Maritza Fernandez, Author at BlackPast

Maritza Fernandez

Student Historian

Maritza Fernandez is currently working on her Juris Doctor from the University of Miami. She graduated from University of Washington, Seattle with a degree in History. Informally she specialized in US history, and particularly loves the 1600s and the early 1900s. When she is not in school, Maritza loves films, food, and family.

The Isley Brothers (1957-1984)

The Isley Brothers were a band on the Billboard Top 40 charts for fifty years. Their ability to synthesize R&B, soul, funk, disco, and rock & roll elements into their discography made the group electrifying and interesting. The band was important to the creation of the soul … Read MoreThe Isley Brothers (1957-1984)

The Drifters (1953- )

The Drifters were formed in 1953 to serve as backing for Clyde McPhatter. Over 65 years and several eras of Drifters, there have been 60 different vocalists including several splinter groups called the Drifters. The “original” group consisted of Clyde McPhatter, Gerhart Thrasher, Andrew Thrasher, … Read MoreThe Drifters (1953- )

Martha and the Vandellas (1960-1974)

Martha Reeves, one of Ruby and Elijah Reeves’s eleven children, was born in Eufaula, Alabama on July 18, 1941. Before her first birthday, they moved to Detroit, Michigan. She grew up performing at her father’s Methodist church, and was vocally trained by Abraham Silver while … Read MoreMartha and the Vandellas (1960-1974)

Sheila Minor Huff (1947- )

Hidden in the midst of a photograph of mostly male, white attendees at the 1971 International Conference on the Biology of Whales was one young African American woman. She was unnamed in the caption despite her presence there amongst experts in marine biology. Candace Jean … Read MoreSheila Minor Huff (1947- )

Jordan Peele (1979- )

Comedian turned movie director Jordan Haworth Peele was born on February 21, 1979 in New York City, New York. His white mother Lucinda Williams raised him in a small apartment on the Upper West Side; Peele did not know his father, who was black, and … Read MoreJordan Peele (1979- )

Ben E. King (1938-2015)

Born Benjamin Earl Nelson on September 28, 1938 in Henderson, North Carolina, he and his family moved to Harlem, New York when he was nine years old. There he worked in his father’s luncheonette, sang in church and formed a doo-wop group called “the Four B’s”. The band consisted of two twin … Read MoreBen E. King (1938-2015)

The Jackson 5 (1965- )

One of the first boy bands, the Jackson Five consisted of brothers from Gary, Indiana: Jackie (born Sigmund), Tito (born Toriano), Jermaine, Marlon, and Michael Jackson. Though their youth and energetic sound made them seem “bubblegum,” the boys played instruments, had vocal talent and practiced choreography. Their father Joe … Read MoreThe Jackson 5 (1965- )

Janet Jackson (1966- )

Janet Damita Jo Jackson was born May 16, 1966 to Katherine Jackson (née Scruse) and Joseph Jackson in Gary, Indiana. Janet, youngest of ten, was raised as a Jehovah’s Witness. Her oldest brothers lived in Los Angeles with her father performing as the Jackson 5, while she stayed … Read MoreJanet Jackson (1966- )

Asbury Park Race Riot (1970)

Asbury Park, New Jersey’s West Side district—predominantly black and housing 40% of the town’s permanent population—was consumed by rioting from July 4 to July 10 in 1970. At the time of the riot, 30% of the population, 17,000 people approximately, were African American. The town’s huge tourist-resort industry … Read MoreAsbury Park Race Riot (1970)

Marielle Franco (1979-2018)

Marielle Franco was a Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) city councilmember, and member of the Party for Socialism and Liberty. She was also a member of the LGBT community and a human rights activist, especially against police brutality in the favelas, or slums of the city. On March 14, 2018, she was shot … Read MoreMarielle Franco (1979-2018)