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Judge Greg Mathis has responded to Judge Judy Sheindlin’s remark that people who don’t like America should “go somewhere else.” Sheindlin, 83, made the comments to USA TODAY around CBS’s 30th anniversary special for Judge Judy. She called America the greatest country in the world and said people shouldn’t come here and ask to change it. Mathis, a former Michigan judge, answered on The Art of Dialogue podcast. He said Black Americans built the country through forced labor and enslavement and have a right to demand change. He also cited the First Amendment, saying speaking out, protesting and holding government accountable are fundamental American rights. Comedian Ms. Pat has also criticized Sheindlin’s remarks. How should public figures talk about patriotism and the right to demand change? #JudgeMathis #JudgeJudy #FirstAmendment #BlackAmericans #USPolitics

✨💄 A fresh beauty look takes center stage at Paris Fashion Week. #Vogue highlights a new makeup direction featuring a sleek short hairstyle, defined eyes, sculpted cheeks and a polished natural lip—a modern, refined look built for the fashion spotlight. Credit: Vogue #ParisFashionWeek #Beauty #Fashion #Telixia #Createensemble #Zendaya

On Oct. 7, 1993, the Swedish Academy named Toni Morrison winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature. She was the first Black woman of any nationality to win the prize, the first African American laureate and the eighth woman overall. She delivered her Nobel lecture in Stockholm on Dec. 7, 1993, and accepted the prize on Dec. 10. Morrison began as an editor at Random House, where she championed Black writers including Toni Cade Bambara, Gayl Jones and Angela Davis. Her own novels include The Bluest Eye (1970), Song of Solomon (1977) and Beloved (1987), which won the 1988 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. She received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2012 and died on Aug. 5, 2019, at 88. More than three decades later, her books remain central to American literature. Which Toni Morrison book has stayed with you the longest? #ToniMorrison #NobelPrize #AfricanAmericanLiterature #BlackHistory #Literature

Opal Lee, the “Grandmother of Juneteenth,” turned 100 on Oct. 7, 2026. The Fort Worth educator and activist marked the day at the “Clearing the Way” ceremony, where demolition began on the Southside Community Center to make room for the National Juneteenth Museum. It is a $70 million, 50,000-square-foot project in the city’s Historic Southside. Lee’s campaign began with a 2016 walk from Fort Worth to Washington, D.C., at age 89, in 2.5-mile segments. President Joe Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act on June 17, 2021, and awarded her the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2024. The museum has raised $55 million toward its $70 million goal, with opening tentatively set for 2029. Former First Lady Michelle Obama headlined a sold-out benefit at the Fort Worth Convention Center that evening. #OpalLee #Juneteenth #NationalJuneteenthMuseum #BlackHistory #FortWorth

Ciara turned a pregnancy announcement into a runway moment, and did it on one of fashion’s biggest stages. At Paris Fashion Week on October 4, she made a surprise appearance in Junya Watanabe’s Spring 2027 show, walking the runway three separate times while visibly pregnant. Her looks included a purple and pink bodysuit paired with a silver crystal harness built to create a chandelier effect, a trench coat ensemble, and a bold, maximalist closing look. In an Instagram post following the show, Ciara wrote that walking a Paris runway had always been a dream of hers, and that she worried her pregnancy might change that opportunity. It didn’t. Watanabe welcomed her onto the runway anyway. The moment comes less than a month after Ciara and her husband, NFL quarterback Russell Wilson, announced they are expecting their fifth child together, joining siblings Future, Sienna, Win, and Amora. Pregnancy is rarely centered in high fashion the way it was here. Ciara made it the point, not the exception. #Ciara #ParisFashionWeek #JunyaWatanabe #PregnancyStyle #RussellWilson

Aaron Pierre closed out HBO’s “Lanterns” first season by stepping fully into the spotlight. The October 4 season finale resolved the show’s central mystery, who killed Hal Jordan (Kyle Chandler), while putting Pierre’s character, John Stewart, at the emotional center of the episode. Stewart ultimately claimed the Green Lantern ring, but not in the traditional sense. Due to Sinestro’s influence, his power battery carried a trace of fear, and he recited a custom oath rather than the one familiar to generations of Green Lantern fans. This placed him outside the authority of the wider Corps as what he called an “independent contractor.” Series co-creators Tom King and Chris Mundy confirmed the choice was a deliberate break from Stewart’s comic book origins, designed to reflect a character forging his own path rather than inheriting one. Pierre is set to reprise the role next in “Man of Tomorrow.” #AaronPierre #Lanterns #GreenLantern #JohnStewart #HBOMax

