September 24th is Joe Greene Day!!!

September 24th is Joe Greene Day!!! 

"Charles Edward Greene, known as "Mean Joe" Greene, (born September 24, 1946) played his entire NFL career for the Pittsburgh Steelers (1969-1981). He is considered by many to be one of the greatest defensive linemen ever and was the cornerstone of the legendary "Steel Curtain" defense. He is a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame and a four-time Super Bowl champion. His nickname, "Mean Joe Greene" stems from his alma mater, the University of North Texas' athletic teams, which are nicknamed the Mean Green. Greene is also well known for his appearance in the "Mean Joe Greene" Coca-Cola commercial in 1979, considered to be one of the all-time best Super Bowl commercials." Thank you Mr. Greene for all of your contributions and inspiration! Please click the link below and learn more about Joe Greene. 

http://meanjoegreene75.com/bio.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hC0SLa0cROg&list=TLX8YkE_zlYd0

"I'm not a theatrics guy who does things for effect. Whatever comes out is what I feel. It just comes out." - Joe Greene

September 24th is Heritage Day!!!

September 24th is Heritage Day!!!

"Heritage Day is one of the newly created South African public holidays. It is a day in which all are encouraged to celebrate their cultural traditions in the wider context of the great diversity of cultures, beliefs, and traditions that make up the nation of South Africa. In KwaZulu-Natal, the 24th of September was formerly known as Shaka Day, in commemoration of the legendary Zulu king, King Shaka Zulu. When the proposed Public Holidays Bill before the New South African Parliament omitted Shaka Day, Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP), a South African political party with a large Zulu membership, objected to the bill. A compromise was reached when it was decided to create a day where all South Africans could observe and celebrate their diverse cultural heritage."

Please click the link below and learn more about Heritage Day.

http://www.sahistory.org.za/cultural-heritage-religion/national-heritage-day

In an address marking Heritage Day in 1996, former President Nelson Mandela stated: "When our first democratically-elected government decided to make Heritage Day one of our national days, we did so because we knew that our rich and varied cultural heritage has a profound power to help build our new nation."

September 23rd is Ray Charles Day!!!

September 23rd is Ray Charles Day!!! 

"Born in Georgia in 1930, Ray Charles was a legendary musician who pioneered the genre of soul music during the 1950s. Often called the "Father of Soul," Charles combined blues, gospel and jazz to create groundbreaking hits such as "Unchain My Heart," "Hit the Road Jack" and "Georgia on My Mind." He died in 2004, leaving a lasting impression on contemporary music." Thank you Mr. Charles for all of your contributions and inspiration! Please click the link below and learn more about Ray Charles. :-) 

http://www.biography.com/people/ray-charles-9245001

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L-5LwRinkJ0

"I was born with music inside me. Music was one of my parts. Like my ribs, my kidneys, my liver, my heart. Like my blood. It was a force already within me when I arrived on the scene. It was a necessity for me-like food or water." - Ray Charles

September 23rd is John Coltrane Day!!!

September 23rd is John Coltrane Day!!! 

"Merely mention the name John Coltrane and you’re likely to evoke a deeply emotional, often spiritual response from even the most casual jazz fan. Born September 23, 1926 in Hamlet, North Carolina, John Coltrane was always surrounded by music. His father played several instruments sparking Coltrane’s study of E-flat horn and clarinet. While in high school, Coltrane’s musical influences shifted to the likes of Lester Young and Johnny Hodges prompting him to switch to alto saxophone. He continued his musical training in Philadelphia at Granoff Studios and the Ornstein School of Music. He was called to military service during WWII, where he performed in the U.S. Navy Band in Hawaii." Thank you Mr. Coltrane for all of your contributions and inspiration! Please click the link below and learn more about John Coltrane. :-)

http://www.johncoltrane.com/biography.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zH3JpqhpkXg

"I want to be a force for real good. In other words. I know that there are bad forces, forces that bring suffering to others and misery to the world, but I want to be the opposite force. I want to be the force which is truly for good." - John Coltrane

September 23rd is Mary Church Terrell Day!!!

September 23rd is Mary Church Terrell Day!!! 

