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

By Ariyana Griffin

Special to the AFRO

The year 2023 was a year for the books, from celebrating the 50th anniversary of hip-hop to the premier of Rihanna’s second baby bump at the NFL’s 2023 Superbowl Halftime show. After a year of highs and lows, this week, the AFRO takes a look at the past 12 months of Black community, culture and entertainment.

1. David Balogun, 9, graduates from Reach Cyber Charter School in Pennsylvania

David Balogun became one of the youngest people in the country to complete highschool and receive his high school diploma in Pennsylvania in January. The young scholar looks forward to becoming an astrophysicist. Balogun is currently enrolled in Bucks County Community College.

David Balogun Credit: Courtesy of Chepp.org

2. American Sign Language takes the main stage

In February, Justina Miles, an ASL interpreter and student at Bowie State University, became the first Black, deaf woman to perform “Lift Every Voice and Sing” with Emmy Award Winner Sheryl Lee Ralph during the pregame of Super Bowl LVII. She also translated for Rihanna’s legendary halftime performance, which also debuted the singer’s second baby bump.

Justina Miles Credit: Courtesy of Bowie State

3. Fisk Gymnastics team makes history

Fisk University became the first HBCU gymnastic team and the first to compete at the NCAA level in March.

FILE – Members of Fisk University team, including coach Corrinne Tarver, in yellow, cheer during a Super 16 gymnastics meet Friday, Jan. 6, 2023, in Las Vegas. Fisk is participating in women’s gymnastics this year for the first time, becoming the first HBCU to add the sport. (AP Photo/Chase Stevens, File)

4. Renaissance paints the country silver

Beyoncé released her seventh solo studio album in July 2022 and the Renaissance World Tour started May 2023, serving as her ninth tour to date. It was her highest grossing tour to date— and if you missed it don’t worry, on Dec. 1 she released “Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé,” a film documentary. As of Dec. 24, the film brought in $39.9 million worldwide.

Beyonce accepts the award for best dance/electronic music album for “Renaissance” at the 65th annual Grammy Awards on Sunday, Feb. 5, 2023, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

5. Tupac receives Hollywood walk of fame star

Tupac Shakur, award winning rapper, actor, activist and poet, received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in Los Angeles on June 7. His sister, Sekyiwa “Set” Shakur accepted the star on his behalf. He also had a street in his stomping grounds of Oakland named after him.

Mopreme Shakur, left, and Sekyiwa Shakur talk about their brother Tupac Shakur during a street renaming ceremony for Shakur in Oakland, Calif., Friday, Nov. 3, 2023. A stretch of street in Oakland was renamed for Shakur, 27 years after the killing of the hip-hop luminary. A section of Macarthur Boulevard near where he lived in the 1990s is now Tupac Shakur Way, after a ceremony that included his family members and Oakland native MC Hammer. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg)

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

6. Affirmative Action – Black women under attack

In the month of July the Supreme Court took a step back and removed affirmative action, meaning colleges and universities are unable to use race as a factor for acceptances. This created a ripple effect on of diversity, equity and inclusion efforts in other spaces.

FILE – The U.S. Supreme Court is seen, with a carving of Justice in the foreground, April 19, 2023, in Washington. A Black Ohio woman who miscarried in her bathroom has been charged with abuse of a corpse and awaits grand jury action. Her case has sparked a national firestorm over the plight of pregnant women, especially women of color, following the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, File)

7. The genre of hip-hop turned 50 years old in August 2023

This year, the 50th anniversary of hip-hop was celebrated around the world. Legends from DJ Kool Herc, the man credited with creating the genre, to creative genius Missy Elliot were recognized and given their flowers. What began in 1973 at a back–to–school fundraiser has morphed into a powerful tool, used to shed light on the harsh realities of life and bring about monumental change.

Missy Elliott performs “Lose Control” at the 65th annual Grammy Awards on Sunday, Feb. 5, 2023, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

8. The hard reset – Morris Brown College

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

Morris Brown College students walk past the historic Gaines Hall on the campus in Atlanta Thursday, Sept. 10, 1998. A century after it was built to educate former slaves, Gaines Hall was crumbling. A $4 million facelift saved it from the wrecking ball. (AP Photo/Ric Feld)

9. Montgomery Brawl

A large brawl on a Montgomery riverdock caught media attention due to the nature of the event and the state of race relations in the country. On Aug. 5, workers at Riverfront Park tried for nearly an hour to dock their tourist boat and unload passengers– there was just one problem: a small, private boat was blocking the way. An employee on the tourist boat caught a ride to the pier to ask the owners once again to make space for the tourists to disembark. What began as a conversation turned into a massive brawl that sparked conversation across the country.

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 trying to move a pontoon boat that was blocking the riverboat from docking. (AP Photo/Kim Chandler, File)

10. Israel-Hamas War

The year 2023 was fraught with violent conflicts. The war between Russia and Ukraine continued, while a sneak attack on Oct. 7 led to the ongoing Israel- Hamas war. Millions around the world are calling for a cease-fire in the conflict that has claimed tens of thousands of lives in mere months.

FILE – Destruction from Israeli aerial bombardment is seen in Gaza City, on Oct. 11, 2023. After 11 weeks of war in Gaza, the Israeli military campaign against Hamas now sits among the deadliest and most destructive in history. The Palestinian death toll is approaching 20,000 and satellite data shows that one-third of structures across the tiny enclave have been destroyed. (AP Photo/Adel Hana, File)

11. Morgan State revives wrestling team

Morgan State University broke their 25-year hiatus and became the only HBCU with a wrestling team. Kenny Monday, an Olympic gold and silver medalist, is the head coach of the team. Their first match in more than two decades came on Nov. 4.

12. Youngest Grammy nominee

Victoria Monét’s Daughter, Hazel Monét, became the youngest Grammy nominee in history at the age of two in November. She is credited for vocals on the song “Hollywood” with Victoria Monét featuring Earth Wind and Fire.

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

13. Howard University takes to the ice skate

Howard University became the first and only HBCU to launch an ice skating program for students, aiming to help increase diversity in the sport. Although the team is not associated with Howard’s athletic department, they are set to start competing in early 2024, their first competition is against University of Delaware in February 2024.

FILE – In this July 6, 2021, file photo, an electronic signboard welcomes people to the Howard University campus in Washington. Backed by $20 million in donations, Journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones announced Tuesday that she will establish the Center for Journalism and Democracy at Howard to increase diversity in journalism. Hannah-Jones used major philanthropic donors to build her future as a tenured professor, just as other major donors sought to stymie the Pulitzer Prize-winning Black investigative reporter at the University of North Carolina. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, File)

14. Coco Gauff is bringing in the big bucks

The 19-year-old U.S. Open Champion was named the highest paid female athlete by Sportico. This year she brought home the title by grossing $23 million. She has endorsements from UPS, Bose, Ray Ban and more. She is also signed to New Balance, a deal she has had since she was 14-years-old.

Coco Gauff, of the United States, reacts during an interview after defeating Aryna Sabalenka, of Belarus, in the women’s singles final of the U.S. Open tennis championships, Saturday, Sept. 9, 2023, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

15. The Color Purple breaks records

The Color Purple, a musical adaptation of the Broadway production, broke records for its Christmas Day opening. The star-studded cast raked in $18 million, garnering the second largest movie opening on Christmas Day since 2009.