December 30th is Bo Diddley Day!!!

December 30th is Bo Diddley Day!!!

"Born in 1928, Bo Diddley studied violin for years, but after hearing the music of blues legend John Lee Hooker, he switched to the guitar. Landing a record contract in 1955, Diddley reached the top 40 with ‘Pretty Things’ in 1956. Other famous songs include ‘Who Do You Love,’ ‘Mona,’ and ‘Before You Accuse Me.’ In 1987, Diddley was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame." Thank you Mr. Diddley for all of your contributions and inspiration! Please click the link below and learn more about Bo Diddley. :-) 

http://www.biography.com/people/bo-diddley-9274270

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yeZHB3ozglQ

"I opened the door for a lot of people, and they just ran through and left me holding the knob." - Bo Diddley

December 29th is Sara Baartman "Saartjie" Day!!!

December 29th is Sara Baartman "Saartjie" Day!!!

Unfortunately this day in history is the day of Saartjie's death, but she is someone that everyone needs to know about because of the atrocities done to her and the African people as a whole. She was one of the many African women oversexualized and consider a freak because of her body. Women of today really need to learn about her struggles and learn from them to not let ANYONE, especially men look at you just as a sex object or freaky and different. "Sara Baartman, displayed as a freak because of her unusual physical features, was finally laid to rest 187 years after she left Cape Town for London. Her remains were buried on Women’s Day, 9 August 2002, in the area of her birth, the Gamtoos River Valley in the Eastern Cape. Baartman was born in 1789. She was working as a slave in Cape Town when she was "discovered" by British ship’s doctor William Dunlop, who persuaded her to travel with him to England. We’ll never know what she had in mind when she stepped on board – of her own free will – a ship for London. But it’s clear what Dunlop had in mind – to display her as a "freak", a "scientific curiosity", and make money from these shows, some of which he promised to give to her. Baartman had unusually large buttocks and genitals, and in the early 1800s Europeans were arrogantly obsessed with their own superiority, and with proving that others, particularly blacks, were inferior and oversexed. Baartman’s physical characteristics, not unusual for Khoisan women, although her features were larger than normal, were "evidence" of this prejudice, and she was treated like a freak exhibit in London." Thank you Ms. Baartman for all of your contributions and inspiration! Please click the link below and learn more about Saartjie.   

http://www.southafrica.info/about/history/saartjie.htm#.UsH-9NJDtuk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQ7mmMe4klQ

December 25th is Imhotep Day!!!

December 25th is Imhotep Day!!!

"He was the world's first named architect who built Egypt's first pyramid, is often recognized as the world's first doctor, a priest,. scribe, sage, poet, astrologer, and a vizier and chief minister, though this role is unclear, to Djoser (reigned 26302611 BC), the second king of Egypt's third dynasty. He may have lived under as many as four kings. An inscription on one of that kings statues gives us Imhotep's titles as the "chancellor of the king of lower Egypt", the "first one under the king", the "administrator of the great mansion", the "hereditary Noble", the "high priest of Heliopolis", the "chief sculptor", and finally the "chief carpenter"." Thank you Imhotep for all of your contributions and inspiration! Please click the link below and learn more about Imhotep. :-)  

http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/imhotep.htm

“Death is only the begining...” - Imhotep

December 25th is Cab Calloway Day!!!

December 25th is Cab Calloway Day!!!

"Singer and bandleader Cab Calloway was born in Rochester, New York, in 1907. He learned the art of scat singing before landing a regular gig at Harlem's famous Cotton Club. Following the enormous success of his song "Minnie the Moocher" (1931), Calloway became one of the most popular entertainers of the 1930s and '40s. He appeared on stage and in films before his death in 1994, at age 86, in Hockessin, Delaware." Thank you Mr. Calloway for all of your contributions and inspiration! Please click the link below and learn more about Cab Calloway. :-) 

http://www.biography.com/people/cab-calloway-9235609

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_8yGGtVKrD8

"My audience was my life. What I did and how I did it, was all for my audience." - Cab Calloway

December 25th is Anwar Sadat Day!!!

December 25th is Anwar Sadat Day!!!

"Anwar al-Sadat played a significant part in recent Middle East politics until his death in 1981. Sadat had to follow in the footsteps of Gamal Nasser – a man all but idolised by the Egyptian people. Sadat took Egypt through the Yom Kippur War of 1973 to the start of a diplomatic way to end the crisis within the Middle East - the so-called Sadat Initiative." Thank you Mr. Sadat for all of your contributions and inspiration! Please click the link below and learn more about Anwar Sadat. :-)

http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/anwar_al_sadat.htm

"There can be hope only for a society which acts as one big family, not as many separate ones." - Anwar Sadat

December 23rd is Henry Highland Garnet Day!!!

December 23rd is Henry Highland Garnet Day!!!

"Henry Highland Garnet was an African-American abolitionist born circa December 23, 1815 in Kent County, Maryland. Born as a slave, he and his family escaped to New York when he was about nine years old. In the 1840s and decades afterward he became an abolitionist. His “Call to Rebellion” speech encouraged slaves to free themselves by rising up against owners. Seen as a radical, he became a controversial figure within the abolitionist movement. In 1881 he worked in a government post in Liberia, "Call to Rebellion" and a few months later died in February 13, 1882." Thank you Mr. Garnet for all of your contributions and inspiration! Please click the link below and learn more about Henry Highland Garnet. :-)  

http://www.biography.com/people/henry-highland-garnet-39704

"Neither god, nor angels, or just men, command you to suffer for a single moment. Therefore it is your solemn and imperative duty to use every means, both moral, intellectual, and physical that promises success." - Henry Highland Garnet

December 23rd is Madam C.J. Walker Day!!!

December 23rd is Madam C.J. Walker Day!!!

