Hilarius Gilges is the most well-known Afro-German activist who fought against the rise of the National Socialist German Workers’ (Nazi) Party in the early interwar period. The son of a textile worker named Maria Stüttgen and an African boatman working on the Rhine, Gilges was … Read MoreHilarius Gilges (a.k.a. Lari Gilges, 1909-1933)
Aaliyah Dana Haughton was a singer, actress, dancer, and model. Aaliyah was born on January 16, 1979, to Diane and Micheal “Miguel” Haughton in Brooklyn, New York. Growing up, her mother got her involved in vocal lessons. She performed at weddings, churches, and charity events. … Read MoreAaliyah Dana Haughton (1979-2001)
Entertainer Gertrude C. Saunders, was born on August 25, 1903, in Ashville, North Carolina. She attended Benedict Institute (now Benedict College) in Columbia, South Carolina. During her teen years, she left to travel with the vaudeville producer Billy King Stock (Performing) Company, where she performed … Read MoreGertrude C. Saunders (1903-1991)
Alice Ruth Clark Brown, dancer and aerial acrobat, was born on August 22, 1952, in the Washington Park neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois, to Charles Clark and Mattie Miller Clark. She was the second child of three which includes a brother, Gerry Clark, and sister, Anna … Read MoreAlice Ruth Clark Brown (1952-2021)
The Contours were a talented early Motown Records group that began as a quartet called the Blender in Detroit, Michigan in 1958. They had brilliant choreography of splits and fouetté turns that Motown founder Berry Gordy first thought was too much for a stage act … Read MoreThe Contours (1958-1971)
Victoria Santa Cruz (Victoria Eugenia Santa Cruz Gamarra) is widely considered the mother of Afro-Peruvian dance. Born in Lima, Peru, on October 27, 1922, she was the eighth of ten children. Her father was Nicomedes Santa Cruz Aparicio, and her mother, Victoria Gamarra Ramirez. Her … Read MoreVictoria Eugenia Santa Cruz Gamarra (1922-2014)
Julius “Nipsey” Russell was a comedian, dancer, and poet. Russell was born on September 15, 1918, in Atlanta, Georgia. His mother gave him the nickname Nipsey, and he embraced it because he liked the way it sounded. Russell attended Booker T. Washington High School in … Read MoreNipsey Russell (1918-2005)
African American artist and dancer Thelma Johnson Streat was born in Yakima, Washington on August 29, 1912, the second of Gertrude Beatrice Carson and James A. Johnson’s five children. Streat’s artistic ability was evident at a young age. She graduated from Washington High School in … Read MoreThelma Beatrice Johnson Streat (1912-1959)
Wanda Evans Coleman was an American poet and writer who won critical acclaim for her avant-garde work, but remained relatively unknown to a broader audience. Her 30 year literary career included a myriad of poetry and fiction publications. Born and raised in the Watts section … Read MoreWanda Evans Coleman (1946-2013)
