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 […]
Born on this day. These are the birthdays we celebrate on August 5 — the people whose lives added to the story of Black history. Patrick Ewing Full name: Patrick Aloysius Ewing Sr. Born August 5, 1962 Basketball Hall of Famer, Olympic gold medalist, Georgetown champion, and New York Knicks legend. Ewing became one of […]
Born on this day. These are the birthdays we celebrate on August 4 — the people whose lives added to the story of Black history. Louis Armstrong Full name: Louis Daniel Armstrong Born August 4, 1901 — died July 6, 1971 Jazz trumpeter, singer, bandleader, composer, and foundational American music figure. Armstrong transformed jazz by […]
Born on this day. These are the birthdays we celebrate on August 3 — the people whose lives added to the story of Black history. Isaiah Washington Full name: Isaiah Washington IV Born August 3, 1963 Actor, producer, author, and television and film performer. Washington built a wide-ranging career across Black independent film, major studio […]
Born on this day. These are the birthdays we celebrate on August 2 — the people whose lives added to the story of Black history. James Baldwin Full name: James Arthur Baldwin Born August 2, 1924 — died December 1, 1987 Writer, essayist, novelist, playwright, poet, and civil rights voice. Baldwin became one of America’s […]