"Madame C.J. Walker was America’s first self-made female millionaire. She amassed her fortune through hard work, innovative ideas, and a fierce dedication to her craft and her people. Contrary to most historical accounts, Madame C.J. Walker did not invent the pressing comb. Per her own words, Madame Walker started the “hair-growing” business, borne out her desire to remedy her own hair loss. In 1910 Madame C.J. Walker moved her ever expanding “Special Correspondence Course” business, founded on her System of Beauty Culture, to Indianapolis. There she purchased and paid for her home adjoining which was a factory and laboratory. On September 2, 1911 she petitioned the Indiana Secretary of State to become incorporated and on September 19th, 1911, said petition was granted, marking the genesis of the Madame C.J. Walker Manufacturing Company of Indiana, Inc. wherein Madame Walker was the President and sole shareholder of all 1,000 shares of stock. She was also an early civil rights advocate on behalf of Black people, and an avid financial supporter of what today we call HBCU”s or Historically Black Colleges and Universities. By the time of her passing in 1919, Madame C.J. Walker had built one of the largest black owned manufacturing companies in the world, an international network of over 15,000 Madame Walker agents, beauty schools in three states, and a 32 room mansion at Irvington-on-the-Hudson, New York." Thank you Ms. Walker for all of your contributions and inspiration! Please click the link below and learn more about Madam C.J. Walker. :-) 

http://www.madamewalker.net/History/tabid/537/Default.aspx

"I had to make my own living and my own opportunity. But I made it! Don’t sit down and wait for the opportunities to come. Get up and make them." - Madam C.J. Walker

December 22nd is Jean-Michel Basquiat Day!!!

December 22nd is Jean-Michel Basquiat Day!!!

"Jean-Michel Basquiat (1960–1988) was born and raised in Brooklyn, the son of a Haitian-American father and a Puerto Rican mother. At an early age, he showed a precocious talent for drawing, and his mother enrolled him as a Junior Member of the Brooklyn Museum when he was six. Basquiat first gained notoriety as a teenage graffiti poet and musician. By 1981, at the age of twenty, he had turned from spraying graffiti on the walls of buildings in Lower Manhattan to selling paintings in SoHo galleries, rapidly becoming one of the most accomplished artists of his generation. Astute collectors began buying his art, and his gallery shows sold out. Critics noted the originality of his work, its emotional depth, unique iconography, and formal strengths in color, composition, and drawing. By 1985, he was featured on the cover of The New York Times Magazine as the epitome of the hot, young artist in a booming market. Tragically, Basquiat began using heroin and died of a drug overdose when he was just twenty-seven years old." Thank you Mr. Basquiat for all of your contributions and inspiration! Please click the link below and learn more about Jean-Michel Basquiat. :-)

http://www.brooklynmuseum.org/exhibitions/basquiat/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eXjR-y0WH-I

"I don't listen to what art critics say. I don't know anybody who needs a critic to find out what art is." - Jean-Michel Basquiat

December 21st is Thomas Sankara Day!!!

December 21st is Thomas Sankara Day!!! 

"A leader ahead of his time, Sankara was also dedicated to seeing the status of women in his country improve. Under his government, female genital mutilation, polygamy, forced marriages, and other practices that undermine the dignity of women were discouraged and banned. He became the first African head of state to elevate women to multiple top government positions, as well as recruiting them in the army. A frugal man, Sankara sold off the government's fleet of Mercedes vehicles, making the Renault 5, the cheapest car available in the country at the time, the official vehicle for his ministers. He reduced his own salary to $450 a month plus his personal possessions. He also banned the use of government chauffeurs and first class airline tickets by his government officials. He encouraged the Burkinabe to purchase garments produced by their fellow countrymen. Sankara also refused air conditioning in his office, arguing that most of his fellow countrymen lived without such luxuries." Thank you Mr. Sankara for all of your contributions and inspiration! Please click the link below and learn more about Thomas Sankara. :-)  

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-mungai/thomas-sankara_b_1588163.html

"It took the madmen of yesterday for us to be able to act with extreme clarity today. I want to be one of those madmen. We must dare to invent the future." - Thomas Sankara

December 21st is William Henry Lane "Master Juba" Day!!!

December 21st is William Henry Lane "Master Juba" Day!!! 

"Born William Henry Lane, Master Juba (c.1825-c.1852) combined quick footwork with powerful African rhythms in an extraordinary style that evolved into American tap dance. Lane was born a freeman in Rhode Island and began his early career in Manhattan's Five Points neighborhood, mastering the dances of Irish immigrants and free blacks. In this antebellum era, when blacks were not allowed to perform with whites, Master Juba was the first African-American to obtain international prominence as a minstrel entertainer, performing with four well-known early minstrel companies. Music historian Eileen Southern has noted that Master Juba was "a link between the white world and authentic black source materials, whose dancing contributed to the preservation of artistic integrity in the performance of black dances on the minstrel stage." In 1848 he performed to high critical praise in London with Pell's Ethiopian Serenaders and writers of the time noted that Master Juba's dancing utilized a potent mixture of jig, clog dancing, and African-American styles with unique rhythms. Because Europe was more accepting of Lane and his dancing, he became one of the first expatriate black dancers, never returning to the United States." Thank you Mr. Lane for all of your contributions and inspiration! Please click the link below and learn more about William Henry Lane "Master Juba". :-)  

http://www.danceheritage.org/juba.html

In 1842, Charles Dickens, fresh from a trip to New York City's Five Points section, was clearly impressed by a dancer many historians believe was Lane, described in his book AMERICAN NOTES. "Single shuffle, double shuffle, cut and crosscut: snapping his fingers, rolling his eyes, turning in his knees, presenting the backs of his legs in front, spinning about on his toes and heels like nothing ... dancing with two left legs, two right legs, two wooden legs, two wire legs, two spring legs -- all sorts of legs and no legs -- what is this to him?"

December 21st is Josh Gibson Day!!!

December 21st is Josh Gibson Day!!! 

