Black History: Joseph Cinqué to Barack Obama (Part 2: 1901-2000's)

Ralph J. Bunche (1903-1971)—political scientist and diplomat and first Black awarded Nobel Peace Prize (1950) for mediating in Palestine. Helped organize and found the United Nations.

Dr. Charles Richard Drew (1904-1950)—Dr & researcher who developed the world's first blood bank, blood storage & blood transfusion methods which saved the lives of thousands of US soldiers during WWII.

Josephine Baker (June 3, 1906–April 12, 1975)—Born Freda Josephine McDonald; world-famous choreographer/dancer, became French citizen in 1937 where she was better accepted than in the racially charge US. First African American female to star in a major motion picture, to integrate an American concert hall, and to become a world-famous entertainer, Civil Rights activitst in the United States, assisted the French Resistance during the WWII & first American-born woman to receive the highest French military honor, the Croix de Guerre.

Supreme Court Chief Justice Thurgood Marshall (1908-1993)—first African American selected to US Supreme Court (1967 by Lyndon Baines Johnson). Prior to his Justiceship, Marshall was famous for his victory as Chief Counsel for the NAACP in Brown v. Board of Education (1954).

Jesse Owens (1913-1980)—first American to win four Olympic gold medals in track and field; shown here at 1936 Olympics in Munich, Germany where he laid to rest Hitler's propaganda that the Aryan race was superior with Africans being inferior.

Rosa Parks (1913-2005)—the "Mother of the Modern-Day Civil Rights Movement." Here shown being booked into Alabama jail after refusing to give up her seat at the front of a bus. She was Secretary of Montgomery NAACP & her actions were a major catalyst for Dr. King and others to boycott the Birmingham bus system for 381 days & a major symbol of the Civil Rights struggle for equality.

Lena Horne (June 30, 1917-)—born in NYC of Black, White & Native American ancestry. American songstress, actress who has recorded with Duke Ellington, Billy Eckstine & more. Cabin in the Sky was her most famed movie but was denied many roles or edited out of movies due to theatre rules against portraying African Americans in certain films. Horne briefly retired from showbiz in 1980, but returned shortly & recorded albums through the 1990's. She was also noted for working with NAACP and other Civil Rights leaders including Medgar Evers & Paul Robeson.

Jackie Robinson (1919-1972)—Robinson endured racial discrimination while becoming the first African American in Major League Baseball in 1947. First athlete in UCLA history to letter in four sports (baseball, basketball, football and track) and was a second lieutenant in the Army from 1942-1944. Inducted into Baseball Hall of Fame in 1962. Robinson also became first African-American Major League Baseball analyst and the first Black vice president of a major American corporation. Robinson was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Congressional Gold Medal.

General Daniel "Chappie" James, Jr. (1920-1978)—first African American to reach the rank of (four-star) general, US Air Force.

Dorothy Dandridge (1922-1965)—actress & songstress. She influenced many modern actresses, has a star on Hollywood Walk of Fame & was played by 1999, Halle Berry in the HBO Movie "Introducing Dorothy Dandridge".

Malcolm X (1925-1965)—Born Malcolm Little, but also known as El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz, Malcolm X gained world-wide fame as Minister of the Nation of Islam & special assistant to it's founder Hon. Elijah Muhammad, public speaker, and human rights activist. Malcolm X became a Sunni Muslim after leaving the Nation due to bitter rivalries & death threats from other Ministers, and also founded the Muslim Mosque, Inc & OAU. On Feb 21, 1965 he was assasinated by the Nation while giving a speech.

"When a person places the proper value on freedom, there is nothing under the sun that he will not do to acquire that freedom. Whenever you hear a man saying he wants freedom, but in the next breath he is going to tell you what he won't do to get it, or what he doesn't believe in doing in order to get it, he doesn't believe in freedom. A man who believes in freedom will do anything under the sun to acquire . . . or preserve his freedom." Malcolm X

B. B. King, born Riley B. King, (September 16, 1925-)—is an African American blues guitarist and singer-songwriter known for his expressive singing and inimitable guitar playing. Critical acclaim and widespread popularity have cemented his reputation as possibly the most respected,successful, and most recognized bluesman, not just in the United States, but in the world. Rolling Stone Magazine ranked him at #3 in "the 100 greatest guitarists of all time".

