Toni Morrison “Make a difference about something other than yourselves.” — Toni Morrison Toni Morrison’s legacy urges us to live beyond self-interest. Change begins when our work serves something larger than us.
Honoring those we lost on August 17 — remembered for what they gave, and for what they left behind. Pearl Bailey Full name: Pearl Mae Bailey Born Mar 29, 1918 — died Aug 17, 1990 Singer, actor, comedian, author, and Broadway star. Bailey’s warmth, timing, and improvisational ease carried her from Black nightclubs to Broadway, […]
What happened on this day. These are the August 17 moments in Black history worth knowing, remembering, and passing on. 2016 — Elaine Thompson completes an Olympic sprint double On Aug 17, 2016, Jamaican sprinter Elaine Thompson won the 200-meter final at the Rio Olympics in 21.78 seconds. The victory, four days after her 100-meter […]
Born on this day. These are the birthdays we celebrate on August 17 — the people whose lives added to the story of Black history. Marcus Garvey Full name: Marcus Mosiah Garvey Born August 17, 1887 — died June 10, 1940 Jamaican political leader, publisher, entrepreneur, orator, and founder of the Universal Negro Improvement Association. […]
Muhammad Ali “Service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on earth.” — Muhammad Ali Muhammad Ali saw greatness in giving back. His quote reminds us that purpose comes through serving humanity.
Honoring those we lost on August 16 — remembered for what they gave, and for what they left behind. Robert Johnson Full name: Robert Leroy Johnson Born May 8, 1911 — died Aug 16, 1938 Delta blues singer, guitarist, songwriter, and foundational recording artist. Johnson recorded only 29 songs, but his voice, guitar technique, and […]
What happened on this day. These are the August 16 moments in Black history worth knowing, remembering, and passing on. 1967 — Louis Armstrong records “What a Wonderful World” On Aug 16, 1967, Louis Armstrong recorded “What a Wonderful World” during a late-night session in Las Vegas. Though initially underpromoted in the United States, the […]
Born on this day. These are the birthdays we celebrate on August 16 — the people whose lives added to the story of Black history. Louis Lomax Full name: Louis Emanuel Lomax Born August 16, 1922 — died July 30, 1970 Journalist, author, television host, and chronicler of the civil rights era. Lomax became one […]
Thurgood Marshall “None of us got where we are solely by pulling ourselves up by our bootstraps. We got here because somebody bent down and helped us.” — Thurgood Marshall Justice Thurgood Marshall believed success is a shared effort. His words honor those who lift others as they rise.
Honoring those we lost on August 15 — remembered for what they gave, and for what they left behind. Erbie Bowser Born May 5, 1918 — died Aug 15, 1995 Blues and jazz pianist, singer, bandleader, and keeper of the Texas piano tradition. Bowser spent decades performing boogie-woogie, blues, and jazz across Texas, including the […]