"Mary Church Terrell was born on September 23, 1863, in Memphis, Tennessee. The daughter of small-business owners who were former slaves, she attended Oberlin College. Terrell was a suffragist and the first president of the National Association of Colored Women and—at the suggestion of W.E.B. Du Bois—a charter member of the NAACP. She died in 1954." Thank you Mr. Terrell for all of your contributions and inspiration! Please click the link below and learn more about Mary Church Terrell. :-)  

http://www.biography.com/people/mary-church-terrell-9504299

"I cannot help wondering sometimes what I might have become and might have done if I had lived in a country which had not circumscribed and handicapped me on account of my race, that had allowed me to reach any height I was able to attain." - Mary Church Terrell

September 21st is Buffalo Soldiers Day!!!

September 21st is Buffalo Soldiers Day!!! 

" 'Buffalo soldiers' is a nickname originally applied to the members of the U.S. 10th Cavalry Regiment of the U.S. Army, given to them by the Native American tribes they fought. Formed on September 21, 1866, at Fort Leavenworth, Kan., the term eventually was applied to these other units: the U.S. 9th Cavalry Regiment, the U.S. 10th Cavalry Regiment , the 24th Infantry Regiment, the 25th Infantry Regiment, the 27th Cavalry Regiment  and the 28th Cavalry Regiment. Although several Black regiments were established to fight alongside the Union Army during the Civil War, the "Buffalo Soldiers" were established by Congress as the first peacetime all-Black regiments in the regular U.S. Army." Thank you Buffalo Soldiers for all of your contributions and inspiration! Please click the link below and learn more about the Buffalo Soldiers. :-)

http://www.blackhistory.com/content/63529/buffalo-soldiers

9th Cavalry Motto: "WE CAN: WE WILL" 
10th Cavalry Motto: "READY AND FORWARD" 

September 20th is John Henry Day!!!

September 20th is John Henry Day!!! 

There are a lot of stories about John Henry and some about him just being a legend/folklore and others that he was a real man.  I personally believe he was real and amazing (whether he did all the folklore says or not, I believe he was still an amazing man).  Since there is no record of his birth or anything I have chosen to honor him on this day because this is the day it is believed that he raced against a steam hammer and won. "One among a legion of blacks just freed from the war, John Henry went to work rebuilding the Southern states whose territory had been ravaged by the Civil War. The period became known as the Reconstruction, a reunion of the nation under one government after the Confederacy lost the war. The war conferred equal civil and political rights on blacks, sending thousands upon thousands of men into the workforce, mostly in deplorable conditions and for poor wages. As far as anyone can determine, John Henry was hired as a steel-driver for the C&O Railroad, a wealthy company that was extending its line from the Chesapeake Bay to the Ohio Valley. Steel drivers, also known as a hammer man, would spend their workdays driving holes into rock by hitting thick steel drills or spikes. The hammer man always had a partner, known as a shaker or turner, who would crouch close to the hole and rotate the drill after each blow. The C&O's new line was moving along quickly, until Big Bend Mountain emerged to block its path. The mile-and-a-quarter-thick mountain was too vast to build around. So the men were told they had drive their drills through it, through its belly. It took 1,000 men three years to finish. The work was treacherous. Visibility was negligible and the air inside the developing tunnel was thick with noxious black smoke and dust. Hundreds of men would lose their lives to Big Bend before it was over, their bodies piled into makeshift, sandy graves just steps outside the mountain. John Henry was one of them. As the story goes, John Henry was the strongest, fastest, most powerful man working on the rails. He used a 14-pound hammer to drill, some historians believe, 10 to 20 feet in a 12-hour day - the best of any man on the rails." Thank you Mr. Henry for all of your contributions and inspiration! Please click the link below and learn more about John Henry. :-) 

http://www.ibiblio.org/john_henry/analysis.html

September 17th is Harriet Tubman Day!!!

September 17th is Harriet Tubman Day!!! 

This is the day when Harriet escaped from slavery. "Harriet Tubman was an American bondwoman who escaped from slavery in the South to become a leading abolitionist before the American Civil War. She was born in Maryland in 1820, and successfully escaped in 1849. Yet she returned many times to rescue both family members and non-relatives from the plantation system. She led hundreds to freedom in the North as the most famous "conductor" on the Underground Railroad, an elaborate secret network of safe houses organized for that purpose." Thank you Mr. Tubman for all of your contributions and inspiration! Please click the link below and learn more about Harriet Tubman. :-) 

http://www.biography.com/people/harriet-tubman-9511430

"Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world." - Harriet Tubman

September 16th is Henry Louis Gates, Jr. Day!!!

