Where: (click below to visit venue on Foursquare)Okeh Records 25 W 45th Street When: August 10, 1920 What: Written by African-American songwriter Perry Bradford, Smith’s rendition is the first recording of vocal blues by an African American artist, selling a million copies in less than a year. « PREVIOUS NEXT » In celebration of Black Music Month, […]
Where: (click below to visit venue on Foursquare) 1540 Brewster Ave, Cincinnati, OH 45207 When: September 1943 What: King Records was found by Syd Nathan in 1943 and released music from a wide breadth of genres. King’s legacy includes hiring a racially integrated staff, and the signing of James Brown and his Famous Flames to […]
Where: (click below to visit venue on Foursquare) 1215 U Street NW, Washington DC When: The 1920s What: The section of U-Street between 9th St. and 18th St. in Washington, DC came to be known as “Black Broadway” thanks to numerous African-American owned establishments including banks, bowling alleys and dance halls. « PREVIOUS NEXT » In celebration […]
The young black man was walking to the store when he supposedly insulted a white woman. The store owner and his son, allegedly chased the black man, beat him and shot and him dead. No, this wasn’t Emmett Till. And this tragedy didn’t happen in the 1950s. The victim was Henry Marrow, and the year […]
As a noted surgeon and scientist, Charles Drew was responsible for creating the technology to store blood for long periods of time. His lifelong concern for the necessary transport and storage of blood and plasma made him a pioneer in his field and a valued scientist in world history. Drew saved thousands of soldiers’ lives […]
If there is one person from history whose impact on the Black woman’s self-image rivals that of Oprah Winfrey, it is the hair mogul Madame C.J. Walker. Walker was the first successful Black female entrepreneur. Her insistence on involvement in both the business world and civic affairs predates Oprah’s story, and to the extent that […]
Led Zeppelin is considered by many to be one of the greatest bands in the history of rock music, but their roots clearly lie in the tradition of the blues. Their blues influences got the best of them on a few occasions during their run in the late 60s and 70s. In 1972, the band […]
In 1940, one Black novelist dared to show America what white supremacy did to one Black man. When “Native Son” appeared on America’s bookshelves, it became an instant bestseller, the first title by an African-American author selected by the Book-of-the-Month Club. It also introduced the world to the complicated protagonist of “Native Son,” Chicago’s Bigger […]
A woman who believes “luck is preparation meeting opportunity,” Oprah Gail Winfrey has continuously shattered gender and racial barriers in America. Winfrey is the most successful talk show host in American TV history — male or female, Black or white — and the first female African-American billionaire. As one of the most influential women in […]
Ralph Ellison was the first novelist to portray the Black experience as a critical part of the American experience. His seminal novel, “Invisible Man,” was his only major work, but his letters, articles and fiction work established him as one of the most important writers in history. “Invisible Man” encapsulated the feelings of Black men […]
Mary McLeod Bethune, the daughter of slaves, became an early 20th Century educator and civil rights leader, founding both Bethune-Cookman College and the National Council of Negro Women. But Bethune became even more influential as a friend and confidant of Eleanor Roosevelt, and as an advisor to President Franklin Delano Roosevelt on Negro affairs. Bethune […]
A master of storytelling, Toni Morrison was the first Black woman to receive the Nobel Prize in Literature. The Pulitzer Prize winning novelist and legendary professor is known for the vivid black characters brought to life in her novels that recreate the Black experience. Morrison’s novels often illuminate themes of slavery, racism, and identity, but […]