Ralph David Abernathy (1926-1990)—famous Civil Rights leader who worked with Dr. King, Jesse Jackson, Rosa Parks and other notables. After Dr. King's death, he took leadership of Southern Christian Leadership Conference Poor People's Campaign.

Sir Sidney Poitier (1927-)—Academy Award- (1963), Golden Globe-, BAFTA- and Grammy award-winning Bahamian-American actor (In the Heat of the Night, etc.), film director, author, and diplomat. Appointed as Bahamian ambassador to Japan since 1997.

Maya Angelou (1928-)—Born Marguerite Ann Johnson, poet, playwright, memoirist, actress, author, television producer, professor & Civil Rights activist. Her most famous work was "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings", (1969), her first of six autobiographies. Angelou has recited at Pres. Bill Clinton's 1993 Inauguration & received over 30 honorary degrees.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (1929-1968)—the most famous modern Black American Civil Rights leader. Baptist preacher & pastor, orator & human rights legend who fought for equality and desegregation. Assinated in Memphis, TN April 4, 1968 on the balcony of Room 306 of the Lorraine Motel. He had traveled in support of Black sanitary public works employees on strike to protest pay inequality.

"A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual doom."

"I just want to do God's will. And he's allowed me to go to the mountain. And I've looked over, and I've seen the promised land! I may not get there with you, but I want you to know tonight that we as a people will get to the promised land."

Lorraine Hansberry (1930-1965)—playwrite of "Raisin in the Sun", author of political speeches, letters, and essays.

Toni Morrison (1931-)—Born Chloe Ardelia, Morrison is a Nobel Prize-winning American author (Beloved-Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, 1988), editor, and professor.

Henry Louis "Hank" Aaron (1934-)—"Hammerin' Hank" played in Major League Baseball 1954-1976 and set MLB record o f 755 HR (broken only in Aug 7, 2007 by Barry Bonds) among many other records & inducted into Baseball Hall of Fame in 1982.

General Colin Luther Powell (1937-)—Graduate of West Point, 4-star General, US Army, National Security Advisor (1987-1989), Commander-in-Chief, U.S. Army Forces Command (1989), first Black Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (1989–1993), first Black Secretary of State (2001-2005). Powell continues to encourage service as well as promote education and bridging of the digital divide for disadvantaged youth. Powell further helped make history when he endorsed Barack Obama for President of the United States.

Wilma Rudolph (1940-1994)—first American woman to win three gold medals in track and field during a single Olympic Games (1960).

Rev. Jesse Louis Jackson, Sr. (October 8, 1941-)—modern Black American Civil Rights leader. Baptist preacher & pastor, orator & human rights icon & statesman who fought for equality and desegregation along with Dr. King, Ralph Abernathy, Rosa Parks, and other notables. founder of Rainbow Coalition/PUSH. In later years, Jackson was sent numerous times as a special envoy in securing the release of American hostages in Syria, Cuba, as well as promoting free elections & voting around the world. Jackson campaigned for President on the Democratic primaries in 1984 and 1988, and gained a significant number of delegates as well as forcing rule changes instrumental in Barack Obama's 2008 Presidential win.

Aretha Louise Franklin (1942-)—Queen of Soul and pioneer in jazz, rock, blues, pop, R&B and gospel genres, winner of 20 Grammys & recently sang at the Inauguration of Barack Obama.

Muhammad Ali (1942-)—Born Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr., Ali converted to Nation of Islam, Sunni Islam, then Sufism, was the first American boxer to hold three World Heavyweight Champion non-consecutively & 1960 Summer Olympic Gold Medalist. Currently Ali suffers from Parkinson's disease but was portrayed by Oscar-nominated Will Smith in "Ali" (2001). Favorite phrase was, "Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee".

