February 2012
31 posts
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Fine and Dandy →
Dandy Lion: Articulating a Re(de)fined Black Masculine Identity creates new, positive stereotypes of young black men based on sartorial fashion.
by Cara Ober
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Today in Black History: Feb. 14
Feb. 14, 1946: The Legendary dancer, singer, actor, and choreographer, Gregory Hines was born in New York, NY. At a young age, Hines early training began with choreographer Henry LeTang. Later Hines teamed up with his older brother, Maurice and his father Maurice Sr. to form “The Hines Kids” (changed to “Hines, Hines, & Dad” in 1963). Hines went on to claim success...
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Today in Black History: Feb. 11
Feb. 11, 1990- Anti-apartheid activist and President of South Africa, Nelson Mandela was released from prison on Feb. 11, 1990 after serving 27 years. In 1962, he was arrested and convicted of “sabotage” and sentenced to life in prison. Upon his release, Mandela became an advocate for peace and reconciliation between the people of his country.
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WatchVIOLA DAVIS & OCTAVIA SPENCER’S DEBATE WITH TAVIS SMILEY (MUST SEE)
The must see discussion included Viola Davis saying the following to Smiley:
“That very mindset that you have and that a lot of African-Americans have is absolutely destroying the black artist. The black artist cannot live in a place—in a revisionist place—a black artist can only tell the truth about humanity...
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Today in Black History: Feb. 10
Feb. 10, 1940: Roberta Flack was born in Black Mountain, North Carolina. She is an American singer, songwriter, and musician who is notable for jazz, soul, R&B, and folk music. Flack is best known for her Hot 100 #1 singles “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face”, “Killing Me Softly with His Song”, and “Feel Like Makin’ Love”, as well as “Where...
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Today in Black History: Feb. 9
On Feb 9, 1953: Ralph Ellison wins the National Book Award for his bestselling book, Invisible Man.
The novel addresses many of the social and intellectual issues facing African-Americans in the early twentieth century, including black nationalism, the relationship between black identity and Marxism, and the reformist racial policies of Booker T. Washington, as well as issues of individuality...
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Today in Black History: Feb. 8
Feb. 8, 1944: Harry S. McAlpin was the first African-American reporter credentialed to the White House, where he covered Presidents Roosevelt and Truman for 51 black newspapers. He was also a Navy war correspondent and spokesman for the Department of Agriculture. Later McAlpin practiced law in Louisville, Ky.
Listen to Harry’s essay, The Courage to Change the Things I Can (Broadcast...
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Today in Black History: Feb. 7, 1883
February 7, 1883- Composer and Ragtime legend, Eubie Blake was born in Baltimore, Maryland.
James Hubert Blake was an American composer, lyricist, and pianist of ragtime, jazz, and popular music. In 1921, Blake and long-time collaboratorNoble Sissle wrote the Broadway musical Shuffle Along, one of the first Broadway musicals to be written and directed by African Americans. Blake’s...
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Today in Black History: Feb. 6, 1898
Educator, columnist, American Modernist poet, and politician, Melvin Beunorus Tolson was born on Feb. 6, 1898 in Moberly, Missouri.
Tolson attended Lincoln High School in Kansas City, Missouri where he studied Greek, Latin and Hebrew in 1919. He graduated with honors at Lincoln University in Pennsylvania in 1924. In 1930-31, Tolson took a break from teaching to study for his Master’s...
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Today in Black History: Feb. 4, 1913
Rosa Louise McCauley Parks, “the First Lady of Civil Rights” would have been 98 years old today. She was born on February 4, 1913 in Tuskgee, Alabama. On Thursday, December 1, 1955, after a day of work at Montgomery Fair, Rosa boarded a bus home at 6pm. She paid her fair and sat in the front row of the “colored section.” When the white section began to fill up, the bus driver demanded that those...
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Today in Black History: Feb. 3, 1903
On Feb. 3, 1903, the heavy weight champion, Jack “The Galveston Giant” Johnson won his first title, beating “Denver” Ed Martin over 20 rounds for the World Colored Heavyweight Championship.
Check out this 1909 clip: Jack Johnson vs. James J. Jeffries:
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Today in Black History: Feb. 2, 1915
Ernest Everett Just, Zoologist, Biologist, Physiologist, Research Scientist, academic and science writer, was the recipient of the first NAACP Spingarn Medal on Feb. 2, 1915 for his research in Biology. Just’s legacy stemmed from his recognition of the basic role of cell surface in the development of organisms.
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Today in Black History: Feb. 1, 1965
Actress, author, playwright, and actvist: Ruby Dee was the first African American actress to play a major role at the American Shakespeare Festival in Stratford Connecticut on Feb. 1, 1965
Check out this 1981 clip of Ruby Dee performing “Men Who Loved Me” with Billy Taylor (piano) and Max Roach (drums):
Photo by Carl Van Vechten (1961)
January 2012
32 posts
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WatchTavis Smiley’s Tribute to Etta James
This woman was simply amazing! She was the true definition of SOUL!
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Etta James (1938-2012)
Thank you for blessing us with your voice, beauty, sass, and undeniable soul! You could sing the MESS out of a song! We felt your pain, sorrow, joy, and love in every song! Thank you! We miss you already! Go on and sing amongst the stars!
Ra
RARE Video: Etta James (Nina Simone in audience): “I’d Rather Go Blind”
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“These are the cards I was dealt, so don’t be sad.”
– Muhammad Ali (about dealing with Parkinson’s Disease)
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“”If you do what you love, you’ll never work a day in your life.”
– Morgan Freeman (Golden Globes 2012)
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