Thomas Greene Wiggins, known as “Blind Tom,” was a musical prodigy born into slavery. Despite his blindness and autism, his musical talent was revealed early, as he echoed sounds and…
Category: Music
“ICYMT” Events That Made History This November
Us Army overturns century-old convection of black soldiers. The convection involved 110 black soldiers; of those, 19 were executed. Stemming from the Houston Riots on Aug 23, 1917, the Army…
The Harlem Renaissance Illuminated the richness of the human experience.
A remarkable period in African American History was known as the Harlem Renaissance. This cultural movement, which took place in the 1920s, was a vibrant and transformative period in African…
Why Ed Sullivan Matters to Black History
Because he was such an icon, he was able to have Black artists on TV when they were often not welcomed nor wanted elsewhere. Published on February 1, 2023 By Kevin Powell…
How Otis Redding’s final 24 hours solidified his legacy
Tyler Golsen SAT 10TH DEC 2022 05.00 GMT Otis Redding was ready for something new. Having established himself as the premiere R&B and soul singer in America, Redding had conquered the…
Black is Beautiful: The Emergence of Black Culture and Identity in the 60s and 70s
“Across this country, young black men and women have been infected with a fever of affirmation. They are saying, ‘We are black and beautiful.’” Hoyt Fuller 1968 The phrase “black…
How the Remarkable Life of Josephine Baker Is Still Inspiring Others to This Day
A controversial performer, a civil rights icon, a war spy, a sex symbol and a devoted mother: these are just some of the lenses through which one could view Josephine…
How Billie Holiday’s “Strange Fruit” Shocked Listeners With Its Brutal Confrontation of Racism
BY KENNETH PARTRIDGE OCTOBER 6, 2021 According to recent findings by the Equal Justice Initiative, nearly 4000 Black individuals were lynched by white Southerners in the United States between 1877 and 1950. These…
How Motown Broke Racial Barriers Like No Other Record Label
In the way its music was presented and the universal themes its artists sang of, Motown broke racial barriers to move everyone, no matter their skin colour. Published on February 21,…
Josephine Baker Is The First Black Woman Who Will Be Buried At The Pantheon In Paris
PARIS — The remains of American-born singer and dancer Josephine Baker will be reinterred at the Pantheon monument in Paris, making the entertainer who is a World War II hero…