The Smithsonian Castle was built in 1847. The historic structure sits in Washington D.C. and has recently been found to be built by slaves. Some of those slaves were owned by Martha Washington. There’s been a longtime search by historians to know which historic D.C. buildings were built by slaves. Two of the most notable […]
Renee Powell was the second black woman to play on the LPGA tour behind Althea Gibson. Powell played on the tour from 1967 to 1980. The East Canton, Ohio native started playing golf at three years old. Her father, William Powell, is the only African American to design, build, own and operate a golf course […]
Viro Small a.k.a. “Black Sam of Vermont” was one of the first black professional wrestlers in America. The 5′ 10″ heavyweight started as a collar-and-elbow wrestler around 1880. A former slave in Buford, South Carolina, Small’s first documented match was against Mike Horogan. He lost the match but was taken in by Horogan as a […]
Tony Hansberry Jr. was a child prodigy of the medical field. At 14 years old, Hansberry developed a new suture method for hysterectomy patients. Because of Hansberry, patients now have decreased hospital stays and more efficient surgeries. His breakthrough was fueled by his loss at his eighth grade science fair at Darnell Cookman School of […]
Coleman Young was the first black mayor of Detroit. Young served the city of Detroit for 20 years. The Tuscaloosa, Alabama native was born in 1918, moving to Detroit’s Black Bottom ghetto in the 1920’s. He served as a Tuskegee Airman in WWII before becoming an activist with the United Auto Workers. Active in politics, […]
The Gennett Record Company was significant to the music careers of Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington and Earl Hines, who were all signed to the label. The first commercially released recordings of a white jazz band with a black featured soloist happened at Gennett Records: Jelly Roll Morton with the New Orleans Rhythm Kings. Gennett was […]
Bernard and Shirley Kinsey are African American art collectors who have used their love of black art and history to raise money for many organizations. The Kinsey Collection of art has been on display all over the country, including at the Smithsonian. It includes a collective display of black history and artifacts, spanning 400 years. […]