"In black baseball, only Satchel Paige was a better-known personality than Josh Gibson. A natural hitter, the right-handed slugger hit for both distance and average, and was the standard against whom other hitters were measured.Gibson was aptly titled "the black Babe Ruth," and his indomitable presence in the batter's box personified power and electrified a crowd. The slugger's rolled up left sleeve revealed the latent strength in his massive arm muscles, and his eyes riveted the pitcher from beneath a turned up cap bill as he awaited the pitch with a casual confidence. Hitting from a semi-crouched, flat- footed stance and without striding, he generated a compact swing that produced tape measure home runs with such regularity that they came to be expected as the norm." Thank you Mr. Gibson for all of your contributions and inspiration! Please click the link below and learn more about Josh Gibson. :-) 

http://coe.k-state.edu/annex/nlbemuseum/history/players/gibsonj.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NJL-2akceR8

"I played with Willie Mays and against Hank Aaron," Hall of Famer Monte Irvin once said. "They were tremendous players, but they were no Josh Gibson."

December 19th is Carter G. Woodson Day!!!

December 19th is Carter G. Woodson Day!!! 

"During the dawning decades of the twentieth century, it was commonly presumed that black people had little history besides the subjugation of slavery.  Today, it is clear that blacks have significantly impacted the development of the social, political, and economic structures of the United States and the world.  Credit for the evolving awareness of the true place of blacks in history can, in large part, be bestowed on one man, Carter G. Woodson.  And, his brainchild the Association for the Study of African American Life and History, Inc. is continuing Woodson’s tradition of disseminating information about black life, history and culture to the global community. Known as the “Father of Black History,” Woodson (1875-1950) was the son of former slaves, and understood how important gaining a proper education is when striving to secure and make the most out of one’s divine right of freedom. Although he did not begin his formal education until he was 20 years old, his dedication to study enabled him to earn a high school diploma in West Virginia and bachelor and master’s degrees from the University of Chicago in just a few years.  In 1912, Woodson became the second African American to earn a PhD at Harvard University." Thank you Mr. Woodson for all of your contributions and inspiration! Please click the link below and learn more about Carter G. Woodson. :-)

http://asalh.org/woodsonbiosketch.html

"When you control a man's thinking you do not have to worry about his actions." - Carter G. Woodson

December 19th is Reggie White Day!!!

December 19th is Reggie White Day!!! 

"Reggie White earned the nickname "The Minister of Defense" as a senior at Tennessee. The moniker surely had to do with something more than the fact that he became an ordained minister at the age of 17. That became instantly apparent when he began his pro football career. White, who spent two seasons in the ill-fated United States Football League, made a memorable debut in the National Football League with the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 4 of the 1985 season. He collected 2.5 sacks, and deflected a pass that was intercepted and returned for touchdown. Despite the fact he played in only 13 games that season, White tied for the team lead with 13 sacks and was named the NFL's Defensive Rookie of the Year. The following season, White picked up 18 more sacks to earn his first of an astounding 13 straight Pro Bowl trips." Thank you Mr. White for all of your contributions and inspiration! Please click the link below and learn more about Reggie White. :-)  

http://www.profootballhof.com/hof/member.aspx?PLAYER_ID=257

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MO2r0Vm8keQ

"One thing that I don't think my critics realize about me is that I've been trained to look adversity in the face." - Reggie White

December 19th is Cicely Tyson Day!!!

December 19th is Cicely Tyson Day!!! 

"Cicely Tyson was born in New York City on December 19, 1924 (though some say 1933 and most say it's unsure). While building her acting career, Tyson took a stand about the quality and depth of the roles she would accept. Though this meant she sometimes didn't work, Tyson still became a successful actress. She has won accolades and awards for her performances on TV, on the stage and in film, with credits including Sounder, Roots, The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman and The Help. Tyson has won two Emmy Awards and a Tony Award, among other honors, over the course of her acting career. She was inducted into the Black Filmmakers Hall of Fame in 1977." Thank you Ms. Tyson for all of your contributions and inspiration! Please click the link below and learn more about Cicely Tyson. :-)  

http://www.biography.com/people/cicely-tyson-9512950

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQjB6KK33Jg

"Challenges make you discover things about yourself that you never really knew." - Cicely Tyson

December 18th is Benjamin O. Davis Jr. Day!!!

December 18th is Benjamin O. Davis Jr. Day!!! 

"Benjamin O. Davis, Jr. is remembered for many things: Being the first Black Air Force General, leading the Tuskegee Airmen flight squadron and standing up to the military establishment in advancing the cause of Black soldiers. More than that, he is a symbol of the ability of a Black man to persevere through obstacles on the path towards excellence." Thank you Mr. Davis Jr. for all of your contributions and inspiration! Please click the link below and learn more about Benjamin O. Davis Jr. :-)  

http://www.greatblackheroes.com/government/benjamin-o-davis-jr/

''Living as a prisoner in solitary confinement for four years had not destroyed my personality, nor poisoned my attitude toward other people,'' he would write in recalling his thoughts upon graduating. ''I had even managed to keep a sense of humor about the situation; when my father told me of my many supporters, the many people who were pulling for me, I said, 'It's a pity none of them were at West Point.' ''

December 18th is Fletcher Henderson Day!!!

December 18th is Fletcher Henderson Day!!! 

"Fletcher Henderson was the brother of Horace Henderson and led the most important of the pioneering big bands, which helped to set the pattern for most later big jazz bands playing arranged music." Thank you Mr. Henderson for all of your contributions and inspiration! Please click the link below and learn more about Fletcher Henderson. :-) 

http://www.pbs.org/jazz/biography/artist_id_henderson_fletcher.htm

"Playing with that band was the acid test. If you could make it with Fletcher, you could play with anybody." - Musician Benny Carter

December 17th is Queen Nzingha Mbande Day

December 17th is Queen Nzingha Mbande Day

I usually always post only completely positive people, but I have realized that knowing some of the not so great things are important as well, so that lessons can be learned from the mistakes of the past. This is not necessarily a day of celebration, but a day of awareness of what the consequences are of giving even just a little bit to your enemies, even if you do have good intentions and think it is going to help your people!  It can turn into centuries of war and hardship! Nothing wrong with trying to work with people, but when you compromise your people and your way of life it never turns out good and Queen Nzingha did learn this, but too late and then had to spend the rest of her life fighting and generations after her had to continue to fight as well. 