Arthur Ashe (1943-1993)—winner of 3 tennis Grand Slam Titles, US Davis Cup Captain, founder of Nat'l Jr Tennis League, Intnat'l Tennis Hall of Fame (1985) inductee & sports commentator. Recognized aimply one of the greatest athletes to ever live.

Dr. Ronald E. McNair (1950-1986)—An African American physicist, researcher, NASA astronaut and one of 7 astronauts to die aboard Space Shuttle Challenger on January 28, 1986. A renaissance man, McNair was a saxophonist, martial arts instructor, and received several honorary degrees for contributions to physics. The federally funded TRIO program Ronald E. McNair Post-Baccalaureate Achievement Program is named in his honor.

Oprah Winfrey (1954-)—TV talk show host of "The Oprah Winfrey Show" the highest rated talk show in TV history, book critic, Emmy Award winner, Academy Award nominee, Actress (The Color Purple), media mogul, publisher of "O" magazine, and philanthropist. Oprah is first Black female billionaire. Economists at University of Maryland estimated that her endorsement of Barack Obama netted him over 1 million votes in the 2008 Democratic Primaries & helped decide the Presidential election in Obama's favor due to her extremely loyal following.

Tiger Woods (1975-)—Currently the World No. 1, Woods was the highest-paid professional athlete in 2007, having earned an estimated $122 million from winnings and endorsements.

Woods has won 14 major golf championships, the second highest of any male player, and 65 PGA Tour events, third all time. He has more career major wins and career PGA Tour wins than any other active golfer. He is the youngest player to achieve the career Grand Slam, and the youngest and fastest to win 50 tournaments on tour. Woods was the first Multiracial American to win the Masters in 1997 at Augusta National.

Woods has held the #1 position in the world rankings for the most consecutive weeks and for the greatest total number of weeks. He has been awarded PGA Player of the Year a record 9 times, the Byron Nelson Award for lowest adjusted scoring average a record eight times, and has tied Jack Nicklaus' record of leading the money list in 8 different seasons. He has been named Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year a record-tying 4 times, and is the only person to be named Sports Illustrated's Sportsman of the Year more than once.

President Barack Hussein Obama II (August 4, 1961-)—Elected the 44th President of the United States and the first President of Black (Kenyan) & White (Caucasian American) parentage. On November 4, 2008, then Senator Obama, the Jr. Senator from Illinois was elected first African American President of the U.S. after becoming the first Black Presidential nominee of a major party and defeating Republican challenger, Sen. John McCain (AZ).

Obama graduated from Columbia University and Harvard Law School where he became the first Black editor of Harvard Law Review. He then moved to Chicago, IL, practiced civil rights law and became a community organizer working with churches and community organizations on behalf of the poor who had lost their jobs. He married Michelle, and they gave birth to Sasha and Malia. Barack Obama gave the keynote address at the Democratic National Convention in July 2004. After election as Senator, he served on Foreign Relations, Environment and Public Works, Veterans' Affairs, Health, Education, Labor and Pensions and Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs committees of the U.S. Senate.


Most research on Black History figures courtesy of Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia.

Black History: Joseph Cinqué to Barack Obama (Part 1: 1700-1900)

Benjamin Banneker (1731-1806)—a free African American astronomer, mathematician, surveyor, almanac author and farmer. Banneker was a figure bigger than life with legends made about his photographic memory. He was a grandson of Europeans & slaves, carved one of the first clocks in America from wood and is reported to have had a significant role in the surveying & planning of Washington, D.C.

Sojourner Truth (1737-1883)—Originally named Isabella Baumfree by her Dutch masters and spoke Dutch fluently. In her adult life, she worked with abolitionists William Lloyd Garrison, Frederick Douglass, and David Ruggles. Truth travelled and spoke widely after publishing her memoirs, "The Narrative of Sojourner Truth: A Northern Slave". One of her famous speeches was "Ain't I A Woman?"

