June 30th is Lena Horne Day!!!
"Actress and singer Lena Horne was born June 30, 1917, in Brooklyn, New York. She left school at age 16 to help support her mother and became a dancer at the Cotton Club in Harlem. She later sang at Carnegie Hall and appeared in such films as Stormy Weather and The Wiz. She was also known for her work with civil rights groups, and refused to play roles that stereotyped African-American women." Thank you Ms. Horne for all of your contributions and inspiration! Please click the link below and learn more about Lena Horne.
http://www.biography.com/people/lena-horne-9344086
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DHzx2P4x63c
"Always be smarter than the people who hire you." - Lena Horne
June 29th is Bob Haro Day!!!
"Back then……Bob Haro started Haro Designs in the late 1970′s to create products and services for the emerging BMX scene. Bob was originally a motor cross fanatic, but graduated towards Bicycle Motor Cross when his Honda motorcycle gave up mechanically, and his funds to fix it ran dry. BMX Racing was booming in Southern California, so using his artistic talents and his keen eye for design, he began to produce hand made custom numberplates for local racers. The plates were uique and proved popular, and provided an income when the alternative was working in a supermarket as a box boy. This modest beginning would bloom into a business that changed the shape of BMX, leading the developing market in different directions. From the early beginnings on tour with the BMX Action Trick Team, to the mid 1980′s, the name “Haro” simply dominated the world of BMX Freestyle with products, accessories and a team of riders who were almost undefeatable in competition.
As a rider on tour with his team, as a designer and as a pioneer of the sport, Bob Haro sits proudly in the fabric of BMX and without him, it just wouldn’t be the same….Modern Times…Bob continues to indulge his eye for design and has enjoyed success in other areas of action Sports with his modern day Company; Haro Designs. He maintains a keen interest in the modern day sport of BMX and can be seen regularly at events across the United States, Europe and Asia." Thank you Mr. for all of your contributions and inspiration! Please click the link below and learn more about . :-)
http://www.harobmxcollector.com/history-menu/history-haro-designs/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=psRDk3r5w2g
"I was a kid like any other kid - I just wanted to ride my bike." - Bob Haro
June 29th is James Van Der Zee Day!!!
"Born on June 29, 1886, in Lenox, Massachusetts, James Van Der Zee developed a passion for photography as a youth, and opened up his own Harlem studio in 1916. Van Der Zee became known for his detailed imagery of African-American life, and for capturing celebrities such as Florence Mills and Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Following hard financial times, Van Der Zee enjoyed a resurge in his career during his later years. He died in 1983 in Washington, D.C." Thank you Mr. Van Der Zee for all of your contributions and inspiration! Please click the link below and learn more about James Van Der Zee. :-)
http://www.biography.com/people/james-van-der-zee-9515411
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QSLMZ3igO-c
"Happiness is perfume, you can't pour it on somebody else without getting a few drops on yourself." - James Van Der Zee
June 27th is Paul Laurence Dunbar Day!!!
"Paul Laurence Dunbar was the first African-American poet to garner national critical acclaim. Born in Dayton, Ohio, in 1872, Dunbar penned a large body of dialect poems, standard English poems, essays, novels and short stories before he died at the age of 33. His work often addressed the difficulties encountered by members of his race and the efforts of African-Americans to achieve equality in America. He was praised both by the prominent literary critics of his time and his literary contemporaries." Thank you Mr. Laurence Dunbar for all of your contributions and inspiration! Please click the link below and learn more about Paul Laurence Dunbar. :-)
http://www.dunbarsite.org/biopld.asp
“I know why the caged bird sings, ah me,
When his wing is bruised and his bosom sore,-
When he beats his bars and would be free;
It is not a carol of joy or glee,
But a prayer that he sends from his heart's deep core,
But a plea, that upward to Heaven he flings-
I know why the caged bird sings!” - Paul Laurence Dunbar
June 26th is Hamilton Naki Day!!!
"Hamilton Naki, a laborer who became a self-taught surgeon of such skill that Dr. Christiaan N. Barnard chose him to assist in the world's first human heart transplant in 1967, but whose contribution was kept secret for three decades because he was a black man in apartheid-era South Africa, died on May 29 at his home in Langa, near Cape Town. He was believed to have been 78." Thank you Mr. Naki for all of your contributions and inspiration! Please click the link below and learn more about Hamilton Naki. :-)
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/11/obituaries/11naki.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVAuwMJbUNk
Barnard was quoted as saying "If Hamilton had had the opportunity to study, he would probably have become a brilliant surgeon" and that Naki was "one of the great researchers of all time in the field of heart transplants"
June 26th is Shannon Sharpe!!!