"In the first of a series of meetings Nzinga sought to establish her equality with the representative of the Portugal crown.  Noting that the only chair in the room belonged to Governor Corria, she immediately motioned to one of her assistants who fell on her hands and knees and served as a chair for Nzinga for the rest of the meeting. Despite that display, Nzinga made accommodations with the Portuguese.  She converted to Christianity and adopted the name Dona Anna de Souza.  She was baptized in honor of the governor's wife who also became her godmother.  Shortly afterwards Nzinga urged a reluctant Ngola Mbande to order the conversion of his people to Christianity. In 1626 Nzinga became Queen of the Mbundu when her brother committed suicide in the face of rising Portuguese demands for slave trade concessions.  Nzinga, however, refused to allow them to control her nation.  In 1627, after forming alliances with former rival states, she led her army against the Portuguese, initiating a thirty year war against them.  She exploited European rivalry by forging an alliance with the Dutch who had conquered Luanda in 1641. With their help, Nzinga defeated a Portuguese army in 1647.  When the Dutch were in turn defeated by the Portuguese the following year and withdrew from Central Africa, Nzinga continued her struggle against the Portuguese.  Now in her 60s she still personally led troops in battle.   She also orchestrated guerilla attacks on the Portuguese which would continue long after her death and inspire the ultimately successful 20th Century armed resistance against the Portuguese that resulted in independent Angola in 1975." Please click the link below and learn more about Queen Nzingha Mbande. 

http://www.blackpast.org/gah/queen-nzinga-1583-1663

December 14th is John Mercer Langston Day!!!

December 14th is John Mercer Langston Day!!! 

"He became actively involved in the antislavery movement, organizing antislavery societies locally and at the state level. He helped runaway slaves to escape to the North along the Ohio part of the Underground Railroad. In 1855 Langston became the country's first black elected official when he was elected town clerk of the Brownhelm Township. He was a founding member and president of the National Equal Rights League, which fought for black voting rights. During the Civil War Langston recruited African Americans to fight for the Union Army. After the war, he was appointed inspector general for the Freedmen's Bureau, a federal organization that helped freed slaves." Thank you Mr. Langston for all of your contributions and inspiration! Please click the link below and learn more about John Mercer Langston.  :-)

http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0886866.html

"A nation may lose its liberties and be a century in finding it out. Where is the American liberty? ... In its far-reaching and broad sweep, slavery has stricken down the freedom of us all." - John Mercer Langston

December 13th is Ella Baker Day!!!

December 13th is Ella Baker Day!!! 

"Born in 1903 in Norfolk, Virginia, Ella Baker became involved in political activism in the 1930s. She organized the Young Negroes Cooperative League in New York City, and later became a national director for the NAACP. In 1957, Baker joined the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, whose first president was Martin Luther King, Jr. She also worked with the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee to support civil rights activism on college campuses. Baker died in New York City in 1986." Thank you Ms. Baker for all of your contributions and inspiration! Please click the link below and learn more about Ella Baker. :-)  

http://www.biography.com/people/ella-baker-9195848

"Strong people don't need strong leaders." - Ella Baker

December 13th is William Lloyd Garrison Day!!!

December 13th is William Lloyd Garrison Day!!! 

"The son of a merchant sailing master, William Lloyd Garrison was born in Newburyport, Massachusetts, in 1805. Due in large measure to the Embargo Act, which Congress had passed in 1807, the Garrison family fell on hard times while William was still young. In 1808 William's father deserted the family, forcing them to scrounge for food from more prosperous families and forcing William to work, selling homemade molasses candy and delivering wood. In 1818, after suffering through various apprenticeships, Garrison began work for the Newburyport Herald as a writer and editor. This job and subsequent newspaper jobs would give the young Garrison the skills he would utilize so expertly when he later published his own paper.  When he was 25, Garrison joined the Abolition movement. He became associated with the American Colonization Society, an organization that believed free blacks should emigrate to a territory on the west coast of Africa. At first glance the society seemed to promote the freedom and happiness of blacks. There certainly were members who encouraged the manumission (granting of freedom) to slaves. However, it turned out that the number of members advocating manumission constituted a minority. Most members had no wish to free slaves; their goal was only to reduce the numbers of free blacks in the country and thus help preserve the institution of slavery."  Thank you Mr. Garrison for all of your contributions and inspiration! Please click the link below and learn more about William Lloyd Garrison. :-)  

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part4/4p1561.html

"With reasonable men, I will reason; with humane men I will plead; but to tyrants I will give no quarter, nor waste arguments where they will certainly be lost." - William Lloyd Garrison

December 10th is Human Rights Day!!!

December 10th is Human Rights Day!!! 

"All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood. This is Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on December 10, 1948. As the first universal instrument recognizing the inherent dignity of every member of the human family, the Declaration embodied centuries of thinking – it marked also the start of concerted global efforts to realise human rights in all circumstances. A major step was taken in 1993, with the creation of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. Adopted 20 years ago, the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action remain sharply relevant today, reaffirming the universality of human rights, their inter-relatedness and importance for development. Great strides have been taken since then, but full respect for the exercise of human rights remains elusive."

Please click the link below and learn more about Human Rights Day. 

http://www.unesco.org/new/en/unesco/events/prizes-and-celebrations/celebrations/international-days/human-rights-day-2013/

December 8th is Sammy Davis Jr. Day!!!

