Category Archives: social

Selected Black Facts For February 22nd


Today’s Black History facts for February 22nd. Provided by our friends over @BlackFacts.comBe sure to stop by their site and check them out. I Hope everyone learn something new and discuss thing amongst themselfs. Celebrate Black Heritage. This is Green Culture. This is Black Culture. This is Hip Hop Culture. This is OUR CULTURE. Teach the youth.

Selected Black Facts for February 22

1. 1989 – DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince win the first rap Grammy for the hit single “
DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince win the first rap Grammy for the hit single “Parents Just Don’t Understand.”

2. 1950 – Birthday
Julius Winfield( “Dr.J”) Erving, 49, former basketball player, born Roosevelt, NY, Feb 22, 1950

3. 1938 – Ishmael Reed, poet, born
Ishmael Reed, poet, born

4. 1911 – Frances Ellen Watkins Harper Passes
Activist and social reformer Francis Ellen Watkins Harper dies in her home in Philadelphia. Harper founderd the Naiontl Convention of Colored Women in 1864 and was involved in other projects for women’s rights.

5. 1911 – On this day, the “Bronze Muse” died in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Frances El
On this day, the “Bronze Muse” died in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Frances Ellen Watkins Harper wrote more than a dozen books, including ‘Poems on Miscellaneous Subjects’(1854); ‘Moses, a Story of the Nile’(1869);and ‘Sketches of Southern Life’(1872). Harper was the most famous female poet of her day and the most…

6. 1898 – Black postmaster lynched and his wife and three
Black postmaster lynched and his wife and three daughters shot and maimed for life in Lake City, S.C.

7. 1888 – Painter Horace Pippin born
In West Chester, Pennsylvania, African American painter Horace Pippin was born. Pippin is considered one of the major American painters of his period. One of his more significant works, “John Brown Going to His Hanging,” is owned by the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts.

8. 1841 – Grafton Tyler Brown, lithographer and painter, bor
Grafton Tyler Brown, lithographer and painter, born

Celebrate Black History:: Little Known Facts and History Firsts



Black History Month is almost over. But that doesn’t mean that we have to stop learning the history of our American Culture. Because if we take the word black away from the word history, that’s exactly what it is. History.

The Bio Channel has put together one of the nicest Black History Facts Charts I seen so far. I took the time to post the top 3 Little Known Facts and Firsts. Make sure you stop by their site to see all 366 facts. Biography Channel Celebrates Black History

Little Known Facts::

Fact #78
As a child Muhammad Ali was refused an autograph by his idol, boxer Sugar Ray Robinson. When Ali became a prize-fighter, he vowed never to deny an autograph request, which he has honored to this day.

Fact #79
Muhammad Ali the self-proclaimed “greatest [boxer] of all time” was originally named after his father, who was named after the 19th century abolitionist and politician Cassius Marcellus Clay.

Fact #80
Allensworth is the only California community to be founded, financed and governed by African-Americans. Created by Allen Allensworth in 1908, the town was built with the intention of establishing a self-sufficient, all-black city where African-Americans could live their lives free of racial discrimination.

* To read more Little Know Facts click here.

History Firsts::

Fact #208
Soccer phenom Freddy Adu was the youngest athlete to play in a professional American sports league.

Fact #209
The Shakespeare Memorial Theatre at Stratford-upon-Avon honored Ira Aldridge with a bronze plaque. He is the only African-American actor to receive this tribute.

Fact #210
BET was the first African-American controlled company to sell shares on the New York Stock Exchange.

*To read more History Firsts click here.

Black History Facts For February 18th


Today’s Black History facts for February 18th. Provided by our friends over @BlackFacts.comBe sure to stop by their site and check them out. I Hope everyone learn something new and discuss thing amongst themselfs. Celebrate Black Heritage. This is Green Culture. This is Black Culture. This is Hip Hop Culture. This is OUR CULTURE. Teach the youth.

1. 1973 – Palmer Hayden, Harlem Renaissance artist, dies
Palmer Hayden, Harlem Renaissance artist, dies

2. 1931 – Toni Morrison born
2/18/1931: On this day Toni Morrison, who will win the Pulitzer Prize for her novel Beloved, is born in Lorain, Ohio.

3. 1931 – Toni Morrison born
Toni Morrison (born Chloe Anthony Wofford) was born on this day.

