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 […]
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September 11th in African American History – Taraji Penda Henson
September 11, 1970 Taraji Penda Henson, actress and singer, was born in Washington, D. C. Henson earned a degree in Theater Arts in 1995 from Howard University. She made her film debut “Baby Boy” (2001) and also has appeared in “Hustle & Flow” (2005), “Four Brothers” (2006), and “Talk to Me” (2007). In 2008, Henson […]
Djimon Gaston Hounsou – April 24th in African American History
April 24, 1964 Djimon Gaston Hounsou, actor and model, was born in Cotonou, Benin. Hounsou made his film debut in the 1990 film “Without You I’m Nothing” but his breakthrough came with his portrayal of Cinque in the 1997 film “Amistad.” For that role he received wide critical acclaim and a Golden Globe Award nomination.
November 13th in African American History – Caryn Elaine Johnson (Whoopi Goldberg)
November 13, 1955 Caryn Elaine Johnson (Whoopi Goldberg), actress, comedienne and activist, was born in New York City. In 1983, Goldberg created “The Spook Show”, a one woman show which ran on Broadway for 156 sold out performances and won her the 1985 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding One Person Show. In 1985, she made […]
Dorothy Jean Dandridge – September 8th in African American History
September 8, 1965 Dorothy Jean Dandridge, singer and actress, was found dead from an overdose of antidepressants. Dandridge was born November 9, 1922 in Cleveland, Ohio. As a young child, she and he sister rarely attended school and toured the South with an act called The Wonder Children. Dandridge first appeared on screen in 1935 […]