Ok, I am a little biased on dedicating a day to Shannon, but what can I say he was one of my favorite players growing up, he is an Hall of Famer, and he is just a great guy - so why not? :-)
"A former American Football tight end who played for the Denver Broncos and Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League (NFL) and is now a commentator for CBS Sports on its NFL telecasts.He was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and inducted on August 6, 2011. Sharpe played 12 seasons for the Broncos (1990–99, 2002–03) and two years with the Ravens (2000–01), winning three Super Bowls and finishing his career as the NFL’s all-time leader in receptions (815), receiving yards (10,060) and receiving touchdowns (62) by a tight end until Tony Gonzalez surpassed all three of these records, including breaking his total yardage record on October 5, 2008. Sharpe holds the distinction of being the first tight end ever to amass over 10,000 receiving yards. Shannon was also named a member of the NFL's first team All-Decade team of the 1990s." Thank you Mr. Sharpe for all of your contributions and inspiration! Please click the link below and learn more about Shannon Sharpe. :-)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shannon_Sharpe
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gfUI79c0kUA
“I like to talk. I admit it. If I can’t talk, I’m crippled, blind, deaf and dumb.” - Shannon Sharpe
June 25th is James Howard Meredith Day!!!
"Born in Mississippi in 1933, James Meredith was raised on a farm with nine siblings. He joined the military after high school and attended an all-black college before becoming the first black student at the University of Mississippi in 1962. After he graduated, he earned a law degree and became involved in politics. He continues to be active in civil rights and lives in Jackson, Mississippi." Thank you Mr. Meredith for all of your contributions and inspiration! Please click the link below and learn more about James Howard Meredith. :-)
http://www.biography.com/people/james-meredith-9406314
"Nothing could be more insulting to me than the concept of civil rights. It means perpetual second-class citizenship for me and my kind." - James Howard Meredith
June 23rd is Wilma Rudolph Day!!!
"Wilma Rudolph was a sickly child who had to wear a brace on her left leg. She overcame her disabilities through physical therapy and hard work, and went on to become a gifted runner. Rudolph became the first American woman to win three gold medals at a single Olympics in 1960, at the Summer Games in Rome, and later worked as a teacher and track coach. She died in Tennessee in 1994." Thank you Ms. Rudolph for all of your contributions and inspiration! Please click the link below and learn more about Wilma Rudolph. :-)
http://www.biography.com/people/wilma-rudolph-9466552
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=igl8DmcKRhQ
"Never underestimate the power of dreams and the influence of the human spirit. We are all the same in this notion: The potential for greatness lives within each of us."
June 23rd is United Nations Public Service Day!!!
"The UN General Assembly, in its Resolution 57/277, designated 23 June as Public Service Day (A/RES/57/277). The UN Public Service Day intends to celebrate the value and virtue of public service to the community; highlight the contribution of public service in the development process; recognize the work of public servants, and encourage young people to pursue careers in the public sector. Since the first Awards Ceremony in 2003, the United Nations has received an increasing number of submissions from all around the world."
Please click the link below and learn more about United Nations Public Service Day
http://www.unpan.org/DPADM/UNPSDayAwards/UNPublicServiceDay/tabid/92/language/en-US/Default.aspx
June 22nd is Katherine Dunham Day!!!
"Katherine Dunham was an American dancer, choreographer and anthropologist noted for her innovative interpretations of ritualistic and ethnic dances." Not only did she learn through her studies and travels the history and roots of African people, but she brought this experience to her dancing and choreography. Making sure that generation after generation can see and realize the true beauty and history of the roots of humanity. Thank you Ms. Dunham for all of your contributions and inspiration! Please click the link below and learn more about Katherine Dunham. :-)
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/freetodance/biographies/dunham.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XeHzW5M0bTo
"I used to want the words 'She tried' on my tombstone. Now I want 'She did it'." - Katherine Dunham
June 19th is Juneteenth Day!!!
"Juneteenth is the oldest known celebration commemorating the ending of slavery in the United States. Dating back to 1865, it was on June 19th that the Union soldiers, led by Major General Gordon Granger, landed at Galveston, Texas with news that the war had ended and that the enslaved were now free. Note that this was two and a half years after President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation - which had become official January 1, 1863. The Emancipation Proclamation had little impact on the Texans due to the minimal number of Union troops to enforce the new Executive Order. However, with the surrender of General Lee in April of 1865, and the arrival of General Granger’s regiment, the forces were finally strong enough to influence and overcome the resistance.
