We are highlighting examples of Black excellence throughout the year! Feel free to send suggestions to Rachel at rstoler@frcog.org.
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Black History 365: Stromae
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stromae Paul Van Haver (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈpɔu̯l vɑn ˈɦaːvər]; born 12 March 1985), better known by his stage name Stromae (French pronunciation: [stʁɔmaj][1]), is a Belgian singer, rapper, songwriter and producer. He is mostly known for his works in the genre of the hip hop and electronic music. Stromae came to…
Black History 365: Double Dutch
https://www.npr.org/2022/12/04/1140504217/double-dutch-fantastic-four-holiday-classic How the Fantastic Four took Double Dutch to new heights December 4, 20222:01 PM ET Heard on All Things Considered Allyson McCabe Dutch settlers may have brought Double Dutch to America, but it was Black girls who put it on the map, says Lauren Walker, president of the National…
Black History 365: Gloria Jean Lowe
https://www.wewantgreentoo.org/board FOUNDER AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, We Want Green Too Ms. Lowe is an Interior Construction Designer with over 18 years of Construction Management experience and training throughout Detroit. Ms. Lowe’s knowledge and skill sets the foundation of WWG2 to assist Veterans with intellectual disabilities and help them transform their lives…
Black History 365: Shemekia Copeland
From www.rockandbluesmuse.com https://www.rockandbluesmuse.com/2022/12/01/interview-shemekia-copeland/?fbclid=IwAR0Nyqy4-OznAeG4H7N5VNJFyeAQoMpQ42jXImaPfb0GQ6GAwHCC3Co5xX4 Interview with Shemekia Copeland By Martine Ehrenclou Multi award-winner, four-time Grammy nominee Shemekia Copeland is considered one of the great blues and Americana vocalists of our time. The daughter of the legendary bluesman Johnny Clyde Copeland, Shemekia Copeland made her debut at The Cotton Club at the…
Black History 365: Gerald “Jerry” Lawson
https://www.npr.org/2022/12/01/1140063531/google-doodle-games-jerry-lawson Thursday December 1, 2022 interactive Google Doodle honors Jerry Lawson, a pioneer of modern gaming Anyone who goes online Thursday December 1 can stop by the Google homepage for a special treat: A set of create-your-own video games inspired by the man who helped make interactive gaming possible. Gerald…
Black History 365: Ahmad Jamal
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ahmad_Jamal Ahmad Jamal (born Frederick Russell Jones, July 2, 1930)[1] is an American jazz pianist, composer, bandleader and educator. For six decades, he has been one of the most successful small-group leaders in jazz.[2] Biography Early life Jamal was born Frederick Russell Jones in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on July 2, 1930.[1]…
Black History 365: Edmonia Lewis
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edmonia_Lewis Mary Edmonia Lewis, also known as “Wildfire” (c. July 4, 1844 – September 17, 1907), was an American sculptor, of mixed African-American and Native American (Mississauga Ojibwe) heritage. Born free in Upstate New York, she worked for most of her career in Rome, Italy. She was the first African-American…
Black History 365: Mondaire Jones
https://jones.house.gov/about Mondaire Jones is serving his first term as the Congressman from New York’s 17th District, encompassing all of Rockland County and parts of central and northern Westchester County. A product of East Ramapo public schools, Rep. Jones was raised in Section 8 housing and on food stamps in the…
Black History 365: Latoya Shauntay Snell
https://www.runningfatchef.com/home.html Multi Sport Ultra Endurance Athlete. Writer. Body Politics Activist. William, Jr.’s Mama. Noted by The Root 100 as one of the most influential African Americans ages 25 to 45, Latoya Shauntay Snell is a sponsored endurance athlete, content creator, body politics activist, motivational speaker and the food and fitness…
Black History 365: Michael Kaloki
https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2022/11/26/1134432335/climate-change-gave-a-kenyan-youth-a-crazy-idea-become-a-world-class-ice-sculpto Climate change gave a Kenyan youth a ‘crazy’ idea: Become a world-class ice sculptor Michael Kaloki I still remember a headline in one of Kenya’s daily newspapers from 2002: “Climate Change Threatens the Snow and Ice Caps of Mount Kilimanjaro and Mount Kenya.” Mount Kilimanjaro, next door in Tanzania,…
Black History 365: How HBCUs are spending covid relief money
https://www.npr.org/2022/09/20/1124142614/how-hbcus-are-spending-their-covid-19-relief-money After a couple of difficult semesters during the pandemic, Elijah Love, a computer science major at North Carolina A&T State University (N.C. A&T), was determined to graduate on time. “Whatever came with that — summer classes, double-load courses — I was willing to do it,” Love says. This summer,…
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Black History 365: Pharoah Sanders
