August 6, 1965 David Maurice “The Admiral” Robinson, hall of fame basketball player, was born in Key West, Florida. Robinson played college basketball for the United States Naval Academy where he was an All-American in 1986 and 1987 and won the Naismith and Wooden Awards as the College Basketball Player of the Year in 1987. […]
"Academy Award"
July 16th in African American History – John Henrik Clarke
July 16, 1998 John Henrik Clarke, Pan-Africanist writer, historian, and professor, died. Clarke was born January 1, 1915 in Union Springs, Alabama. In 1933, Clarke left the South and moved to Harlem where he joined study circles like the Harlem History Club and the Harlem Writers’ Workshop. He was a “self-educated intellectual.” Clarke was co-founder […]
July 10th in African American History – Arthur Robert Ashe, Jr.
July 10, 1943 Arthur Robert Ashe, Jr., hall of fame tennis player and civil rights activist, was born in Richmond, Virginia. In 1963, Ashe became the first Black player selected to the United States Davis Cup team and in 1965 he won the National Collegiate Athletic Association tennis singles title. Ashe graduated from the University […]
July 8th in African American History – David Harold Blackwell
July 8, 2010 David Harold Blackwell, the first African American inducted into the National Academy of Sciences, died. Blackwell was born April 24, 1919 in Centralia, Illinois. He entered the University of Illinois at the age of 16 and earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in 1938, Master of Arts degree in 1939, and his […]
June 9th in African American History – Jacob Lawrence
June 9, 2000 Jacob Lawrence, painter, and educator, died. Lawrence was born September 7, 1919 in Atlantic City, New Jersey. He attended classes at the Harlem Art Workshop and earned a scholarship to the American Artists School. Throughout his artistic career, Lawrence concentrated on depicting the history and struggles of African Americans.
June 8th in African American History – Kanye Omari West
June 8, 1977 Kanye Omari West, rapper and record producer, was born in Atlanta, Georgia. West attended the American Academy of Art and Chicago State University but dropped out to focus on his music career. He first gained recognition for producing hit singles for artists such as Jay-Z, Common, Alicia Keys, and John Legend. In […]
May 6th in African American History – Otis Blackwell
May 6, 2002 Otis Blackwell, singer, pianist, and songwriter, died. Blackwell was born February 16, 1932 in Brooklyn, New York and learned to play the piano as a child. In 1952, Blackwell won a talent contest at the Apollo Theater, but his real love was songwriting. In 1956, he had his first success, composing “Fever,” […]