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Day 24 – Phillip A. Payton: The Father of Harlem
The day really got away from me and I was heckled for trying to research and draft my post while at a gathering. Thanks Shavell! 😁 But I will not let you or myself down because I said I would bring it for the entire month. Welcome to Day 24 and the story of a black real estate pioneer named Phillip A. Payton Jr., who made his dream come true of placing black families in apartments in Harlem, New York. Phillip was born in Westfield, Massachusetts in 1876 and worked in the family business (hair) until moving to New York in 1889. Do you remember my post a few weeks back…
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Day 23 – Tracy Norman, First Black Transgender Model
Today’s black history post has to do with a different kind of “passing”. Welcome to Day 23! Born a male in the 50’s, transitioned into a woman during the 70’s, and became a successful model until being outed during a photo shoot in 1980, bringing her career to a halt. Tracy Gayle Norman was born a male December 15, 1952 and is recognized as the first black transgender model. Soon after graduating from high school in the late 60s, Tracy began taking hormone shots and losing weight. The changes in her body created a svelte figure and with her large eyes and sharp cheekbones, friends and family told her she could…
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Day 21- The Unexpected Research Subject, Henrietta Lacks
Welcome to Day 21! On January 29, 1951, a poor black and young mother of five from Maryland named Henrietta Lacks visited John Hopkins Hospital complaining of pain and vaginal bleeding and upon examination, was informed by gynecologist Dr. Howard Jones that she had a malignant tumor on her cervix. Lacks was diagnosed with an aggressive form of cervical cancer and proceeded through the grueling radiation treatments but unfortunately, Mrs. Lacks succumbed to the disease October 4, 1951 at the young age of 31. During the course of her radiation treatments, samples of her cancer cells were collected by Dr. Jones during a biopsy and had sent to another doctor…
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Day 20- Revolutionary Poet, Musician, Rapper, and Activist. Gil Scott-Heron
Welcome to Day 20! I tried a little something different for today’s post honoring the late Gil Scott-Heron but the music rights (“The Revolution Will Not Be Televised”) muted the background music, so a slideshow it is. Enjoy this little montage telling you a little about a man who wrote poetry and music about his life experiences and the times.
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Day 19 – The Black Marilyn Monroe
Let me say again how much I am enjoying these discoveries of some of the lesser known black men and women that should be acknowledged and celebrated and today I came across yet another who may be familiar to some, but new to me. Before Pam Grier, Halle Berry or or other curvaceous Beyonce’, there was Joyce Bryant. Known as the “Black Marilyn Monroe” and “The Bronze Blond Bombshell,” Joyce Bryant was a four-octave singer and actress who became the first dark-skinned black woman to be celebrated by the mass media as a sex symbol. “Her act was outrageously sexy; she wore provocative, tight, backless, cleavage-revealing mermaid dresses that left little…
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Day 18: Escape to Canada- Shadrach Minkins
If you relied solely on what is being taught in schools about Black history or what you can easily find on the internet, you would think Sojourner Truth, Frederick Douglass, and Robert Smalls were the only “significant” escaped slaves. Everyone who escaped and survived is significant but there was one who had an interesting story worthy of sharing. Shadrach Minkins was born into slavery in Norfolk Virginia around 1814 and had several owners between 1832 and 1849 before being sold to naval career officer John DeBree, where he worked as a house servant. In 1850, Minkins made his escape from Norfolk to Boston which at the time, had become a…
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Day 17- China’s Racist Extravaganza
A woman with the derriere reminiscent of Sarah Baartman and a figure dressed as a monkey on stage. These were the main attractions in a sketch that was part of Beijing’s Lunar New Year TV gala. This JUST happened a few days ago and it’s 2018. Blackface. One of the worst types of racist stereotypes that for many years, has been forms of entertainment (minstrel shows) and obviously, it hasn’t gone away. This isn’t the first time China has come under fire for expressing how it uh… feels about blacks (remember that little detergent snafu). But it isn’t China it’s the world and where so you think these derogatory images…
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Day 16 – Modern Black Superhero, Black Panther
Welcome to Day 16! I know, I know – the movie Black Panther is creating all kinds off conversation and controversy and you could probably do without yet another post on it but so what. It’s Black History Month, I can’t wait to see it so this will have to be be article #15,275. WHY THE MOVIE IS SO SIGNIFICANT Name SEVEN black superheroes (you can’t use Black Panther). Ready, set and go! Unless you’re into comics or just a really smart person, you probably got stuck after Luke Cage or Storm like I did and when I tried to think a little harder, the only others that came to…
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Day 15 – 40 acres and a mule… Or Maybe Not
Welcome to Day 15! While I have celebrated Black History Month in the past by sharing articles and tidbits with family and friends this time it’s different. Instead of simply finding a link or story that stood out, I have really been looking for topics that weren’t so common and have learned so much this time around. We see and hear about a lot of things but sometimes don’t really know, take the time to understand or care to know the back story. Take for instance the saying that blacks were owed 40 acres and a mule. Did anyone else know the back story behind this or had heard of Field…
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Day 13 – Too Black, Too Strong and Most Often, Misunderstood – The Black Panther Party
What comes to mind when you hear about the Black Panthers? Do you envision Afros, all black, leather jackets and berets, gangsters, intimidation, black power, radicalism, rifle toting men and women, violence, extremist, OR or do you think about what the intended mission was for this revolutionary party and consider why the government was determined to destroy it? The Black Panther Party was certainly one of the most controversial and complex groups of our times and its mission of bringing awareness to and fighting police misconduct and abuse was often lost in translation. It was part paramilitary, part social work and health advocate. We believe that the government must provide,…