September 16th is Henry Louis Gates, Jr. Day!!! 

"Henry Louis Gates, Jr. is the Alphonse Fletcher University Professor at Harvard University, as well as director of the W.E.B. Du Bois Institute for African and African American Research. He is the author most recently of Black in Latin America (New York University Press, 2011) and Faces of America (New York University Press, 2010), which expand on his critically acclaimed PBS documentaries, and Tradition and the Black Atlantic: Criticism in the African Diaspora (Basic Books, 2010). He is the co-editor of Call and Response: Key Debates in African American Studies (W. W. Norton, 2011). His four-hour documentary, Black in Latin America, aired on PBS in April and May." Thank you Mr. Gates Jr. for all of your contributions and inspiration! Please click the link below and learn more about Henry Louis Gates, Jr. :-)

http://www.fas.harvard.edu/~amciv/faculty/gates.shtml

http://video.pbs.org/video/1860580316/

"Let's face it - think of Africa, and the first images that come to mind are of war, poverty, famine and flies. How many of us really know anything at all about the truly great ancient African civilizations, which in their day, were just as splendid and glorious as any on the face of the earth?" - Hentry Louis Gates, Jr.

September 16th is B.B. King Day!!!

September 16th is B.B. King Day!!! 

"His reign as King of the Blues has been as long as that of any monarch on earth. Yet B.B. King continues to wear his crown well. At age 76, he is still light on his feet, singing and playing the blues with relentless passion. Time has no apparent effect on B.B., other than to make him more popular, more cherished, more relevant than ever. Don’t look for him in some kind of semi-retirement; look for him out on the road, playing for people, popping up in a myriad of T.V. commercials, or laying down tracks for his next album. B.B. King is as alive as the music he plays, and a grateful world can’t get enough of him." Thank you Mr. King for all of your contributions and inspiration! Please click the link below and learn more about B.B. King. :-)

http://www.bbking.com/bio/

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

"The beautiful thing about learning is nobody can take it away from you." - B.B. King

September 15th is Jan E. Matzeliger Day!!!

September 15th is Jan E. Matzeliger Day!!! 

"Sometimes the greatest inventions are those which simplify necessary tasks. Such is the case with Jan Matzeliger - the man who made it possible for ordinary citizens to purchase shoes.
Jan Matzeliger was born in Dutch Guiana (now known as Surinam) in South America. His father was a Dutch engineer and his mother was born in Dutch Guiana and was of African ancestry. His father had been sent to Surinam by the Dutch government to oversee the work going on in the South American country." Thank you Mr. Matzeliger for all of your contributions and inspiration! Please click the link below and learn more about Jan E. Matzeliger 

http://www.blackinventor.com/pages/jan-matzeliger.html

September 12th is Jesse Owens Day!!!

September 12th is Jesse Owens Day!!! 

"Jesse Owens, the son of a sharecropper and grandson of a slave, achieved what no Olympian before him had accomplished. His stunning achievement of four gold medals at the 1936 Olympic games in Berlin has made him the best remembered athlete in Olympic history. The seventh child of Henry and Emma Alexander Owens was named James Cleveland when he was born in Alabama on September 12, 1913. "J.C.", as he was called, was nine when the family moved to Cleveland, Ohio, where his new schoolteacher gave him the name that was to become known around the world. The teacher was told "J.C." when she asked his name to enter in her roll book, but she thought he said "Jesse". The name stuck and he would be known as Jesse Owens for the rest of his life." Thank you Mr. Owens for all of your contributions and inspiration! Please click the link below and learn more about the Jesse Owens :-)

http://www.jesseowens.com/about/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=quQopJmQry4

"We all have dreams. But in order to make dreams come into reality, it takes an awful lot of determination, dedication, self-discipline, and effort." - Jesse Owens

September 9th is Otis Redding Jr. Day!!!

September 9th is Otis Redding Jr. Day!!! 

