July 6, 1975 Curtis James Jackson, III (50 Cent), rapper and actor, was born in Queens, New York. Jackson’s first official appearance was on a song titled “React” with the group Onyx in 1998. In 2000, he released the album, “Power of the Dollar.” Jackson’s breakthrough occurred with the 2003 release of the album “Get […]
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Phyllis Linda Hyman – June 30th in African American History
June 30, 1995 Phyllis Linda Hyman, singer and actress, committed suicide. Hyman was born July 6, 1949 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In her early 20s, Hyman moved to New York City and began performing with a number of musical groups. In 1974, she appeared in the movie “Lenny.” In 1976, she appeared on Norman Conner’s album […]
Lloyd George Richards – June 29th in African American History
June 29, 1919 Lloyd George Richards, theater actor, director and educator, was born in Toronto, Canada, but raised in Detroit, Michigan. Richards earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from Wayne State University in 1944 and then became one of the first black military pilots while serving in the United States Air Force during World War […]
June 19th in African American History – Phylicia Ayers-Allen (Phylicia Rashad)
June 19, 1948 Phylicia Ayers-Allen (Phylicia Rashad), stage, television and screen actress and singer, was born in Houston, Texas. Rashad earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree, magna cum laude, from Howard University in the early 1970s. She initially gained recognition on the stage with a string of Broadway credits. From 1981 to 1983, she […]
June 16th in African American History – Tupac Amaru Shakur
June 16, 1971 Tupac Amaru Shakur, hip hop rapper and actor, was born in New York City. Shakur was named after Tupac Amaru II, a Peruvian revolutionary who led an indigenous uprising against Spain and was subsequently executed. In 1986, his family moved to Baltimore where Shakur attended the Baltimore School for the Arts and […]
May 19th in African American History – Lorraine Hansberry
May 19, 1930 Lorraine Hansberry, playwright and author, was born in Chicago, Illinois. In 1950, Hansberry moved to New York City to pursue a career as a writer and in 1959 her play, “A Raisin in the Sun,” debuted on Broadway. It was the first play written by an African American woman to be produced […]
May 9th in African American History – Lena Mary Calhoun Horne
May 9, 2010 Lena Mary Calhoun Horne, singer, actress, dancer and Civil Rights activist, died. Horne was born June 30, 1917 in Brooklyn, New York. At the age of 16, she joined the chorus line at the Cotton Club and a few years later joined the Noble Sissle Orchestra. In 1943, she became the first […]