February 23, 1942 Donald Luther Lee (Haki R. Madhubuti), author, poet and educator, was born in Little Rock, Arkansas. Madhubuti served in the United States Army from 1960 to 1963 and earned his Master of Fine Arts degree from the University of Iowa in 1984.
February 23rd in African American History – William Edward Burghardt Du Bois
February 23, 1868 William Edward Burghardt Du Bois, civil rights activist, historian and author, was born in Great Barrington, Massachusetts. In 1888, Du Bois earned a bachelor’s degree from Fisk University and in 1895 became the first African American to earn a Ph. D. from Harvard University.
February 22nd in African American History – Lawrence Joel
February 22, 1928 Lawrence Joel, Medal of Honor recipient, was born in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Joel joined the United States Army in 1946 and served in the Korean and Vietnam Wars.
February 22nd in African American History – Ishmael Scott Reed
February 22, 1938 Ishmael Scott Reed, poet, essayist, and novelist, was born in Chattanooga, Tennessee, but raised in Buffalo, New York. Reed attended the University of Buffalo before moving to New York City in 1962 and co-founding the “East Village Other,” a well know underground publication.
February 21st in African American History – Frederick McKinley Jones
February 21, 1961 Frederick McKinley Jones, inventor and businessman, died. Jones was born May 17, 1893 in Cincinnati, Ohio. He boosted his natural mechanical ability and inventive mind with independent reading and study.
February 21st in African American History – El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz (Malcolm X)
February 21, 1965 El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz (Malcolm X), Muslim minister and human rights leader, was assassinated. Malcolm X was born Malcolm Little on May 19, 1925 in Omaha, Nebraska but grew up in Lansing, Michigan.
February 20th in African American History – Sidney Poitier
February 20, 1927 Sidney Poitier, actor, director, author, and diplomat, was born in Miami, Florida. At 17, Poitier moved to New York City and joined the American Negro Theater. He made his film debut in “No Way Out” (1950) and his breakout role was in “Blackboard Jungle” (1955). In 1959, Poitier acted in the first […]