December 1, 1940 Richard Franklin Lennox Thomas Pryor, III, comedian, writer and actor, was born in Peoria, Illinois. After his discharge from the Army in 1960, Pryor began working as a professional comic in clubs throughout the Midwest. In 1963, he moved to New York City and began to gain national recognition and appear on […]
Tag Archives | Emmy Award
November 23rd in African American History – Robin Rene Roberts
November 23, 1960 Robin Rene Roberts, co-host of “Good Morning America,” was born in Andalusia, Alabama but grew up in Pass Christian, Mississippi. Roberts attended Southeastern Louisiana University where she was a standout performer on the women’s basketball team and earned her Bachelor of Arts degree cum laude in communications in 1983.
September 17th in African American History – Vanessa Lynn Williams
September 17, 1983 Vanessa Lynn Williams made history as the first woman of African descent to be crowned Miss America. Williams reign was full of challenges and controversy. For the first time in pageant history, a reigning Miss America was the target of death threats and angry racist hate mail. On July 23, 1984, Williams […]
August 14th in African American History – Maria Halle Berry
August 14, 1968 Maria Halle Berry, actress, former model, and beauty queen, was born in Cleveland, Ohio. Prior to becoming an actress, Berry won Miss Teen All-American in 1985, Miss Ohio USA in 1986, and she was first runner-up in Miss USA 1986. That same year, she became the first African American entrant in the […]
August 9th in African American History – Bernard Jeffrey “Bernie Mac” McCullough
August 9, 2008 Bernard Jeffrey “Bernie Mac” McCullough, comedian and actor, died. Bernie Mac was born October 5, 1957 in Chicago, Illinois. He started out as a stand-up comedian around Chicago and in 1989 won the Miller Lite Comedy Search. His first major acting role was in the 1995 film “Friday”. That was followed by […]
July 9th in African American History – Eloise Gwendolyn Isabel Sanford
July 9, 2004 Eloise Gwendolyn Isabel Sanford, television and film actress, died. Sanford was born August 29, 1917 in New York City. She made her film debut in the 1967 movie “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner.” Other films in which she appeared include “Lady Sings the Blues” (1972), “Love At First Bite” (1979), and “Sprung” […]
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 […]