Pharoah Sanders (born Ferrell Lee Sanders; October 13, 1940 – September 24, 2022) was an American jazz saxophonist. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pharoah_Sanders
Black History 365: Omari McQueen
The 14-year-old superstar chef shares his desire to bring people together https://www.vegansociety.com/news/blog/meet-omari-mcqueen
Black History 365: Jessy Wilson
How a triumphant anthem for ‘The Woman King’ brought Jessy Wilson back to music The Woman King — director Gina Prince-Bythewood’s historical epic starring Viola Davis about a mighty army of West African warrior women protecting their kingdom — is only the second film with a Black woman director to…
Black History 365: Nnenna Lynch
https://www.womensrunning.com/culture/news/nnenna-lynch-new-york-road-runners-chairwoman-signals-a-period-of-renewal Nnenna Lynch is having a full-circle moment: She has been nominated to take the post of chairwoman of the New York Road Runners (NYRR) board of directors, the organization announced earlier this morning. Lynch has been on the NYRR board since 2014 and currently serves as the chair of…
Black History 365: The first satellites launched by Uganda and Zimbabwe aim to improve life on the ground
When Uganda’s very first satellite was launched into space last week on Nov. 7, Bonny Omara, the lead engineer on the satellite development team, was filled with emotion. “I was watching it on TV, together with my Honourable Minister for Science, Technology and Innovation,” he says. “It was really amazing…
Black History 365: Emelyn Stuart and Stuart Cinema
New York’s first Black Latina-owned movie theater is ready to grow, owner says Stuart Cinema & Cafe owner Emelyn Stuart is a solution-oriented person. If there’s a problem, she says there has to be a way to fix it. That’s what led her to start the first Black Latina-owned movie…
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Black History 365: Jerome Avery
Name: Jerome Avery Sport: Track and Field Discipline(s): Track and Field Event(s): 100m, 200m Classification: Guide Runner Height: 5-9 Weight: 170 DOB: 12/22/1978 Birthplace: Lemoore, Calif. Hometown: Lemoore, Calif. High School: Lemoore High School (Lemoore, Calif.) ‘97 College: Fresno City College ‘01, Kinesiology (Associates) Paralympic Experience Four-time Paralympian (2004, 2008,…
Black History 365: Birth workers in Kansas keep black babies alive
WICHITA, Kansas — Peggy Jones-Foxx knows what it takes to raise a baby. “It’s the hardest work I’ve ever done,” she says. At the Dellrose United Methodist Church in Wichita, she teaches pregnant women, particularly Black women, about that work — with the understanding that, statistically, their babies are less…
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Black History 365: Alice Augusta Ball
Alice Augusta Ball was born on July 24, 1892 in Seattle, Washington with James Presley and Laura Louise (Howard) Ball. Ball was one of four children. She had two older brothers, William and Robert, along with a younger sister named Addie. Her family was considered middle class to upper-middle class,…
Black History 365: Lenora Higginbotham, MD
Lenora Higginbotham, MD, is senior associate in the Department of Neurology at Emory in Atlanta, Georgia and a 2018 Edmond J. Safra Fellowship graduate. From her own personal connection to Parkinson’s, she deeply understands the value of diversity in research to truly grasp disease variability. Dr. Higginbotham’s care for her…
Black History 365: Jawole Willa Jo Zollar
Dancer Jawole Willa Jo Zollar, of Urban Bush Women, wins prestigious Gish Award A pioneer in the world of dance has been awarded one of the largest cash prizes for artists in the United States. Jawole Willa Jo Zollar founded the dance ensemble Urban Bush Women in 1984. It was…
Black History 365: Slavery descendants fight to memorialize a cemetery in Maryland
As a kid Harvey Matthews cut through the Moses Macedonia African Cemetery on River Road in Bethesda, Md., on his way to school, and remembers playing hide-and-seek there. “I know Moses. I lived across the street from it. Where did the bodies go?” asks Matthews. Originally, the cemetery was called…
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Black History 365: Loretta J. Ross
Loretta J. Ross is a reproductive justice and human rights activist reframing reproductive rights within a broader context of human rights. Over her decades of grassroots organizing and national strategic leadership, Ross has centered the voices and well-being of women of color. Ross is a key architect of the reproductive…
Black History 365: Nataki Garrett
Nataki Garrett is the Artistic Director of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, one of the largest theater-producing organizations in the U.S., and is widely recognized as an innovative and influential arts leader. Across her career, Garrett has fostered and developed new work—having directed and produced the world premieres of vital contemporary…
Black History 365: Johnnie B. “Dusty” Baker Jr.
