Watch | Wayde van Niekerk on track in Cape Town

Pam Grier

American actress Pamela Suzette Grier was born on May 26, 1949, in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Her parents were Gwendolyn Sylvia who worked as a nurse, and Clarence Ransom Grier, Jr. who worked as a mechanic in U.S. Air Force. As a result, the family travelled a lot, and Grier lived in several

fave

Source: Black History Resources

May

26

1949

Bert Williams--a Leading Comedian

At the turn of the century Bert Williams was one of Americas top comedians. Comedian Eddie Cantor called him a comic genius, W.C. Fields, a comic genius himself, once described Williams as the funniest man I ever

fave

Source: Blackfacts.com

Mar

4

1922

Reginald Martinez Jackson is born

Reginald Martinez Jackson, Born May 18, 1946 is born in Wyncote, Pa. He will be better known as Reggie Jackson, star baseball player for the Oakland As and New York Yankees. He will set or tie seven World Series records.

fave

Source: Blackfacts.com

May

18

1946

Jackson, Jessie Louis, Sr. (1941- )

Long before he became a minister, head of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference’s Operation Breadbasket, Operation PUSH (People United to Save Humanity), and founder of the Rainbow Coalition, Jesse Louis Jackson impressed his family and close friends as a person destined for greatness. Born

fave

Source: Black Past

Oct

8

1941

Basketball star Moses "The Mailman" Malone born

National Basketball Association star, Moses The Mailman Malone is born in Petersburg, Virginia.

fave

Source: Blackfacts.com

Mar

23

1954

Jimi Hendrix

Name at birth: Johnny Allen Hendrix

fave

Source: Fact Monster - Black History

Loren Miller: Legal Crusader in the Long Struggle for Racial Justice in the Twentieth Century

In the essay below, journalist and historian Amina Hassan describes her 2015 biography of Loren Miller, a significant but understudied figure in the long twentieth century campaign for civil rights and racial

fave

Source: Black Past

Dec

5

1945

Marion Jones

Marion Lois Jones, also called Marion Jones-Thompson is a respected retired American athlete and basketball player. She was born on October 12, 1975 Los Angeles, California and specialized in track and field races. Standing at 5 feet 10 inches and weighing 68 kilograms, Jones is most often

fave

Source: Black History Resources

Oct

12

1975

Black Baseball in Minnesota: The Pipestone Black Sox

In the following article historian Bruce A. Glasrud follows the exploits of an all black baseball team in the southwestern Minnesota town of Pipestone in the 1920s which at the time had virtually no black residents. Nonetheless the team competed with other white, all-black, and racially integrated

fave

Source: Black Past

Howlin' Wolf

Howlin’ Wolf, a nickname for Chester Arthur Burnett, was an American Blues musician, born on June 10, 1910, in White Station, Mississippi. Ranked at #51 by the Rolling Stone Magazine in the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time, and arguably deserving a better spot on the list, Wolf is without a doubt

fave

Source: Black History Resources

Jan

10

1976

Shaquille O'Neal

Shaquille Rashaun O’Neal was born on March 6, 1972 in New Jersey. He is a retired NBA player, former rapper, former actor and currently, an analyst on Inside NBA. He was drafted by Orlando Magic in 1992 and was suddenly thrown into the spot light. He shined brightly, winning Rookie of the Year in

fave

Source: Black History Resources

Mar

6

1972

Don Cheadle

Donald Frank “Don” Cheadle, Jr., most famously known as simply Don Cheadle, is a popular American actor, born on the 29th of November, 1964 in Kansas City, Missouri. Ever since his early teen years, Cheadle was known to exhibit a stark interest in the liberal arts, preferring lead roles

fave

Source: Black History Resources

Frank Robinson

Ruth Robinson’s tenth and last child, Frank Robinson Jr., was born in August 31, 1935 after her marriage to her third husband, Frank Robinson. Unfortunately, her third marriage did not work out either and the mother moved to California from Texas with Robinson Jr. and his two

fave

Source: Black History Resources

Aug

31

1935

(2013) President Barack Obama, Inaugural Address

On January 21, President Barack Hussein Obama was inaugurated as President of the United States, beginning his second term in office. His inauguration address appears

fave

Source: Black Past

Baquet, Charles R., III (1941- )

Ambassador Charles R. Baquet III was born December 24, 1941 in New Orleans, Louisiana. He attended public schools in the city and in 1963 he earned his B.A. in history from Xavier University in New Orleans. In 1975, he earned his M.A. in public administration from the Maxwell School of Government

fave

Source: Black Past

Mar

25

1991

Tennessee State University (1912- )

