Born on this day. These are the birthdays we celebrate on July 19 — the people whose lives added to the story of Black history. Teresa Edwards Born July 19, 1964 Basketball Hall of Famer, Olympic gold medalist, guard, coach, and women’s basketball legend. Edwards became one of the most decorated team-sport athletes in Olympic […]
Category Archives: Birthday Celebrations
18
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Born on this day. These are the birthdays we celebrate on July 18 — the people whose lives added to the story of Black history. Screamin’ Jay Hawkins Birth name: Jalacy J. Hawkins Born July 18, 1929 — died February 12, 2000 R&B singer, songwriter, musician, actor, boxer, and theatrical rock-and-roll pioneer. Hawkins turned blues […]
17
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Born on this day. These are the birthdays we celebrate on July 17 — the people whose lives added to the story of Black history. Diahann Carroll Birth name: Carol Diann Johnson Born July 17, 1935 — died October 4, 2019 Actress, singer, model, Broadway performer, television pioneer, and civil rights-era screen trailblazer. Carroll broke […]
16
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Born on this day. These are the birthdays we celebrate on July 16 — the people whose lives added to the story of Black history. Ida B. Wells Full name: Ida Bell Wells-Barnett Born July 16, 1862 — died March 25, 1931 Investigative journalist, anti-lynching activist, suffragist, educator, and civil rights pioneer. Wells was born […]
15
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Born on this day. These are the birthdays we celebrate on July 15 — the people whose lives added to the story of Black history. Maggie Lena Walker Born July 15, 1864 — died December 15, 1934 Businesswoman, banker, newspaper publisher, civil rights advocate, and community leader. Walker rose from post-Civil War Richmond to become […]
14
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Born on this day. These are the birthdays we celebrate on July 14 — the people whose lives added to the story of Black history. Rosey Grier Birth name: Roosevelt Grier Born July 14, 1932 NFL defensive lineman, actor, singer, minister, author, and activist. Grier became known as a powerful NFL player with the New […]
13
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Born on this day. These are the birthdays we celebrate on July 13 — the people whose lives added to the story of Black history. Albert Ayler Born July 13, 1936 — died November 25, 1970 Avant-garde jazz saxophonist, composer, bandleader, and free jazz innovator. Ayler pushed jazz into more spiritual, experimental, and emotionally intense […]
Born on this day. These are the birthdays we celebrate on July 12 — the people whose lives added to the story of Black history. Ray Scott Birth name: John Raymond Scott Born July 12, 1938 Professional basketball player, coach, and first Black NBA Coach of the Year. Scott moved from a long playing career […]
11
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Born on this day. These are the birthdays we celebrate on July 11 — the people whose lives added to the story of Black history. Mattiwilda Dobbs Born July 11, 1925 — died December 8, 2015 Opera singer, coloratura soprano, professor, and international classical music pioneer. Dobbs broke major racial barriers in opera, becoming one […]
10
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Born on this day. These are the birthdays we celebrate on July 10 — the people whose lives added to the story of Black history. Mary McLeod Bethune Born July 10, 1875 — died May 18, 1955 Educator, civil rights leader, institution builder, organizer, and presidential advisor. Bethune was born in South Carolina to formerly […]