Honoring those we lost on September 18 — remembered for what they gave, and for what they left behind. Blind Willie Johnson Born in 1897 — died September 18, 1945 Gospel-blues singer and slide guitarist. Johnson’s "Dark Was the Night, Cold Was the Ground" — a wordless moan over slide guitar — is among the […]
Honoring those we lost on September 17 — remembered for what they gave, and for what they left behind. Dred Scott Born around 1799 — died September 17, 1858 Freedom petitioner whose case shook the nation. Scott sued for his liberty and carried the case to the Supreme Court, where the infamous 1857 decision declared […]
Honoring those we lost on September 16 — remembered for what they gave, and for what they left behind. Mamie Smith Born May 26, 1891 — died September 16, 1946 Singer who made the first blues record. Smith’s 1920 recording of "Crazy Blues" sold a million copies and proved Black record buyers existed — launching […]
Honoring those we lost on September 15 — remembered for what they gave, and for what they left behind. The Six Children of Birmingham Died September 15, 1963 Addie Mae Collins, 14; Cynthia Wesley, 14; Carole Robertson, 14; Denise McNair, 11; Johnny Robinson, 16; Virgil Ware, 13. Four girls were murdered when Klansmen dynamited the […]
Honoring those we lost on September 14 — remembered for what they gave, and for what they left behind. John Adams Hyman Born July 23, 1840 — died September 14, 1891 North Carolina’s first Black congressman. Born enslaved and sold away from his family for teaching himself to read, Hyman was elected to the United […]
Honoring those we lost on September 13 — remembered for what they gave, and for what they left behind. Tupac Shakur Full name: Tupac Amaru Shakur Born June 16, 1971 — died September 13, 1996 Rapper, poet, and actor. The son of Black Panther Afeni Shakur gave hip-hop "Dear Mama," "Keep Ya Head Up," and […]
Honoring those we lost on September 12 — remembered for what they gave, and for what they left behind. Mal Goode Full name: Malvin Russell Goode Born February 13, 1908 — died September 12, 1995 Broadcast journalism pioneer. In 1962, ABC hired Goode as the first Black correspondent for a national television network, where he […]
Honoring those we lost on September 11 — remembered for what they gave, and for what they left behind. Peter Tosh Birth name: Winston Hubert McIntosh Born October 19, 1944 — died September 11, 1987 Reggae revolutionary and founding Wailer. Alongside Bob Marley and Bunny Wailer, Tosh built the Wailers, then made solo anthems of […]
Honoring those we lost on September 10 — remembered for what they gave, and for what they left behind. Alexander Crummell Born March 3, 1819 — died September 10, 1898 Minister, scholar, and founder of the American Negro Academy. A Cambridge-educated Episcopal priest who served twenty years in Liberia, Crummell founded the American Negro Academy […]
Honoring those we lost on September 9 — remembered for what they gave, and for what they left behind. W. Deen Mohammed Full name: Warith Deen Mohammed Born October 30, 1933 — died September 9, 2008 Muslim leader and reformer. Son of Elijah Muhammad, Mohammed inherited the Nation of Islam in 1975 and led the […]