January 12, 1965 Lorraine Hansberry, African-American playwright and author, died. Hansberry was born May 19, 1930 in Chicago, Illinois. She moved to New York City in 1950 to pursue a career as a writer. In 1959, her play, “A Raisin in the Sun” debuted on Broadway. It was the first play written by an African […]
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December 31st in African American History – Odetta Holmes
December 31, 1930 Odetta Holmes, singer, actress, songwriter, and human rights activist, was born in Birmingham, Alabama. Odetta’s first professional experience was in musical theater in 1944 and in 1949 she joined the “Finian’s Rainbow” touring company. She began her solo career in 1956 with “Odetta Sings Ballads and Blues” and followed with “At the […]
December 28th in African American History – Denzel Hayes Washington, Jr.
December 28, 1954 Denzel Hayes Washington, Jr., actor, director, and film producer, was born in Mount Vernon, New York. Washington earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in drama and journalism from Fordham University in 1977 and made his professional acting debut in the television movie “Wilma” (1977). His big break came when he starred from […]
December 20th in African American History – Madge Dorita Walters Sinclair
December 20, 1995 Madge Dorita Walters Sinclair, actress, died. Sinclair was born April 28, 1938 in Kingston, Jamaica. She was a teacher in Jamaica until 1968, when she moved to New York City to pursue an acting career. In 1977, she appeared in the television mini-series “Roots,” a role which earned her an Emmy nomination […]
December 18th in African American History – Raiford Chatman “Ossie” Davis
December 18, 1917 Raiford Chatman “Ossie” Davis, actor, director, playwright and social activist, was born in Cogdell, Georgia. Davis began his acting career in 1939 with the Rose McClendon Players in Harlem and made his film debut in 1950 in “No Way Out.” Over the next 55 years, he appeared in almost 50 movies, including […]
December 17th in African American History – Moses Gunn
December 17, 1993 Moses Gunn, stage, film, and television actor, died. Gunn was born October 2, 1929 in St. Louis, Missouri and earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from Tennessee State University in 1959. He then studied at the University of Kansas from 1959 to 1961 in their graduate program for speech and drama. Gunn […]
December 13th in African American History – Eric Marlon Bishop (Jamie Foxx)
December 13, 1967 Eric Marlon Bishop (Jamie Foxx), stand-up comedian, actor and singer, was born in Terrell, Texas. Foxx began performing stand-up in 1989 and changed his name to Jamie Foxx, choosing the surname as a tribute to Redd Foxx. In 1991, he joined the cast of the television show “In Living Color” and from […]