Johnnie B. “Dusty” Baker Jr.[a][2] (born June 15, 1949) is an American baseball manager and former outfielder who is the manager of the Houston Astros in Major League Baseball (MLB). He previously played in MLB for 19 seasons, most notably with the Los Angeles Dodgers. During his Dodgers tenure, he…
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Black History 365: Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown
Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown’s music doesn’t elude categories. It embraces them. “An eclectic, a genre-weaver,” says The Boston Globe. “Jazz, blues, bluegrass, zydeco, cajun and calypso all fit into his panoramic worldview.” Gate is a multi-instrumentalist (guitar, violin, harmonica, piano, mandolin, viola and drums), but perhaps the most impressive aspect of…
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Black History 365: Ashleigh Johnson
Ashleigh Elizabeth Johnson (born September 12, 1994) is an American water polo player considered by many[2][3][4][5] to be the best goalkeeper in the world. She was part of the American team that won the gold medal at the 2015 World Aquatics Championships.[6][7] In 2016, she became the first African-American woman…
Black History 365: What do reparations mean to me?
Photos: What do reparations mean to me? November 6, 20221:14 PM ET Dee Dwyer When photographer Dee Dwyer attended the Rally 4 Reparations in Washington, D.C., she heard from people across the country about what reparations from slavery in the United States means to them. Here is what she was…
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Black History 365: Lois Curtis
Attorney Sue Jamieson was touring a grim state hospital in Georgia three decades ago when she was introduced to a young woman, Lois Curtis, who’d spent much of her teen years and early 20’s in state institutions. “As we always say, ‘What is it you think we could do for…
Black History 365: African scientists say Western aid to fight pandemic is backfiring. Here’s their plan:
“The WHO is,” says Oyewale Tomori, “well, I know the W stands for World, but sometimes I think it stands for White.” Tomori is a virologist at Redeemer’s University and the past president of the Nigerian Academy of Sciences. I had asked whether he was surprised that high-income countries were…
Black History 365: Derrick “D’Mar” Martin
Derrick “D’MAR” Martin’s is standing between two worlds where the gap grows by the day and D’MAR is the epicenter .He is simply a force of nature. D’MAR is a musician, producer, songwriter, singer, educator, entertainer and motivational speaker. He has been traveling the world and spent 17 years as…
Black History 365: Frederick McKinley Jones
Frederick McKinley Jones was a prolific early 20th century black inventor who helped to revolutionize both the cinema and refrigeration industries. Between 1919 and 1945 he patented more than sixty inventions in divergent fields with forty of those patents in refrigeration. He is best known for inventing the first automatic…
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Black History 365: Skye Blakely
Birthdate: 2/4/2005Program: Women’s ArtisticLevel: SeniorCurrent Residence: Frisco, TXClub: WOGA GymnasticsHead Coach: Yevgeny MarchenkoOther Coaches: Haiou Sun and Emmanuel Domingues Career Highlights 2022 Winter Cup all-around & floor exercise silver medalist and balance beam bronze medalist2021 Winter Cup balance beam champion About Skye Blakely Birthplace: Dallas, TXHometown: Frisco, TXTwitter:@skyeblakely_Instagram:Instagram.com/skyeblakelyName of High…
Black History 365: Albert I. Cassell
Albert Irvin Cassell (1895–1969) was a prominent mid-twentieth-century African-American architect in Washington, D.C., whose work shaped many academic communities in the United States. He designed buildings for Howard University in Washington D.C., Morgan State University in Baltimore, and Virginia Union University in Richmond. Cassell also designed and built civic structures…
Black History 365: Dr. Khara Gresham
Khara C Gresham, DMD, MPH Dr. Gresham received her Bachelors of Science from Brown University in 2010. She received her Doctorate in Medical Dentistry at Tufts University School of Dental Medicine in 2014, followed by her Masters in Public Health in 2015 from Tufts University School of Medicine. She…
Black History 365: Dennis Mathews
