Birth of Josh White
Joshua Daniel White was born on February 11, 1914, in Greenville, South Carolina. A trailblazing musician, White broke barriers with many notable firsts…
Black Heritage
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Birth of Arturo Schomburg
Arturo Alfonso Schomburg was born on January 24, 1874, in Santurce, Puerto Rico to an African American mother and German father. A key figure in the Harlem Renaissance, Schomburg dedicated his life to researching and raising awareness of the achievements of Afro-Latin Americans and African Americans.
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Birth of Lead Belly
Huddie William “Lead Belly” Ledbetter is believed to have born on January 23, 1888, in Mooringsport, Louisiana. Called the “king of the 12-string guitar players,” he was a popular folk and blues performer known for such songs as “Goodnight, Irene, “Midnight Special,” and “In the Pines.”
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Death of Erroll Garner
Jazz pianist and composer Erroll Garner died on January 2, 1977, in Los Angeles, California. He’s been called “one of the most distinctive of all pianists” and a “brilliant virtuoso.”
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Birth of Madam C.J. Walker
Sarah Breedlove, better known as Madam C.J. Walker, was born on December 23, 1867, in Delta, Louisiana. She’s considered to be the first female self-made millionaire in America.
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Birth of Carter G. Woodson
Carter Godwin Woodson was born on December 19, 1875, in New Canton, Virginia. He was the second African American to earn a PhD from Harvard and has been called the Father of Black History.
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Birth of Larry Doby
Lawrence Eugene Doby was born on December 13, 1923, in Camden, South Carolina. Doby was the second black player in Major League Baseball, the first in the American League, and the first to make it directly to the majors.
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Birth of Althea Gibson
Althea Neale Gibson was born on August 25, 1927, in Silver, South Carolina. Gibson made history by becoming the first African American to win a Wimbledon title. She’s been called the “female Jackie Robinson” for her role in breaking the color barrier in professional tennis.
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Birth of Ethel L. Payne
Ethel Lois Payne was born on August 14, 1911, in Chicago, Illinois. Known as the “First Lady of the Black Press,” he was the first black female war correspondent in Vietnam and the first black female commentator on a major radio and television network.