December 8th is Sammy Davis Jr. Day!!! 

"For a staggering 60 years, from his debut as a four year old child star in the late 1920′s to his untimely death in 1990 at the age of 64, he more than justified his title of ‘Mr Entertainment’ and when he wasn’t inspiring headlines on stage he was making news of it, as a founder member of the Rat Pack with fellow superstars Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin. It’s impossible in the space allotted to do more than scratch the surface of one of showbiz’s all time greats. Thankfully, Sammy Davis Jr left no fewer than three detailed accounts of life at the top. ‘Yes I Can’ (1965) and ‘Life In A Suitcase’ (1980) were followed by ‘Why Me’, published the year before his death. All are required reading." Thank you Mr. Davis Jr. for all of your contributions and inspiration! Please click the link below and learn more about Sammy Davis Jr. :-) 

http://www.sammydavis-jr.com/#!http://www.sammydavis-jr.com/bio/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j8LufqHy_Nk

"You always have two choices: your commitment versus your fear." - Sammy Davis Jr.

December 5th is Little Richard Day!!!

December 5th is Little Richard Day!!! 

"He claims to be “the architect of rock and roll,” and history would seem to bear out Little Richard’s boast. More than any other performer - Little Richard blew the lid off the Fifties, laying the foundation for rock and roll with his explosive music and charismatic persona. On record, he made spine-tingling rock and roll. His frantically charged piano playing and raspy, shouted vocals on such classics as “Tutti Frutti,” “Long Tall Sally” and “Good Golly, Miss Molly” defined the dynamic sound of rock and roll. Onstage, he’d deliver wild, piano-pounding epistles while costumed in sequined vests, mascara, lipstick, and a pompadour that shook with every thundering beat. His road band, the Upsetters, has been credited by James Brown and others with first putting the funk in the rock and roll beat." Thank you Mr. Richard for all of your contributions and inspiration! Please click the link below and learn more about Little Richard. :-) 

http://rockhall.com/inductees/little-richard/bio/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QFL047fmsgg

"Greed has taken the whole universe, and nobody is worried about their soul." - Little Richard

December 5th is Bill Pickett Day!!!

December 5th is Bill Pickett Day!!! 

"William (Will, Bill) Pickett was a legendary cowboy from Taylor, Texas of black and Indian descent. He was born December 5, 1870, at the Jenks-Branch community on the Travis County line. He died April 2, 1932, near Ponca City, Oklahoma. From 1905 to 1931, the Miller brothers' 101 Ranch Wild West Show was one of the great shows in the tradition begun by William F. "Buffalo Bill" Cody in 1883. The 101 Ranch Show introduced bulldogging (steer wrestling), an exciting rodeo event invented by Bill Pickett, one of the show's stars.Riding his horse, Spradley, Pickett came alongside a Longhorn steer, dropped to the steer's head, twisted its head toward the sky, and bit its upper lip to get full control. Cowdogs of the Bulldog breed were known to bite the lips of cattle to subdue them. That's how Pickett's technique got the name "bulldogging." As the event became more popular among rodeo cowboys, the lip biting became increasingly less popular until it disappeared from steer wrestling altogether. Bill Pickett, however, became an immortal rodeo cowboy, and his fame has grown since his death." Thank you Mr. Pickett for all of your contributions and inspiration! Please click the link below and learn more about Bill Pickett. :-)  

http://www.blackcowboys.com/billpickett.htm

December 4th is Wayne Frost "Frosty Freeze" Day!!!

December 4th is Wayne Frost "Frosty Freeze" Day!!! 

I did not have the pleasure of meeting Mr. Wayne Frost aka "The Freeze to Please" before he passed away, but have heard nothing but amazing and wonderful things about him!  Everyone that speaks about him says he was the nicest guy and he did a lot to help and support the Bboy and Hiphop community. For those who are wondering who is this Frosty Freeze you are talking about, he was a Bboy and dancer during the late 70's and beyond.  He was a part of the influential crew Rock Steady Crew in the 80's and did many performances and battles. He was also in many movies with dance in the 80's and performed to a bunch of music artists as well, but to me the best thing he did was help and teach more generations of people to dance and about the culture. The one I love was actually one of his students when he was very young in the late 70's and looked up to Frosty like a big brother.  His approach to the dance was unique in his own style and in the way he taught others as well.  He taught the foundation and moves, but always told people to make the moves their own, change, add to it, and make the dance your own!!!  I was really hoping to talk with and meet this great and influential man and am very sadden that I was not able to, but I know he will never be forgotten and his legacy and life will never be forgotten! Thank you Mr. Frost for all of your contributions and inspiration! Please click the link below and learn more about Frosty Freeze. :-) 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=am02p5n8qjg

"I'll be remembered as a Bboy, but I'll live and die as a Human" - Frosty Freeze

December 2nd is International Day for the Abolition of Slavery!!!

December 2nd is International Day for the Abolition of Slavery!!! 

"The International Day for the Abolition of Slavery, 2 December, marks the date of the adoption, by the General Assembly, of the United Nations Convention for the Suppression of the Traffic in Persons and of the Exploitation of the Prostitution of Others (resolution 317(IV) of 2 December 1949).The focus of this day is on eradicating contemporary forms of slavery, such as trafficking in persons, sexual exploitation, the worst forms of child labour, forced marriage, and the forced recruitment of children for use in armed conflict.Today, 21 million women, men and children are trapped in slavery all over the world. The International Labour Organization (ILO) has teamed up with prominent artists, athletes and advocates in its new campaign to End Slavery Now."

Please click the link below and learn more about International Day for the Abolition of Slavery and the End Slavery Now campaign. 

http://www.un.org/en/events/slaveryabolitionday/

http://www.iloartworks.org/take-action/take-action-against-forced-labour/

December 1st is Richard Pryor Day!!!

