Little Known Black History Facts
J. California Cooper was an award-winning prolific playwright and author who crafted tales about ordinary individuals living out their dreams. Ms. Cooper died last Saturday, leaving behind a valuable collection of work that readers are still discovering. Cooper was born in 1932 and spent much of her life in California.Not much has been written about […]
Author J.K. Rowling‘s fictional boy wizard Harry Potter is an internationally known character, but few probably have heard of a famous trickster in America who shares the same last name. Richard Potter is hailed as the first African-American magician and the first to gain fame doing so. Potter was born in July 1783 to his […]
Ethel Waters was a pioneering singer, actress and entertainer that endured several hardships along with measurable successes. According to some historical accounts, Ms. Waters is the first Black woman nominated for an Emmy Award and the first to star on network television. Born October 31, 1896 in Chester, Pennsylvania., Waters was born into poverty under […]
Frederick Jones was a prolific, self-taught inventor responsible for revolutionizing the refrigeration business by inventing a transport unit for trucks.The invention changed the way grocers shipped goods, and was instrumental during World War II. Born May 17, 1893 in Cincinnati, Ohio, Jones dropped out of school at age nine after his mother died. A priest […]
William “Bill” Lucas was a pioneer in Major League Baseball as the game’s first African-American manager. Lucas was the “skipper” of the Atlanta Braves, holding the position for three years. Lucas was born in Jacksonville, Fla. on January 25, 1936. Lucas attended Florida A&M University, and was signed by the Milwaukee Braves when he left […]
The Lake Okeechobee hurricane disaster of 1928 in South Florida remains the second- deadliest tropical cyclone in American history. The aftermath of the storm lingers until this day, as racial tensions between Blacks and whites in the region are still healing over the handling of the dead. The storm formed off the West Coast of […]
Long before African-American ballerina Misty Copeland danced her way into American Ballet Theater, Raven Wilkinson was already a living legend as the first African-American woman to be signed by a major ballet company. Although she faced extreme racism and almost left her field, her resilience in the face of adversity is admirable. She was born Anne Raven […]
Carol Moseley Braun landed in the history books as the first African-American woman elected to the United States Senate. The feat is especially resonant as Ms. Braun remains the only Black woman thus far to hold that office. Born in Chicago, Ill. on August 16, 1947, Braun was raised by father Joseph, a Chicago police […]
The Washington Washington Football Team are one of the most beloved franchises of the National Football League, with a largely African-American fan base. Currently embroiled in a fight with prominent Native American groups over its racist nickname, the team’s past was also marked with controversy. George Marshall was the founder and owner of the Washington […]
The horrific events of the 9/11 attacks in New York and Washington, D.C. will be forever etched into the memories of those who lived through that turbulent time. As America rightly honors the heroic efforts of the first-responders who saved countless lives, history should be equally kind to the efforts of Godwin Ajala. Ajala, a […]
Ronald “Ron” Brown was a respected politician and advocate of civil rights who became the first Black person to head a major political party, and also the first to hold a major presidential cabinet position. Brown was born August 1, 1941 in Washington, D.C., and raised in Harlem, N.Y. He grew up in a hotel […]
Jacob Lawrence is one of the most acclaimed African-American artists of the 20th century. Although he never finished high school, Lawrence was able to hone his creative talents and became a legendary arts icon. Lawrence was born September 7, 1917 in Atlantic City, N.J. At the age of 13, he and his family moved to […]
