Inc.

The biannual cultural event of the summer is on the way and community members are invited to “experience a world where Black joy, creativity and community are intentionally centered and celebrated.”

Monique Poydras was at a reggae concert at a vineyard in Linganore, Maryland, when her phone began vibrating frantically. As text after text and call after call rolled in, the device continued to shake until it eventually fell off the chair.

Life expectancy for Americans, including for Black Americans, is on the rise, due to the decline in the prevalence and severity of COVID-19. Nevertheless, a racial gap exists in life expectancy. As of 2022, Black life expectancy was 72.8 years, compared with 77.5 years for white Americans.