"One of the most influential soul singers of the 1960s, Otis Redding exemplified to many listeners the power of Southern "deep soul" -- hoarse, gritty vocals, brassy arrangements, and an emotional way with both party tunes and aching ballads. He was also the most consistent exponent of the Stax sound, cutting his records at the Memphis label/studios that did much to update R&B into modern soul. His death at the age of 26 was tragic not just because he seemed on the verge of breaking through to a wide pop audience (which he would indeed do with his posthumous number one single "[Sittin' On] The Dock of the Bay"). It was also unfortunate because, as "Dock of the Bay" demonstrated, he was also at a point of artistic breakthrough in terms of the expression and sophistication of his songwriting and singing." Thank you Mr. Redding Jr. for all of your contributions and inspiration! Please click the link below and learn more about the Otis Redding Jr. :-)

http://www.allmusic.com/artist/otis-redding-mn0000414251/biography

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UCmUhYSr-e4

"Take my hand, don't be afraid. I'm wanna prove every word I say." - Otis Redding Jr.

September 7th is Jacob Lawrence Day!!!

September 7th is Jacob Lawrence Day!!! 

"Born in New Jersey but raised in New York City's Harlem, Jacob Lawrence was the most widely acclaimed African-American artist of the 20th century. Known for producing narrative collections like the Migration Series and War Series, he brought the African-American experience to life using blacks and browns juxtaposed with vivid colors. He also taught, and spent 15 years as a professor at the University of Washington." Thank you Mr. Lawrence for all of your contributions and inspiration! Please click the link below and learn more about the Jacob Lawrence. :-)

http://www.biography.com/people/jacob-lawrence-9375562

"When the subject is strong, simplicity is the only way to treat it." - Jacob Lawrence

September 4th is Lewis Howard Latimer Day!!!

September 4th is Lewis Howard Latimer Day!!! 

"Louis Latimer received a patent for an improved process for manufacturing the carbon filaments in light bulbs. These improvements allowed for a reduction in time to produce and an increase in quality. During his life time he had worked with and for Alexander Bell, Hiram Maxim and Thomas Edison. Latimer was the only black member of an exclusive social group, the Edison Pioneers." Thank you Mr. Latimer for all of your contributions and inspiration! Please click the link below and learn more about the Lewis Howard Latimer. :-)

http://www.ideafinder.com/history/inventors/latimer.htm

"If our cause be made the common cause, and all our claims and demands be founded on justice and humanity, recognizing that we must wrong no man in winning our rights, I have faith to believe that the Nation will respond to our plea for equality before the law, security under the law, and an opportunity, by and through maintenance of the law, to enjoy with our fellow citizens of all races and complexions the blessings guaranteed us under the Constitution. . . ." - Lewis Howard Latimer

September 2nd is Romare Bearden Day!!!

September 2nd is Romare Bearden Day!!! 

"Romare Howard Bearden was born on September 2, 1911, to (Richard) Howard and Bessye Bearden in Charlotte, North Carolina, and died in New York City on March 12, 1988, at the age of 76. His life and art are marked by exceptional talent, encompassing a broad range of intellectual and scholarly interests, including music, performing arts, history, literature and world art. Bearden was also a celebrated humanist, as demonstrated by his lifelong support of young, emerging artists." Thank you Mr. Bearden for all of your contributions and inspiration! Please click the link below and learn more about the Romare Bearden. :-)

http://www.beardenfoundation.org/artlife/biography/biography.shtml

"Black art has always existed. It just hasn't been looked for in the right places." - Romare Bearden

September 2nd is James Forten Day!!!

September 2nd is James Forten Day!!! 

"James Forten was born on September 2, 1766 in Philadelphia, PA. A free African-American, he joined the Continental navy at age 15. After service, Forten apprenticed as a sail-maker and eventually became a wealthy businessman and a leader of the black community in pre-Civil War Philadelphia. He devoted much of his time and money to the abolitionist cause and he refused to supply rigging to slave-trade vessels. Forten died in 1842." Thank you Mr. Forten for all of your contributions and inspiration! Please click the link below and learn more about the James Forten. :-)

http://www.biography.com/people/james-forten-9299324

"Has the God who made the white man and the black left any record declaring us a different species? Are we not sustained by the same power, supported by the same food. . . . And should we not then enjoy the same liberty. . .?" - James Forten

September 2nd is Tony Alva Day!!!

September 2nd is Tony Alva Day!!!

