Born on this day. These are the birthdays we celebrate on September 17 — the people whose lives added to the story of Black history. Rube Foster Full name: Andrew Foster Born September 17, 1879 — died December 9, 1930 Father of Black baseball. Foster founded the Negro National League in 1920, building the institution […]
Born on this day. These are the birthdays we celebrate on September 16 — the people whose lives added to the story of Black history. B.B. King Full name: Riley B. King Born September 16, 1925 — died May 14, 2015 King of the Blues. With Lucille and 250 shows a year, King carried the […]
Born on this day. These are the birthdays we celebrate on September 15 — the people whose lives added to the story of Black history. Claude McKay Full name: Festus Claudius McKay Born September 15, 1889 — died May 22, 1948 Jamaican American poet and novelist. "If We Must Die" became an anthem of Black […]
Born on this day. These are the birthdays we celebrate on September 14 — the people whose lives added to the story of Black history. Cachao Full name: Israel López Valdés Born September 14, 1918 — died March 22, 2008 Afro-Cuban bassist and composer. With his brother Orestes, Cachao co-created the mambo and pioneered the […]
Born on this day. These are the birthdays we celebrate on September 13 — the people whose lives added to the story of Black history. Alain Locke Full name: Alain LeRoy Locke Born September 13, 1885 — died June 9, 1954 Philosopher and "Dean of the Harlem Renaissance." The first Black Rhodes Scholar edited The […]
Born on this day. These are the birthdays we celebrate on September 12 — the people whose lives added to the story of Black history. Jesse Owens Full name: James Cleveland Owens Born September 12, 1913 — died March 31, 1980 Track and field legend. Owens won four gold medals at the 1936 Berlin Olympics, […]
Born on this day. These are the birthdays we celebrate on September 11 — the people whose lives added to the story of Black history. Euphemia Lofton Haynes Full name: Martha Euphemia Lofton Born September 11, 1890 — died July 25, 1980 Mathematician and educator. Haynes became the first Black woman to earn a PhD […]
Born on this day. These are the birthdays we celebrate on September 10 — the people whose lives added to the story of Black history. John R. Lynch Full name: John Roy Lynch Born September 10, 1847 — died November 2, 1939 Reconstruction congressman, Mississippi House speaker, and historian. Born enslaved, Lynch became Speaker of […]
Born on this day. These are the birthdays we celebrate on September 9 — the people whose lives added to the story of Black history. Marjorie Lee Browne Full name: Marjorie Lee Browne Born September 9, 1914 — died October 19, 1979 Mathematician and educator. One of the first Black women to earn a mathematics […]
Born on this day. These are the birthdays we celebrate on September 8 — the people whose lives added to the story of Black history. Buck Leonard Full name: Walter Fenner Leonard Born September 8, 1907 — died November 27, 1997 Negro Leagues Hall of Fame first baseman. Called "the Black Lou Gehrig," Leonard paired […]