Later attempts to explain this two and a half year delay in the receipt of this important news have yielded several versions that have been handed down through the years. Often told is the story of a messenger who was murdered on his way to Texas with the news of freedom. Another, is that the news was deliberately withheld by the enslavers to maintain the labor force on the plantations. And still another, is that federal troops actually waited for the slave owners to reap the benefits of one last cotton harvest before going to Texas to enforce the Emancipation Proclamation. All of which, or neither of these version could be true. Certainly, for some, President Lincoln's authority over the rebellious states was in question For whatever the reasons, conditions in Texas remained status quo well beyond what was statutory."
Please click the link below and learn more about Juneteenth Day.
http://www.juneteenth.com/history.htm
June 17th is Salem Poor Day!!!
I am celebrating him on this day because there is no record of his actual birth day. This day in history is the day of the Battle at Bunker Hill and I think it fitting to celebrate him on this day. "Salem Poor was a distinguished military hero who fought valiantly in the American Revolution. This courageous African American made a significant contribution to the struggle to create an independent United States of America. But in a sad commentary on the plight of Blacks of that time, he was unable to enjoy any fitting recognition or reward despite a distinguished record of service." Thank you Mr. Poor for all of your contributions and inspiration! Please click the link below and learn more about Salem Poor. :-)
http://blackhistorynow.com/salem-poor/
June 17th is James Weldon Johnson Day!!!
"James Weldon Johnson was born on June 17, 1871, in Jacksonville, Florida. He founded the Daily American newspaper in 1895. In 1897, he passed the bar and, two years later, wrote the song, "Lift Every Voice and Sing." In the early 1890s, he wrote an autobiography. He published his first poetry collection in 1917. In 1920, Weldon became the first black manager of the NAACP." Thank you Mr. Johnson for all of your contributions and inspiration! Please click the link below and learn more about James Weldon Johnson. :-)
http://www.jamesweldonjohnson.emory.edu/sub-james.htm
"You are young, gifted, and Black. We must begin to tell our young, There's a world waiting for you, Yours is the quest that's just begun." - James Weldon Johnson
June 12th is Loving Day!!!
"A global network of Loving Day celebrations commemorate the anniversary of the Loving decision every year on or around June 12th. The Loving Day name comes from Loving v. Virginia (1967), the landmark Supreme Court decision that declared all laws against interracial marriage unconstitutional in the United States. We found it quite perfect that a couple named Richard and Mildred Loving won their right to marry, and we know a good thing when we see it. So, Loving Day refers to two kinds of loving: the couple in the Supreme Court case, and the original definition of loving."
Even though this day is celebrated as a step forward and in the right direction for equal rights to make something legal, which is a very positive thing, there is still to this day problems with this and a lot of other human rights. The legality of marriage is not important to me personally, but the right to love and be with whoever you want to without being ridiculed or persecuted for it is!!! This is something the courts cannot solve because it is a pure hatred and evilness that lives in the heart of many people around the world that will do anything in their power to not accept other's lives and do what they can to make them miserable, that is really what was happening to the Loving family - they could not go anywhere or do anything ever, they couldn't even live in the same house!!!! This had nothing to do with the court deciding this was the evilness that lived in the heart of the people that would and could not accept them being together based on ignorance and bigotry. This is the root of the problem and unfortunately the world will never be rid of it, but on days like this we can acknowledge and teach others so that one-by-one and for future generations they are taught correctly and grow-up with love in their hearts and not hate!!!!!
Please click the link below and learn more about Loving Day. :-)
http://www.lovingday.org/what-is-loving-day
June 11th is Vince Lombardi Day!!!
"Vincent Thomas Lombardi is arguably the greatest football coach of all time, and is on the short list of history’s greatest coaches, regardless of sport. His ability to teach, motivate and inspire players helped turn the Green Bay Packers into the most dominating NFL team in the 1960s."
So, not only was Mr. Lombardi the greatest football coach, but he was just a good coach for life in general. No, the man was not perfect and no man is, but he literally lived his life to help and guide as many boys become as possible - no matter who they were. He is a true inspiration and mentor. Still to this day many look-up to his words and advice. A man wise beyond his years and a talent in coaching that is untouchable! Thank you Mr. Lombardi for all of your contributions and inspiration! Please click the link below and learn more about Vince Lombardi.
http://www.vincelombardi.com/about.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JjYeREIHCsw
"The only place success comes before work is in the dictionary."
