Birthday

Dillard University [New Orleans] (1869- )

Dillard University is a private, Historically Black liberal arts college located in New Orleans, Louisiana. It is affiliated with the United Church of Christ and the United Methodist Church. Dillard University is a result of the merger between Straight College and New Orleans University in

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Source: Black Past

Mathis, Johnny (1935 - )

John “Johnny” Royce Mathis, singer, was born in Gilmer, Texas on September 30, 1935, the fourth of seven children born to Clem, a chauffeur and handyman, and Mildred, a maid. The Mathis family moved to San Francisco, Californias Fillmore District when Mathis was a young child. When

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Source: Black Past

Sep

30

1935

Lisa A. Williams-Fauntroy

Ms. Williams-Fauntroy manages and handles business and legal affairs matters for the Discovery Channel and TLC

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Source: Savoy Network

Charles Mingus

Charles Mingus was a 20th century jazz musician whose reputation as a great bassist is matched by his influence as a great composer of what has been called orchestral jazz. He was musically trained in public schools and Christian churches in Los Angeles, where he went from trombone to cello to

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Source: Fact Monster - Black History

Bobby McFerrin

Bobby McFerrin , (born March 11, 1950, New York, New York, U.S.), American musician noted for his tremendous vocal control and improvisational ability. He often sang a cappella, mixing folk songs, 1960s rock and soul tunes, and jazz themes with original lyrics. He preferred to sing without fixed

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Source: Brittanica

Mar

11

1950

Meet the Black Ballerina and Entrepreneur Helping People Heal From their Trauma

Tyde-Courtney Edwards, founding director of Ballet After Dark, is a classically trained black ballerina, art model, and survivor of sexual assault who is on a mission to help others heal from their trauma through the art of

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Source: The New York Beacon - Arming Black Millennials With Information

African-American history of agriculture in the United States

The role of African Americans in the agricultural history of the United States was extremely important, and given that the majority of blacks were employed in agriculture in the United States particularly during the 19th and early 20th century, represents a major part of their history and the

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Source: BlackHistory.com

'The Amazing Nina Simone': a tumultuous tale, well told

After Trayvon Martin was fatally shot three years ago in Sanford, Fla., a song from the civil-rights era, “Mississippi Goddam,” erupted on the airwaves. For many youngsters, it was probably the first time they had ever heard the fierce, regal, husky alto of Nina Simone (1933-2003), but

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Source: Savoy Network

Josephine Baker Picture Gallery: Her Career in Photos

In 2008, dancer and entertainer Josephine Baker was honored at Madame Tussauds in Berlin in this iconic pose, her banana dance from her 1920s act with the Folies Bergère, based in

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Source: ThoughtCo

Important Cities in African-American History

African Americans have contributed tremendously to the culture of the United States. First brought to America hundreds of years ago to work as slaves, blacks won their freedom after the 19th century Civil War. However, many blacks remained very poor and moved throughout the country seeking better

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Source: ThoughtCo

Black Swan Records (1921-1923)

Black Swan Records was the first black-owned recording company that sold popular music to black audiences. Black Swan Records specialized in jazz and blues recordings but it also became the first company to record black classical musicians. During its brief existence from 1921 and 1923, Black Swan

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Source: Black Past

Etta James

Name at birth: Jamesetta Hawkins

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Source: Fact Monster - Black History

Albert Ayler

Albert Ayler , (born July 13, 1936, Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.—died November 1970, New York, N.Y.), African-American tenor saxophonist whose innovations in style and technique were a major influence on free

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Source: Brittanica

Jul

13

1936

Charles Mingus

Charles Mingus , byname Charlie Mingus (born April 22, 1922, Nogales, Arizona, U.S.—died January 5, 1979, Cuernavaca, Mexico), American jazz composer, bassist, bandleader, and pianist whose work, integrating loosely composed passages with improvised solos, both shaped and transcended jazz

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Source: Brittanica

Jan

5

1979

Morton, Jelly Roll

Morton, Jelly Roll, 1890–1941, American jazz musician, composer, and band leader, originally named Ferdinand Joseph Lamothe, b. Gulfport, La. He began studying piano as a child and in his youth was a pianist in the colorful Storyville district of New Orleans. Later he played with Johnny

