Although the Smithsonian National African American Museum of History and Culture (NAAMHC) officially opened in 2016, the ideal of a federally-owned museum to describe the African American experience dates back to 1915 with a meeting of the U.S. Colored Troops, veterans of the Civil War, … Read MoreThe Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) (2016- )
New Jack Swing R&B singer Johnny Gill Jr. was born on May 22, 1966, in Washington, DC. to Johnny Gill Sr., a Baptist minister, and Annie Mae Gill. He began singing at the age of five in church and his family’s gospel ensemble, Little Johnny, … Read MoreJohnny Gill (1966- )
The four century (1460-1860) transatlantic slave trade is responsible for the involuntary migration of 388,000 enslaved Africans to the United States according to historians’ best estimates. However, the U.S. has witnessed a much larger influx of voluntary African migration since the 1960s. Whether it was … Read MoreAfrican Immigration to the United States (1965- )
The history of West Indian immigration can be traced back to the 17th century when enslaved Africans from Barbados, Jamaica, and Antigua were brought to the British North American colonies to work on plantations. The Haitian Revolution (1791-1804) sparked another wave of immigration with thousands … Read MoreWest Indian Immigration to the United States (1900- )
The first African American players in the National Basketball Association in the twentieth century all came into the league in 1950. They were Earl Francis Lloyd (Washington Capitols), Charles Henry Cooper (Boston Celtics), and Nathaniel Clifton (New York Knicks). They all began their college careers … Read MoreThe First Black Players in the NBA (1950)
The Black Cabinet was an informal advisory group of African American civil servants who lobbied for African Americans to receive equal access to federal benefits and employment and job training programs associated with President Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal. Often promoting programs closely aligned with the … Read MoreFDR’s Black Cabinet (1933-1945)
Congressman John Conyers, a Black Democratic U.S. representative from Michigan, introduced the first legislation to establish the holiday on April 8, 1968, four days after Dr. King was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee. However, the bill honoring the life and work of the civil and … Read MoreEstablishing MLK Holiday (1983)
The Dixie Hummingbirds, a gospel music group, was formed in 1928 in Greenville, South Carolina, by lyricist/vocalist/guitarist James B. Davis, (born June 6, 1916, in Greenville), when he was 12. He was assisted by Barney Parks (born August 17, 1916) and Claude A. Jeter (born … Read MoreDixie Hummingbirds (1928- )
Theo Shaw is the E. Barrett Prettyman Fellow at Georgetown University Law Center in Washington, D.C. Shaw obtained his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of Louisiana at Monroe in 2012. He attended the University of Washington School of Law beginning in … Read MoreTheo Shaw (1989- )
Amii Stewart was a popular American disco and soul singer best known for her 1979 hit song “Knock on Wood,” a disco remake of Eddie Floyd’s original 1966 R&B hit of the same name. Born January 29, 1956, in Washington, D.C. to Joseph Stewart II … Read MoreAmy Paulette “Amii” Stewart (1956- )