December 1st is Richard Pryor Day!!! 

"From Peoria, Illinois poverty to Hollywood affluence. From abandonment by his mother to adoration from millions of fans. From a childhood in a brothel to eight marriages (twice to the same woman) and seven children. From tragedy to triumph and back again, Richard Pryor has earned the status of Legend as a masterful storyteller, a multi-talented entertainer, a comic of acerbic wit, and a survivor with no self-pity. Born December 1, 1940, Richard Franklin Lennox Thomas Pryor III became one of the most influential comedians in the history of comedy. Few comics today will talk about their own careers without mentioning the inspiration they received from Pryor. A talented yet controversial man, most people either love him unconditionally or hate him passionately — but few ignore him." Thank you Mr. Pryor for all of your contributions and inspiration! Please click the link below and learn more about Richard Pryor. :-)

http://richardpryor.com/biography.php

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mmZm2HBMtTQ

"I believe the ability to think is blessed. If you can think about a situation, you can deal with it. The big struggle is to keep your head clear enough to think." - Richard Pryor 

December 1st is World Aids Day!!!

December 1st is World Aids Day!!! 

"World AIDS Day is held on 1 December each year and is an opportunity for people worldwide to unite in the fight against HIV, show their support for people living with HIV and to commemorate people who have died. World AIDS Day was the first ever global health day and the first one was held in 1988."

Please click the link below and learn more about World Aids Day. :-)

http://www.worldaidsday.org/about-world-aids-day.php

November 30th is Bo Jackson Day!!!

November 30th is Bo Jackson Day!!! 

He is considered the Greatest Athlete of All-time by ESPN's Sports Science and also by many people including myself.  It was unfortunate he was not able to show the world more, but even the time he played he showed the world what a true overall athlete is and what he is capable of! "Bo Jackson played in both the NFL and MLB. Recruited by the New York Yankees in high school, Jackson instead entered Auburn University, where he led his football team to a Sugar Bowl victory and also qualified for the U.S. Olympic track and field team. He joined MLB in 1986 and later joined the NFL and the L.A. Raiders in 1991, where he played for four years until an injury ended his career." Thank you Mr. Jackson for all of your contributions and inspiration! Please click the link below and learn more about Bo Jackson. :-)  

http://www.biography.com/people/bo-jackson-537692

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H0GCixb2QjI

"Set your goals high, and don't stop till you get there." - Bo Jackson

November 30th is Gordon Parks Day!!!

November 30th is Gordon Parks Day!!! 

"Gordon Parks was one of the seminal figures of twentieth century photography. A humanitarian with a deep commitment to social justice, he left behind a body of work that documents many of the most important aspects of American culture from the early 1940s up until his death in 2006, with a focus on race relations, poverty, Civil Rights, and urban life. In addition, Parks was also a celebrated composer, author, and filmmaker who interacted with many of the most prominent people of his era—from politicians and artists to celebrities and athletes." Thank you Mr. Parks for all of your contributions and inspiration! Please click the link below and learn more about Gordon Parks. :-)  

http://www.gordonparksfoundation.org/biography/

"I'd become sort of involved in things that were happening to people. No matter what color they be, whether they be Indians, or Negroes, the poor white person or anyone who was I thought more or less getting a bad shake." - Gordon Parks

November 30th is Shirley Chisholm Day!!!

November 30th is Shirley Chisholm Day!!! 

"Born in Brooklyn, New York, in 1924, Shirley Chisholm is best known for becoming the first black congresswoman (1968), representing New York State in the U.S. House of Representatives for seven terms. She went on to run for the 1972 Democratic nomination for the presidency—becoming the first major-party African-American candidate to do so. Throughout her political career, Chisholm fought for education opportunities and social justice. Chisholm left Congress in 1983 to teach. She died in Florida in 2005." Thank you Ms. Chisholm for all of your contributions and inspiration! Please click the link below and learn more about Shirley Chisholm. :-)  

http://www.biography.com/people/shirley-chisholm-9247015

"There is little place in the political scheme of things for an independent, creative personality, for a fighter. Anyone who takes that role must pay a price." - Shirley Chisholm

November 29th is Wendell Phillips Day!!!

November 29th is Wendell Phillips Day!!! 

"Wendell Phillips was a leading reformer of the 19th Century; as a driving force in Abolition, his fame and notoriety rivaled that of his dear friend, William Lloyd Garrison. It can be argued that while Garrison was the backbone of anti-slavery, Phillips was the Movement's voice. A frequent visitor to Concord, he was a moving and powerful speaker and his brilliance at the podium was highly effective in spreading the anti-slavery message. In an era known as the Golden Age of Oratory, Phillips stood out as a speaker." Thank you Mr. Phillips for all of your contributions and inspiration! Please click the link below and learn more about Wendell Phillips. :-)  

http://www.concordma.com/magazine/autumn02/slavery.html

"Two kinds of men generally best succeed in political life; men of no principle, but of great talent; and men of no talent, but of one principle - that of obedience to their superiors." - Wendell Phillips

November 28th is Charles Alston Day!!!

November 28th is Charles Alston Day!!! 