4. 1896 – H. Grenon patents razor stropping device
Grenon, H. Razor Stropping Device Feb. 18, 1896 Patent No. 554,867

5. 1894 – Paul Revere Williams, renowned architect, born
Paul Revere Williams, renowned architect, born

6. 1867 – Morehouse Predecessor Founded
An institution was founded at Augusta, Georgia which was later to become Morehouse College, following its relocation to Atlanta. Morehouse College is one of the most prestigious black colleges in the nation.

7. 1865 – Rebels abandoned Charleston
Rebels abandoned Charleston. First Union troops to enter the city included Twenty-first U.S.C.T., followed by two companies of the Fifty-fourth Massachusetts Volunteers.

8. 1688 – First Formal Protest Against Slavery
First formal protest against slavery by organized white body in English America made by Germantown (Pa.) Quakers at monthly meeting. The historic “Germantown Protest” denounced slavery and the slave trade.

9. 0 – National Independence Day in Gambia
National Independence Day in Gambia

Black History Facts For February 17th



Today’s Black History facts for February 17th. Provided by our friends over @BlackFacts.comBe sure to stop by their site and check them out. I Hope everyone learn something new and discuss thing amongst themselfs. Celebrate Black Heritage. This is Green Culture. This is Black Culture. This is Hip Hop Culture. This is OUR CULTURE. Teach the youth.

1. 1997 – Virginia retires state song
Virginia House of Delegates votes unanimously to retire the state song, “Carry me back to old virginia” , a tune which glorifies slavery.

2. 1982 – Thelonious Monk dies
Jazz Pianist Thelonious Monk dies.

3. 1973 – Naval Frigate named after African American
The Navy frigate USS Jesse L. Brown was commissioned. The ship was named for Ensign Jesse L. Brown, the first African American naval aviator killed in combat over Korea.

4. 1967 – Ronald De Voe’s Birthday
Ronald De Voe, Singer of Bell Biv DeVoe Born Boston, MA, February 17, 1967.

5. 1963 – Michael Jeffrey Jordon’s Birthday
Michael Jeffrey Jordon, 36, Basketball player, former minor league baseball player, Born New York, New York, February 17, 1963

6. 1942 – Black Panther Party Founder Born
An illiterate high-school graduate, Newton taught himself how to read before attending Merritt College in Oakland and the San Francisco School of Law, where he met Seale. In Oakland in 1966 they formed the Bla…

7. 1936 – James Nathaniel Brown’s Birthday
James Nathaniel Brown, 63, Pro Football Hall of Fame Fullback, Born February 17, 1936 in St. Simons Island, GA

8. 1902 – Opera singer Marian Anderson born
Opera singer Marian Anderson was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Anderson was entered in the New York Philharmonic Competition at age 17 by her music teacher, and placed first over 299 other singers. Awarded a Rosenwald Fellowship in 1930, Anderson went to Europe for a year of study. She returned briefly to the Uni…

9. 1891 – Churn Invented
A. C. Richardson, a black inventor, invented the churn, patent #466,470

10. 1870 – Congress readmits Mississippi
Congress passed resolution readmitting Mississippi on condition that it would never change its constitution to disenfranchise Blacks.

Black History Facts for February 16th


Today’s Black History facts for February 16th. Provided by our friends over @BlackFacts.comBe sure to stop by their site and check them out. I Hope everyone learn something new and discuss thing amongst themselfs. Celebrate Black Heritage. This is Green Culture. This is Black Culture. This is Hip Hop Culture. This is OUR CULTURE. Teach the youth.

1. 1970 – Joe Frazier
Joe Frazier becomes world heavyweight boxing champion.

2. 1970 – Joe Frazier knocks out Jimmy Ellis
Joe Frazier knocked out Jimmy Ellis in the second round of their New York fight and became the world heavyweight boxing champion.

3. 1957 – Actor Levar Burton born
Actor Levar Burton was born in Landsthul, Germany. Burton won fame for his acting in the television movie “roots,” which was based on the novel by Alex Haley. He became known once more in the 1980s and 1990s for his recurring role in the “Star Trek: Next Generation” series and movies.

4. 1951 – New York City Council passes bill prohibiting racial discrimination
New York City Council passed bill prohibiting racial discrimination in city-assisted housing developments.

5. 1923 – Bessie Smith’s First Recording
On this day Bessie Smith makes her first recording, “Down Hearted Blues,” which sells 800,000 copies for Columbia Records.

6. 1857 – Frederick Douglass
Frederick Douglass elected President of Freedman Bank and Trust.

