When many people think about slavery, the Trans-Atlantic Slavery Trade which brought African slaves to the West Indies and America is what most often comes to mind. For this reason, many are under the false notion that slavery was completely abolished in the 19th century; however, this is simply not true. Despite the fact that slavery is illegal in all countries and was prohibited by the 1948 Universal Declaration of…
Dr. Maya Angelou is known for inspiring generations through the wisdom of her words and the way she carried herself through life’s ups and downs. Born Marguerite Johnson on April 4th, 1928 in St. Louis, Missouri, she came from humble beginnings. Growing up in Stamps, Arkansas exposed her to the deep racial prejudices and brutality of the Jim Crow South. Her experiences with racial discrimination and prejudice became part of…
[leadplayer_vid id=”539F75845CC89″] Dr. Boyce Watkins and Russell Simmons have gathered a coalition of supporters from various walks of life to stand together to correct the serious injustices of the prison industrial complex. Rehabilitation and even punishment are acceptable in themselves, but when a nation builds an entire economy around the unjust incarceration of millions of its citizens, that nation is serving as a tool for its own demise. Families…
The legendary actress and activist Ruby Dee passed away on June 11, 2004 at the age of 91. Dee was born in 1924 in Cleveland, Ohio, and raised in Harlem. Throughout her life, she was forced to deal with the hardships of segregation and inequality, but she did so with a sense of grace, grit, and courage that few others have. During a time when many African-American women were relegated…
Jane Elliott is an internationally known teacher, lecturer, and diversity trainer. Elliott is most known for the blue eyes/brown eyes exercise she conducted with her all-white third grade class in Riceville, Iowa following the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. In the exercise, Elliott told her class that blue-eyed people were smarter and better than brown-eyed people and proceeded to give blue-eyed students an extra five minutes of recess. She…
The world is heavily politicized, and people are picking their camps. They are also fighting over even the smallest issues in the gender wars and there is no end in sight. Actor Terry Crews was taken to task during an episode of “The View” recently when speaking about the importance of children having a father. In the clip below, Crews says that a father gives many important things to you…
Dr. Umar Johnson is an outspoken activist, psychologist, and political scientist who works on issues related to the labeling and treatment of black children by the education system and black wealth. He practices psychology privately in Pennsylvania and also serves as a special education evaluator evaluating children between the ages of 3 and 21 to determine if there are any educational disabilities or needs that can be met through special…
Louis Armstrong was born in New Orleans, Louisiana on August 4, 1901. It is fitting that a man who is considered to be the most important improviser of jazz to have been born in what is widely known as the birthplace of jazz. His family was poor, so Armstrong began working at a young age singing on street corners for pennies, working on a junk wagon, cleaning graves for tips,…
The global peace maker, first black president of South Africa, and 1993 Nobel Peace Prize winner Nelson Mandela has made a lasting impression on the world. He was born July 18, 1918 in Mveso, Transkei, South Africa as Rolihlahla Mandela. He was the first in his family to attend school, and it was his teacher who gave him the name Nelson. His father’s death at age 9 dramatically changed his…
The following video was published as part of the Forbes 2013 Investment Guide. Forbes is a leader in providing business and financial news and information. The video features 20 Wealth Wizards who share financial advice and wealth wisdom. The video discusses how to reduce federal taxes, the best long term investments, information on using rental properties as investments, best places to retire, and a look at the fastest growing tech…
Nina Simone was a legendary jazz, blues, and folk singer and civil rights activist. She was born Eunice Kathleen Waymon on February 21, 1933 in Tryon, North Carolina. She began playing piano and singing in her church’s choir at just four years old. Simone grew up poor as the sixth of seven children. After seeing her potential, Simone’s music teacher helped set up a fund to pay for Simone’s…
Miles Davis was a trumpet player and band leader who played an instrumental role in the development of jazz music. He was born in Alton, Illinois in 1926 as Miles Dewey Davis III. He started playing the trumpet at 13 years old when his dad introduced him to the instrument. Davis began playing professionally before he even graduated high school, and at 17, he began performing with Dizzy Gillespie and…
Billie Holiday is one of the most revered jazz vocalists of the century. She was born April 7, 1915 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania as Eleanora Fagan to her teenage mother, Sadie. Holiday spent a large portion of her childhood in Baltimore, Maryland. She grew up without a stable, consistent father figure, and at just 9 years old, she was sent to the House of Good Shepherd as a result of her…
James Brown, the “Godfather of Soul” was one of the most iconic figures of funk and soul music. Over the course of his lifetime, Brown left his mark as a singer, songwriter, dancer, and activist. Brown was born May 3, 1933 in Barnwell, South Carolina. His mother gave birth to him in a one room shack, and when his parents split, he was sent to live with his Aunt in…
Whitney Houston is one of most iconic singers to ever grace the stage and the most awarded female act of all time. She was born August 9, 1963 in Newark, New Jersey and is the daughter of entertainment executive John Russell Houston Jr. and gospel singer Emily “Cissy” Houston. Houston got her start singing in the choir at the New Hope Baptist Church. Her first solo performance at the church…