En Vogue was conceived by Oakland, California record producers Denzil Foster and Thomas McElroy in 1989 with Terry Ellis, Dawn Robinson, Cindy Herron, and Maxine Jones as the original four-member girl group. They were chosen after auditions given by Foster and McElroy who named them En Vogue after … Read MoreEn Vogue (1989- )
The novelist William Edward Demby Jr. was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on Christmas day, 1922, to William and Gertrude Demby. He was raised in their family of seven children in the Fairywood district of Pittsburgh’s West Side. The family moved to Clarksburg, West Virginia, shortly after Demby’s graduation … Read MoreWilliam Demby (1922-2013)
Novelist and short story writer Terry McMillan was born on October 18, 1951 in Port Huron, Michigan to Edward and Madeline McMillan. During her childhood her father spent much of his time confined to his home due to tuberculosis, forcing her mother to support the family by working … Read MoreTerry McMillan (1951- )
The Algiers Motel Incident occurred in Detroit, Michigan on July 25, 1967, two days after the Detroit Race Riot began. The incident started when Army National Guardsman Ted Thomas reported hearing gunshots at the Algiers Motel Annex. Detroit Police, Michigan State Police, and other National … Read MoreAlgiers Motel Incident (1967)
“Image Ownership: Public Domain” Eustace Edward Ricardo Braithwaite, more commonly known as E.R. Braithwaite, was a Guyanese-born British-American novelist, writer, teacher, and diplomat. He was best known for his stories of social conditions and racial discrimination against black people. He was the author of … Read MoreEustace Edward Ricardo Braithwaite (1912–2016)
Rufus “Tee Tot” Payne was an early twentieth century African American blues musician from Greenville, Alabama. Payne was most famous as the older mentor of country music superstar Hank Williams. Rufus Payne was born on February 4, 1884, in Lowndes County, Alabama. His family moved … Read MoreRufus “Tee Tot” Payne (1884-1939)
Rhythm and blues artist Sharon Lafaye Jones was born in Augusta, Georgia, on May 4, 1956. She was the youngest of six children born to Ella Mae Price Jones and Charlie Jones. The family moved to the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York, in 1960. … Read MoreSharon Lafaye Jones (1956–2016)
Nate Parker is an American actor, director, producer, writer, and musical performer, who has appeared in popular films such as Red Tails, The Secret Life of Bees, The Great Debaters, and Arbitrage. He is best known, however, as the star and producer of The Birth … Read MoreNate Parker (1979– )
First Lady Nancy Reagan, President Ronald Reagan, and Eugene Allen, 1987 “Image Ownership: Public Domain” Eugene Allen was a waiter who worked at the White House for thirty-four years until he retired in 1986. Employed officially by the United States Government, Allen served eight presidents: … Read MoreEugene Allen (1919–2010)
Ava Marie DuVernay is an American director, screenwriter, film marketer, and film distributor. At the 2012 Sundance Film Festival, DuVernay won the Best Director prize for her second feature film, Middle of Nowhere (2012), becoming the first African American woman to win that award. DuVernay … Read MoreAva Marie DuVernay (1972- )