Today in Black History for February 15th


Today’s Black History facts that happen on this date. Provided by our friends over @BlackFacts.comBe sure to stop by their site and check them out. I Hope everyone learn something new and discuss thing amongst yourselfs. Celebrate Black Heritage.

1. 1970 – Nationalists disrupted UN session on Congo
Nationalists disrupted UN session on Congo with demonstration for slain Congo Premier Patrice Lumumba.

2. 1968 – Henry Lewis
On this day Henry Lewis becomes the first African American to lead a symphony orchestra in the United States.

3. 1965 – Nat King Cole (45), singer and pianist, died in
Nat King Cole (45), singer and pianist, died in Santa Monica, California.

4. 1964 – Louis Armstrong’s “Hello Dolly”
Louis Armstrong’s “Hello Dolly” recording becomes his first and only number one record.

5. 1961 – African Protests Disrupt UN
U.S. and African nationalist protesting the slaying of Congo Premire Patrice Lumumba distrupts U.N. sessions

6. 1851 – Black abolitionists invaded Boston courtroom and
Black abolitionists invaded Boston courtroom and rescued a fugitive slave.

7. 1848 – Sarah Roberts barred from white school in Boston
Sarah Roberts barred from white school in Boston. Her father, Benjamin Roberts, filed the first school integration suit on her behalf.

8. 1804 – New Jersey begins to abolish slavery
The New Jersey Legislature approved a law calling for “gradual” emancipation of African Americans. In so doing, New Jersey became the last Northern state to outlaw slavery.

Black History Facts:: Inventors and Record Breakers



The Bio Channel has put together one of the nicest Black History Facts Charts I seen so far. I took the time to post the top 3 Inventors and Record Breakers. Make sure you stop by their site to see all 366 facts.

Inventions::

Fact #1
Nathaniel Alexander was the first to patent the folding chair. His invention was designed to be used in schools, churches and at large social gatherings.

Fact #2
Andrew Jackson Beard invented the “Jenny Coupler” in 1897, a device which allowed train cars to hook themselves together when they are bumped into one another. The device saved the lives of many railroad workers, who originally had the dangerous job of hooking the moving cars together by hand.

Fact #3
Henry Blair, the second African-American to receive a patent, invented a corn seed planter in 1834 and a cotton planter in 1836. Blair could not read or write and signed his patent with an X.

To learn more about black inventors click here.

Record Breakers::

Fact #37
Henry (“Hank”) Aaron broke Babe Ruth’s home run record when he hit his 715th home run in 1974. He set a Major League record with 755 home runs in his career.

Fact #38
When Kareem Abdul-Jabbar reitred from the NBA in 1989, he had scored the most points, blocked the most shots, won the most MVP awards, and played in more All-Star Games than any other player in the sport.

Fact #39
In 1995, writer Maya Angelou was recognized for remaining on The New York Times Paperback Nonfiction Bestseller List for two years—the longest running record in history.

To learn more about black record breakers click here.

Do You Know Your Black History Facts?



Black History is our History! To honor the accomplishments of black leaders and pioneers in American History, our friends @AfricanAncestry.com will be presenting 20 “Do You Know?” Black History Facts. Every weekday throughout February, we will reveal a new fact about the impact people of African descent have had on the Americas.

Click here to find out if you know your Black History facts.

Black History Facts for February 11th


Today’s Black History facts that happen on this date. Provided by our friends over @BlackFacts.comBe sure to stop by their site and check them out. I Hope everyone learn something new and discuss thing amongst yourselfs. Celebrate Black Heritage.

1. 1990 – Nelson Mandela is released
Nelson Mandela’s greatest pleasure, his most private moment, is watching the sun set with the music of Handel or Tchaikovsky playing. Locked up in his cell during daylight hours, deprived of music, both these simple pleasures were denied him for decades. With his fellow prisoners, concerts were organised when possi…

2. 1989 – Penn’s 1996 Baccalaureate Speaker is The Right Reverend Barbara Clementine Harri
Penn’s 1996 Baccalaureate Speaker is The Right Reverend Barbara Clementine Harris, a Philadelphian who was the first woman ever to become a bishop in the Anglican Communion. Bishop Harris entered the priesthood after a long and successful career in public and community relations in Philadelphia between 1949 and 1977. O…

3. 1976 – Clifford Alexander Jr
Clifford Alexander, Jr. is confirmed as the first African American Secretary of the Army. He will hold the position until the end of President Jimmy Carter’s term.