"Charles Alston was born in Charlotte, North Carolina in 1907 to the Reverend Primus Priss Alston and Anna Elizabeth Miller Alston. Alston’s father, who nicknamed him Spinky, died when Alston was three. His mother subsequently married Harry Bearden, uncle of Romare Bearden. In 1915, the family moved to Harlem, but Alston continued to spend summers in North Carolina until he was fifteen. As a teenager, Alston painted and sculpted from life, mastering an academic-realist style, and in 1925, he was offered a scholarship to the Yale School of Fine Arts, but attended Columbia University instead. In 1929, Alston received his BA with a concentration in fine arts, and decided to continue on for a master’s degree at Columbia University Teachers College, where he became increasingly interested in African art and aesthetics. While in graduate school, he taught at the Utopia Children’s House, where he became a mentor to Jacob Lawrence. After receiving his MA in 1931, Alston continued to work in the Harlem community, co-founding the Harlem Art Workshop in 1934. When the Workshop needed more space, he found it at 306 West 141st Street. Aided by funding from the Works Progress Administration (WPA), “306” (as it was known) became a center for the most creative minds in Harlem; regulars included Bearden, Lawrence, Augusta Savage, Richard Wright, Robert Blackburn, Countee Cullen, Ralph Ellison, and Gwendolyn Knight. In 1935, Alston became the first black supervisor in the Federal Art Project when he was assigned to direct the WPA’s Harlem Hospital murals." Thank you Mr. Alston for all of your contributions and inspiration! Please click the link below and learn more about Charles Alston. :-)  

http://www.michaelrosenfeldart.com/artists/charles-alston-1907-1977

“the basically important thing is making a good picture … out of what your experience has been, and mine has been the experience of a black man in a fairly racist country.” - Charles Alston

November 27th is Bruce Lee Day!!!

November 27th is Bruce Lee Day!!! 

"Bruce Lee was born on November 27, 1940, in San Francisco, California. He was a child actor in Hong Kong who later returned to the U.S. and taught martial arts. He starred in the TV series The Green Hornet (1966-67) and became a major box office draw in The Chinese Connection and Fists of Fury. Shortly before the release of his film Enter the Dragon, he died at the age of 32 on July 20, 1973." Thank you Mr. Lee for all of your contributions and inspiration! Please click the link below and learn more about Bruce Lee. :-)  

http://www.brucelee.com/legacy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Se1y2R5QRKU

"Always be yourself, express yourself, have faith in yourself, do not go out and look for a successful personality and duplicate it." - Bruce Lee

November 27th is Jimi Hendrix Day!!!

November 27th is Jimi Hendrix Day!!! 

"Widely recognized as one of the most creative and influential musicians of the 20th century, Jimi Hendrix pioneered the explosive possibilities of the electric guitar. Hendrix's innovative style of combining fuzz, feedback and controlled distortion created a new musical form. Because he was unable to read or write music, it is nothing short of remarkable that Jimi Hendrix's meteoric rise in the music took place in just four short years. His musical language continues to influence a host of modern musicians, from George Clinton to Miles Davis, and Steve Vai to Jonny Lang." Thank you Mr. Hendrix for all of your contributions and inspiration! Please click the link below and learn more about Jimi Hendrix. :-)

http://www.jimihendrix.com/us/jimi

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KfGyylmR-aI

"When the power of love overcomes the love of power the world will know peace." - Jimi Hendrix

November 26th is Marshall Walter "Major" Taylor Day!!!

November 26th is Marshall Walter "Major" Taylor Day!!! 

"Marshall Walter Taylor was born in Indianapolis, Indiana on November 26, 1878. He received his first bicycle from the wealthy white family that employed his father.He earned the nickname of "Major" because of the soldier's uniform he wore while performing cycling stunts for a bike shop in Indianapolis. While working in the bicycle factory of a white cyclist, Taylor won his first amateur race at the age of 13.It wasn't long before he was competing in international races. He became the American sprint champion at age 18 in 1898. He went on to repeat that victory two more times." Thank you Mr. Taylor for all of your contributions and inspiration! Please click the link below and learn more about Marshall Walter "Major" Taylor. :-)

http://www.majortaylorminnesota.org/aboutmt.htm

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=12DSm9g0H_U

"Life is too short for a man to hold bitterness in his heart." - Marshall Walter "Major" Taylor  

November 26th is Fred "Tiz" Morrison Day!!!

November 26th is Fred "Tiz" Morrison Day!!! 

"Back then, Fred “Tiz” Morrison was part of what were called the Frogmen, members of the Underwater Demolition Team which fathered what we know now as the US Navy SEALs. He was a veteran of the Second World War and was part of the UDT Team 1 in 1948. His official rank is US Navy Ensign 2, and was a recipient of the Bronze Star during the Korean War as part of UDT Team 12. There is little information on the life of Tiz Morrison. He has since passed on, but he will always be remembered as the first African-American Navy SEAL." Thank you Mr. Morrison for all of your contributions and inspiration! Please click the link below and learn more about Fred "Tiz" Morrison. :-)  

http://blog.usnavyseals.com/2008/11/change-has-come.html

November 25th is William DeHart Hubbard Day!!!

November 25th is William DeHart Hubbard Day!!! 

"A University of Michigan graduate, he competed in both the 1924 and 1928 Olympic Games. His long-jump victory in the 1924 Paris Olympics made him the first Black athlete to win an Olympic gold medal in an individual event. His winning long jump of 24 ft. 5 in. was somewhat overshadowed by the performance of U.S. teammate John Legendre the day before. Legendre, who had failed to make the squad as a long jumper, set a world record with a 25 ft. 5.75 in. leap while competing in the pentathlon. Hubbard closed out his University of Michigan career in 1925 with a series of spectacular performances." Thank you Mr. Hubbard for all of your contributions and inspiration! Please click the link below and learn more about William DeHart Hubbard. :-) 

 http://www.aaregistry.org/historic_events/view/william-hubbard-olympic-first

"It wasn't very fashionable for blacks to attend college," explained DeHart. "Very few of my boyhood playmates and high school chums went past high school. I was the only black on the Michigan track team those four years, and rarely competed against others, even in national meets. In the Big Ten, Iowa and Michigan State had a few in either football or track. Only four of us made the 1924 Olympic team. My, how times have changed. Today you have to be a world champion to get attention, but when I competed that wasn't true. If you were black and on a college team you got a lot of publicity."

November 24th is Bessie Blount Day!!!

November 24th is Bessie Blount Day!!! 