"Born in 1957 in Santa Monica, California, Tony is one of the original Z-Boys and considered by many to be one of the most influential skateboarders of all time. The level of aggression that Alva introduced in the 70s was in stark contrast to the traditional freestyle-based feel of the era making him instantly stand out amongst other skaters. The prototype modern professional skateboarder and a charismatic character in the documentary Dogtown: The Legend of the Z-boys based on Tony’s legendary Venice skate crew, at age 19, Alva shunned the major skate companies to form his own skateboard company, Alva Skates. Alva's company was the first ever run and owned by a skateboarder as well as being one of the first to use layered maple plywood for the skate decks. It was Tony, back in ’77, who suggested to Vans founder Paul Van Doren to modify the classic Vans Authentic deck shoe, a favorite among the emerging skate pioneers for its grippy gum rubber waffle outsole, by adding collar padding and a heel cup for support to create the now-classic Vans Era style, the first shoe designed by skaters for skateboarding. Nearly 35 years later and Alva continues to shred, surfing and skating pools almost everyday. When people look up skateboarder in the dictionary, it’s Tony Alva’s face they should see."  Thank you Mr. Alva for all of your contributions and inspiration! Please click the link below and learn more about the Tony Alva. :-)

http://skate.vans.com/team/alva/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8lABiMO7rSM

"No matter how big your ego, my boards will blow your mind." - Tony Alva

September 1st is Berry Brothers Day!!!

September 1st is Berry Brothers Day!!!

Today is the day of the release date of their first film. "Berry Brothers, dancers, consisted of Ananias "Nyas" Berry (18 Aug. 1913-5 Oct. 1951) and James Berry (c. 1915-28 Jan. 1969), both born in New Orleans, Louisiana, and Warren Berry (25 Dec. 1922-10 Aug. 1996), born in Denver, Colorado, the sons of Ananias Berry and Redna Berry, whose occupations are unknown. In 1919, Nyas and James first began performing together, touring the church circuit in Chicago as elocutionists reciting poems by Paul Laurence Dunbar. After the family moved to Denver, the two elder brothers branched out and began playing carnivals. Their father, a very religious man, had forbidden them to dance, but Nyas had memorized dances he had seen other performers do, and had built upon them himself. He persuaded his father to let him enter an amateur dance contest, in which he floored the audience. The theater manager offered Nyas $75 a week; the elder Ananias insisted that Nyas and James continue as a team. They then put together an act based on the widely acclaimed Bert Williams and George Walker, the most famous African-American show business performance team of their time. Nyas and James named their act "The Miniature Williams and Walker." In the mid-1920s the Berry family moved to Hollywood, California, where James danced at parties given by silent film stars such as Mary Pickford and Clara Bow. They also appeared in Our Gang comedies. Toward the end of the decade they opened as a duo, "the Berry Brothers," with the already legendary Duke Ellington at Harlem's Cotton Club. Although the famous nightclub would remain their home base for the next four and a half years, they toured and performed in other groundbreaking shows. In 1929 they traveled to London and were featured performers in Lew Leslie's popular and highly acclaimed all-African-American revue Blackbirds of 1928. They were the first African-American act at the Copacabana in 1929. They appeared in "Rhythmania" at the Cotton Club and "Rhapsody In Black" in 1931. When Radio City Music Hall had its grand opening on 27 December 1932, the Berry Brothers were on the bill." Thank you Berry Brothers for all of your contributions and inspiration! Please click the link below and learn more about the Berry Brothers. :-)

http://www.anb.org/articles/18/18-03672.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EBqSBVxUKM4

August 30th is Roy Wilkins Day!!!

August 30th is Roy Wilkins Day!!!

"Born on August 30, 1901, in St. Louis, Missouri, Roy Wilkins worked as a journalist/activist before becoming involved with the NAACP, succeeding Walter White as its leader in the 1950s. Wilkins was a major figure of the Civil Rights Movement and was involved in an array of key events, including the Brown v. Board of Education ruling and the March on Washington. He died on September 8, 1981." Thank you Mr. Wilkins for all of your contributions and inspiration! Please click the link below and learn more about Roy Wilkins. :-)

http://www.biography.com/people/roy-wilkins-9531564

"The talk of winning our share is not the easy one of disengagement and flight, but the hard one of work, of short as well as long jumps, of disappointments, and of sweet success." - Roy Wilkins

August 29th is Vivien Thomas Day!!!

August 29th is Vivien Thomas Day!!!