Dennis Mathews is co-founder and CEO of Revelation Interactive and CTO at Codicast Interactive. He was mentioned as 1 of the top 10 African American game developers by Black Enterprise. He is an avid programmer and has been programming for over 15+ years for games, websites, hardware, and custom business…
Black History 365: Billy Porter
Billy Porter calls out Vogue after featuring Harry Styles on cover in dress: ‘I changed the whole game’ The Emmy, Grammy and Tony-winning actor/singer says ‘I was the first one doing it and now everybody is doing it.’ Billy Porter has been slaying red carpets for years in provocative dresses…
Black History 365: Deon Haywood, Women with a Vision
Ahead of election, Louisiana activists know abortion ban is staying; but they’re still fighting A group of four phone-bankers sat around a conference table at the offices of Women With A Vision in New Orleans, a group that advocates for abortion rights, about a month before the midterm elections, dialing…
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Black History 365: Tara Roberts
Tara Roberts is a National Geographic Storytelling Fellow and the host and executive producer of the “Into the Depths” podcast. She spent the last few years following, diving with and telling stories about Black scuba divers as they search for and help document slave shipwrecks around the world. Her goal…
Black History 365: Naomi Beckwith
In her role as Deputy Director and Jennifer and David Stockman Chief Curator, Beckwith oversees collections, exhibitions, publications, and curatorial programs and archives at the Guggenheim Museum, and provides strategic direction within the international network of affiliate museums for the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation. Beckwith works closely with the Director,…
Black History 365: Latonia Moore
Latonia Moore remembers clearly the moment she fell in love with opera. She entered the University of North Texas as a jazz performance major, but a classical music requirement led her to sing in the chorus for Ruggero Leoncavallo’s Pagliacci (“Clowns”). “I was just in the chorus, lowly little chorus…
Black History 365: Sabrina Brokenborough
Why are you dressed like that? A question posed to those who dress with creativity, vision, individuality – from those who just may not totally get it. For Pratt fashion student Sabrina Brokenborough, she’s adopted the phrase to create a visual diary of her looks, a mix of vintage petticoats…
Black History 365: Kim Lewis
How Louisiana’s only Black-owned winery was created by Kim Lewis Kim Lewis isn’t one to shy away from a challenge. In fact, the 37-year-old single mother of three teenagers leans into the unknown, always one to ask “why not?” instead of “why?” when facing a challenge. That’s exactly how she…
Black History 365:Mary Eliza Mahoney
Eager to encourage greater equality for African Americans and women, Mary Eliza Mahoney pursued a nursing career which supported these aims. She is noted for becoming the first African American licensed nurse. Mary Eliza Mahoney was born in the spring of 1845 in Boston, Massachusetts. The exact date of her…
Black History 365: Kari Njiiri
Kari Njiiri is a senior reporter and longtime host and producer of Jazz Safari, a musical journey through the jazz world and beyond, broadcast Saturday nights on NEPM Radio. Born in New York City, and raised in both Kenya and the U.S., Kari first arrived at NEPM as a UMass…
Black History 365: Sheyann Webb-Christburg
Sheyann Webb-Christburg was born on February 17, 1956, in Selma, Alabama. A voice for justice, equality, and self-achievement, Webb-Christburg is a humanitarian, civil rights activist, mentor, and youth advocate. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. named her the “Smallest Freedom Fighter”. She is the co-author of Selma, Lord, Selma: Girlhood Memories…
Black History 365: Miami’s Little Haiti
Miami’s Little Haiti joins global effort to end cervical cancer More than 300,000 women around the world die from cervical cancer each year. In the U.S., women of Haitian descent are diagnosed with it at higher rates than the general population. The disease is preventable, though, thanks to vaccines and…
Black History 365: Jonathan Batista
Batista becomes first Black principal dancer in Pacific Northwest Ballet history While celebrating 50 years as a ballet company, the Pacific Northwest Ballet is making history. “This is a moment for us,” said dancer Jonathan Batista while describing how he felt about becoming the first Black principal dancer in the…
Black History 365: Charles Fuller
