Honoring those we lost on August 16 — remembered for what they gave, and for what they left behind. Robert Johnson Full name: Robert Leroy Johnson Born May 8, 1911 — died Aug 16, 1938 Delta blues singer, guitarist, songwriter, and foundational recording artist. Johnson recorded only 29 songs, but his voice, guitar technique, and […]
What happened on this day. These are the August 16 moments in Black history worth knowing, remembering, and passing on. 1967 — Louis Armstrong records “What a Wonderful World” On Aug 16, 1967, Louis Armstrong recorded “What a Wonderful World” during a late-night session in Las Vegas. Though initially underpromoted in the United States, the […]
Born on this day. These are the birthdays we celebrate on August 16 — the people whose lives added to the story of Black history. Louis Lomax Full name: Louis Emanuel Lomax Born August 16, 1922 — died July 30, 1970 Journalist, author, television host, and chronicler of the civil rights era. Lomax became one […]
Thurgood Marshall “None of us got where we are solely by pulling ourselves up by our bootstraps. We got here because somebody bent down and helped us.” — Thurgood Marshall Justice Thurgood Marshall believed success is a shared effort. His words honor those who lift others as they rise.
Honoring those we lost on August 15 — remembered for what they gave, and for what they left behind. Erbie Bowser Born May 5, 1918 — died Aug 15, 1995 Blues and jazz pianist, singer, bandleader, and keeper of the Texas piano tradition. Bowser spent decades performing boogie-woogie, blues, and jazz across Texas, including the […]
What happened on this day. These are the August 15 moments in Black history worth knowing, remembering, and passing on. 1914 — Panama Canal opens after work by tens of thousands of Caribbean laborers On Aug 15, 1914, the Panama Canal officially opened to traffic with the passage of the steamship Ancon. More than 50,000 […]
Born on this day. These are the birthdays we celebrate on August 15 — the people whose lives added to the story of Black history. Oscar Peterson Full name: Oscar Emmanuel Peterson Born August 15, 1925 — died December 23, 2007 Canadian jazz pianist, composer, bandleader, and one of the most influential virtuosos in jazz […]
Nikki Giovanni “If now isn’t a good time for the truth, I don’t see when we’ll get to it.” — Nikki Giovanni Poet Nikki Giovanni speaks to the urgency of honesty. Her words challenge us to face truth now — not someday.
Honoring those we lost on August 14 — remembered for what they gave, and for what they left behind. Alice Childress Birth name: Alice Herndon Born Oct 12, 1916 — died Aug 14, 1994 Playwright, novelist, actor, director, and chronicler of working-class Black life. Childress wrote with rare attention to Black women, domestic workers, artists, […]
What happened on this day. These are the August 14 moments in Black history worth knowing, remembering, and passing on. 1908 — The Springfield Race Riot begins in Illinois On August 14, 1908, a white mob began attacking Black residents, homes, and businesses in Springfield, Illinois. The three days of violence included two lynchings and […]