During the opening ceremonies Monday at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia, First Lady Michelle Obama mentioned in her speech that the White House was built by slaves. A growing number of skeptics attempted to discredit Mrs. Obama’s remarks, but the story has been verified several times over by historians in recent times. According to […]
The shoe repair business has been around a long time, although there’s typically an emphasis on dress shoes and the like. But in Birmingham, Alabama, two friends can lay claim to creating the state’s first Black-owned sneaker dry cleaning service which has expanded quickly since its opening. Tavaris Godbolt and Alvin Miller are the founders […]
The Indianapolis Fire Department honored its first Black police chief over the weekend by renaming a station in his honor. Chief Joseph D. Kimbrew Sr., who died last year, was instrumental in helping bridge the racial divide between Black and white firefighters in the city. Kimbrew, a native of Indianapolis and graduate of the famed […]
Simone Biles became just the second woman in 40 years to win four consecutive national U.S. gymnastics titles, setting the stage for a potential gold medal haul at this year’s Summer Olympics. All eyes will be on Biles as she takes to the world stage in Rio, with some experts saying she could walk away […]
Harry S. Truman, the 33rd President of the United States, addressed the NAACP on this day in 1947. President Truman was the first sitting president to address the organization and is viewed as the nation’s first civil rights president. Truman’s speech to the NAACP was aired publicly on radio and took place at the Lincoln […]
Jack Daniels, the top-selling American whiskey brand in the world, has long said that a white moonshine maker was responsible for creating the popular bourbon. But this summer, the company that a slave might have been the actual mastermind behind the popular brown liquor. The original story is that preacher and moonshine man Dan Call […]
Bernie Worrell, an influential keyboardist who forged his sound while playing with George Clinton’s Parliament and Funkadelic bands, passed last Friday after battling stage four cancer. Mr. Worrell not only played with the legendary funk bands but toured with rock acts and more. Worrell was born April 19, 1944 in Long Branch, New Jersey. A […]
The Howard University Men’s Soccer team is currently the only men’s squad that plays in the MEAC conference. Through its ups and downs, the team’s legacy remains stellar after it became the first team from a HBCU to win a NCAA division I championship. In 1971, the Bisons won their first title after defeating the […]
The story of Will and William Tell, two unrelated Black men who were prisoners at Kansas’ Leavenworth Penitentiary, has become a legendary tale in forensics science lore. The two men looked nearly identical and because of it, they ultimately caused the prison industry to shift from an outdated facial recognition system to using fingerprints to […]
Ho Chi Minh, the famed Vietnamese Communist revolutionary leader was instrumental in leading North Vietnam to eventual independence from French colonizers. According to historians, Ho was influenced partly by the teachings of Marcus Garvey during a stay in America. Ho Chi Minh was born Nguyễn Sinh Cung on May 19, 1890. Much of Ho’s early […]
Nick Gabaldon has been recognized by California’s surf historians as the first surfer of color to emerge from the tight-knit community. Gabaldon has been hailed for breaking barriers in the sport, and serves as an inspiration for other Black and Latino surfers around the world. Nicolás Rolando Gabaldón was born February 23, 1927 in Los […]
As the world continues to mourn the great Muhammad Ali, many are reflecting on the champ’s stellar boxing career. In his second to last fight, Ali fought Larry Holmes. Ali and Holmes, former training and sparring partners, met in the ring on October 2, 1980 in Las Vegas. It was reported that Holmes didn’t want […]