Charles H. Fuller Jr. (March 5, 1939 – October 3, 2022) was an American playwright, best known for his play A Soldier’s Play, for which he received the 1982 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and the 2020 Tony Award for Best Revival of a Play. Early life Fuller was born in…
Black History 365: Jacquelyn Revere, #dementia TikTok
On #dementia TikTok, family caregivers find support and bring the disease to light It all changed on a Saturday night in New York City in 2016. Jacquleyn Revere was 29 years old, and headed out for the evening to attend a friend’s comedy show. She was still on the subway…
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Black History 365: Ricky Dollison, Warrior Creek Premium Meats
Black Farmer’s Antibiotic-Free Meat Products Now Available in Grocery Stores and Online Meet Ricky Dollison, a fourth-generation African American farmer who is the owner of Dollison Farms located in Poulan, Georgia. He is also the owner of a company called Warrior Creek Premium Meats that produces responsibly raised, antibiotic-free bacon,…
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Black History 365: Gabriella Angotti-Jones
‘I just wanna surf’ Black women and nonbinary surfers are rarely in the spotlight. This photographer changes that Photographs by Gabriella Angotti-JonesStory by Leah Asmelash, CNNPublished October 7, 2022 Gabriella Angotti-Jones just wanted to surf. It was the beginning of 2019. Fresh off an internship with the New York Times,…
Black History 365: Sheldon Lloyd
Founder of Black-Owned Food Service Business Wins $17M Contract With Boston Public Schools Sheldon Lloyd, founder and CEO of City Fresh Foods, a Roxbury, Massachusetts-based Black-owned food service business, has landed a deal with Boston Public Schools to provide food to its thousands of students. The $17 million contract is…
Black History 365: LaTosha Brown
At the intersection of social justice, political empowerment, human development and the cultural arts one will find LaTosha Brown. As a catalyst for change, thought leader and social strategist, her national and global efforts have been known to organize, inspire and catapult people into action—not just lip service—enabling them to…
Black History 365: Bree Jones
Parity Homes Bree is the founder of Parity, an equitable development company that rehabilitates abandoned properties by the block to create affordable homeownership opportunities. At the core of her work is development without displacement – she aims to revitalize distressed neighborhoods while ensuring that legacy residents are able to participate…
Black History 365: Freedom House Ambulance Service
At Freedom House, these Black men saved lives. Paramedics are book topic PITTSBURGH, Pa. — John Moon stands on the 2000 block of Centre Avenue in Pittsburgh’s Hill District. He’s in front of a building that houses the Hill District Federal Credit Union, but he points to a plaque affixed…
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Black History 365: Megan Piphus Peace
It wasn’t until September 2021 that Sesame Street — which started in November 1969 — got its first full-time Black female puppeteer. That’s when Megan Piphus Peace joined the cast full time and landed the role of Gabrielle, a 6-year-old puppet on the classic children’s show. This month, as she…
Black History 365: Etienne Charles: San Juan Hill: A New York Story
Revisiting San Juan Hill, the neighborhood destroyed to make way for Lincoln Center Think back to the opening of the 2021 film version of the musical West Side Story. The very first thing we see is acres of rubble, and a sign: “This property purchased by the New York Housing…
Continue Reading Black History 365: Etienne Charles: San Juan Hill: A New York Story
Black History 365: Carla Hayden
Carla Diane Hayden (born August 10, 1952)[1][2] is an American librarian and the 14th Librarian of Congress.[3][4] Since the creation of the office of the Librarian of Congress in 1802, Hayden is both the first African American and the first woman to hold this post.[5][6][7][8] Appointed in 2016, she is…
Black History 365: Lizzo
Lizzo played James Madison’s crystal flute onstage in D.C., proving history rocks Some people visit Washington, D.C., for the tourist attractions, like monuments and museums. They probably don’t expect to see history being made at a pop concert — but that’s what happened to an arena full of fans at…
Black History 365: Carl Allamby
