April 20, 2010 Dorothy Irene Height, educator and social activist, died. Height was born March 24, 1912 in Richmond, Virginia. While in high school, Height was awarded a scholarship to Barnard College but when she enrolled she was denied admittance because at that time Barnard only admitted two African Americans per academic year and they […]
Tag Archives | social activist
March 28th in African American History – Benjamin Elijah Mays
March 28, 1984 Benjamin Elijah Mays, minister, educator, scholar, and social activist, died. Mays was born August 1, 1894 in Ninety Six, South Carolina. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from Bates College in 1920 and his Master of Arts degree in 1925 and Ph. D. in the School of Religion in 1935 from […]
March 1st in African American History – Harold George “Harry” Belafonte, Jr.
March 1, 1927 Harold George “Harry” Belafonte, Jr., musician, actor and social activist, was born in New York City. Belafonte served in the United States Navy during World War II and after his discharge began his music career singing in clubs to pay for acting classes.
February 4th in African American History – Raiford Chatman “Ossie” Davis
February 4, 2005 Raiford Chatman “Ossie” Davis, actor, director, playwright and social activist, died. Davis was born December 18, 1917 in Cogdell, Georgia. He began his acting career in 1939 with the Rose McClendon Players in Harlem. Davis made his film debut in “No Way Out” (1950) and over the next 55 years appeared in […]
November 11th in African American History – Channing E. Phillips
November 11, 1987 Channing E. Phillips, minister, social activist and the first African American placed in nomination for President of the United States by a major party, died. Phillips was born March 23, 1928 in Brooklyn, New York. He was a founding member of the Coalition of Conscience, a conglomeration of local organizations working to […]
October 4th in African American History – Bernice Johnson Reagon
October 4, 1942 Bernice Johnson Reagon, singer, composer, scholar and social activist, was born in southwest Georgia. Reagon was an active participant in the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s as a member of the Freedom Singers, organized by the Student Non-violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC). She is a specialist in African American oral history, performance, […]