December 0

Blog Archive

Sun, 22.12.2024

Lillie Patterson, Author, and Librarian born.

*Lillie Patterson was born on May 3, 1917. She was a Black writer and school and college librarian. Lillie Griselda Patterson was from South Carolina. She grew up listening to her grandmother telling stories in Hilton Head, South Carolina. Patterson received a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Hampton University in the 1940s and a […]

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Sun, 22.12.2024

Batson v. Kentucky is decided

*On this date in 1986, Batson v. Kentucky was decided. A landmark United States Supreme Court decision ruled that a prosecutor’s use of a peremptory challenge in a criminal case—dismissing jurors without stating a valid cause—may not be used to exclude jurors based solely on their race. The Court ruled that this practice violated the […]

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Sun, 22.12.2024

Swain v. Alabama is decided

*On this date in 1965, Swain v. Alabama was decided. This case was heard before the United States Supreme Court regarding the legality of a struck jury. Robert Swain, a Black man, was indicted and convicted of rape in the Circuit Court of Talladega County, Alabama, and sentenced to death by an all-white jury. The […]

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Sun, 22.12.2024

Rickey Henderson, Baseball Player, and Coach born

*Rickey Henderson was born on this date in 1958. He was a Black major league baseball player and coach. Rickey Nelson Henley Henderson was born in Chicago, Illinois, in the back seat of an Oldsmobile on the way to the hospital. He was named after singer-actor Ricky Nelson, the son of John L. Henley and […]

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Sun, 22.12.2024

The Coretta Scott King Award is created.

*On this date in 1969, The Coretta Scott King Award is celebrated. This annual award is presented by the Coretta Scott King Book Award Round Table of the American Library Association (ALA). Named for Coretta Scott King, this award recognizes outstanding books for young adults and children by African Americans that reflect the Black experience. […]

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Sun, 22.12.2024

Alfred D. King, Minister and Activist born

*Alfred King was born on this date in 1930. He was a Black Baptist minister and civil rights activist. Alfred Daniel King was born in Atlanta, Georgia. He was the son of Reverend Martin Luther King Sr. and Alberta Williams King. He was the youngest of their three children (the other two being Willie Christine […]

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Tue, 22.10.2024

Alonzo J. Aden, Art Historian born.

*Alonzo J. Aden was born on May 6, 1906. He was a Gay Black art historian and gallerist. Alonzo “Lonnie” Aden was born in Spartanburg, South Carolina. He was the oldest son of Ephraim Aden, a hotelier, and Naomi Barnett, a schoolteacher. Aden had blonde hair until early adulthood and green eyes. In 1920, Aden […]

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Tue, 22.10.2024

The Hall of Negro Life debuts

*On this date in 1936, The Hall of Negro Life debuted at the Texas Centennial Exposition. The Hall of Negro Life was a popular attraction and is believed to be the first recognition of African American culture at a World’s Fair. This world’s fair exhibit ran until November 29, 1936, at Fair Park, Dallas, Texas. […]

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Tue, 22.10.2024

The British Methodist Episcopal Church, a story

*The British Methodist Episcopal Church (BMEC) was organized on September 26, 1856. (BMEC) is a Methodist denomination based in Canada.             The American Methodist Episcopal Church (AMEC) was formed in 1816 when several Black congregations joined under Richard Allen’s leadership. By the mid-1850s, it had seven conferences in the United States. AMEC preachers began to […]

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Tue, 22.10.2024

P.K. Subban, Hockey Player born.

*P.K. Subban was born on this date in 1989. He is a Black Canadian former professional ice hockey defenseman. Pernell-Karl Sylvester Subban was born in Toronto, Canada. In the 1970’s, his father immigrated to Ontario from Jamaica to Sudbury, and his mother, Maria, came from Montserrat to Hamilton. His father (Karl) is a retired school […]

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New Poem Each Day

Poetry Corner

The promises of a thousand suns, Printless ground, swirling flakes against the sky. Morning in the heart of this surprised city, Laid siege by a March storm, Found me listening to out-of-tuned guitars; Slack... LATE-WINTER BLUES AND PROMISES OF LOVE by Houston A. Baker Jr.
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