27 years after the killing of the hip-hop luminary. A piece of Macarthur Boulevard close to the place he lived within the Nineties is now Tupac Shakur Approach, after a ceremony that included his members of the family and Oakland native MC Hammer. (AP Picture/Eric Risberg)

Pictured right here Mopreme Shakur, left, and Sekyiwa Shakur. AP Picture/Eric Risberg

6. Affirmative Motion – Black girls underneath assault

Within the month of July the Supreme Courtroom took a step again and eliminated affirmative motion, that means schools and universities are unable to make use of race as an element for acceptances. This created a ripple impact on of range, fairness and inclusion efforts in different areas.

FILE – The U.S. Supreme Courtroom is seen, with a carving of Justice within the foreground, April 19, 2023, in Washington. A Black Ohio girl who miscarried in her toilet has been charged with abuse of a corpse and awaits grand jury motion. Her case has sparked a nationwide firestorm over the plight of pregnant girls, particularly girls of coloration, following the U.S. Supreme Courtroom’s resolution to overturn Roe v. Wade. (AP Picture/Jacquelyn Martin, File)

7. The style of hip-hop turned 50 years outdated in August 2023

This yr, the fiftieth anniversary of hip-hop was celebrated world wide. Legends from DJ Kool Herc, the person credited with creating the style, to inventive genius Missy Elliot have been acknowledged and given their flowers. What started in 1973 at a again–to–college fundraiser has morphed into a robust instrument, used to make clear the tough realities of life and convey about monumental change.

Missy Elliott performs “Lose Management” on the sixty fifth annual Grammy Awards on Sunday, Feb. 5, 2023, in Los Angeles. (AP Picture/Chris Pizzello)

8. The laborious reset – Morris Brown Faculty

Morris Brown welcomed their largest class in over 20 years in August. This comes after the establishment regained their accreditation in 2022.

Morris Brown Faculty college students stroll previous the historic Gaines Corridor on the campus in Atlanta Thursday, Sept. 10, 1998. A century after it was constructed to coach former slaves, Gaines Corridor was crumbling. A $4 million facelift saved it from the wrecking ball. (AP Picture/Ric Feld)

9. Montgomery Brawl

A big brawl on a Montgomery riverdock caught media consideration as a result of nature of the occasion and the state of race relations within the nation. On Aug. 5, employees at Riverfront Park tried for almost an hour to dock their vacationer boat and unload passengers– there was only one downside: a small, non-public boat was blocking the way in which. An worker on the vacationer boat caught a journey to the pier to ask the homeowners as soon as once more to create space for the vacationers to disembark. What started as a dialog changed into an enormous brawl that sparked dialog throughout the nation.

FILE – The Harriott II riverboat sits docked in Montgomery, Ala., on Tuesday, Aug. 8, 2023. A riverfront brawl occurred on Aug. 5 when a crew member was punched for attempting to maneuver a pontoon boat that was blocking the riverboat from docking. (AP Picture/Kim Chandler, File)

10. Israel-Hamas Struggle

The yr 2023 was fraught with violent conflicts. The struggle between Russia and Ukraine continued, whereas a sneak assault on Oct. 7 led to the continuing Israel- Hamas struggle. Tens of millions world wide are calling for a cease-fire within the battle that has claimed tens of 1000’s of lives in mere months.

FILE – Destruction from Israeli aerial bombardment is seen in Gaza Metropolis, on Oct. 11, 2023. After 11 weeks of struggle in Gaza, the Israeli army marketing campaign towards Hamas now sits among the many deadliest and most harmful in historical past. The Palestinian dying toll is approaching 20,000 and satellite tv for pc information reveals that one-third of constructions throughout the tiny enclave have been destroyed. (AP Picture/Adel Hana, File)

11. Morgan State revives wrestling workforce

Morgan State College broke their 25-year hiatus and have become the one HBCU with a wrestling workforce. Kenny Monday, an Olympic gold and silver medalist, is the top coach of the workforce. Their first match in additional than 20 years got here on Nov. 4.

12. Youngest Grammy nominee

Victoria Monét’s Daughter, Hazel Monét, grew to become the youngest Grammy nominee in historical past on the age of two in November. She is credited for vocals on the tune “Hollywood” with Victoria Monét that includes Earth Wind and Hearth.

Victoria Monet attends the Selection Hitmakers Brunch, Saturday, Dec. 2, 2023, in Los Angeles. (Picture by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)

13. Howard College takes to the ice skate

Howard College grew to become the primary and solely HBCU to launch an ice skating program for college students, aiming to assist enhance range within the sport. Though the workforce just isn’t related to Howard’s athletic division, they’re set to start out competing in early 2024, their first competitors is towards College of Delaware in February 2024.

FILE – On this July 6, 2021, file picture, an digital signboard welcomes folks to the Howard College campus in Washington. Backed by $20 million in donations, Journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones introduced Tuesday that she’s going to set up the Heart for Journalism and Democracy at Howard to extend range in journalism. Hannah-Jones used main philanthropic donors to construct her future as a tenured professor, simply as different main donors sought to stymie the Pulitzer Prize-winning Black investigative reporter on the College of North Carolina. (AP Picture/Jacquelyn Martin, File)

14. Coco Gauff is bringing within the massive bucks

The 19-year-old U.S. Open Champion was named the best paid feminine athlete by Sportico. This yr she introduced house the title by grossing $23 million. She has endorsements from UPS, Bose, Ray Ban and extra. She can also be signed to New Stability, a deal she has had since she was 14-years-old.

Coco Gauff, of america, reacts throughout an interview after defeating Aryna Sabalenka, of Belarus, within the girls’s singles last of the U.S. Open tennis championships, Saturday, Sept. 9, 2023, in New York. (AP Picture/Frank Franklin II)

15. The Shade Purple breaks data

The Shade Purple, a musical adaptation of the Broadway manufacturing, broke data for its Christmas Day opening. The star-studded forged raked in $18 million, garnering the second largest film opening on Christmas Day since 2009.