Lisa Bonet rarely steps back into the public eye these days. When she did earlier this month, it was memorable. The 58-year-old actress attended Celine’s show during Paris Fashion Week on October 3, sitting front row with her waist-length locs worn loose, silver running fully through their length. The look marked a striking shift from the darker hairstyles she’s been known for throughout her career, and outlets noted how rare her public appearances have become in recent years. While at the show, Bonet reportedly spoke with Harper’s Bazaar and praised Celine’s creative director, Michael Rider. Her appearance arrived at a notable moment for her legacy. Bonet is best known for playing Denise Huxtable on “The Cosby Show” and later “A Different World,” a role that has drawn renewed attention as Netflix’s 2026 reboot of “A Different World” brought fresh interest to the original series and its cast. #LisaBonet #ParisFashionWeek #ADifferentWorld #Celine #BlackHollywood

𝗠𝗶𝘀𝘀𝘆 𝗘𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗼𝘁𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗵𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝗮 𝗳𝘂𝗹𝗹 𝗰𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗯𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗛𝗕𝗖𝗨 𝗰𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲. Earlier this month, the Portsmouth, Virginia native announced she will host the inaugural “𝗠𝗶𝘀𝘀𝘆 𝗘𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗼𝘁𝘁 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗛𝗕𝗖𝗨 𝗕𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗕𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗹𝗲” on October 18 at Norfolk State University’s William “Dick” Price Stadium. Four marching bands are set to compete: Norfolk State’s Spartan Legion, Virginia State’s Trojan Explosion, Elizabeth City State’s Sound of Class, and Hampton University’s Marching Force. “𝘝𝘪𝘳𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘢 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘢𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘣𝘦 𝘩𝘰𝘮𝘦, 𝘴𝘰 𝘣𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘯𝘴 𝘢 𝘭𝘰𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘦,” Elliott said in announcing the event. “𝘏𝘉𝘊𝘜 𝘣𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘣𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘴𝘰 𝘮𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘨𝘺, 𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘵𝘺, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘤.” The event is part of a broader weekend tied to Missy Elliott Day. Established by the state of Virginia in her honor, it will also include the Missy Elliott Innovation Summit, a program for college students and high school seniors exploring the intersection of technology, music, education, and entrepreneurship. #MissyElliott #HBCU #HBCUBandBattle #NorfolkState #Virginia

Anthony Anderson will host the 2026 Soul Train Awards, the show’s return after a hiatus and its first ceremony in Chicago. The show airs Friday, Nov. 27 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on BET and CBS, with taping set for Nov. 5 at Harris Theater. It is the first Soul Train Awards since 2023 and the first to air on CBS. BET says the two-hour format will honor four to five musical icons, include two fan-voted categories and feature marquee performances. Jesse Collins Entertainment is producing, with Spotify and Toyota as partners. Anderson hosted the show in 2013 and has also hosted the BET Awards and eight years of the NAACP Image Awards. Chicago is where Don Cornelius launched Soul Train on WCIU-TV in 1970. Which artists would you want to see honored in Chicago? #SoulTrainAwards #AnthonyAnderson #BET #BlackMusic #Chicago

A congressional resolution is asking the U.S. to recognize October as Nigerian Heritage Month. Rep. Sanford Bishop of Georgia introduced House Resolution 1546 on Sept. 16, 2026, with 16 cosponsors. The Nigerian Center, a Washington, DC-based organization serving Nigerian immigrants and their families, championed the effort. The resolution points to Nigerian American contributions in healthcare, technology, higher education, financial services, public policy and entrepreneurship. It was referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. The Nigerian Center planned a Washington press briefing for Oct. 1, Nigerian Independence Day. DC first proclaimed that date Nigerian American Day in 2022. What would national recognition of Nigerian Heritage Month mean for diaspora communities? #NigerianHeritageMonth #NigerianAmericans #Diaspora #USPolitics #Nigeria