*Alexander II was born on this date in 1818. He was a white Russian Emperor, King of Poland, and Grand Duke of Finland. Born in Moscow, Alexander Nikolayevich was the eldest son of Nicholas I of Russia and Charlotte of Prussia. His uncle, Emperor Alexander I, died childless. Grand Duke Konstantin, the next-younger brother of […]
learn more*Carmen de Lavallade was born on this date in 1931. She is a Black actress, choreographer, dancer, and teacher. De Lavallade was born in Los Angeles, California, to Creole parents from New Orleans, Louisiana. She was raised by her aunt, Adele, who owned one of Central Avenue’s first African American history bookshops. De Lavallade’s cousin, […]
learn more*William Twine was born on this date in 1864. He was a Black lawyer and newspaper publisher. William Henry Twine was born a freedman in Richmond, Kentucky. His father, Thomas J. Twine, was a wheelwright and former slave of mixed Black and Native American ancestry; his mother, Lizzie Twine, was an African woman. Twine settled […]
learn more*Taft, Oklahoma is affirmed on this date in 1902. Taft began as an all-Black town on land allotted to Creek Freedmen. This community was initially named Twine, for William H. Twine, and had a post office by 1902. When Twine moved to Muskogee, the citizens voted to rename the town as Taft for President William […]
learn more*Roy Ayers was born on this date in 1940. He was a Black vibraphonist, record producer, and composer. Roy Ayers was born in Los Angeles. He grew up in a musical family, where his father played trombone, and his mother played piano. Lionel Hampton gave him his first pair of vibraphone mallets when he was […]
learn more*Al Attles was born on this date in 1936. He was a Black professional basketball player, coach, and executive. Alvin Austin Attles Jr. was born in Newark, New Jersey. He graduated from Weequahic High School and North Carolina A&T State University. Attles earned a bachelor’s degree in physical education and history along with a […]
learn more*Wally Amos was born on this date in 1936. He was a Black talent agent, businessman, and author. Wallace Amos Jr. was born to Wallace and Ruby Amos and raised in Tallahassee, Florida until he was 12. When his parents divorced, he moved to New York City with his aunt, where he enrolled at the […]
learn more*Bud Fowler was born on this date in 1858. He was a Black baseball player, manager, club organizer, and barber. From Fort Plain, New York, the son of a hop-picker and barber, Bud Fowler, was christened John W. Jackson. His father had escaped from slavery and migrated to New York. In 1859, his family moved […]
learn more*The Amistad Research Center (ARC) is celebrated on this date in 1966. The United Church Board for Homeland Ministries established the Amistad Research Center. Its first home was at Fisk University to house the historical records of the American Missionary Association. In 1969, Amistad became an independent non-profit organization, and the following year, it relocated […]
learn more*Herman Boone was born on this date in 1935. He was a Black high school teacher and football coach. Herman Ike Boone was from Rocky Mount, North Carolina. He attended Abraham Lincoln Elementary School, then the now-closed Booker T. Washington High School. While attending North Carolina Central University, Boone joined the Tau Psi chapter of the Omega […]
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