December 10, 2005 Richard Franklin Lennox Thomas Pryor, III, comedian, writer and actor, died. Pryor was born December 1, 1940 in Peoria, Illinois. After his discharge from the army in 1960, he began working as a professional comic in clubs throughout the Midwest. In 1963, he moved to New York City and began to gain […]
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July 25th in African American History – Iman Mohamed Abdulmajid
July 25, 1955 Iman Mohamed Abdulmajid, super model, actress and entrepreneur, was born in Mogadishu, Somalia. Iman attended high school in Egypt and later lived in Kenya where she studied political science at Nairobi University. She is fluent in five languages, Somali, Arabic, Italian, French, and English. Iman moved to the United States in 1975 […]
April 2nd in African American History – Charles “Honi” Coles
April 2, 1911 Charles “Honi” Coles, tap dancer and actor, was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Coles developed his high-speed rhythm tapping on the streets of his hometown. In 1940, while dancing with the Cab Calloway band, he teamed with Charles “Cholly” Atkins to form Coles & Atkins. Their partnership lasted 19 years. Coles made his […]
April 2nd in African American History – Willie M. “Bill” Pickett
April 2, 1932 Willie M. “Bill” Pickett, cowboy and rodeo performer, died after being kicked in the head by a horse. Pickett was born December 5, 1870 or 1871 in Travis County, Texas. After quitting school, he took up ranch work. Pickett is generally credited with inventing the technique of bulldogging, grabbing cattle by the […]
March 17th in African American History – Nathaniel Adams “Nat King” Cole
March 17, 1919 Nathaniel Adams “Nat King” Cole, jazz pianist and singer, was born in Montgomery, Alabama. Cole learned to play the organ from his mother and began performing in the 1930s with the King Cole Trio. They signed with Capitol Records in 1943 and revenue from Cole’s recordings accounted for so much of Capitol’s […]
March 14th in African American History – Richard Berry Harrison
March 14, 1935 Richard Berry Harrison, actor, teacher, and lecturer, died. Harrison was born September 28, 1864 in London, Ontario, Canada, the son of formerly enslaved parents who had escaped to Canada via the Underground Railroad. As a young man, Harrison moved to Detroit, Michigan and began dramatic studies at the Detroit Training School of […]
March 7th in African American History – Paul Edward Winfield
March 7, 2004 Paul Edward Winfield, television, film and stage actor, died. Winfield was born May 22, 1939 in Los Angeles, California.