#BlackHistoryFacts | Maya Angelou

Every since I read her autobiography "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" in the 9th grade, I have felt connected to Maya Angelou and her works. I live by her famous words: "When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time." I also have the line "Bringing the gifts my ancestors gave, I am the dream and the hope of the slave" from her well-known poem "Still I Rise" as part of my email signature. So, it seems appropriate that I celebrate and honor her this Black History Month. 

Black history fact #17 

Maya Angelou, born Marguerite Ann Johnson, (1928-2014) was a poet, writer, producer, director, performer,  and civil rights activist. She published seven autobiographies, three books of essays, several books of poetry, and a list of plays, movies, and television shows. She is known for her critically acclaimed autobiography "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (1969)," which she was encouraged to write by fellow black writer James Baldwin. The book is critically-accalime and taught widely in schools. Angelou also was very good friends with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and worked with him as the northern coordinator for his Souther Christian Leadership Council (SCLC).  Wanting to stretch her creative talents, Angelou made her directorial debut in 1998 with the film

Down in the Delta

, starring Alfre Woodard.  She has received several honors; Angelou was awarded the National Medal of Arts by President Clinton in 2000 and the Presidential Medal of Freedom (the highest civilian honor in the US) by President Obama in 2010. 

Thank you Maya Angelou for being unapologetically you! 

#BlackHistoryFacts | Harry Belafonte

Black history fact #16

Harry Belafonte is a singer, actor, and social activist. The oldest son of Caribbean immigrants, he was dubbed the "King of Calypso" for popularizing the Caribbean musical style among American audiences in the 1950s. He achieved fame for his take on traditional Calypso songs "The Banana Boat Song (Day-O)," "Jump in the Line,"and "Jamaica Farewell." A multi-talented performer, Belafonte's career took off with his role in the film

Carmen Jones

 (1954). He is also known for his humanitarian work. Belafonte met Martin Luther King Jr. in the 1950s and they became good friends. Always outspoken, he emerged as a strong voice of the civil rights movement. He was with King when he delivered his "I Have A Dream" speech in Washington, D.C. In 1980s, Belafonte came up with the idea for the recording of the celebrity-filled song "We Are the World" to raise money to provide famine relief in Ethiopia. The song, released in 1985, became an international hit and raised millions of dollars. In 1987, he became a UNICEF goodwill ambassador. Belafonte continues to be outspoken and socially active.

Thank you Harry Belafonte for being one of our voices!

#BlackHistoryFacts | Lorraine Hansberry

Black history fact #15

Lorraine Hansberry (1930 - 1965) was a playwright. She was the first black woman to write a play performed on Broadway. Hansberry was also the first black playwright and youngest American to win a New York Critic's Circle award. Her best know work, the play "A Raisin in the Sun,"which  focuses on the struggles of a black family living in a racially segregated Chicago, was staged in 1959. The title of the play was taken from the Langston Hughes poem "Harlem:" "What happens to a dream deferred? Does it dry up  like a raisin in the sun?" The film version of the play was completed in 1961, starring Sidney Poitier and Ruby Dee, and received an award at the Cannes Film Festival. nto a film. It was also developed into a musical in 1973, which ran for three years and won a Tony award. "A Raisin in the Sun" continues to reach new audiences, as it has been revived on Broadway in 2004 and 2014 (winning Tony Awards both years) and has been produced on television in 1989 and 2008.  

Thank you Lorraine Hansberry for your beautifully honest portrayal of black American lives!

#BlackHistoryFacts | Carter G. Woodson

Black history fact #14

Carter G. Woodson (1875 - 1950) was a historian and writer, and he is also considered the "Father of Black History Month." He earned a doctorate from Harvard University in 1912, becoming the second black person to earn a doctorate from the institution (after W. E. B. DuBois). Woodson dedicated himself to the study of black American history and lobbied to have the subject taught in schools and studied by scholars. In 1915, he cofounded the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History and established  The Journal of Negro History. He wrote over a dozen books, including his most noted work "The Mis-eduaiton of the Negro" (1933),  which focused on black self-empowerment. In February 1926, Woodson launched the celebration "Negro History Week," a special program in collaboration with schools and organizations to highlight black contributions to civilization. He created the "Negro History Bulletin" in 1937 and developed literature to help teachers with black studies. This program was later expanded and renamed Black History Month.