Jean Baptiste Pointe du Sable (1745(?) -August 28, 1818)—"The Father of Chicago", was a Haitian colonist in North America of mixed French and African ancestry. Du Sable was the first settler and the first African-American in the area which is now Chicago, Illinois, He was declared the Founder of Chicago by the State of Illinois and the City of Chicago on October 26, 1968.

Phyllis Wheatley (1753-1784)—born in Gambia, was America's first Black female poet during American Revolutionary War and started African American literature. Her first book of poems, "Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral" was read widely & loved by George Washington. She was freed due to her scholarship, but died in poverty. Her first name was derived from the slave ship which transported her & her last name from the family that purchased her.

James Lafayette Armistead (1760-1830)—American Revolution hero, became a spy for General Lafayette by pretending to be a slave in a British army camp. His intelligence on British troops helped the Americans defeat the British at Yorktown, acts for which he later gained his freedom.

Nat Turner (1800-1831)—leader of slave rebellion which killed more Southerners than any other while freeing numerous slaves. Turner was also deeply religious & a preacher who believed God spoke to him through signs. After his capture & execution, his attorney published his book, "The Confessions of Nat Turner".

Joseph Cinqué also known as Sengbe Pieh (1813-1879)—born in Sierra Leone, Joseph was illegally captured by slave traders, shipped aboard the Amistad, and sold to Cubans who transported the 53 captives to the US. The captives led by Joseph mutinied but the traders navigated to the US. Upon arrival in the US, the captives were tried in US Court, but those sympathetic to their cause including former US President John Q. Adams who represented them before the US Supreme Court. The Court ruled that the 53 had been illegally sold into slavery and ordered all to be sent back to Africa as they had requested.

Frederick Douglass (1818-1895)—American abolitionist, women's suffragist, editor, orator, author, statesman and reformer. First African American nominated as a Vice Presidential candidate in the U.S., running on the Equal Rights Party ticket with Victoria Woodhull, the first woman to run for President of the United States.

Hariett Tubman (1820–1913)—Born Araminta Ross; founder of "Underground Railroad" which helped slaves in South escape to freedom in the North, Union cook, nurse, armed scout & spy during Civil War, abolitionist & humanitarian. The Underground Railroad wasn't a railroad of course, just her method of transporting slaves called "passengers" to freedom in the North & Canada.

Elijah McCoy (1843-1929)—A prolific African Canadian inventor and engineer with many US patents including: lubricators for seam engines of trains & boats, folding ironing board, lawn sprinkler. The term "The Real McCoy" describes any product of excellent workmanship that is the real thing.,

Jan Matzeliger (1853-1889)—Born in Surinmae to Dutch father & slave, Jan became a sailor & emigrated to the US. He learned English & became inventor of shoe lasting machine which increased the productivity of a shoe maker from 50 shoes by hand daily to 150-700 shoes daily.

Madam C.J. Walker (1867-1919)—Born Sarah Breedlove; first Black female millionaire (Guinness Book of Records), inventor of curling iron, straightening comb & numerous beauty & hair products for females, founder of Madam C.J. Walker Manufacturing Company.

Scott Joplin (November 24, 1868 – April 1, 1917)—was an African American composer and pianist born near Texarkana, TX, into the first post-slavery generation - his father an ex-slave and his mother a freeborn woman. He would be best-known for his ragtime music, dubbed as "The King of Ragtime."

Rev. William J. Seymour (1870-1922)—Pastor of the Apostolic Faith Mission at 312 Azuza Street in Los Angeles, CA. Founder of modern Christian Pentecostal movement in with Assembly of God, Church of God, 4-Square Church & Full Gospel Church founders under his influence.

