Selma Hortense Burke was a sculptor who crafted images in the likenesses of famed figures such as Booker T. Washington, Mary McLeod Bethune, and Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. among others. Ms. Burke’s most notable accomplishment by most accounts is a sculpture of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, which some say is the inspiration for the […]
The shooting death of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin took place five years in Sanford, Fla., igniting a flurry of activism and discussion on race matters in America. The tragic shooting at the hands of volunteer night watchman George Zimmerman and his 2013 acquittal gave birth to the Black Lives Matter movement, along with a renewed focus […]
Sidney Poitier celebrated his 90th birthday last Monday, February 20th, making him the oldest-living winner of the Best Actor Oscar Award. Now retired from acting, Poitier has earned a number of honors and accolades over the course of his praise-worthy career. Born in 1927, Poitier’s farmer parents lived in the Bahamas but traveled to Miami […]
Kim Royster had dreams of becoming a professional singer after leaving her small North Carolina town and heading to New York. While her artistic aims fell through, Royster has earned several achievements as a member of the New York Police Department and is the highest-ranked Black female officer on the force. This week, Assistant Chief […]
Otis Boykin was an inventor responsible for many important electrical devices that are used in modern times, most notably the electrical resistor. On this day in 1961, an improved version of Boykin’s electrical resistor was published and caught the attention of the military and one of America’s top computer companies. Boykin was born August 29, […]
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, […]
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 […]