Thank you Carter G. Woodson for making sure we celebrate our history! 

#BlackHistoryFacts | W. E. B. DuBois

Black history fact #13

William Edward Burghardt Dubois, best known as W. E. B. DuBois, (1868 - 1963) was an American sociologist, educator, writer, and civil rights activist. In 1895, he became the first black American to earn a doctorate from Harvard University. Not long after, in 1899, DuBois published the first case study of the black American community, "The Philadelphia Negro: A Social Study." He fought for equality for black Americans and publicly criticized those who asserted black people accept less than full and equal rights, as granted by the 14th Amendment. In 1903, he published his most famous work "The Souls of Black Folk," a poignant collection of 14 essays in which he defined some of the key themes of the black experience in the US. He was one of the cofounders of the NAACP in 1909 and for a time edited its monthly magazine, the

Crisis

. Interspersed with this writing and activism, Dubois taught at Wilberforce University and Atlanta University. A proponent of Pan-Africanism, he helped organize several Pan-African Congresses to free African colonies from European powers. Shortly before his death in 1963, DuBois was living in Accra, Ghana working on an encyclopedia of the African Diaspora.

Thank you W. E. B. DuBois for your vision and hard work!

#BlackHistoryFacts | Toni Morrison

Black history fact #12

Toni Morrison (born Chloe Anthony Wofford) is a Nobel-Prize and Pulitzer Prize-winning American novelist, playwright, and professor. She made her debut as a novelist in 1970 with

The Bluest Eye

. Soon Morrison gained attention from both critics and wider audiences for her exploration of the black American experience in different eras, rich dialogue, and vividly detailed characters in her works. Among her best known novels are 

Beloved

,

Sula

, and

Song of Solomon

 (my personal favorite book of hers). Morrison became a professor at Princeton University in 1989, while continuing to write and publish her works. In recognition of her works, she has received numerous literary accolades, including a Pulitzer Prize in 1988 and the 1993 Nobel Prize in Literature, which made her the first black American woman to be selected for the award. In 2012, Morrison received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Barack Obama. Now in her 80s, Toni Morrison continues to write, publishing

God Help the Child

 in 2015.

Thank you Toni Morrison for sharing our stories!

#BlackHistoryFacts | Ruby Bridges

Black history fact #11

Ruby Bridges is an American activist and a symbol of the Civil Rights Movement. Despite the 1954 US Supreme Court case Brown v. the Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas ending the racial segregation of schools, southern states resisted integration until a federal court forced Louisiana to desegregate on November 14, 1960. At age 6, Bridges became the first black child to desegregate the all-white William Frantz Elementary School in Louisiana in 1960. Due to violent mobs, she had to be escorted to class by her mother and four US Marshals every day. For the entire school year, Bridges walked past crowds of people yelling racial slurs at her, was taught as a class of one by her teacher Barbara Henry (after angry white parents pulled their children from the school), ate lunch alone, and sometimes played with her teacher at recess. Undeterred, she never missed a day of school.  Her bravery inspired others and paved the way for continued Civil Rights actions. She continues her activism to this day. In 1999, she established The Ruby Bridges Foundation to promote tolerance and create change through education. 

Thank you Ruby Bridges for your bravery!

#BuyBlack Spotlight: Kashmir.VIII

I love

Kashmir.VIII

(**Oprah voice**). This creative brand is one of the coolest businesses that I have discovered in the last few years.

Created by young, black, and fabulous artist Kashmir Thompson, this brand is the definition of dope. Kashmir.VIII offers one of a kind items, including prints, clothing, calendars, accessories, and home decor, that features two of my favorite things: vibrant colors and 90s hip hop/black pop culture (i.e., tv shows, music, and movies).

From A Different World t-shirts (note: Issa wore one on an episode of hit HBO show Insecure) to painted drawings of the cast of Martin to Lil Kim "Queen Bitch" clutches,

Kashmir.VIII

has unique pieces that exudes creative, fashion, and black cultural pride.