4. 1971 – Whitney Young Jr., National Urban League director,
Whitney M. Young, Jr. was Executive Director of the National Urban League from 1961 until his tragic, untimely death in 1971. He worked tireless to bring the races together, and joined the tenets of social work, of which he was an outstanding practitioner, to the social activism that brought the Urban League into the f…

5. 1961 – February 11, Robert Weaver sworn in as
February 11, Robert Weaver sworn in as administrator of the Housing and Home Finance Agency, highest federal post to date by a Black American.

6. 1898 – Owen L. W. Smith – minister to Liberia
Owen L. W. Smith of North Carolina, AME Zion minister and educator, named minister to Liberia.

7. 1783 – Jarena Lee was born
The daughter of former slaves, born in Cape May, New Jersey. Jarena Lee is the considered the first female preacher in the African Methodist Episcopal Church. In 1836, she published her autobiography, THe Life and Religious Experiences, of Jarena Lee, a Coloured Lady, Giving an Account of Her Call to Preach the Gos…

8. 1644 – First Black legal protest in America pressed by
First Black legal protest in America pressed by eleven Blacks who petitioned for freedom in New Netherlands (New York). Council of New Netherlands freed the eleven petitioners because they had “served the Company seventeen or eighteen years” and had been “long since promised their freedom on the same footing as other …

10 Black History Facts for February 10th


10 Black History fact that happen on this date. Provided by our friends over @BlackFacts.com I Hope everyone learn something new and discuss thing amongst yourselfs. Celebrate Black Heritage.

1. 1992 – Alex Haley, renowned author, dies
American biographer, scriptwriter, author who became famous with the publication of the novel ROOTS, which traces his ancestry back to Africa and covers seven American generations as they are taken slaves to the United States. The book was adapted to television series, and woke up an interest in genealogy, particularly…

2. 1967 – 1967 The 25th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution went into effect. That amend
1967 The 25th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution went into effect. That amendment provided that in the case of a vice president’s become president, the new president would name a new vice president, subject to confirmation by a majority vote of both houses of Congress.

3. 1966 – Andrew Brimmer appointed to Fed. Reserve Bd.
Andrew Brimmer becomes the first African-American governor of the Federal Reserve Board when he is appointed by President Johnson

4. 1964 – 1964 After 12 days of debate and voting on 125 amendments, the U.S. House of
1964 After 12 days of debate and voting on 125 amendments, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Civil Rights Act of 1964 by a vote of 290-130. The bill prohibited any state or local government or public facility from denying access to anyone because of race or ethnic origin. It further gave the U.S….

5. 1946 – 1946 Georgia-born Jackie Robinson — major league baseball’s first black play
1946 Georgia-born Jackie Robinson — major league baseball’s first black player — married Rachel Isum.

6. 1940 – Singer Roberta Flack born
b. 10 February 1937, Asheville, North Carolina, USA. Born into a musical family, Flack graduated from Howard University with a BA in music. She was discovered singing and playing jazz in a Washington nightclub by pianist Les McCann, who recommended her talents to Atlantic Records. Two classy albums, First Take and Chap…

7. 1927 – Ron Brown elected Chairman of the Democratic Party
Attorney Ronald Brown was elected national chairman of the Democratic Party and became the first African American to hold the post. Brown was later appointed Secretary of Commerce under the Clinton administration in 1994. He served in this capacity until he was killed in 1996 when he and 32 others died in a plane cras…

8. 1927 – Leontyne Price
Leontyne Price has achieved heights in the music world that many aspire to but that very few reach. As a singer she became famous all around the world. Mary Leontyne Price was born in Laurel, Mississippi, on February 10, 1927. As a youth, she sang in church choirs. Later, she attended Central State College in Wilbe…

9. 1868 – Conservatives, aided by military forces, seized
Conservatives, aided by military forces, seized convention hall and established effective control over Reconstruction process in Florida. Republican conservatives drafted new constitution which concentrated political power in hands of governor and limited the impact of the Black vote.

10. 1787 – 1787 Georgia’s House of Assembly named Willliam Few, Abraham Baldwin, William
1787 Georgia’s House of Assembly named Willliam Few, Abraham Baldwin, William Pierce, Georgie Walton, William Houston, and Nathaniel Pendleton as Georgia’s commissioners to the Philadelphia constitutional convention.