Blurbs about current events and the wonderful histories of black men and women who changed the world in spite of adversity. These are individuals that are invited to the cook-out and are allowed to bring a dish.
I’ve lost my mother. I say that as if we were in the mall and I thought she was in one store but she is instead browsing another store. As if I can’t find her. I wish that were the case. I know exactly where she is. But still, I’ve lost my mother. But my…
Here are five Black Christmas songs from women I’ve always enjoyed. These Black women bring soul and heart missing from mainstream Christmas songs. African-American Christmas songs are so important because they showcase our own unique spin on classics that we may not ordinarily enjoy. However you spend the holiday season, please be safe. Enjoy.
Family time is crucial this year more than ever. Being with family and friends, laughing and loving one another is vital to mental health and well-being. Here are some of the Christmas songs from Black men I’ve always enjoyed. African-American Christmas songs are so important because they showcase our own unique spin on classics that…
The Freedmen’s Bureau was formally known as the Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen and Abandoned Lands, and was established after the end of the Civil War. Initiated by President Abraham Lincoln, Congress established the Bureau on March 3, 1865 during the Reconstruction era. The purpose of the Freedmen’s Bureau was to assist the millions of newly…
Like they did Dylann Roof? Planning and carrying out a terrorist attack must be a stressful event. Forgetting to eat while planning to murder innocent victims must be addressed. Dylann Roof did extensive internet research including researching black churches. He conducted multiple trips to the Emanuel AME Church in the months before the massacre, planning…
Speaking of the Oscars…let’s leave the slap heard (and seen) around the world alone for now. The Academy Awards aka The Movies Recognized By White People Award Show is no longer #OscarsSoWhite. Let’s take the time to recognize the youngest person ever nominated for the Best Actress Award. Quvenzhané Wallis at aged nine was nominated…
Saint Elmo Brady (December 22, 1884 – December 25, 1966) was the first African-American person to receive a PhD in Chemistry in the United States. In an earlier post, we wrote about the first African-American woman to receive a PhD in Chemistry which you can read here. In 1916, St. Elmo Brady obtained a doctorate…
Black History is American History. We celebrate our history every day of the year. From the time the first slave ship arrived on in this country, blacks have worked to build this country to what it is today. Black bodies funded the economy and our hands worked the land from cotton to vegetables. Our hands…
Marie Dionne Warrick was born on December 12, 1940 and she is still on fire. Marie Warrick is better known as Dionne Warwick who is one of the most celebrated singers of the last 60 years. Her first solo single, “Don’t Make Me Over” was in 1962. She has since gone on to sell more…
If you’re sick of ‘rona and you want to get away, put on Ain’t No Stoppin’ Us Now by McFadden & Whitehead and dance it out for five minutes. Repeat if necessary and it will be necessary. This classic Philly song masterpiece is filled with positivity and unity both which helps to get over the…
Marie Maynard Daly (April 16, 1921 – October 28, 2003) was the first African-American woman to receive a doctorate in Chemistry in the United States. She earned her Ph.D. at Columbia University in 1947. Marie Daly was an important contributor to the research and studies of cholesterol and the heart. Her studies also included researching…
Arthur Robert Ashe, Jr. (July 10, 1943 – February 6, 1993) was a tennis legend and a champion of civil rights and equality. He won three Grand Slam titles, the US Open (1968), Australian Open (1970) and Wimbledon (1975). Arthur Ashe was the first African-American male to win the U.S. Open and Wimbledon singles titles….
Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka was a 1954 Supreme Court case in which the Supreme Court ruled that racial segregation of children in public schools was unconstitutional. The ruling squashed the “separate but equal” doctrine that many school districts followed. The “separate but equal” doctrine followed a belief system where segregated public facilities…
Jodeci is a male r&b group comprised of two sets of brothers. K-Ci and JoJo (Cedric and Joel Hailey) form one set of brothers. DeVante Swing and Mr. Dalvin (Donald and Dalvin Degrate) form the other set of brothers. Jodeci released their first album, “Forever My Lady” on May 28, 1991. The album was primarily…
Neighborhoods that are poor and majority black or minority are targeted for profit and death. Disadvantaged neighborhoods are targeted for profit by corporations and businesses offering access to subpar and unhealthy foods and products. Compared to neighborhoods with higher household incomes, poor communities have more access to fast food, junk food, liquor, and alcohol. The…
The lynching and murder of Emmett Till in 1955 was a shock to the nation. Seeing his mutilated body in his casket on display in the media shocked some in the nation. However, murder of blacks by white mob justice or even a singular white person was not new in 1955. Seeing black dead bodies…
Rebecca Lee Crumpler (February 8, 1831 – March 9, 1895) was the first African-American woman to earn a medical degree in the United States. Rebecca Crumpler graduated from the New England Female Medical College in 1864. The New England Female Medical College (NEFMC) was the first school to train women in the field of medicine….
On July 5, 1852, Frederick Douglass gave a speech at an event commemorating the signing of the Declaration of Independence. The event held at Rochester, New York’s Corinthian Hall, was organized by the Rochester Ladies’ Anti-Slavery Sewing Society. Below are excerpts from his speech. …Fellow-citizens, pardon me, allow me to ask, why am I called…
Robert Smalls (April 5, 1839 – February 23, 1915) was a slave who sailed his family to freedom during the Civil War. Smalls along with other black crew were left onboard the USS Planter steamer ship alone after the ship docked in Charleston. The black crew, with Robert Smalls acting as the ship captain and…
Juneteenth, or June 19th is the day when the last slaves in Texas were finally emancipated or freed from slavery. The Emancipation Proclamation was a proclamation and executive order issued by President Abraham Lincoln on September 22, 1862. With an effective date of January 1, 1863, the executive order ended slavery in all Confederate areas….