What’s it take to go from mechanic to physician at 51? Patience, an Ohio doctor says Carl Allamby’s professional trajectory could be reduced to the plot of a feel-good movie. Skimming over the details, his is a story of a once-poor boy from the wrong side of Cleveland, who went…
Black History 365: Bronzeville
How the ‘Black Metropolis’ made a comeback In August 1992, community organizer Harold Lucas Jr. peered down a dilapidated street on the South Side of Chicago and tried to envision it in all of its past glory. The distressed neighborhood had once been the soil for a renaissance that blossomed…
Black History 365: Tyehimba Jess
Tyehimba Jess is the author of two books of poetry, Leadbelly and Olio. Olio won the 2017 Pulitzer Prize, the Anisfield-Wolf Book Award, The Midland Society Author’s Award in Poetry, and received an Outstanding Contribution to Publishing Citation from the Black Caucus of the American Library Association. It was also nominated for the National Book…
Black History 365: Mari Copeny
Mari is a 14 year old from Flint, Michigan known globally as Little Miss Flint. Born on July 6th, 2007. She first entered the public spotlight when her letter to President Obama about the water crisis prompted him to visit the city and survey the water crisis for himself. That…
Black History 365: Jonathan P. Jones
Describe your organization and your role. I’m the Commissioner of Recreation, Youth & Workforce Services in Albany, NY – the Capital City of New York! My departments are the connecting links to get healthier and wealthier in our community. Describe the most pressing challenges in your community, particularly for Black…
Black History 365: Misty Copeland
Throughout her ballet career, Misty Copeland has worked to break racial barriers in the world of dance. She is doing it again — this time with an after-school dance program for children of color. The Be Bold initiative will “make ballet more accessible, affordable and fun,” according to the program’s…
Black History 365: Octavia “Opi” Payne
Octavia Payne is a member of the USA Ultimate National Team. My name is Octavia Payne, but most people call me Opi. I’ve been playing ultimate for 10 years, starting at the University of Pennsylvania. I’ve been on four different club teams, including Washington, DC Scandal with whom I won…
Black History 365: Maurice Ashley
Maurice Ashley (born March 6, 1966) is a Jamaican-American chess player, author, and commentator.[1][2] In 1999, he earned the FIDE title of Grandmaster (GM),[3] making him the first black person to do so.[4] Ashley is well known as a commentator for high-profile chess events.[5] He also spent many years teaching…
Black History 365: Leah Penniman
Leah Penniman (c. 1980) is a farmer, educator, author, and food sovereignty activist.[1] Penniman is Co-Founder, Co-Director and Program Manager of Soul Fire Farm, in Grafton, New York.[2] Biography Leah Penniman was born to Reverend doctor Adele Smith Penniman, a Haitian American pastor and activist, and a white father. Penniman…
Black History 365: Sandra Douglass Morgan
The NFL’s Las Vegas Raiders have hired the first Black female team president in the league’s history. Sandra Douglass Morgan, a Las Vegas native, is not new to firsts. She was the first Black city attorney in Nevada, when she served for the City of North Las Vegas, and she…
Black History 365: Lee Odom
Lee Odom, instrumental spectrum includes, the clarinet, bass clarient, soprano/alto/tenor saxophone, flute, and oboe. Lee is also a composer/band leader, whose musical spectrum includes, gospel,free improved music, jazz, R&B, and classical. Lee has worked on selected virtual service projects for Canaan Baptist Church, Harlem and Mt. Zion AME, Bronx…
Black History 365: Damon Young
Damon Young is a writer, critic, humorist, satirist, and professional Black person. He’s a co-founder and editor in chief of VerySmartBrothas—coined “the blackest thing that ever happened to the internet” by The Washington Post and recently acquired by Univision and Gizmodo Media Group to be a vertical of The Root—and…
Black History 365: Sapelo Island
Gullah Geechee community reaches a deal with Ga. county in a fight for services Sapelo Island, sitting off the coast of Georgia, has been home to one of America’s last intact Gullah Geechee communities. The Gullah Geechee is a community of descendants of enslaved people who arrived before the start…
Black History 365: Makeda Smith
