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By Russ McQuaid When Leon Bates’ grandfather would travel Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, Illinois and Kentucky as an International Representative of the United Auto Workers union in the forties, fifties and sixties, he always carried extra white shirts so he could look fresh coming off the road and a satchel with a pair of important books […]
Green Book celebrated for safety of African American travelers Read More »
Central Jersey’s only musem dedicated to African American history is hoping to expand. The Stoutsburg Sourland African American Museum (SSAAM) is applying for funding from the state’s Green Acres Program to buy property on Hollow Road on Sourland Mountain. The purchase will expand the nonprofit museum’s African American history campus and and allow for the preservation
Central Jersey’s only African American history museum hopes to expand Read More »
Retired Lt. Col. Harry Stewart Jr, a decorated World War II pilot who broke racial barriers as a Tuskegee Airmen and earned honors for his combat heroism, has died. He was 100. Stewart was one of the last surviving combat pilots of the famed 332nd Fighter Group also known as the Tuskegee Airmen. The group
Remembering Tuskegee Airman, Harry Stewart, Jr. Read More »
By Rashad Grove The formation of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) has been critical to the development of Black life in America. Alongside houses of worship and business entities, HBCUs are some of the oldest institutions perpetually owned and managed by African Americans. As defined by the Thurgood Marshall Fund, HBCUs were “established in the
If you were asked to name some of the most talented musical families in history, the Jacksons, the DeBarges and The Isley Brothers might be the first that come to mind. But don’t sleep on The Sylvers, a group of nine singing siblings from Watts, California, that entertained fans for decades. — Angela Johnson Read
Since the Grammys and Black History are bringing in February, we thought we’d do something to complement both. From 1971 to 2006, “Soul Train” was the place to see some of the hottest Black musical artists on television. But viewers didn’t just tune in for the music, they came back week after week to watch
All Aboard! Famed ‘Soul Train’ Dancers Discuss Their Time On the Popular Series Read More »
Written By The Associated Press The first Black woman to join the U.S. Army Nurse Corps after the military was desegregated in the 1940s has died. She was 104. Nancy Leftenant-Colon, who retired as a major and died earlier this month at a New York nursing home, was remembered by relatives and friends for quietly
Nancy Leftenant-Colon, the first Black woman in Army Nurse Corps, dies at 104 Read More »
The Harry Ransom Center at the University of Texas at Austin has recently acquired a collection of materials on Ethel Waters, a pioneering twentieth-century Black singer and actress. Born in 1896 as a result of the rape of her teenage Black mother Louise Anderson, Waters was raised in poverty by her grandmother in Philadelphia. Speaking
University of Texas Acquires Collection of Papers From Black Performer Ethel Waters Read More »
By Shannon Dawson Kwanzaa, an annual celebration of African culture spanning from Dec. 26 to Jan.1, originated in 1966 amid the Black Freedom Movement. The celebration was created by Dr. Maulana Karenga, an activist and esteemed professor of Africana studies at California State University, Long Beach. Rooted in the early harvest festivities of Africa, this
A Complete Guide To Celebrating Kwanzaa Read More »
By Ronda Racha Penrice The job was considered impossible: Clear 17 million pieces of backlogged mail. In a war zone. Maj. Charity Adams knew it was a mission that could not fail, not just for the sake of morale of World War II troops, but also for the reputation of Black people in the eyes of the country’s
