VIA:  History.Com On January 18, 1958, hockey player Willie O’Ree of the Boston Bruins takes to the ice for a game against the Montreal Canadiens, becoming the first black to play in the National Hockey League (NHL). Born in 1935 in Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada, O’Ree was the son of a civil engineer, in one […]

VIA:  ICDC.Com THE FBI’S COVERT ACTION PROGRAM TO DESTROY THE BLACK PANTHER PARTY INTRODUCTION In August 1967, the FBI initiated a covert action program — COINTELPRO — to disrupt and “neutralize” organizations which the Bureau characterized as “Black Nationalist Hate Groups.” 1 The FBI memorandum expanding the program described its goals as: 1. Prevent a […]

VIA:  JackieRobinson.Com Jack Roosevelt Robinson was born in Cairo, Georgia in 1919 to a family of sharecroppers. His mother, Mallie Robinson, single-handedly raised Jackie and her four other children. They were the only black family on their block, and the prejudice they encountered only strengthened their bond. From this humble beginning would grow the first […]

Huey Percy Newton was born on February 17, 1942 in Monroe, Louisiana. He was co-founder and leader of the Black Panther Party for Self Defense, an African-American organization established to promote Black Power, civil rights and self-defense.

VIA:  TheKennedyCenter.Org (singer; born February 27, 1897, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) Most Americans best remember Marian Anderson for her conscience-grabbing concert at the Lincoln Memorial on Easter Sunday, 1939 after she was denied the use of Constitution Hall, an arena that, from 1935 to 1952, opened its doors to white artists only. First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, appalled […]

VIA:  RedHotJazz.Com Mamie Smith was the first to record blues songs in 1920 with her versions of Perry Bradford’s “Crazy Blues”, and “It’ s Right Here for You” on Okeh Records. The record was a wild success, selling over a million copies in less than a year, and finally ending up selling over two million […]

VIA:  NAACP.Org The NAACP was formed partly in response to the continuing horrific practice of lynching and the 1908 race riot in Springfield, the capital of Illinois and resting place of President Abraham Lincoln. Appalled at the violence that was committed against blacks, a group of white liberals that included Mary White Ovington and Oswald […]

VIA:  EncyclopediaOfChicago.Org Oscar DePriest was born in Florence, Alabama, to ex-slaves. He arrived in Chicago in 1889. DePriest worked as a painter and decorator, reportedly on occasion passing for white to get a job. He developed his own contracting business and began participating in community affairs. He began his political career as a precinct secretary, […]

July 2nd, 1964 President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act.  The signing of this act was the most sweeping civil rights legislation since reconstruction.  The Civil Rights Act prohibits discrimination of all kinds based on race, color, religion or national origin.  See President Johnson’s remarks on the signing of this bill:

On October 1, 1962 James Meredith became the first African American student to enroll at the University of  Mississippi.  President Kennedy had to send 5,000 federal troops after rioting broke out.  Check out some footage from that day below:

Over the years there have been several African American sitcoms to grace to TV screen.  Check out our gallery that pays tribute to those sitcoms:

VIA:  FindArticles.Com For centuries African Americans have dominated the American music scene.  Black music is in fact America’s original music, and the Spirituals-Blues-Jazz-Gospel-Charleston-Twist-HipHop gift is the foundation not only of  rhythm and blues but also of Broadway and The Grammys.  Read about three of the most important moments in Black Music History below: 1.  1660 […]