Drummer Clyde Stubblefield passed away this weekend in Madison, Wisc., but his indelible mark on music lives on in one of the most sampled drum breaks ever. As a member of the Godfather of Soul James Brown’s band, Stubblefield’s performance on the “Funky Drummer” track has been used as a backdrop for hip-hop and dance […]
Mike Ilitch, the founder of Little Caesar’s Pizza and owner of two major Detroit sports franchises, passed away last Friday at the age of 87. Stories of Ilitch’s generosity surfaced in the wake of his passing, as it was revealed that the owner of the Detroit Red Wings and Detroit Tigers quietly paid Rosa Parks’ […]
Harriet Jacobs was a former slave who penned an autobiography detailing her escape from an oppressive master who made sexual advances towards her. Jacobs became a darling of the anti-slavery movement with the publication of her book, Incidents In The Life Of A Slave Girl, helping other slaves by way of her celebrity. Jacobs was born […]
The 59th Annual Grammy Awards aired last Sunday and the ceremony had its shares of ups and downs. Some fans are miffed that despite being up for a leading nine awards, Beyoncè only walked away with one trophy which moved her up in Grammy history nonetheless. Already the most-nominated woman in the award ceremony’s history, […]
General Lloyd W. ‘Fig’ Newton is a retired U.S. Air Force four-star general who made history within the military branch. In 1974, General Newton became the first African-American member of the Air Force’s air demonstration squad, The Thunderbirds. Newton was born December 24, 1942 in Ridgeland, S.C. Newton’s parents enforced education in their home despite never […]
The loss of jazz vocalist legend Al Jarreau sent ripples throughout the music world after news of his passing on Sunday. The legendary singer enjoyed a history-making career, becoming the first artist to win a Grammy Award across three different categories. Alwin Lopez Jarreau was born March 12, 1940 in Milwaukee, Wisc. The son of […]
During last Sunday’s stunning Super Bowl LI victory by the New England Patriots over the Atlanta Falcons, quarterback Tom Brady became the second person in the league to win five championships. However, a Black defensive player named Charles Haley was the first to achieve the amazing feat, during so in period between the ’80’s and […]
The image of a young Ruby Bridges entering the all-white William Frantz Elementary School in New Orleans made her an icon of the burgeoning civil rights movement. What many don’t know is that later in life, Bridges became an activist after an unfortunate twist of fate led her back to the school that transformed her […]
The overwhelming success of the film Hidden Figures, starring Taraji P. Henson, highlighted three African-American women who were instrumental in propelling the U.S. space program. The state of Arkansas has a hidden figure of its own in Raye Montague, who is the first person to design a U.S. Navy ship using a computer. Montague was […]
Oscar Holmes broke three color barriers in his lifetime, although he never set out to become a pioneer. Holmes was not only the first Black air traffic controller, he was also the U.S. Navy’s first Black commissioned officer and the military branch’s first Black pilot. Holmes was born January 31, 1916 in Dunbar. W. Va. […]
Autherine Lucy became the first Black student to desegregate the University of Alabama on this day in 1956 despite violent threats from rioting white mobs. Lucy, who was ultimately expelled from the school on a weak technicality, re-entered the school in the ’80’s and completed her master’s degree. Autherine Juanita Lucy was born October 5, […]
In the 19th Century, slavery and racism was still entrenched in the U.S., but opposition was growing. David Walker, an outspoken abolitionist, released a pamphlet calling for the end of slavery by any means necessary and made himself one of the most wanted and feared men of his time. Born in Wilmington, N.C. in […]
