Nexstar Wire

Recent Articles

  • Hidden History: The brutal tackle that changed the face of football

    FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) – The journey that changed the face of football forever started with one player from Fort Wayne, Indiana. Johnny Bright’s courage, determination, and perseverance on the gridiron led to monumental changes in equipment and rules. From Central High School phenom all the way to the Canadian Football League Hall of Fame, Bright left an unforgettable legacy on sports and American history. It was through a series of brutal, racist tackles he endured during his college years that […]

  • Hidden History: 400th anniversary of the first African landing in English North America

    HAMPTON, Va. (WAVY) – In 2019, Virginia commemorated the 400th anniversary of the first enslaved Africans brought to English North America. In 1619, about 20 Africans were brought against their will to Point Comfort, where Fort Monroe in Hampton, Virginia is located today. A historical marker now stands there. Calvin Pearson says he started Project 1619 to tell the true story about their arrival. “What was going through their minds arriving at a place they didn’t know where they were? Arriving at a destination where they […]

  • Hidden History: Forgotten Soldier exhibit highlights African American soldiers during the American Revolution

    YORKTOWN, Va. (WAVY) – At the Forgotten Soldier Exhibition in Yorktown, Virginia, curators teach visitors about the often overlooked role African American soldiers played in the American Revolutionary War. “We’re trying to tell stories that have been forgotten since the American Revolution and tell a more holistic, a more complete story,” said Curator Kate Egner Gruber. Crispus Attacks is believed to be the first martyr in our history. “He was a mulatto, which means he was a man of mixed race, mixed heritage. […]

  • Hidden History: At 97, Florida veteran may be last living Buffalo Soldier

    MANATEE COUNTY, Fla. (WAVY) – After the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, President Franklin D. Roosevelt issued an address that reverberated across the nation, declaring it “a date which will live in infamy.” He went on to say “the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan.” It’s a day etched into the memory of 97 year old Steve Lewis. He was in high school at […]

  • Hidden History: Susie King Taylor escaped slavery, became a Civil War nurse, teacher and activist

    MIDWAY, Ga. (WSAV) – For some, the search for knowledge leads to unlikely places. “I came here on this quest looking for something. But what I came looking for was looking for me, too.” That is the case for Hermina Glass-Hill, a historian and writer who has made it her mission to elevate a story she says is seldom told, that of Susie Baker King Taylor. “Harriet Tubman I know. Sorjourner Truth. Ida B. Wells I know. But I knew nothing of this […]

  • Hidden History: Journey to freedom through Central PA

    (WBRE) – It’s no secret the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania played a major part in the Underground Railroad. Descendants and historians are making sure the story of their ancestors will continue to be told for many generations. Williamsport, Pennsylvania is affectionately called “Billtown”. It’s the birthplace of little league baseball. Williamsport is also a town that holds the key to a very important part of black history: The Underground Railroad. “Lycoming County is one of the most historical sites in Pennsylvania and what’s […]

  • Hidden History: Baseball’s George Stovey

    (WBRE/WYOU-TV) – One of baseball’s best African American pitchers lived in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. George Stovey’s stats are what baseball legends are made of, but he played in the late 1800’s, a time that put him in the shadows of the ballpark. If George Washington Stovey had been living today, he’d be a household name and a baseball player worth millions, but Stovey was born in Williamsport in 1866, an era when the color of his skin prevented him from playing […]

  • Hidden History: Preserving, celebrating Gullah-Geechee culture

    (WSAV) – On about three acres of land, in the rural town of Riceboro, Ga., sits a gathering place called Geechee Kunda. “We are a museum. We’re a cultural center. We’re a research center. We’re an art gallery. We are like the old praise house; this is where everybody comes to get rejuvenated,” said Dr. Jamal Touré, the resident scholar at Geechee Kunda. Geechee refers to the African-based culture that has survived along coastal Georgia for more than 250 years. […]

  • Hidden History: Neighbors share stories of historic Carver Village community

    (WSAV) – Savannah’s Carver Village, once the largest individually-owned housing development for people of color in the world, has officially been recognized as a national landmark. World War II veteran Henry Mack was one of the first people to move to Carver Garden when it was founded in the 1940s. He was 27 years old when he bought the foundation for his home at $4,500. Now, he’s 98. “Wasn’t no Carver Village. I bought the foundation. They’d just started the housing. […]

Notice: you are using an outdated browser. Microsoft does not recommend using IE as your default browser. Some features on this website, like video and images, might not work properly. For the best experience, please upgrade your browser.