"Described as the “most untalked about, unappreciated, unknown giant in the African American community,” by Dr. Levi Watkins, Jr., Vivien Thomas received an honorary doctorate from Johns Hopkins University in 1976, and while this was undoubtedly memorable, the decades which preceded this moment were equally unforgettable. In Nashville, Tennessee, this high school honors graduate dreamed of becoming a physician. Thomas, a skilled carpenter, saved for seven years to pay for his education. However, he lost his savings during the Great Depression.  Beginning in 1930, he worked at Vanderbilt University's Medical School as a laboratory assistant to Alfred Blalock, a white physician who became a pioneer in cardiac surgery. Blalock mentored Thomas and taught him to conduct experiments. In 1941, Blalock transferred to Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and asked Thomas to transfer as well. While at Hopkins, they developed a procedure to save “blue babies” afflicted with congenital heart defects. According to Partners of the Heart, Thomas often “stood on a step stool” behind Blalock, guiding the surgeon through surgery. Though earning low wages, Thomas performed surgeries, designed instruments needed to perform surgery on “blue babies,” did innovative work on the defibrillator, and taught surgical techniques to surgeons. He also moonlighted as a bartender to support his family. " Thank you Mr. Thomas for all of your contributions and inspiration! Please click the link below and learn more about Vivien Thomas. :-)

http://www.blackpast.org/?q=aah/thomas-vivien-1910-1985

"Even if you'd never seen surgery before, you could do it because Vivien made it look so simple," the renowned surgeon Denton Cooley told Washingtonian magazine in 1989. "There wasn't a false move, not a wasted motion, when he operated."

August 29th is Wendell Scott Day!!!

August 29th is Wendell Scott Day!!!

"Wendell Scott wasn’t the first African-American to compete in NASCAR’s premier division. But the Danville, Va. native, whose career on wheels began as a taxi driver, was the first of his race to become a full-time competitor in the series. Scott served three years in the U.S. Army during World War II where he honed his mechanical skills in the motor pool. Scott started racing in 1947 and experienced immediate success behind the wheel. He won over 100 races in the next decade at local area tracks. Scott made his first start in NASCAR’s premier series March 4, 1961 at Piedmont Interstate Fairgrounds in Spartanburg, S.C. He made 23 starts that season, posting five top-five finishes." Thank you Mr. Scott for all of your contributions and inspiration! Please click the link below and learn more about Wendell Scott. :-)

http://www.nascar.com/en_us/news-media/articles/hall-of-fame/nascar-hall-of-fame-wendell-scott.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_qTgUJaO5B0

"Once I found out what it was like, racing was all I wanted to do as long as I could make a decent living out of it.… I'm no different from most other people who're doing what they like to do." - Wendell Scott

August 29th is Charlie Parker Jr. Day!!!

August 29th is Charlie Parker Jr. Day!!!

"Charlie Parker was born on August 29, 1920, in Kansas City, Kansas. From 1935 to 1939, he played the Missouri nightclub scene with local jazz and blues bands. In 1945 he led his own group, while performing with Dizzy Gillespie on the side. Together they invented bebop. In 1949, Parker made his European debut. In 1955, he gave his last performance. He died a week later, on March 12, 1955, in New York City." Thank you Mr. Parker Jr. for all of your contributions and inspiration! Please click the link below and learn more about Charlie Parker Jr. :-)

http://www.biography.com/people/charlie-parker-9433413

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UTORd2Y_X6U

"Music is your own experience, your thoughts, your wisdom. If you don’t live it, it won’t come out of your horn. They teach you there’s a boundary line to music. But, man, there’s no boundary line to art." - Charlie Parker Jr.

August 29th is Michael Jackson Day!!!

August 29th is Michael Jackson Day!!!

"Dubbed the "King of Pop," singer-songwriter Michael Jackson was born in Gary, Indiana, on August 29, 1958. As a child, he performed as the lead singer of the Jackson family's popular Motown group, the Jackson 5. Jackson went on to become one of the most internationally famous award-winning solo pop sensations to date. Jackson's 2009 death stirred controversy and was ultimately ruled a homicide." Thank you Mr. Jackson for all of your contributions and inspiration! Please click the link below and learn more about Michael Jackson. :-)

http://www.biography.com/people/michael-jackson-38211

http://www.youtube.com/watchv=sOnqjkJTMaA&list=TLDXC8F3crElY

"Let us dream of tomorrow where we can truly love from the soul, and know love as the ultimate truth at the heart of all creation." - Michael Jackson

August 26th is Hale Woodruff Day!!!

