During World War II, the United States Navy remained the last military branch to resist the admission of Black soldiers and volunteers. On this day in 1945, Phyllis Mae Dailey became the first Black nurse inducted into the Navy, setting the course for another history-making mark. Dailey attended the Lincoln School of Nursing in New […]
The fictional African nation of Wakanda served as the backdrop for the latest Marvel blockbuster in Black Panther, showcasing a rich world that has some real-world ties to ours. Black Panther got its start in the late ’60’s as a comic book character created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. T’Challa, the Prince of Wakanda, […]
Henry Lewis achieved several marks in his storied career as a conductor and musical director. Consider by many as something of a Jackie Robinson for classical music, Lewis became the first Black conductor of a major U.S. orchestra on this day in 1968, this after accomplishing one of his landmarks in music at the age […]
Dr. Olivia J. Hooker turned 102 years of age this past Monday and in this same month in 1945, she made military history. Dr. Hooker became the first African-American woman to join the United States Coast Guard after being rejected by the United States Navy. Hooker was born February 12, 1915 in Muskogee, Oklahoma. At […]
Etta Moten Barnett blazed a trail for Black women in entertainment, changing the perception of how her race and gender were seen on-screen and stage. On this day in 1934, Barnett became the first African-American woman to perform inside the White House. Barnett was born Etta Moten on November 5, 1901 in Weimar, Texas. She […]
The Honorable Hazel R. O’Leary was the first Black person and first woman to serve as the Secretary of Energy. O’Leary’s tenure earned both praise and criticism in her four years in the post before she returned to her alma mater of Fisk University to serve as its president. Born Hazel Reid on May 17, […]
Frankie Muse Freeman was a trailblazing legal pioneer who enjoyed a decades-long career and achieved many high marks. Ms. Freeman passed away on January 12, and a nation fondly remembers one of its brightest civil rights stars. She was born Marie Frankie Muse on November 12, 1916 and raised in Danville, Virginia. As a teenager, […]
Earl âButchâ Graves Jr. is currently the President and CEO of Black Enterprise, the magazine that his father, Earl Graves Sr. founded in 1970. Butch Graves took a slight detour in professional sports before dialing into the business world. Graves was born in 1962 and raised in the same Brooklyn borough as his father. He […]
In the annals of Black history in the state of Colorado, late Boulder native Dr. Ruth Cave Flowers commands a lofty space. She was the one of the first African-American women to graduate from the University of Colorado. CU’s first Black female graduate was Lucile Berkeley Buchanan, a fact revealed in the early 90’s. Ruth […]
Black journalists across the nation should bow their heads and pay heavy respects to the life and career of Simeon Booker this week. The pioneering newsman passed away this past Sunday at the age of 99, but his contributions to journalism will live on forever. Booker was born August 27, 1918 in Baltimore, Maryland and […]
Miguel Pilgram‘s life changed in 2010 when he selected a random set of numbers for a lottery ticket and won the $52 million jackpot. Using his winnings to create his The Pilgram Group real estate company, the Memphis native and former military man is hoping to revitalize a forgotten Black community in South Florida. […]
Reginald F. Lewis was the nationâs richest African-American in the ’80’s and the first to build a billion-dollar company. This morning in his hometown of Baltimore, the late pioneering Black tycoon’s life will be celebrated at the museum that bears his name on the day of his birth. Lewis was born December 7, 1942 in […]