I recently bought a Living Single clutch from the brand. I used as my main purse during a recent trip to the DMV and I received tons of compliments on it.

Highly recommend that you head over to the website of this week's #BuyBlack Spotlight pick

Kashmir.VIII

 (http://www.kashmirviii.com) and check out all of the unique items Kashmir Thompson has to offer. (And if you buy something, let her know I sent you!!) 

**This business is certifiably For Us By Us***

#BlackHistoryFacts | Madam C.J. Walker

Black history fact #10

Madam C.J. Walker, born Sarah Breedlove (1867-1919), was an American entrepreneur, philanthropist, and civil rights activist. Walker, the child of sharecroppers, became ofirst American women to become a self-made millionaire with her creation of specialized products for black hair. After suffering from a scalp ailment that resulted in the loss of most of her hair, she developed and began selling Madam C.J. Walker's Wonderful Hair Grower, a scalp conditioning and healing formula, in 1905. Showcasing a savvy business acumen, Walker promoted her products by traveling around the country for over a year selling her products door to door and giving demonstrations of her products. A few years later, she built her own factory, a beauty salon, and a training school in Indianapolis. Walker was also known for her philanthropic endeavors, including donating $1000 toward the construction of an Indianapolis "colored" YMCA in 1913. At the time of her death in 1919, Walker's company was valued at $1 million dollars. Today, her company, now called the

Madam C.J. Walker Beauty Culture

, continues her black beauty culture legacy in the 21st Century. In 1998, the United States Postal Service issued a Madam C.J. Walker stamp as part of its "Black Heritage" series.

Thank you Madam C.J. Walker for showing us the wealth of BLACK BEAUTY!

#BlackHistory Facts | Florence Griffith Joyner

Because she is still a track and field world record holder (and had some kickass nails).

Black history fact #9

Florence Griffith Joyner (1959-1998), also known as Flo-Jo, was an American track and field athlete and Olympic champion. Coached by Bob Kersee, she made her Olympic debut in 1984 at the Los Angeles Summer Olympics, where she won a silver medal in the 200m. After her performance at the 1984 Summer Olympics, Joyner became known for her great speed, form-fitting bodysuits, and stylishly-painted 6-inch nails. Joyner is the holder of 5 Olympic medals in 4 different categories (a silver medal in 200m in 1984, gold medals in the 100m, 200m, and 400m and a silver medal in the 1600m in 1988). She is considered the fastest woman of all time, holding the world record that she set in 1988 in the 100m and 200m at 10.49s and 21.34s, respectively. Both records have not come close to being challenged. In 1995, Flo-Jo was honored with an induction into the Track and Field Hall of Fame.

Thank you Florence Griffith Joyner for breaking records and setting the bar high! 

#BlackHistoryFacts | Marcus Garvey

Black history fact #8

Marcus Garvey (1887-1940) was a political leader, orator, and proponent of Pan-Africanism and the black nationalist movements. Born in Jamaica, Garvey founded the Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA) in 1912 with the goal of uniting all people of African descent to establish a country and absolute government of their own. In 1916, after moving to New York City, he founded the newspaper

Negro World, 

a UNIA chapter in Harlem, an international shipping company called Black Star Line, and the Negro Factories Corporation. He advanced a philosophy---Garveyism---that combined the economic and black nationalist ideals of Pan-Africanist and Booker T. Washington. Garveyism inspired a global mass movement. During the 1920s, the UNIA was the largest black secular organization in black history, with approximately a million men and women from the US, Caribbean, and Africa. He sought to use black wealth and solidarity to end discrimination in the US and imperialism in Africa and to create modern African societies. He also urged black Americans to proud of their race. Garveyism would eventually inspire others, including the Nation of Islam and Rastafari movement.

Thank you Marcus Garvey for reminding us that blackness is powerful!