Makeda Smith of Sio Ceramics intertwines intriguing shapes and surprising details into her work. Sio Ceramics Brookland Art Walk, Washington DC Makeda Smith’s ceramics feature irresistible palates, intriguing shapes and surprising details. She first took a ceramics class in college and fell in love. After teaching for years and earning…
Black History 365: Dr. Kendall Moore
Kendall Moore, PhD, is an award-winning documentary filmmaker and a Professor in the departments of Journalism and Film Media at the University of Rhode Island. Before joining the faculty at URI in 2003, she worked as a television journalist focusing on medical, health, race, and environmental issues. Moore has produced…
Black History 365: Cremaine Booker
Nashville based cellist, Cremaine Booker (also known as ThatCelloGuy), has performed extensively in the United States in addition to being a highly accomplished studio cellist. He currently serves as a cellist in the Iris Orchestra and is former principal cellist for the Nashville Philharmonic Orchestra and The Jackson Symphony. He…
Black History 365: Chelsea Gray
Chelsea Nichelle Gray (born October 8, 1992) is an American professional basketball player for the Las Vegas Aces of the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA).[1] She was the eleventh pick in the 2014 WNBA Draft. She missed the 2014 WNBA season due to injury, but she made her debut with…
Black History 365: Tunde Olaniran
A Midwestern museum known for mid-century design may have found the next big art world star. Tunde Olaniran is a musician, filmmaker and artist who grew up in Flint, Michigan. Their first show,Made A Universe, just opened at the Cranbrook Art Museum near Detroit. Made a Universe is partly a…
Black History 365: Fani T. Willis
Fani Taifa Willis[1] (FAH-nee,[1] born October 27, 1971) is an American attorney from the state of Georgia. She is the district attorney of Fulton County, Georgia, which contains most of Atlanta.[2] She is the first woman to hold the office of Fulton County district attorney.[3] Biography Willis graduated from Howard…
Black History 365: Boyah J. Farah
When Boyah J. Farah arrived in the United States as a teenager, he expected the country to be paradise. And for a while it was – when he rode his bike down the quiet streets of his Boston-suburb, past smiling neighbors with their perfectly manicured lawns. “I really thought that…
Black History 365: Susie King Taylor
Susie King Taylor, teacher and nurse, achieved many firsts in a lifetime of overcoming adversity and helping elevate others out of slavery. As the author of Reminiscences of My Life in Camp with the 33d United States Colored Troops, Late 1st S.C. Volunteers, she was the only African American woman to…
Black History 365: Dreyton McDonald
Dreyton McDonald knows he’s not a regular kid and he likes it that way. “I guess you can say, I’m a businessman, ma’am,” the 12-year-old politely told NPR. And he has been for several years now. At age 9, he said his father, Dominic McDonald, approached him with a proposition:…
Black History 365: Nectali “Sumo Hair” Diaz
Photo courtesy of Farah Sosa. Nectali ‘Sumo Hair’ Díaz, L.A.’s Tropical Music Visionary and Activist for Afro Mexico, Dies Tragically at 42 Javier Cabral·August 4, 2022 FeaturedObituaryPeople On the early morning of July 30th, the birdsong echoing through the swaying palm trees in the concrete jungle known as Los Angeles…
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Black History 365: Lucianna Padmore
Bronx native, New York based drummer Lucianna Padmore has been praised by Modern Drummer magazine for “Deep grooves and serious fusion chops.” Lucianna’s versatile drumming is featured with artists in the Jazz, Hip-Hop, Funk, Rock, Pop and Fusion genres. An alumnus of LaGuardia High School for Music and the Performing Arts…
Black History 365: Sister Rosetta Tharpe
Sister Rosetta Tharpe was a singer, songwriter, and guitarist of gospel, jazz, blues, and rock-and-roll. She was born on March 20, 1915 near Cotton Plant, Arkansas to Katie (née Harper) Bell Nubin and Willis B. Atkins. Her mother, a mandolin-playing evangelist in the Church of God in Christ (COGIC), toured…
Black History 365: Kwame Onwuachi
Kwame Onwuachi (/ˈkwɑːmi ənˈwɑːtʃi/)[1] is an American chef based in Los Angeles, CA.[2] He was a contestant on Top Chef (season 13) in 2015. He has been recognized by Food & Wine magazine, Esquire magazine, and the James Beard Foundation as “Rising Star Chef of the year.” Early life Onwuachi…
Black History 365: Matthew MacKenzie “Mack” Robinson