June 11th is Gene Wilder Day!!!
"Gene Wilder began his career in the 1967 film Bonnie and Clyde, but he became famous as a favorite of writer/director Mel Brooks. His roles in Young Frankenstein and Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory made him eternally famous. In his later years, Wilder became a serious novelist, writing a memoir and several fiction novels." My favorite performances and movies of his though are the ones he did with Richard Pryor. The combination of them together was comedic genius and acting performance that was something magical. If you have not seen any of these movies you definitely need to watch them!!! Thank you Mr. Wilder for all of your contributions and inspiration! Please click the link below and learn more about Gene Wilder.
http://www.biography.com/people/gene-wilder-17191558
"So my idea of neurotic is spending too much time trying to correct a wrong. When I feel that I'm doing that, then I snap out of it." - Gene Wilder
June 11th is Kamehameha Day!!!
"Kamehameha Day was established by royal decree on December 22, 1871 by King Kamehameha V as a national holiday. Kamehameha Day was created to honor the memory of Kamehameha, the king’s great grandfather, who united the Hawaiian Islands in 1810 and became Hawai‘i’s first king. The first celebration occurred on June 11, 1872, during this early period celebrations occurred on each island and were grand and festive consisting of carnivals, fairs, and foot, horse, velocipede (bike), and canoe races. However, following the overthrow of Queen Lili‘uokalani and the Kingdom of Hawai‘i in 1893, Kamehameha Day continued to be recognized as a holiday, but the celebratory aspect (understandably) fell to the wayside.After Hawai‘i became a territory of the United States in 1898, Prince Jonah Kūhiō Kalaniana‘ole restored the Royal Order of Kamehameha I (Royal Order) in 1903. The Royal Order subsequently reestablished the celebration of Kamehameha Day on June 11, 1904. The Kamehameha Day celebrations in Hawai‘i were conducted exclusively by the Royal Order from 1904 until 1912. In 1912 respective chapters of the Royal Order began to collaborate with island communities and local governments to present Kamehameha Day celebrations."
Please click the link below and learn more about King Kamehameha. :-)
http://www.kamehamehafestival.org/about/39/kamehameha
June 9th is Jackie Wilson Day!!!
"Jackie Wilson was a dynamic soul performer during 1960s who successfully crossed over from the rhythm-and-blues charts to pop music. His transition paved the way for a generation of black performers. Wilson gained fame with the group Billy Ward and His Dominoes, and turned solo in 1957. His hit "Lonely Teardrops" was released in 1958. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987."
I just have to say, I love love love this man!!! His voice, his moves - i just can't say enough about how much he influenced and how great he was. So, just take the time to listen and watch! Thank you Mr. Wilson for all of your contributions and inspiration! Please click the link below and learn more about Jackie Wilson. :-)
http://www.jackiewilson.net/JW_pages/JW_bio.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qcD__FtIMwA
“Now once, I was down hearted
Disappointment, was my closest friend
But then you, came and it soon departed.” - Jackie Wilson
June 7th is Gwendolyn Brooks Day!!! "Gwendolyn Brooks was a highly regarded, much-honored poet, with the distinction of being the first black author to win the Pulitzer Prize. She also was poetry consultant to the Library of Congress—the first black woman to hold that position—and poet laureate of the State of Illinois. Many of Brooks's works display a political consciousness, especially those from the 1960s and later, with several of her poems reflecting the civil rights activism of that period. Her body of work gave her, according to Dictionary of Literary Biography contributor George E. Kent, 'a unique position in American letters. Not only has she combined a strong commitment to racial identity and equality with a mastery of poetic techniques, but she has also managed to bridge the gap between the academic poets of her generation in the 1940s and the young black militant writers of the 1960s'." Thank you Ms. Brooks for all of your contributions and inspiration! Please click the link below and learn more about Gwendolyn Brooks. :-)
http://www.poetryfoundation.org/bio/gwendolyn-brooks
"Look at what's happening in this world. Every day there's something exciting or disturbing to write about. With all that's going on, how could I stop?"- Gwendolyn Brooks
June 3rd is Josephine Baker Day!!!
"Josephine Baker sashayed onto a Paris stage during the 1920s with a comic, yet sensual appeal that took Europe by storm. Famous for barely-there dresses and no-holds-barred dance routines, her exotic beauty generated nicknames "Black Venus," "Black Pearl" and "Creole Goddess." Admirers bestowed a plethora of gifts, including diamonds and cars, and she received approximately 1,500 marriage proposals. She maintained energetic performances and a celebrity status for 50 years until her death in 1975. Unfortunately, racism prevented her talents from being wholly accepted in the United States until 1973."
