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Illustration by Oscar Guittierez A poem by Robert Boyd The beauty of the place where I was born, Bordering a sea of blue, Punctuated with fields of green. People, loyal beyond belief—and proud Of their city, of the amazing teams, Cubs in baby blue, Sox in black and white, Bulls bloody red, Bears navy like night, Blackhawks’ colors like an African flag. A city of sights nowhere else to be seen: The mag mile, the silver bean, so reflective, Like a star in daylight, Chicago’s

A retrospective on voices that shaped the culture Illustration by Jason Gorham This story was originally published in BlackBoard's Winter '25/Spring '26 issue. Learn more about our print issues here. As I sit in Northwestern Prison Education Program’s “dayroom,” watching the 2026 Grammy awards, Lauryn Hill comes to the stage. At the sight of the singer with her signature locks, my memory floats back in time. The year is 1997, and I’m in my bedroom. Getting ready for school, I

When Bridget Johnson lived in Evanston’s 5th ward in the ‘90s, all her neighbors were Black. Now, Johnson says the area is “totally different.” “Gentrification is happening over there,” Johnson said. “Black people are getting moved out of there. I very rarely saw White people over there, and it is so many right now.” Evanston’s Housing and Community Development Committee approved Housing4All on May 11. The plan aims to preserve affordable housing, create new housing units and

The Wedding Party. Photo by EESA Exec Board Habesha music bounced off the green, white and gold walls of Parkes Hall as students gathered to watch the mock Habesha wedding. “It’s really important for us as a community to create these organizations that bring us together,” Teshome said. “It’s brought us together and created a really impactful community for Habesha students at Northwestern.” Organized by the Ethiopian Eritrean Student Association (EESA) and ELEL dance group, th

The Theta Alpha Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Inc. accepting their award. Photo by Habiba Affo Northwestern’s National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC) brought canes, whistles and barbies to Kahn Pavillion to find out who “runs the yard.” “There can only be one head frat in the yard,” the men of Alpha Mu, Northwestern’s Alpha Phi Alpha Chapter said. The yard show was hosted Tuesday evening in support of Greater Chicago Food Depository, and attendees were encouraged to donate goods

Photos by McCall Vickers Serena Page, reality-TV star and influencer, encouraged Northwestern students to stay authentically themselves, determined in their goals and to find supportive mentors on Thursday at Lutkin Hall. Page, a popular media personality who found fame after winning Love Island season six, stood out to viewers for being unapologetically herself and speaking her mind. Nearly two years after her breakout summer, she has amassed over 2 million followers on Ins

Rochelle Jordan put on an electric performance at the A&O Productions Ball last Wednesday night. The Los Angeles-based Jamaican-British artist has shaped a sound that blends alternative R&B, dance-pop and house music. Jordan’s 2025 album “Through The Wall” has been hailed by critics as a standout release in alternative electronic music.

In this Trump administration Black journalists have been a target. For professor Ava Thompson Greenwell, she says this has happened before. “Yes, there are other people who are targeted also, but I think the most prominent ones that we've seen in the last decade have been black,” said Greenwell. “So you have to ask yourself, why is that?” Two independent journalists, Georgia Fort and Don Lemon, were indicted on charges of interfering with religious services at the Cities Chur

Students Compete for the Title of Mr. and Ms. Africa Mr. and Ms. Africa 2026. Photos by Habiba Affo Draped in a pink and blue gown, Sandrine Douti twirled and danced her way to the stage. The crowd couldn’t help but to cheer for her. She was representing her home, Togo. “When you live far from your country, it’s nice to have an occasion where it’s all about your culture,” Douti said. The South African word “Jabulani” means to rejoice. Traditionally a name given to boys, Nor

Students speak on loving themselves and others outside of the hetero-norm Photo Illustration by Dallas Downey In a society where Black queer relationships have often been marginalized or erased, carving out intentional space for connection can feel radical. For Orville Amankwah, the day is less about grand gestures and more about honoring each other and themselves. “There’s something really beautiful about prioritizing our [Queer & Black] love, espe

It has recently come to my attention that BlackBoard is considered disorganized among some students, and has even been juxtaposed (in a negative sense) to more “established” publications like The Daily.

“Dancing in the Rain,” an exhibit curated by Dittmar Gallery Assistant & Technician Gabby Gutierrez, opens today in the cozy exhibition room located in Norris, right next to Shake Smart. It is marked by an opening ceremony where Williams will once again introduce a crowd of Northwestern community members to his art.

“All that you touch, you change. All that you change, changes you. The only lasting truth is change. God is change. Reparations are change,” town hall facilitator Dr. Marcus Hunter said, opening the event with a tribute to Octavia Butler’s 1993 novel Parable of the Sower.

Four weeks before Thanksgiving, FMO held a thrift event that connected students with Black clothing vendors in Evanston, bridging a gap between the Evanston and Northwestern communities and creating a broader sense of kinship for students on campus.

Amid rising conversations about mental health in Black communities, Northwestern’s Black Studies Department is using mindfulness to ground students in both culture and care.

In its May 2003 issue, BlackBoard published a review of Assata: An Autobiography, written by then-junior Sonia Nelson. In tribute to Assata's death, BlackBoard’s Editor-in-Chief Atarah Israel revisits the book 22 years later.

The casting for the film adaptation of the 2018 New York Times Best Selling young-adult fantasy novel, “The Children of Blood and Bone” by Tomi Adeyemi, has faced extreme backlash online for several reasons.

As I write this column now, right on the heels of Kamala Harris’ loss of the 2024 presidential run, the country appears to be at yet another precipice, with the stakes seeming even more dire than 2016. As we wring our hands and point fingers about how we’ve gotten to this point, the results of this election—as it is for most of the decisions made by this country—will have ripple effects worldwide.

Another unserious dating show has graced the internet. “Pop The Balloon or Find Love” was created and produced by Phoenix-based married couple Arlette Amuli and Bolia Matundu. The goal is to match a contestant with someone from the singles lineup. If the single isn’t feeling the contestant, they can pop the balloon. But if they’re interested, they keep it unpopped to learn more and maybe go on a date. The average Pop The Ballon experience consists of nine singles standing in

Shrinkage isn’t the issue; it’s the way we’re taught to see it. When our hair coils up, pulling itself close, there’s this idea that something’s been lost or hidden. It’s a perception drilled into us—that our natural state needs to reach a standard that isn't made for us.