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Source: Fact Monster - Black History

Zora Neale Hurston

Zora Neale Hurston (January 7, 1891[1] [2] – January 28, 1960) was an African-American novelist, short story writer, folklorist, and anthropologist known for her contributions to African-American literature, her portrayal of racial struggles in the American South, and works documenting her research

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Source: BlackHistory.com

Jan

7

1891

Prince

Prince is an American singer, songwriter, producer and instrumentalist and one of the best selling artists of all time. He was born Prince Rogers Nelson to musician parents John L. Nelson and Mattie Shaw on June 7, 1958 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Both Prince and his younger sister Tika were very

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Source: Black History Resources

Jun

7

1958

Popular African-American Musicians

In 1926, a Harvard scholar by the name of Dr. Carter G. Woodson organized the first annual Negro History Week. The said event happened in the second week of February which also coincides with the birthdays of two great civil rights leaders: Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass. In honor of the

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Source: ThoughtCo

Jazz Guitar Albums Everyone Can Enjoy

Looking to dabble in the world of jazz? Need to buy a gift for the guitarist in your family? Here are five highly recommended jazz guitar albums, all of which are enjoyable, and easy to listen to. The recordings are listed chronologically, so if you think you might enjoy more a recent

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Source: ThoughtCo

Herbie Hancock

Herbie Hancock was born on April 12, 1940, in Chicago Illinois into a musical family. His father was a government meat inspector and mother was a secretary. Herbie began studying piano at the age of 7, he started his education with classical music. On February 5, 1952, along with Chicago Symphony

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Source: Black History Resources

Feb

5

1952

A Cultural History of the Zoot Suit

In the 1944 Tom & Jerry short The Zoot Cat—only the thirteenth cartoon ever made starring that famous duo—Toms would-be girlfriend lays it on him straight: Boy, are you corny! You act like a square at the fair, a goon from Saskatoon. You come on like a broken arm. Youre a sad apple, a long

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Source: ThoughtCo

Chicago Blues Style: Characteristics and Artists

When American became embroiled in World War II, it served to increase the exodus of African-Americans from the Southern states northward to cities like St. Louis, Detroit, and Chicago. Former sharecroppers were moving out of the rural areas of Mississippi, Alabama, and Georgia to find jobs in the

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Source: ThoughtCo

Duke Ellington

Name at birth: Edward Kennedy Ellington

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Source: Fact Monster - Black History

Jelly Roll Morton

Name at birth: Ferdinand Joseph La Menthe

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Source: Fact Monster - Black History

Bessie Smith

Bessie Smith was a blues and jazz vocalist, who was extremely popular in the 1920s and 1930s. She was born on April 15, 1894 in Chattanooga, Tennessee to Laura and William Smith. Her father was a Baptist preacher who died shortly after her birth, and she was raised by her mother along with her

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Source: Black History Resources

Apr

15

1894

The Last Poets (1968 - )

The Last Poets, a group of musicians and poet performers, originated out of the civil rights movement, with an emphasis on the black

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Source: Black Past

Harry Belafonte

Harry Belafonte is an eminent African-American figure in the American entertainment industry. He is a notable singer, lyricist, actor and social activist. Belafonte came to international stardom as “King of Calypso” for his popular Caribbean musical style. He is famous for his

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Source: Black History Resources

Mar

1

1927

Billie Holiday Quotes

Billie Holiday, a popular and tragic figure in jazz, was a gifted singer with an amazing voice and talent whose personal life was chaotic and

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Source: ThoughtCo

Blue Note to release benefit album "Detroit Jazz City"

Blue Note Records has announced the December 4 release of Detroit Jazz City, a compilation album that simultaneously spotlights the past and present of one of America’s great jazz cities while also serving as a benefit album for the organization Focus: HOPE. All proceeds from the album will be

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Source: Savoy Network

Jazz History by Decade: 1910 - 1920

During the decade between 1910 and 1920, the seeds of jazz began to take root. New Orleans, the vibrant and chromatic port city in which ragtime was based, was home to a number of budding musicians and a new

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Source: ThoughtCo

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