Little Known Black History Facts
The legend of the invention of the potato chip largely points to a Black and Native American man by the name of George Speck. While details surrounding “Saratoga Chips” continue to be a point of debate, what seems to be clear is that it was either Speck or his sister that helped to create […]
Swing Phi Swing, a social fellowship founded in 1969, is celebrating its 47th anniversary today. The organization promotes strong values such as academic excellence, community service, community engagement, and social change. On the campus of North Carolina’s Winston-Salem State University, 12 women came together to form the organization on the one-year anniversary of Dr. Martin […]
Robert F. Williams is considered by many to be the architect behind the modern Black Power movement. He was a highly influential figure for leaders of the Black Panthers and similar groups. Williams famously wrote a 1962 manifesto that called for Black people to arm and defend themselves against racist white oppressors. Williams was […]
Cornelius L. Henderson was a pioneering steel engineer and architect who helped construct two of major crossings between the United States and Canada. Mr. Henderson was involved with the building of both the Ambassador Bridge and the Detroit-Windsor tunnel. Born Cornelius Langston Henderson in December 1888 in Detroit, Michigan. The future bridge builder’s father […]
Dr. Homer E. Harris Jr. made history twice – as the first Black football captain of his high school team in Seattle, Washington, and later as the first Black team captain in the Big Ten collegiate sports conference. After his football career ended, Dr. Harris enjoyed a four-decade career as a prominent dermatologist. Harris was […]
The late jazz vocalist Sarah Vaughan captivated listeners with her operatic range and bold performances over the course of her decades-long career. The “Divine One” is now immortalized by way of a ‘Forever’ stamp released today by the United States Postal Service. Sarah Lois Vaughan was born March 27, 1924 in Newark, N.J. Raised […]
The New York Renaissance was an All-Black professional basketball squad, established in 1923 that became a dominant force in the game. On this day in 1939, the Rens became the first all-Black basketball squad to win a world championship. Known as the father of Black basketball, Robert “Bob” Douglas, a native of St. Kitts, […]
Former UFC women’s bantamweight champion “Rowdy” Ronda Rousey is one of the most electrifying athletes to enter the sport of mixed martial arts. Although serious fight fans know Rousey’s background well, some might be surprised to learn of her connection to North American Black History. Rousey’s mother, Dr. AnnaMaria De Mars, a renowned martial […]
The hip-hop community was rocked with the news Wednesday that A Tribe Called Quest member and rapper Malik ‘Phife Dawg’ Taylor has passed. As a member of one of the most celebrated musical groups across any genre, Phife’s death was especially jarring to many. The “Five-Foot Assassin” was born Malik Issac Taylor on November 20, […]
Robb Armstrong, a comic strip author from Philadelphia, struck gold with his daily strip, “Jump Start,” which he began in the ’80’s. The Jump Start strip is considered the most-widely syndicated comic strip from an African-American author in history. Jump Start focuses on the Cobb family in Philadelphia. The heads of the family are […]
Kamala Devi Harris is currently the Attorney General for the state of California, serving in the post since 2011. She is the first woman, African-American, and Indian-American to ever serve in the role. Harris was born October 20, 1968 in Oakland, Calif. Her father, a native Jamaican, was an economics professor at Stanford University […]
As the diplomatic relationship between the United States and Cuba thaws, along with the appearance of President Barack Obama and the First Family’s presence in the island nation, Cuba’s rich Black history should be acknowledged. While there exists a divide in how Cubans identify racially, there has been a steady presence of Black culture […]