Tennessee State University (TSU) is a historically black, comprehensive, four-year co-educational university located on a 500 acre campus in Nashville, Tennessee. With over 10,000 students, including nearly 1,900 graduate students, it is one of the largest historically black colleges and

fave

Source: Black Past

South africa

Current government officials

fave

Source: Fact Monster - Black History

(1862) John S. Rock, “A Deep and Cruel Prejudice”

New Jersey-born John Sweat Rock was one of the first African American dentists in the United States. He was also a medical doctor and in 1861, after studying law, was admitted to the Massachusetts bar in 1861. On January 23, 1862, Rock addressed the Massachusetts Anti-Slavery Society in

fave

Source: Black Past

Jan

23

1862

Nelson Mandela

Name at birth: Rolihlahla Mandela

fave

Source: Fact Monster - Black History

Barnett, Powell S. (1883-1971)

Powell S. Barnett was a child when his father arrived in Roslyn to work in the coal mines. Seeing no future in mining, Powell left for Seattle in 1906, and quickly found work. Years later, after working in construction and for hotels, he served as a clerk for State Senator Frank Connor. Barnett

fave

Source: Black Past

Reggie Jackson

Born May 18, 1946, Reggie Jackson of Pennsylvania belonged to a family of eight with the head of the family working as a tailor. The parents soon separated and Jackson was sent to live with his

fave

Source: Black History Resources

May

18

1946

(1843) Henry Highland Garnet, "An Address To The Slaves Of The United States"

The National Negro Convention of 1843 was held in Buffalo, New York drawing some seventy delegates a dozen states. Among the delegates were young, rising leaders in the African American community including Frederick Douglass, William Wells Brown, Charles B. Ray and Charles L. Remond. Twenty-seven

fave

Source: Black Past

Eminem

Name at birth: Marshall Bruce Mathers III

fave

Source: Fact Monster - Black History

Aug

14

2009

Track star John Carlos born

Olympic track and field star John Carlos born in New York City. John Carlos would become famous at the 1968 Olympic Summer Games for raising a black gloved fist during the playing of the American anthem.

fave

Source: Blackfacts.com

Jun

5

1945

Wilder, Lawrence Douglas (1931- )

Born in Richmond, Virginia on January 17, 1931, Lawrence Douglas Wilder was the first African American to be elected governor in the United States of America. For four years Wilder served as the governor of Virginia (1990-1994). Currently he is serving as the mayor of

fave

Source: Black Past

Jan

17

1931

Baseball player Darryl Strawberry born

New York Mets controversial star outfielder Darryl Strawberry was born in Los Angeles.

fave

Source: Blackfacts.com

Mar

12

1962

(1963) Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel, "Religion and Race"

On January 14, 1963, Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel gave the speech “Religion and Race,” at a conference of the same name that assembled in Chicago, Illinois. There he met Dr. Martin Luther King and the two became friends. Rabbi Heschel marched with Dr. King at Selma, Alabama in

fave

Source: Black Past

Jan

14

1963

Juba, South Sudan (1922- )

Juba is one of the newest capitals in the world. It became the capital of South Sudan when that nation was declared independent on July 9, 2011. Juba, located on the White Nile River, is the largest city in South Sudan and in 2011 it had an estimated population of 372,410 people. Since then

fave

Source: Black Past

Jul

9

2011

Lisa Lopes

Lisa Left Eye Lopes was one of three members of the popular music group TLC. (The Atlanta-based group was named for its members initials: Lopes, Tionne T-Boz Watkins and Rozanda Chilli Thomas.) With its made-for-MTV looks and bawdy attitude, the group was a hit with both R&B and pop music

fave

Source: Fact Monster - Black History

Reynolds, Melvin Jay “Mel” (1952- )

Politician, scholar and professor, Mel Reynolds was born on January 8, 1952, in Mound Bayou, Mississippi, to parents J.J. and Essie May Reynolds. Reynolds attended John Marshall High School on the Westside of Chicago where he developed impressive academic credentials. He then enrolled in Chicago

fave

Source: Black Past

Oct

1

1995

BlackFacts Details

Watch | Wayde van Niekerk on track in Cape Town - and shows off new tattoo

Education Facts

Black People Facts

Lifestyle Facts

Business Facts

Literature Facts

Cuisine Facts