August 26th is Hale Woodruff Day!!! 

"Hale Woodruff was a black artist who sought to express his heritage in his abstract painting. Of his artwork he said: "I think abstraction is just another kind of reality. And although you may see a realistic subject like a glass or a table or a chair, you have to transpose or transform that into a picture, and my whole feeling is that to get the specatator involved it has to extend that vision" . . ." (Herskovic 358). Hale Woodruff was born in 1900 in Cairo, Illinois. After high school he drew political cartoons part-time for the black newspaper, the "Indianapolis Ledger". His art studies included the John Herron Art Institute in Indianapolis; Art Institute of Chicago;, Harvard's Fogg Museum School; and Académie Moderne in Paris with Herny Ossawa Tanner in 1927." Thank you Mr. Woodruff for all of your contributions and inspiration! Please click the link below and learn more about Hale Woodruff. 

http://www.rogallery.com/Woodruff_Hale/Woodruff-bio.htm

“I believe that every artist whatever his racial or national identity should interpret his life experience and beliefs in his own individual manner.” - Hale Woodruff

August 25th is Althea Gibson Day!!!

August 25th is Althea Gibson Day!!! 

"Althea Gibson (August 25th 1927 - September 28th 2003) was an American tennis player. Gibson turned pro at the age of 31 and was the first black tennis player to win Wimbledon (in 1957) and the U.S. Open (in 1958). Aside from her success, she is most remembered for breaking the color barrier in professional tennis. She won a total of five Grand Slam titles:
U.S. Open: 1958 and 1957
Wimbledon: 1957 and 1958
Roland Garros: 1956
In 1957 and 1958 she was the top-ranked U.S. women's tennis player. Later in life, Gibson turned to professional golf and was the first African American woman to join the LPGA. In 1971 she was included in the prestigious Tennis Hall of Fame.She died at the age of 76 in New Jersey to the effects of cancer." Thank you Ms. Gibson for all of your contributions and inspiration! Please click the link below and learn more about Althea Gibson. :-)

http://www.altheagibson.com/biography

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wrpNlpu6ix0

"No matter what accomplishments you make, somebody helped you." - Althea Gibson

August 24th is Duke Paoa Kahinu Mokoe Hulikohola Kahanamoku Day!!!

August 24th is Duke Paoa Kahinu Mokoe Hulikohola Kahanamoku Day!!! 

"During the first half of the 20th century, Duke Paoa Kahinu Mokoe Hulikohola Kahanamoku -- known to most as Duke or The Duke, and as Paoa to Hawaiian and long time island friends -- "emerged as the world's consummate waterman, its fastest swimmer and foremost surfer, the first truly famous beach boy," wrote biographer Grady Timmons. Duke Kahanamoku is best known to surfers as, "the father of modern surfing. As a sign of Duke's importance to the sport, one of his early surfboards, with his name across the bow, is preserved in the Bishop Museum in Honolulu." Thank you Mr. Kahanamoku for all of your contributions and inspiration! Please click the link below and learn more about Duke Paoa Kahinu Mokoe Hulikohola Kahanamoku. 

http://www.hawaiianswimboat.com/duke.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5f8HcmIuU5U

"Mahape a ale wala'ua," Duke would say.
"Don't talk -- keep it in your heart."

August 23rd is Gene Kelly Day!!!

August 23rd is Gene Kelly Day!!! 

"Born on August 23, 1912 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Gene Kelly was an American film actor and director whose athletic style and classical ballet technique transformed the film musical. He boldly blended solo dancing, mass movement and offbeat camera angles to tell a story in purely visual terms. Kelly is remembered for his lead role in Singin' in the Rain, regarded by some as the best dance film ever made." Thank you Mr. Kelly for all of your contributions and inspiration! Please click the link below and learn more about Gene Kelly. 

http://www.biography.com/people/gene-kelly-9362176

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S9250pY6wfQ

"I still find it almost impossible to relax for more than one day at a time." - Gene Kelly

August 21st is Usain Bolt Day!!!

August 21st is Usain Bolt Day!!!