"Bessie Virginia Blount lead a remarkable life that began in Hickory, Virginia, where she was born on November 24, 1914. She would go on to make significant breakthroughs in assistive technologies and forensic science, becoming a role model for women and African Americans for her pioneering work. She became a practicing physical therapist, and, after World War II ended, many soldiers returned from the frontlines as amputees. As part of her physical therapy work, Blount taught veterans who did not have use of their hands and feet new ways to perform basic tasks. One major challenge for people in this condition is eating. It was important to many of them to be able to feed themselves to gain a feeling of independence and self-esteem. Blount came up with a device that that consisted of a tube that delivered individual bites of food to the patient at his or her own pace. All he or she needed to do was bite down on the tube for the next morsel to be delivered to the mouthpiece. An attached machine would deliver the next mouthful on cue. Later, while living in Newark, New Jersey, practicing physical therapy, and teaching at Bronx Hospital in New York, she also created a simpler device that employed a neck brace with built-in support for a food receptacle such as a bowl, cup or dish. For this, she received a patent under her married name, Bessie Griffin, in 1951." Thank you Ms. Blount for all of your contributions and inspiration! Please click the link below and learn more about Bessie Blount. :-) 

http://web.mit.edu/invent/iow/blount.html

"A Black woman can invent something for the benefit of human kind." - Bessie Blount

November 23rd is Mestre Bimba Day!!!

November 23rd is Mestre Bimba Day!!! 

"Mestre Bimba is the father of the style of Capoeira known as Regional. He was born Manuel dos Reis Machado in 1900; he was also born with the nickname "Bimba" as a result of a bet between his mother and the midwife about the sex of the baby. When he was born, the midwife cried "He is a boy! Look at his bimba [Penis]!". Bimba was taught Capoeira from the age of twelve by a ship's captain, an African named Bentinho. Despite the intense pressure of Capoeira still being illegal, Bimba practiced and even demonstrated Capoeira, keeping the art alive. After performances for the governor of Bahí­a and even the president of Brazil, rather than being arrested, Bimba was given permission to open a recognized, legal school of Capoeira." Thank you Mr. Bimba for all of your contributions and inspiration! Please click the link below and learn more about Mestre Bimba. :-)

http://capoeira.union.rpi.edu/history.php?chapter=Bimba

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XIMUA0z8R78

“I challenged all the tough guys” - Mestre Bimba

November 22nd is Guion Bluford Day!!!

November 22nd is Guion Bluford Day!!! 

"Guion S. Bluford was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on November 22, 1942. Bluford became the first African American to travel in space in 1983, as a mission specialist aboard the space shuttle Challenger. He later participated in three other missions. His career began as a pilot in the U.S. Air Force, flying 144 missions during the Vietnam War, before becoming a NASA astronaut in 1979." Thank you Mr. Bluford for all of your contributions and inspiration! Please click the link below and learn more about Guion Bluford. :-)

http://www.biography.com/people/guion-s-bluford-213031

"I felt an awesome responsibility, and I took the responsibility very seriously, of being a role model and opening another door to black Americans, but the important thing is not that I am black, but that I did a good job as a scientist and an astronaut." - Guion Bluford

November 21st is Coleman Hawkins Day!!!

November 21st is Coleman Hawkins Day!!! 

"From the Classic Jazz period to the Swing Era one player had a virual monopoly on the tenor sax, that man being Coleman Hawkins, a.k.a., the Hawk or the Bean. Hawkins (born 1904, St. Joseph, Mo.) was not the first Jazzman to play the tenor but he was the leader in transforming it into a fully expressive, hard driving Jazz instrument. Following a ten year period of getting the hang of that confounded contraption, the Hawk went on to a fifty year career filled with near flawless playing as leader of his own groups as well as with an amazing variety of other combos. He was an inspiration to dozens of top notch Jazz tenor men." Thank you Mr. Hawkins for all of your contributions and inspiration! Please click the link below and learn more about Coleman Hawkins. :-)  

http://www.redhotjazz.com/hawkinsaticle.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Q7J4PgrRsY

"If you don't make mistakes, you aren't really trying." - Coleman Hawkins

November 20th is Zumbi dos Palmares Day!!!

November 20th is Zumbi dos Palmares Day!!! 

Zumbi is celebrated on this day because it is the date of his death and since the 1960's it has been celebrated in Brasil as Black Awareness Day (or Black Conscious Day, portuegese: Dia Nacional da Consciência Negra)."Zumbi dos Palmares was born free in the Palmares region of Brazil in the year 1655, the last of the military leaders of the Quilombo (Kimbundu word: "kilombo," of the North Mbundu Bantu language in Angola, meaning "warrior village or settlement") of Palmares. The Quilombo dos Palmares were a free society (free born, maroons, or refugee slave), an old South American republic, which included the present day Brazilian coastal state of Alagoas, Brazil. Today, Zumbi is known as one of the great historic leaders of Brazil." Thank you Mr. Zumbi for all of your contributions and inspiration! Please click the link below and learn more about Zumbi dos Palmares. :-)  

http://www.blackhistoryheroes.com/2010/05/zumbi-dos-palmares.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=naPFF3UGixo

November 20th is Bobby Kennedy Day!!!

November 20th is Bobby Kennedy Day!!! 

"Robert Kennedy was born in Brookline, Massachusetts, on November 20, 1925. After managing his brother John's presidential campaign, Robert was appointed Attorney General of the United States in 1960. As AG, he fought organized crime and was a key supporter of the civil rights movement. After JFK's assassination, Robert was elected to the U.S. Senate representing the state of New York. RFK was himself assassinated on June 5, 1968, during the California Democratic presidential primary." Thank you Mr. Kennedy for all of your contributions and inspiration! Please click the link below and learn more about Bobby Kennedy. :-)  

http://www.biography.com/people/robert-kennedy-9363052

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GoKzCff8Zbs

"People say I am ruthless. I am not ruthless. And if I find the man who is calling me ruthless, I shall destroy him." - Bobby Kennedy