In the summer of 1908, the country was shocked by the account of the race riots at Springfield, Illinois. Here, in the home of Abraham Lincoln, a mob containing many of the town's "best citizens," raged for two days, killed and wounded scores of Negroes, and drove thousands from the city. And because of this the NAACP was born.
VIA: U.S. Centennial of Flight Commission Bessie Coleman, the daughter of a poor, southern, African American family, became one of the most famous women and African Americans in aviation history. “Brave Bessie” or “Queen Bess,” as she became known, faced the double difficulties of racial and gender discrimination in early 20th-century America but overcame such […]
VIA: AOLtelevision.com Haeley Vaughn shocked American Idol judges with her cute personality and Pop Country singing style. She is the first black pop country mainstream singer that American Idol has ever seen, and she represents well. Check out her American Idol audition below: Simon Cowell was enamored with her right away. “Cute little thing, aren’t […]
VIA: Biography.Com Singer and song writer Darius Rucker formerly of the hit pop group Hootie and The BlowFish, is the first African American to reach the top of the country music chart since Charley Pride in 1988. His hit single “Don’t Think I Don’t Think About It” from his album titled “Learn To Live” jumped […]
Althea Gibson lived in Harlem in the 1930s and 1940s. Her family was on welfare. She was a client of the Society for Prevention of…
Coretta Scott King is among the most influential women in American history. Her contributions to the progression and development of American Society have left a…
VIA: MSNBC When she moved to the nation’s most prestigious address, Michelle Obama’s husband told her that rough times were ahead. The country was in recession, people were out of work, the political parties were in open warfare — and the man who was going to be blamed for it all was President Barack Obama. […]
VIA: Biography.com (born August 11, 1921, Ithaca, New York, U.S.—died February 10, 1992, Seattle, Washington) American writer whose works of historical fiction and reportage depicted the struggles of African Americans. Although his parents were teachers, Haley was an indifferent student. He began writing to avoid boredom during voyages while serving in the U.S. Coast Guard […]
VIA: TheGrio.Com A revolution can occur in many ways. Some choose to protest with marches and picket signs. Bill T. Jones chose dance. The acclaimed dancer and choreographer has informed audiences on race, politics and sexuality in modern dance productions around the world for over thirty years. Born in Florida, Jones has said that growing […]
VIA: EncyclopediaOfChicago.Org Oscar DePriest was born in Florence, Alabama, to ex-slaves. He arrived in Chicago in 1889. DePriest worked as a painter and decorator, reportedly on occasion passing for white to get a job. He developed his own contracting business and began participating in community affairs. He began his political career as a precinct secretary, […]
VIA: 9news.com Third-grader Amirikis Smith thought being mentioned in Obama’s speech was ‘amazing.’ “It lives on,” the president said, “in the 8-year-old boy in Louisiana, who just sent me his allowance and asked if I would give it the people of Haiti.” The president did not identify the young man by name, but on Thursday the […]
VIA: Answers.Com Identical twin brothers Albert and Allen Hughes became celebrities when they completed their first feature-length movie, Menace II Society. Their age when the film was released in May of 1993–they had just turned 21–put them in the company of celebrated young black directors like John Singleton, who was 23 in 1991 when Boyz […]