Nell Carter, Tony Award winning Broadway singer, born

Quvenzhané Wallis

Quvenzhané Wallis is a child actress, model and singer. She was born on August 28, 2003 to a teacher named Qulyndreia, and a truck driver named Venjie Wallis, Sr. Her unique name reflects a combination of her parents’ names and the word “zhané” is Swalihi for fairy. She has two sisters

fave

Source: Black History Resources

Jun

27

2012

Dominique Dawes

One of the most renowned names in the history of American gymnastics, Dominique Dawes was born in November 20, 1976 in Silver Spring, Maryland. Dawes recognized her passion for gymnastics at an early age of 6 years and attended lessons with Kelli Hill who remained her coach for the rest of

fave

Source: Black History Resources

Nov

20

1976

Josephine Baker

Who Was Josephine

fave

Source: ThoughtCo

Lloyd Bacon

Lloyd Bacon , in full Lloyd Francis Bacon (born December 4, 1889, San Jose, California, U.S.—died November 15, 1955, Burbank, California), American director who made some 100 films and was known for his efficiency and businesslike approach; his popular movies included 42nd Street (1933) and It

fave

Source: Brittanica

Nov

15

1955

James Weldon Johnson

Trained in music and other subjects by his mother, a schoolteacher, Johnson graduated from Atlanta University with A.B. (1894) and M.A. (1904) degrees and later studied at Columbia University. For several years he was principal of the black high school in Jacksonville, Fla. He read law at the same

fave

Source: Brittanica

Smith, Bessie (1894-1937)

Along with Ma Rainey and Mamie Smith, singer Bessie Smith helped pioneer the genre of blues music and propel it into popular culture. Her early death at the age of 43 cut short a career that influenced the direction of American music and contributed to the success of African Americans in the

fave

Source: Black Past

Sep

26

1937

Johnson, Francis Hall (1888-1970)

Composer and musician Hall Johnson was born in Athens, Georgia in 1888 to Alice Virginia Sanson Johnson and William Decker Johnson, a bishop in the African Methodist Episcopal Church. His musical talent was apparent from childhood when he studied piano with his older sister, Mary, and taught

fave

Source: Black Past

Eriq La Salle

Born on July 23, 1962 in Hartford, Connecticut, Eriq La Salle developed interest in the performing arts from a young age and the attention which his cousin received from his classmates at dancing school specially attracted La Salle. La Salle’s decision to pursue an acting career became firm after

fave

Source: Black History Resources

Jul

23

1962

Sidney Poitier

Sidney Poitier is an American actor and director, and the first African American to win the Academy Award for Best Actor. He was born on February 20, 1927 to Evelyn and Reginald James Poitier who were farmers from Bahama. At the time of Poitier’s birth, his parents were in the U.S. to sell the

fave

Source: Black History Resources

Feb

20

1927

Temptations’ Otis Williams talks music, history, and the Temps’ 60th anniversary

Otis Williams, the founding and only surviving original member of the legendary super-group, The Temptations, joined BlackPressUSA for an exclusive live interview to discuss music and social

fave

Source: New Pittsburgh Courier - Powered by Real Times Media

2020 Pulitzer Prize winners include many writers of color

There were a couple of firsts in this year’s announcement of the winners of the Pulitzer

fave

Source: Milwaukee Times Weekly Newspaper – Journalistic Excellence, Service, Integrity and Objectivity Always

Terrence Howard

Terrence Howard is a celebrated American actor known for his strong performances in movies such as “Hustle & Flow” and “Ray & Crash”. He was born on March 11, 1969 in Chicago, Illinois to Tyrone Howard and Anita Williams. He came from a family of actors; his maternal

fave

Source: Black History Resources

Mar

11

1969

Ving Rhames

Ving Rhames is one of the celebrated African American film artists. He is best known for his work in Pulp Fiction, Con Air, Dawn of the Dead, Mission: Impossible film series and Bringing Out the Dead. In 1998, he was awarded Golden Globe for his remarkable performance in a TV miniseries, Don

fave

Source: Black History Resources

May

12

1959

Diana Ross

Diana Ross is an American singer and actress, who is one of the most successful recording artists with record sales exceeding 100 million copies. She was born on March 26, 1944, in Detroit, Michigan. She began singing in high school and formed a band with her friends Mary Wilson, Florence

fave

Source: Black History Resources

Mar

26

1944

Hall, Juanita (1901-1968)

