Born on this day. These are the birthdays we celebrate on July 1 — the people whose lives added to the story of Black history. Thomas A. Dorsey Born July 1, 1899 — died January 23, 1993 Gospel composer, blues musician, pianist, publisher, and father of gospel music figure. Dorsey helped shape modern gospel by […]
Born on this day. These are the birthdays we celebrate on June 30 — the people whose lives added to the story of Black history. Lena Horne Born June 30, 1917 — Died May 9, 2010 Title: Singer, actress, dancer, and civil rights activist Lena Horne was a groundbreaking entertainer whose career spanned film, television, […]
Born on this day. These are the birthdays we celebrate on June 29 — the people whose lives added to the story of Black history. Stokely Carmichael / Kwame Ture Born June 29, 1941 — Died November 15, 1998 Title: Civil rights organizer, Black Power leader, and Pan-African activist Stokely Carmichael, later known as Kwame […]
Born on this day. These are the birthdays we celebrate on June 28 — the people whose lives added to the story of Black history. David “Honeyboy” Edwards Born June 28, 1915 — Died August 29, 2011 Title: Delta blues guitarist, singer, and songwriter David “Honeyboy” Edwards was one of the last living links to […]
Born on this day. These are the birthdays we celebrate on June 27 — the people whose lives added to the story of Black history. Paul Laurence Dunbar Born June 27, 1872 — Died February 9, 1906 Title: Poet, novelist, short story writer, and playwright Paul Laurence Dunbar was one of the first Black American […]
Born on this day. These are the birthdays we celebrate on June 26 — the people whose lives added to the story of Black history. Gilberto Gil Born June 26, 1942 Title: Brazilian singer, songwriter, guitarist, and cultural figure Gilberto Gil is one of Brazil’s most important musicians and a founder of the Tropicália movement. […]
Born on this day. These are the birthdays we celebrate on June 25 — the people whose lives added to the story of Black history. James Meredith Born June 25, 1933 Title: Civil rights activist, writer, Air Force veteran, and education integration figure James Meredith became the first Black student admitted to the University of […]
Born on this day. These are the birthdays we celebrate on June 24 — the people whose lives added to the story of Black history. Georg Stanford Brown Born June 24, 1943 Title: Actor and director Georg Stanford Brown is a Cuban-born actor and director who became widely known through television and film. His work […]
Born on this day. These are the birthdays we celebrate on June 23 — the people whose lives added to the story of Black history. Wilma Rudolph Born June 23, 1940 — Died November 12, 1994 Title: Olympic sprinter and track-and-field champion Wilma Rudolph overcame childhood illness, including polio, before becoming one of the greatest […]
Born on this day. These are the birthdays we celebrate on June 22 — the people whose lives added to the story of Black history. Octavia E. Butler Born June 22, 1947 — Died February 24, 2006 Title: Science fiction writer and speculative fiction pioneer Octavia E. Butler changed science fiction by placing Black women, […]