Indigenous Africans in the Diaspora

11/15/2025

Zelda Wynn Valdes, a native of Pennsylvania PA., was the first black person to open her boutique in 1948 in Manhattan, New York. Here is where she designed for entertainment powerhouses like; Josephine Baker, Ella Fitzgerald, Mae West, Diahann Carroll, Dorothy Dandridge, and Eartha Kitt, to name just a few. But Ms. Zelda’s most notable client, however, was none other than Mr. Pl***oy himself, Hugh Heffner, who summoned her talents to create the legendary and most recognizable bunny suit ever designed.

She unapologetically designed form-fitting, low-cut, sexy but sophisticated looks for the curvy woman and masterfully created for both the fashion world and designed costumes for more than 80 productions modernizing the look of ballerinas on and off the stage.

Zelda’s story is a remarkable one, especially for the period when a black female designers’ highest platform was “seamstress.” I’m left to wonder how many more “Zelda’s” are out there we don’t know anything about?

Thank goodness we’ve come to learn just how powerful and monumentally influential our story is; its afros and braids, Zoot-Suits, sweat suits, door knockers, and big hoops, black culture is without a doubt American culture!

11/03/2025

11/03/2025

10/24/2025

10/24/2025

10/15/2025

The Man Who Proved Ancient Egypt Was Black

For centuries, many Western historians tried to separate Ancient Egypt from the rest of Africa — claiming its civilization was somehow “non-African.” But one brilliant scholar changed that narrative forever. His name was Cheikh Anta Diop.

Born in 1923 in Senegal, West Africa, Dr. Cheikh Anta Diop was a historian, anthropologist, and physicist who dedicated his life to proving the African origins of Egyptian civilization. Educated at the University of Paris (Sorbonne), he challenged long-accepted colonial ideas about Africa’s history.

Diop’s groundbreaking research used multiple sciences — linguistics, anthropology, archaeology, and even DNA and melanin studies — to show that Ancient Egyptians shared close physical and cultural ties with other Black African peoples. He compared ancient Egyptian language with Wolof (spoken in Senegal) and found deep similarities.

In his famous works like “The African Origin of Civilization: Myth or Reality” (1974), Diop argued that Africa was not a passive land waiting for civilization — it was the birthplace of civilization itself. His studies showed that early Egyptians were African in origin, both biologically and culturally, and that their achievements in art, science, and architecture were part of a broader African legacy.

Although his ideas faced resistance at first, they eventually gained global respect. Today, UNESCO and modern Egyptologists recognize Diop’s contribution as vital to understanding Africa’s true history. He restored pride and truth — proving that the continent’s ancient greatness had long been hidden by colonial bias.

Dr. Cheikh Anta Diop passed away in 1986, but his legacy continues to inspire scholars and young Africans worldwide to reclaim their history.

10/14/2025

Did you know that the first Black woman to own a TV station was a soror of Zeta Phi Beta?

Clara McLaughlin was a Howard University graduate who in 1979 successfully petitioned the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to approve a television allocation in Houston, aiming to portray women and minorities positively. She founded KLMG, a CBS-affiliated television station in Longview, Texas, becoming the first African American woman to own and operate a network-affiliated TV station.

She went on to own and publish The Florida Star, the oldest African American-owned newspaper in Northeast Florida, and launched The Georgia Star in 2005.

She died at 81 years old in 2021 but her pioneering efforts set a precedent for minority representation in the media continue with her legacy today.

Click on the link in our bio() to read our full story on Clara McLaughlin.

10/14/2025

10/14/2025