Just watch some clips of her dancing and movements - she was definitely inspired by traditional dances and she herself is an influence on dances and movements done to this day. She was amazing, energetic, funny, and wonderful! Thank you Ms. Baker for all of your contributions and inspiration! Please click the link below and learn more about Josephine Baker. :-)
http://www.cmgww.com/stars/baker/about/biography.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&v=MsXyDrf9HO0&feature=fvwp
"The things we truly love stay with us always, locked in our hearts as long as life remains." - Josephine Baker
June 3rd is Charles R. Drew Day!!!
"Charles Richard Drew was born on June 3, 1904, in Washington, D.C. He was an African-American physician who developed ways to process and store blood plasma in "blood banks." He directed the blood plasma programs of the United States and Great Britain in World War II, but resigned after a ruling that the blood of African-Americans would be segregated. He died in 1950." Thank you Mr. Drew for all of your contributions and inspiration! Please click the link below and learn more about Charles R. Drew. :-)
http://www.biography.com/people/charles-drew-9279094
"I feel that the recent ruling of the United States Army and Navy regarding the refusal of colored blood donors is an indefensible one from any point of view. As you know, there is no scientific basis for the separation of the bloods of different races except on the basis of the individual blood types or groups." - Charles R. Drew
June 1st is Sojourner Truth Day!!! (this is the day that she changed her name to Sojourner Truth)
"Born in New York circa 1797, Sojourner Truth was the self-given name, from 1843 onward, of Isabella Baumfree, an African-American abolitionist and women's rights activist. Truth was born into slavery in Swartekill, New York, but escaped with her infant daughter to freedom in 1826. Her best-known speech on racial inequalities, "Ain't I a Woman?", was delivered extemporaneously in 1851 at the Ohio Women's Rights Convention" and her work on the Underground Railroad to free slaves. Thank you Ms. Truth for all of your contributions and inspiration! Please click the link below and learn more about Sojourner Truth. :-)
http://www.biography.com/people/sojourner-truth-9511284
"Truth is powerful and it prevails." - Sojourner Truth
June 1st is Remembrance Day for the Victims and Community of the Tulsa, OK Riot in 1921!
"Believed to be the single worst incident of racial violence in American history, the bloody 1921 Tulsa race riot has continued to haunt Oklahomans to the present day. During the course of eighteen terrible hours on May 31 and June 1, 1921, more than one thousand homes and businesses were destroyed, while credible estimates of riot deaths range from fifty to three hundred. By the time the violence ended, the city had been placed under martial law, thousands of Tulsans were being held under armed guard, and the state's second-largest African American community had been burned to the ground."
Another example of black people being successful and working hard and stupid, racist, ignorant pieces of SHIT white people fucking it up and killing people and ruining a community for NO REASON AT ALL!!!!!! This particular incident really makes my blood boil, not only because of the atrocities that happened, but also because I just found out about it only about a year ago!!!! There is sooo much black and African history that is hidden and lied about in this world!!!! Please anyone that cares about humanity and knowing the truth do some research outside of school and as you become adult don't stop researching and learning!!!! They won't teach your the truth in school, so you need to dig and search for it! One day though everything will come out more and stupid, ignorant, racist white people will NOT be able to run from it, they will have to face it! If you want to live in a bubble of lies your whole life then by all means do that, you do have the choice, but don't be upset when someone tells you the truth!!!!!
Please click the link below and learn more about the Tulsa, OK Riot of 1921.
http://digital.library.okstate.edu/encyclopedia/entries/t/tu013.html
May 31st is Patricia Roberts Harris Day!!!
"Patricia Roberts was born on May 31, 1924 as the daughter of a Pullman car waiter. Harris grew up to become the first African American woman to hold a cabinet position, serve as an ambassador, and head a law school. Harris fought for fair housing and employment practices under the Carter administration as the secretary of housing and urban development (HUD). She died of breast cancer at age 60." Thank you Mrs. Roberts Harris for all of your contributions and inspiration! Please click the link below and learn more about Patricia Roberts Harris. :-)
http://www.biography.com/people/patricia-roberts-harris-205630
“Senator, I am one of them. You do not seem to understand who I am. I am a black woman, the daughter of a dining-car worker If my life has any meaning at all, it is that those who start out as outcasts can wind up as being part of the system.” - Patricia Roberts Harris
June 30th is Lena Horne Day!!! 
