Knowledge is Power
Charles Dumas sent a shock through the track and field world on June 29,1956 ,when he became the first person to jump seven feet. His clearance of 7′ 0 1/2″ at the Olympic Trials broke a major human barrier. A straddler with a very smooth technique, Dumas went on to win the gold medal […]
Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American recording artist, entertainer, and philanthropist. His contribution to music, dance and fashion, along with a much-publicized personal life, made him a global figure in popular culture for over four decades. The eighth child of the Jackson family, he debuted on the professional music […]
Archibald (“Archie”) Franklin Williams was born, May 1, 1915 and was able to pursue his athletic passion at Berkeley. While the coaches for baseball, football and basketball excluded blacks, Brutus Hamilton, the track and field coach, showed no prejudice towards his runners. “He showed a lot of interest in me as a student and an […]
1915 – Born Elinore Harris on April 7, at Philadelphia General Hospital, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to Sarah Harris (later named Sadie Fagan). While her birth certificate names Frank DeViese as her father, she considered Clarence Holiday to be her father. 1925- At about the age of 10 or 11 years old, she is raped and […]
Sojourner Truth was born Isabella Baumfree (1797–1883 ) 1797 Isabella Baumfree is born into slavery to parents Elizabeth and James Baumfree in Ulster County, New York, one of 13 children. She is sold several times before the age of nine. 1815 Isabella falls in love with another slave named Robert from a neighboring farm, but […]
Robert Nelson Cornelius Nix Sr. (1905 – 1987) 1898 – Born on the 9th of August in Orangeburg, South Carolina. 1921 – He graduated from Lincoln University (Pennsylvania). 1932 – He became active in the Democratic Party as a committeeman. 1934 – He became a special assistant deputy attorney general of Pennsylvania. 1958 – He […]
Malcolm X (Macolm Little) May 19,1925 – February 21,1965 ~1925 born Malcolm Little on May 19, in Omaha, Nebraska. ~1929 The family’s Lansing, MI, home is burned to the ground. ~1946 Malcolm is sentenced to 8-10 years for armed robbery; serves 6 ½ years at Charlestown, MA State Prison. 1948-49 Converts to the Nation of […]
Born William Theodore Ribbs, Jr., born January 3, 1956, in San Jose, CA; also known as Willy T. Ribbs qualified for the 75th Indianapolis 500 on May 19, 1991, becoming the first black person ever to participate in the famed motor race. As if to maximize the drama, Ribbs landed his spot in the competition […]
Mary McLeod Bethune (1875–1955) 1875 – Born July 10, 1875 in Mayesville, South Carolina. 1904 – Mary McLeod Bethune biography: Mary Bethune founded the Daytona Normal and Industrial Institute for Negro Girls in 1904, as well as a notable speaker on subjects of child welfare, education, and home ownership. Oct 3, 1904 – On October […]
Harry Thacker Burleigh, (1866-1949) ~ Harry Thacker Burleigh, composer, pianist, and singer, received the 3rd NAACP Spingarn Medal for his achievements in creative music on this date in 1917. ~ He was the first African-American composer acclaimed for his concert songs as well as for his adaptations of African-American spirituals. ~ He was an accomplished […]