Little Known Black History Facts
Ben E. King, one of R&B and soul music’s greatest vocalists died last Thursday. King made his mark as a member of The Drifters and solo act, amassing a number of hits in his storied career. King was born Benjamin Earl Nelson in Henderson, N.C. On September 28, 1938. When he was a boy, […]
While Tiger Woods is certainly the most famous Black figure in the sport of golf today, credit should given to several pioneers before him. Calvin Peete, who was the most successful Black PGA Tour player before Woods, died last Wednesday. Peete was born July 18, 1943 in Detroit, Mich. As a young boy, he […]
The protests in Ferguson, New York, and most recently, Baltimore, have been ignited by a rash of violence against young Black people by police. Earlier this week, riots erupted in Baltimore in response to the police custody death of 25-year-old Freddie Gray, recalling the 1968 riots after the assassination of Rev. Martin Luther King […]
The iconic Motown Records label was founded in 1959 by visionary record producer and songwriter, Berry Gordy Jr. While Motown’s success began in Detroit, Mich., the label was relocated to Los Angeles in 1972. Since 1985, the former headquarters of Motown, better known as “Hitsville U.S.A.,” has been the home base for the Motown […]
The Blackburns, who married while en route to their new city, settled in and became fixtures of the community. However, the fugitive slave laws of the time allowed slaveowners to apprehend escaped slaves who traveled to the North. The Blackburns were jailed and went through several court proceedings in a bid to remain free. As […]
Charles M. Schulz’s Peanuts comic strip remains one of pop culture’s most enduring fixtures, with the cartoonist providing daily and weekly illustrations of Charlie Brown and the gang for nearly five decades. In the ’60’s, Schulz integrated his comic by introducing its first Black character, Franklin, after a thoughtful letter from a reader. In 1968, […]
Fans of the Star Trek franchise mourned the loss of one of the original series’ cast members when Leonard Nimoy died this past February. Known for his iconic role as the half-human, half-Vulcan Mr. Spock, Nimoy became one with the role despite several years struggling to separate himself from it. What many people […]
Lloyd McClendon stands alone in Major League Baseball as the sport’s only Black manager. While Black players only make up around 10 percent of the MLB, McClendon’s position is still noteworthy as he continues to follow a path constructed by other Black baseball greats. McClendon, a 56-year-old native of Gary, Ind., was a star […]
Harvard Law and History Professor Annette Gordon-Reed made history on April 20, 2009 by becoming the first Black person to win the coveted Pulitzer Prize for History. Gordon-Reed’s research on the relationship between President Thomas Jefferson and his slave Sally Hemings changed the historical context of the pair’s long-rumored union. A native of Livingston, […]
Caribbean singer Johnny Kemp was found floating in the waters off Montego Bay in Jamaica last Thursday, shocking fans of the Grammy-nominated singer. Kemp was responsible for creating one of R&B music’s lasting anthems in the late ’80’s and continued to play musical events across the nation long after his career heyday. Kemp, born […]
Opera is an arena dominated by Europeans, but Blacks have made their mark on it as well. Robert McFerrin Sr. was the first to sing in an opera at New York’s Metropolitan Opera in 1955. The late baritone, who is the father of vocalist extraordinaire Robert “Bobby” McFerrin Jr., paved the way for the […]
Despite the various contributions made by Black people to the city of Chicago, the Windy City has only had one Black mayor. The late Harold Washington served as Chicago’s mayor for one full term, and was set to embark on his second when he died unexpectedly while still in office. Born April 15, 1922, […]