"Arguably the most naturally gifted athlete the world has ever seen, Usain St Leo Bolt, confirmed his tremendous talents when he realized his dreams by winning a phenomenal three gold medals and breaking three world records at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China.  Bolt became the first man in Olympic history to win both the 100m and 200m races in world record times and then as part of the 4x100m team that also smashed the world record later in the meet. He created history again and became a legend at the 2012 Olympic Games in London by defending all three Olympic titles with 100m, 200m and 4x100m victories, the latter in a new world record time of 36.84 secs." Thank you Mr. Bolt for all of your contributions and inspiration! Please click the link below and learn more about Usain Bolt.

http://usainbolt.com/bio/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YFE1ctdRc88

"When people see your personality come out, they feel so good, like they actually know who you are." - Usain Bolt

August 21st is Thomas Garrett Day!!!

August 21st is Thomas Garrett Day!!!

"Born on August 21, 1789 in Upper Darby, PA, Thomas Garrett is one of the most prominent figures in the history of the Underground Railroad. He has been called Delaware's greatest humanitarian and is credited with helping more than 2,700 slaves escape to freedom in a forty year career as a Station Master. A white Quaker, whose family hid runaway slaves in its Delaware County farmhouse when he was a child, Garrett credited an experience he characterized as transcendental with directing his life's work toward aiding in the escapes of slaves. The incident, in which a black servant employed by Garrett's family was kidnapped and nearly forced into slavery, was a watershed event for the young Garrett, who would devote his life to the abolitionist cause. It is thought that his move to Wilmington, Delaware from outside of Philadelphia was a strategic choice." Thank you Mr. Garrett for all of your contributions and inspiration! Please click the link below and learn more about Thomas Garrett.

http://www.whispersofangels.com/biographies.html

Thomas Garrett was caught helping runaway slaves. He was fined so much money that he had to sell his land, farm, and, finally, even his house. He said to the judge who fined him:
"I used to worry about how I would care for my wife and children. You have relieved me of that worry. I tell you, any of you, if you know any man in need of help, send him to Thomas Garrett!"

August 20th is KRS-One Day!!!

August 20th is KRS-One Day!!!

"KRS, an acronym for ““Knowledge Reigning Supreme”, has been called the “conscience of Hip Hop” (Rolling Stone), “the greatest live emcee ever” (The Source), the “spokesperson for Hip Hop” (Wall Street Journal), “master teacher” (Zulu Nation) and the “son of Hip Hop” (Kool DJ Herc). With 20 published albums to his credit and his numerous appearances with other artists, KRS-One has literally written the most rhymes in Hip Hop’s history. In the 1990s as “hip-hop” grew more and more commercialized and corporate, it was KRS-One who openly rejected such cultural exploitation and grounded Hip Hop in its original principles of peace, love, unity and safely having fun. Teaching everything from self-creation to stopping violence; from vegetarianism to transcendental meditation, from the establishment of Hip Hop Appreciation Week (every third week in May), to establishing Hip Hop as an international culture at the United Nations (2001), KRS-One has single-handedly held the history and original arts of Hip Hop together now for over two decades." Thank you Mr. Parker for all of your contributions and inspiration! Please click the link below and learn more about KRS-One. :-)

http://www.krs-one.com/about/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M0a8LP5Ilg0

"Sometimes you gotta go back to the beginning to learn." - KRS-One

August 20th is Isaac Hayes Day!!!

August 20th is Isaac Hayes Day!!!

"In the spring 2003, one year after his induction into the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame and a celebrated move back home to Memphis, the public persona of Isaac Hayes is surging forward with a momentum usually associated with teen popstars and visiting royalty. In fact, Hayes is resident royalty for more than a decade, a coronated King of the Ada coastal district of Ghana in western Africa where he is a member of the Royal Family. Instead of a palace, he built an 8,000 square foot educational facility through his Isaac Hayes Foundation (IHF). He is most certainly the only King on earth with an Oscar, Grammy awards, #1 gold records, his voice on an animated tv series, a radio show, two restaurants, a best-selling cookbook, and top secret barbecue sauces." Thank you Mr. Hayes for all of your contributions and inspiration! Please click the link below and learn more about Isaac Hayes.

http://www.isaachayes.com/myframes.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Gghsy_YKk8

"I think the kids today need to hear more about morals and values." - Isaac Hayes