Carter Godwin Woodson (December 19, 1875 - April 3, 1950)—was an African-American historian, author, journalist and the founder of the Association for the Study of African American Life and History. He first proposed the second week of February be celebrated as Black History Week in 1926 to coincide with the birthday celebrations for Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass. He used his research as a historian in order to formally record and recognize the numerous achievements of Blacks to world history and history of the United States. In 1976, Black History Week was expanded to cover the entire month of February. Dr. Woodson is honored with his own Christmas ornament which is hung on the White House Christmas tree annually.

Mary Jane McLeod Bethune (July 10, 1875-May 18, 1955)—Founded the Daytona Normal and Industrial Institute for Negro Girls (now Bethune-Cookman College) in 1904, and served as president from 1904-1942 and from 1946-47. Was a leader in the black women's club movement and served as president of the National Association of Colored Women. Was a delegate and advisor to national conferences on education, child welfare, and home ownership.Was Director of Negro Affairs in the the National Youth Adminstration from 1936 to 1944. Served as consultant to the U.S. Secretary of War for selection of the first female officer candidates. Appointed consultant on interracial affairs and understanding at the charter conference of the U.N. Founder of the National Council of Negro Women. Vice-president of the NAACP. Was awarded the Haitian Medal of Honor and Merit, that country's highest award. In Liberia she received the honor of Commander of the Order of the Star of Africa.

Garrett A. Morgan (1877-1963)—inventor of gas mask, traffic signal, hair straightener, and also the first Clevelander to own an automobile.

Marcus Mosiah Garvey, Jr. (1887-1940)—Born in Jamaica; Pioneer of Back to Africa or "Colonist" Movement, publisher, journalist, entrepreneur, Black nationalist, Pan-Africanist, and orator.

Zora Neale Hurston (1891-1960)—American folklorist and Harlem Renaissance author of four novels and over than 50 published short stories, plays, and essays. Hurston is best known for her novel "Their Eyes Were Watching God" (1937).

Bessie Coleman (1892-1926)—first African-American woman to earn an international aviation license and US aviation license. Known as "Queen Bess".

Frederick McKinley Jones (1893-1961)—only finished 6th grade, but self-taught engineer who invented mobile refrigerated systems for transporting perishable materials in trucks, railroad cars & boats. His work led to formation of US Thermo Control Co. Also invented A/C unit, starter generatory, rotary compressor, temperature control, portable X-ray machines, sound equipment, gas engines, and many other things we take for granted today.

David Nelson Crosthwait, Jr. (1898-1976)—pioneer in the field of heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning (HVAC), held over 30 U.S. patents; first Black elected Fellow of the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration, and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) in 1971.

Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington (April 29, 1899–May 24, 1974)—was an American composer, pianist, and bandleader. Duke Ellington was known in his life as one of the most influential figures in Jazz music and American music in general.

Most research on Black History figures courtesy of Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia.

Who Started Black History Month?

There are, I'm sure, a number of people who wonder who it was that started or came up with the idea for Black History Month. It was Dr. Carter G. Woodson (1875-1950), educated at University of Chicago (1907), Sorbonne of Paris (1908) & Harvard University (Ph.D., 1912) who first proposed the second week of February be celebrated as Black History Week in 1926 to coincide with the birthday celebrations for Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass. He used his research as a historian in order to formally record and recognize the numerous achievements of Blacks to world history and history of the United States. In 1976, Black History Week was expanded to cover the entire month of February. Dr. Woodson is honored with his own Christmas ornament which is hung on the White House Christmas tree annually.

One of Dr. Woodson's most famous quotes was as follows: "We should emphasize not Negro History but the Negro in history. What we need is not a history of selected races or nations, but the history of the world void of national bias, race, hate & religious prejudice."

"When you control a man's thinking you do not have to worry about his actions. You do not have to tell him not to stand here or go yonder. He will find his "proper place" and will stay in it. You do not need to send him to the back door. He will go without being told. In fact, if there is no back door, he will cut one for his special benefit. His education makes it necessary." Dr. Carter G. Woodson, "The Miseducation of the Negro"