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 […]
Born on this day. These are the birthdays we celebrate on August 14 — the people whose lives added to the story of Black history. Ernest Everett Just Born August 14, 1883 — died October 27, 1941 Biologist, marine scientist, author, professor, and pioneering cell researcher. Just became an internationally respected scientist through research on […]
Born on this day. These are the birthdays we celebrate on August 13 — the people whose lives added to the story of Black history. James B. Parsons Full name: James Benton Parsons Born August 13, 1911 — died June 19, 1993 Attorney, federal judge, educator, musician, and judicial trailblazer. Parsons became the first African […]
Born on this day. These are the birthdays we celebrate on August 12 — the people whose lives added to the story of Black history. Lillian Evanti Birth name: Annie Wilson Lillian Evans Born August 12, 1890 — died December 6, 1967 Opera singer, composer, concert artist, and civil rights advocate. Evanti became the first […]
Born on this day. These are the birthdays we celebrate on August 11 — the people whose lives added to the story of Black history. Alex Haley Full name: Alexander Murray Palmer Haley Born August 11, 1921 — died February 10, 1992 Author, journalist, biographer, and historian of Black family memory. Haley helped bring Black […]
Born on this day. These are the birthdays we celebrate on August 10 — the people whose lives added to the story of Black history. Anna Julia Cooper Full name: Anna Julia Haywood Cooper Born August 10, 1858 — died February 27, 1964 Educator, author, scholar, activist, and foundational Black feminist thinker. Born into slavery, […]
Born on this day. These are the birthdays we celebrate on August 9 — the people whose lives added to the story of Black history. Ken Norton Sr. Full name: Kenneth Howard Norton Sr. Born August 9, 1943 — died September 18, 2013 World heavyweight boxing champion, Marine Corps veteran, and Boxing Hall of Famer. […]
Born on this day. These are the birthdays we celebrate on August 8 — the people whose lives added to the story of Black history. Matthew Henson Full name: Matthew Alexander Henson Born August 8, 1866 — died March 9, 1955 Arctic explorer, navigator, author, and pioneering figure in polar exploration. Henson spent nearly two […]
Born on this day. These are the birthdays we celebrate on August 7 — the people whose lives added to the story of Black history. Ralph Bunche Full name: Ralph Johnson Bunche Born August 7, 1904 — died December 9, 1971 Diplomat, political scientist, civil rights advocate, and Nobel Peace Prize winner. Bunche became the […]
Born on this day. These are the birthdays we celebrate on August 6 — the people whose lives added to the story of Black history. Abbey Lincoln Birth name: Anna Marie Wooldridge Born August 6, 1930 — died August 14, 2010 Jazz singer, songwriter, actress, poet, and civil rights activist. Lincoln joined artistic expression with […]