Frankie Beverly and Maze is a rhythm & blues, funk, and soul band. Maze was formed by Howard Beverly aka Frankie Beverly after relocating from Philadelphia to San Francisco in 1976. Frankie Beverly signature look is wearing a white ball cap and white clothing during concerts. Music the band has created throughout the decades is…
Jamesetta Hawkins (January 25, 1938 – January 20, 2012) is better known as Etta James. Etta James was a singer of multiple genres, including rhythm and blues, gospel, and rock and roll. Her version of “At Last” released in 1960, became one of her signature songs. Other popular singles include “All I Could Do Was…
Before drugs flooded our communities, alcohol was the worst intoxicant black people used. Adults would go out on the town and drink, dance, and maybe gamble a little. Alcohol abuse did exist. However, alcohol indulgence allowed an adult to continue working and have some sort of sense of self. When drugs flooded our communities, it…
Last fall, major companies committed to the social justice movement. We wrote a blurb about it in an earlier post. Last year, communities across the country spent months protesting for equality and social justice. Companies such as Coca-Cola, Hilton, Nike, and others made statements insisting that the fight for social justice and equality was not…
Earl Simmons aka DMX has recently passed away. DMX reportedly suffered a heart attack after an alleged overdose. He was only 50 years old at the time of his death. Earl Simmons was a rap legend and an actor. Although none of his movies were award-worthy, Romeo Must Die is a culture classic. His music…
The Negro Soldier is a World War II film released in 1944. The film was propaganda used by the Army to persuade black men to enlist and fight in WWII. During World War II, the United States and the Armed Forces both were still segregated. Jim Crow laws were in full effect at the onset…
The Red Record is authored by Ida B. Wells-Barnett. First published in 1895, the full title of the book is – The Red Record: Tabulated Statistics and Alleged Causes of Lynching in the United States. In the book, Ida B. Wells details not only lynching, but the struggles of blacks in the United States. The…
Your social media presence could potentially affect your job search and your job. Click here to read an earlier post about social media and job hunting. Cybervetting is using the internet, social media, search engines, and any information found on the internet to “vet” or evaluate a person. Most often, cybervetting has less to do…
Ronald McNair (October 21, 1950 – January 28, 1986) was an African-American astronaut and physicist. McNair was the second African-American to go into space, the first being Guion Bluford. McNair worked for NASA as a Mission Specialist aboard the NASA Space Shuttle Challenger. His first entry into space was aboard the Challenger in February 1984….
Are you as tired of ‘rona as we are? Spring is almost here and we are still wearing masks and social distancing. We’re trying to avoid people and be around people at the same time. How does that work? Here are a few ideas to get out and have family fun in a safe and…
The Miss Black America pageant held its first pageant in 1968, on the same night as the Miss America pageant. The Miss America pageant had a history of discriminating against black women. According to their rule number seven, “contestants must be of good health and of the white race.” As a result, contestants had to…
Marion Barry (March 6, 1936 – November 23, 2016) was a District of Columbia mayor and Council member. Born in rural Mississippi to sharecroppers, Marion Barry was elected mayor of D.C. four times. He also served three different tenures as a Council member. Marion Barry is one of the most infamous politicians in the history…
A boombox is a large portable radio and cassette player. The bigger the box, the more D-sized batteries it consumed. It usually had one large or multiple speakers in the front and one or two tape decks. Multiple tape decks allowed the user to play one tape and record or dub using the other deck….
Debra “Debi” Thomas (1967 – ) as a figure skater was the first African-American to win a Winter Olympic medal in any sport. Born in Poughkeepsie, NY, she grew up and learned to skate in San Jose, CA. First, she won the gold medal at the 1986 World Figure Skating Championship. Then, she went on…
History has shown that ground-level activism for the rights and equality for African-Americans comes with a high price. Black activists and civil rights leaders often pay the price with their lives. However, before their untimely deaths, they endured tremendous stress and burdens. There are activists who are able to make a career out of activism….
A resume gap is a period of time that signals on your resume you were not employed. A gap is a period of months or years between two jobs. People for whom work is not their primary source of income tend to have a few gaps of employment. Also, workers who need to take time…
Directed by Robert Townsend, The Five Heartbeats is a musical drama featuring an all-black cast. This culture classic stars Robert Townsend, Leon, Michael Wright, Diahann Carroll, Harry Lennox, and Harold Nicholas. The Five Heartbeats is a pseudo-biopic movie about a male r&b group formed in the 1960’s and their career throughout the subsequent decades. The…
The ability to remain calm and cool under pressure is not a skill that many possess. Civil rights activists such as MLK, Malcolm X, James Baldwin, and Muhammad Ali had to deliver many planned and impromptu speeches, interviews, and debates. They had to have a command of self and the English language. They spoke without…
The Negro Motorist Green Book was authored by Victor Hugo Green. The Green Book was a travel guide for black travelers during the Jim Crow era. The guide was published annually from 1936 – 1966. It was created for black travelers to find establishments that would welcome their business. The travel guide listed businesses in…
The Coronavirus or COVID-19 has tested many relationships this year. Without much notice, the country shut down with orders to stay at home. Restaurants and schools closed. Transportation and travel stopped. Nearly everything and every place with the exception of grocery stores, food manufacturing, and gas stations shut down. Every public place we unknowingly sought…