Juanita Long Hall, a 20th Century actor and singer, was born in Keyport, New Jersey on Nov. 6, 1901 to an African-American father, Abram Long, and an Irish American mother, Mary Richardson. Raised by maternal grandparents, Long attended New York City, New York’s Juilliard School of Music. While

fave

Source: Black Past

Feb

28

1968

Elma Lewis School

The Elma Lewis School was established in 1950 to give expert training in the arts to children, youth, and adults. Its students have performed on Broadway and in symphony orchestras. During its 40 years of existence, the School has been producing professional artists and changing the quality of life

fave

Source: African Americans in Boston: More Than 350 Years

Trailblazing Dancer

Born in Roxbury in 1900, Mildred Davenport became a trailblazing dancer and renowned dance instructor. Her first career was in show business. In 1938 she danced her interpretation of the African-American spirituals with the Boston Pops. She appeared on Broadway with such reviews as 'Blackbirds' and

fave

Source: African Americans in Boston: More Than 350 Years

Temptations’ Otis Williams Talks Music, History, and the Temps’ 60th Anniversary – The Mississippi Link

The Temptations’ Otis Williams joined BlackPressUSA for an exclusive live interview to discuss music, history and social

fave

Source: The Mississippi Link

Anderson, Lauren (1965- )

When Lauren Anderson was promoted to principal dancer with the Houston Ballet in 1990, she became the first female African American principal dancer in the United States and, at the time, the world’s only African American prima ballerina heading a major ballet

fave

Source: Black Past

BILL VAUGHAN'S TASTY CLIPS: Mary J. Blige witnesses horrors in new film ‘Body Cam’

Nat Wolff (“Paper Towns,” “The Fault in Our Stars,” and the upcoming CBS All Access adaptation of “Stephen King’s The Stand”), Tony Award winner Anika Noni Rose (“The Quad,” “Little Fires Everywhere,” “The Princess and the Frog”), and former New York police officer turned go-to character actor

fave

Source: Homepage -

Top 10 Most Famous Black Actors of All Time

Hollywood is a giant industry which provides work to hundreds of actors. At the advent of this industry only white actors ruled the silver screen and the blacks were given only minor roles. As the time progressed, blacks were given the voice in the society and eventually allowed white collar

fave

Source: Black History Resources

African-American Playwrights

Playwright August Wilson once said, For me, the original play becomes an historical document: This is where I was when I wrote it, and I have to move on now to something

fave

Source: ThoughtCo

WHO says pandemic 'not even close' to over

The coronavirus pandemic is "not even close to being over", the WHO warned Monday, as the global death toll passed half a million and cases surged in Latin America and the United

fave

Source: The East African

Aretha Franklin

Aretha Franklin , in full Aretha Louise Franklin (born March 25, 1942, Memphis, Tennessee, U.S.), American singer who defined the golden age of soul music of the 1960s. Franklin’s mother, Barbara, was a gospel singer and pianist. Her father, C.L. Franklin, presided over the New Bethel Baptist

fave

Source: Brittanica

Mar

25

1942

Winfrey, Oprah (1954 - )

Repeatedly on Time magazine’s list of the 100 most influential people in the world, Oprah Winfrey is a television host, media mogul – in television, radio, film, and print – and philanthropist. Forbes magazine included her in its 2003 list of America’s billionaires, the first African American

fave

Source: Black Past

Jan

30

1954

Ossie Davis

Ossie Davis was a twentieth century renowned African-American film and television artist and Broadway actor. Besides that, he was also known for his work as a playwright, poet and author. Being an actor and author, Davis had a sensitive side which made him conscious of social problems faced by his

fave

Source: Black History Resources

Feb

9

2005

PBS Celebrates Pride Month with PRIDELAND, a Short-Form Digital Series and New One-Hour Special with Host and Actor Dyllón Burnside, Exploring LGBTQ+ Identity in the U.S. South

Digital episodes premiered May 26 on PBS Voices, a new documentary-focused YouTube channel from PBS Digital Studios; one-hour broadcast special premieres Friday, June 12 at 9:00 pm ET on PBS

fave

Source: Delivering News You Can Use

Louis Armstrong

Louis Armstrong was a multi-talented American jazz icon who was a singer, trumpeter, actor and comedian. He was born on August 4, 1901 in New Orleans, Louisiana. He had an impoverished childhood; his father was a factory worker who abandoned the family when Armstrong was born and his mother often

fave

Source: Black History Resources

Jul

6

1971

All Def Digital And Russell Simmons To Executive Produce Spoken Word Documentary 'Romeo Is Bleeding'

All Def Digital and Russell Simmons have partnered with award-winning editor Jason Zeldes to executive produce Zeldes’ documentary feature directorial debut Romeo Is Bleeding, a stirring documentary that explores the power of spoken word poetry to save and elevate youth, in one of the most violent

fave

Source: Savoy Network

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

fave

Source: Black History Resources

Mar

1

1927

BlackFacts Details

Nell Carter, Tony Award winning Broadway singer, born

Science Facts

Sports Facts

Arts Facts

Stokely Carmichael on the Black Panthers Politics

American Civil War Facts