#BlackHistoryFacts | Thurgood Marshall

Black history fact #7

Thurgood Marshall (1908-1993) was a US Supreme Court Justice and civil rights advocate. As legal counsel for the NAACP, he was instrumental in ending legal segregation. In 1954, he led the litigation in the landmark case Brown vs. Board of Education of Topeka, which ended racial segregation in public schools, in front of the Supreme Court. He won the case by showing segregation in schools was unconstitutional. This landmark decision set the stage for the civil rights movement. Marshall was appointed to the US Supreme Court in 1967 and became the nation's first black justice. He served for 24 years until 1991, working for civil rights for all Americans. Justice Marshall consistently supported rulings that upheld strong protections of individual rights and liberal considerations of controversial social issues. He was part of the majority that ruled in favor of legalizing abortion in the 1973 landmark case Roe vs. Wade. Alongside Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X, Thurgood Marshall is viewed as one of the most important and greatest figures in the Civil Rights Movement, pursuing racial equality through the courts.

Thanks Justice Thurgood Marshall for fighting for all of our rights! 

BlackHistoryFacts | Mary McLeod Bethune

Black history fact # 6

Mary McLeod Bethune (1875-1955) was an American educator, advisor to five US presidents, and civil rights activist best known for starting a private school for black students in Daytona Beach, Florida. In 1904, she founded the Daytona Educational and Industrial School for Negro Girls, which later merged with the Cookman Institute to become Bethune-Cookman College. In 2007, the school became Bethune Cookman University. Mary McLeod was also a national leader on issues related to civil rights, education, women, and young people, as president of the National Association of Colored Women's Clubs and the founder of the National Council of Negro Women. She received several national commissions, including the Coolidge Administration's Child Welfare Conference, and the Hoover Administration's National Commission on Child Welfare and Commission on Home Building and Home Ownership, and served as advisor on minority affairs under Roosevelt Administration.

Thanks Mary McLeod Bethune for working tirelessly for our betterment!

#BlackHistoryFacts | Mae Jemison

With the success of the film Hidden Figures, which told the story of the black woman who worked for NASA and helped put Americans in space,  I felt it was only right to honor and celebrate the first black female astronaut to orbit space. I remember seeing pictures of astronaut Dr. Mae Jemison when I was a kid and thinking she was very cool.

Black History Fact #5

Dr. Mae Jemison (born 1956) is an American engineer, physician, teacher, businesswoman, and NASA astronaut. Dr. Jemison was selected for the astronaut program in June 1987. She was the first black woman admitted to the astronaut training program. On September 12, 1992, Dr. Jemison became the first black woman to travel in space when she went into orbit aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour. She was the science mission specialist on the STS-47 mission, which was an 8-day cooperative mission between the US and Japan conducting science and medical experiments. During her time in space, Dr. Jemison conducted experiments on motion sickness and weightlessness on herself and the crew. In 1993, she left NASA and established the Jemison Group, a company which seeks to encourage a love of science in students and to research, market, and develop advanced technologies around the world. Currently, Dr. Mae Jemison leads the 100 Year Starship, a government-funded project to plan the next 100 years of interstellar travel.

Thank Dr. Mae Jemison for our first black shooting star and expanding our horizons! 

#BlackHistoryFacts | Harriet Tubman

Black History Fact #4

Harriet Tubman (1822-1913) was an American abolitionist, who became famous as a "conductor" of the Underground Railroad (an elaborate secret network of antislavery activists and safe houses helping enslaved people reach freedom in the North). Born into slavery, Tubman escaped in 1849 and subsequently made at least 19 trips to the South to lead her family and hundreds of slaves to freedom using the Underground Railroad. Despite having a bounty on her head, which eventually reached as high as $40,000, she was able to elude bounty hunters, relying on her faith in God, courage, intelligence, and pistol. Tubman did not lose any of her "passengers" during the dangerous journey to freedom. She also served as an armed scout, nurse, and spy for the United States army during the Civil War. After the war ended, she continued to help impoverished former slaves and the elderly, establishing her own Home of the Aged.  In honor of her life, the US Department of Treasury announced in 2016 that Harriet Tubman would replace Andrew Jackson on the front of the $20 bill (it is expected to debut in 2020).

Thank you Harriet Tubman for showing us the true meaning of courage and resistance!