Zimbabwe: It's Not About the MDC Alliance Name

Jim Beckwourth, Afro-American Pioneer

on this day Jim Beckwourth discovered a path through the Sierra Nevada Mountains that now bear his name. Beckwourth Pass on U.S. Alt 40 between Reno, Nevada and Sacramento, California made overland travel to the gold fields of California possible.

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Source: Blackfacts.com

Apr

26

1844

Frank Ocean

Name at birth: Christopher Breaux

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Source: Fact Monster - Black History

First AME Church, Oakland (1858- )

The First African Methodist Episcopal Church of Oakland, California emerged in the eastern part of the Bay Area in 1858. The congregation itself was founded by members of the black community in Oakland at the time, but it wasn’t until 1863 that they actually had a physical building to hold their

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Source: Black Past

Paul Cuffe

Name at birth: Paul Slocum

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Source: Fact Monster - Black History

Saddler, Joseph/Grandmaster Flash (1958 - )

Although he will more than likely be remembered best for releasing “The Message,” the first rap song to delve into social commentary about the plight of African Americans in the inner-city, Grandmaster Flash was also the original technological virtuoso of the early hip-hop movement to

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Source: Black Past

Ashanti

Name at birth: Ashanti Douglas

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Source: Fact Monster - Black History

Abuja, Nigeria (1991- )

Abuja has been the capital of Nigeria since 1991 and the name refers not only to the city itself but also to the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in which it is located. The current Minister for the territory is Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed who was appointed on April 8, 2010. He is equivalent to a city

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Source: Black Past

Thelonious Monk

Name at birth: Thellous Junior Monk

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Source: Fact Monster - Black History

O.J. Simpson

Name at birth: Orenthal James Simpson

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Source: Fact Monster - Black History

British ask for Ashanti Golden Stool

One inspiration of liberation can be seen in Queen Yaa Asantewa of the Ashanti. Ironically enough the Ashanti are included

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Source: Blackfacts.com

Mar

28

1900

Robinson, Max (1939-1988)

Max Robinson was an American broadcast journalist for ABC News and served as a co-anchor for ABC World News Tonight. He was the first African American broadcast network news anchor in the history of American television. He was also one of the original founders of the National Association of Black

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Source: Black Past

Dec

20

1988

Colin Powell

Name at birth: Colin Luther Powell

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Source: Fact Monster - Black History

Tiger Woods

Tiger Woods is an American golfer and one of the most successful and highly paid golfers of all time with a record streak of 264 weeks as the highest ranked player. He was born Eldrick Tont Woods on December 30, 1975, in Cypress, California to Earl and Kultida Woods and nicknamed

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Source: Black History Resources

Dec

30

1975

Harris-Stowe University (1857-)

Harris-Stowe University is a historically black college in St. Louis, Missouri. It was also the first public teacher education institution west of the Mississippi River. Harris-Stowe was originally two separate institutions: Harris Teachers College and Stowe Teachers College, which were merged

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Source: Black Past

Gaborone, Botswana (1880- )

Gaborone is the capital and largest city in the African country of Botswana. Formerly known as Gaberones, the name was changed and the town was declared the capital of the country shortly after Botswana won its independence from Great Britain in 1966. Its history, however, extends back much

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Source: Black Past

Burns United Methodist Church (1866- )

Burns United Methodist Church (UMC) in Des Moines, Polk County, Iowa, is the oldest still-operating historically African American congregation in the state of Iowa. It was originally organized in 1866 as the Black Methodist Episcopal Church of Iowa, during a decade in which there were fewer than

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Source: Black Past

Eminem

Name at birth: Marshall Bruce Mathers III

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Source: Fact Monster - Black History

Aug

14

2009

Lil’ Bow Wow

Name at birth: Shad Gregory Moss

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Source: Fact Monster - Black History

Mary J. Blige

Mary Jane Blige is an American singer, songwriter and actress who has been making hit records for almost 25 years. She was born on January 11, 1971 in the Bronx, New York to Cora and Thomas Blige. She grew up in a very neglected and disastrous neighborhood and her childhood was marked by

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Source: Black History Resources

Jan

11

1971

White, V. Ethel Willis (1920-2003)

Theendowment named in honor of V Ethel Willis White is unusual in that the person honoredwas not a wealthy woman in the usual sense of the word. Instead V Ethel Willis White’s wealth derivedfrom her inspiration to

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Source: Black Past

Jimmy Buffett

Jimmy Buffett owns a chain of Margaritaville Cafes; in 2016, the chain said it had 30 locations in places like Syracuse, Las Vegas and the Bahamas. He also opened separate Landshark Bar & Grill and Cheeseburger in Paradise restaurant chains… Jimmy Buffet’s duet with Alan

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Source: Fact Monster - Black History

Nikki Giovanni

Name at birth: Yolande Cornelia

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Source: Fact Monster - Black History

Chamillionaire

Name at birth: Hakeem Seriki

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Source: Fact Monster - Black History

Scatman Crothers

Benjamin Sherman Crothers was an American actor, musician, singer and dancer. He was born on May 23, 1910 to Benjamin and Donnie Crothers in Terre Haute, Indiana. He got his nickname when he auditioned for a radio show in 1932 and the director told him he needed a catchy name, which is when he came

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Source: Black History Resources

May

23

1910

Nat King Cole

Nathaniel Adams Cole was a world renowned Jazz musician, born on March 17, 1919 in Montgomery, Alabama. Starting off with an incredible skill with the organ, Cole became a multi-instrumentalist, later learning the piano as well as vocals. He was particularly known for his baritone voice, as is

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Source: Black History Resources

Feb

15

1965

Kobe Bryant

Kobe Bryant is 6’7″ tall and played guard… He wore the jersey number 8 for years, but switched to 24 at the start of the 2006 NBA season… According to Kobe Bryant’s NBA bio, his parents “named him after a kind of steak (kobe) seen on a restaurant menu prior to his

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Source: Fact Monster - Black History

The Martin L. King, Jr. Federal Building is dedicated in Atlanta, Ga. It is the

The Martin L. King, Jr. Federal Building is dedicated in Atlanta, Ga. It is the first federal building in the nation to bear the name of the slain civil rights leader.

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Source: Blackfacts.com

Oct

4

1988

Elizabeth City State University (1891- )

Elizabeth City State University was established in 1891 as a response to a bill, enacted by the North Carolina General Assembly, which proposed the creation of a normal school for the training of black teachers in the state. Located in Elizabeth City, North Carolina, the University is

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Source: Black Past

North Carolina Agriculture & Technical State University (1891- )

The Morrill Act of 1890 created an opportunity for African Americans in higher education. The 1890 act specifically prohibited payments of federal money to any state which discriminated against blacks in admission to tax-supported colleges or universities; however, states could receive money if

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Source: Black Past

Feb

1

1960

Count Basie

William James Basie was one of the most notable jazz musicians of the 20th century. He was born on August 21, 1904 to Harvey Lee and Lillian Basie in Red Bank, New Jersey. Both his parents were musicians, which influenced Basie from an early age. His father played the mellophone, and his mother

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Source: Black History Resources

Aug

21

1904

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