Matthew MacKenzie “Mack” Robinson (July 18, 1914 – March 12, 2000) was an American track and field athlete. He is best known for winning a silver medal in the 1936 Summer Olympics, where he broke the Olympic record in the 200 meters but still finished behind Jesse Owens (like Jesse…
Continue Reading Black History 365: Matthew MacKenzie “Mack” Robinson
Black History 365: Gina Prince-Bythewood
Gina Maria Prince-Bythewood (born June 10, 1969)[1] is an American film director and screenwriter.[2] She is known for directing the films Love & Basketball (2000), Disappearing Acts (2000), The Secret Life of Bees (2008), Beyond the Lights (2014), and The Old Guard (2020). Prince-Bythewood was born in Los Angeles, California,[1]…
Black History 365: Samuel Coleridge-Taylor
Samuel Coleridge-Taylor (15 August 1875 – 1 September 1912) was a British composer and conductor. Of mixed-race birth, Coleridge-Taylor achieved such success that he was referred to by white New York musicians as the “African Mahler” when he had three tours of the United States in the early 1900s.[1] He was particularly…
Black History 365: Randall Goosby
“For me, personally, music has been a way to inspire others” – Randall Goosby’s own words sum up perfectly his commitment to being an artist who makes a difference. Signed exclusively to Decca Classics in 2020 at the age of 24, American violinist Randall Goosby is acclaimed for the sensitivity…
Black History 365: Serena Williams
Most people are not fortunate enough to realize the impact their life has made on others because, well, the majority of the accolades often come at memorials. But when you are Serena Williams, playing what is expected to be the final major tournament of a career emblazoned with the acronym…
Black History 365: Ibrahim Songne
In January, we profiled Ibrahim Songne. As a kid, newly arrived in Italy from Burkina Faso with his family, he took his first bite of pizza. His verdict: “Gross and completely tasteless.” But he had a change of taste buds and as an adult started his own pizzeria in Trento.…
Black History 365: A Swimming Cap Made for Black Hair Gets Official Approval After Previous Olympic Ban
A swimming cap made specifically for natural Black hair has received official approval from the worldwide governing body for competitive swimming. Soul Cap is a covering made especially to protect hair that’s thick, curly, braided or otherwise textured — which is often difficult to fit into smaller swim caps. FINA…
Black History 365: David Sanford
David Sanford Big Band will be playing at the Bombyx Center for Arts and Equity in Florence, MA on September 11, 2022. https://laudable.productions/events/david-sanford-big-band/ Born in Pittsburgh, PA in 1963, David Sanford received degrees in music theory and composition from the University of Northern Colorado, New England Conservatory, and Princeton University…
Black History 365: Netta Sherrell
Janetta Sherrell Goines Netta Sherrell, is a Multi-instrumentalist, Educator & Mentor, born and raised on the south side of Chicago. She has extensive knowledge in venue operations and event management and has worked for companies such as Disney, Broadway in Chicago and Chicago Shakespeare Theatre. While building a foundation in…
Black History 365: Ronald McNair
Ronald Erwin McNair (October 21, 1950 – January 28, 1986) was an American NASA astronaut and physicist. He died during the launch of the Space Shuttle Challenger on mission STS-51-L, in which he was serving as one of three mission specialists in a crew of seven. Prior to the Challenger…
Black History 365: Gloria Majiga-Kamoto
In June 2021, NPR profiled Gloria Majiga-Kamoto of Malawi, who saw goats dying after eating plastic bags and decided to take on her nation’s plastic industry. Cheap, single-use plastic is such a problem in Malawi that in 2015 the government instituted a thin plastic ban. But before the ban could…
Black History 365: Endea Owens
Lincoln Center’s Emerging Artist of 2019 and Detroit native Endea Owens, is a vibrant up and coming bassist. She has been mentored by the likes of Marcus Belgrave, Rodney Whitaker, and Ron Carter. She has toured and performed with Jennifer Holliday, Rhonda and Diana Ross, Jazzmeia Horn, Dee Dee Bridgewater,…
Black History 365: Gene Chandler
Gene Chandler (born Eugene Drake Dixon; July 6, 1937) is an American singer, songwriter, music producer, and record-label executive. Chandler is nicknamed “the Duke of Earl” or, simply, “the Duke.” He is best known for his most successful songs, “Duke of Earl” and “Groovy Situation”, and his association with the…