*Kendrick Lamar was born on this date in 1987. He is a Black rapper and lyricist. Kendrick Lamar Duckworth was born in Compton, California. He is the first child of former gang hustler Kenneth “Kenny” Duckworth and hairdresser Paula Oliver. Both of his parents are African Americans from the South Side of Chicago. As teenagers, […]
learn more*Andrew Frazier’s birth is celebrated on this date in 1743. He was a Black enslaved laborer and soldier. Born at the Manor of Morrisania, New York, Frazier served in the Revolutionary War first as a “waggoner” or wagon driver, then as a “waiter” or body servant to Colonel Morris Graham and was at the Battles […]
learn more*The beginning of the Federal Music Project (FMP) is celebrated on this date in 1935. FMP was a part of the New Deal program Federal Project Number One provided by the U.S. federal government, which employed musicians, conductors, and composers during the Great Depression. During President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s term, he proposed increasing public projects […]
learn more*James Dudley was born on this date in 1859. He was a Black educator and administrator. James Benson Dudley was born into slavery; his parents were owned by Edward B. Dudley, the Governor of North Carolina from 1836 to 1841. Dudley took education to heart, affecting his approach for the rest of his life. Because […]
learn more*Gigi Gryce was born on this date in 1925. He was a Black jazz saxophonist, flutist, clarinetist, composer, arranger, and educator. George General Gryce Jr. was born in Pensacola, Florida, and spent most of his early life in Hartford, Connecticut. His family’s strong emphasis on music, manners, and discipline tremendously affected him as a child […]
learn more*Robert S. Wilkinson was born on this date in 1865. He was a Black educator and administrator. Robert Shaw Wilkinson was born to Charles and Lavinia A. Wilkinson in Charleston, South Carolina. He attended the Avery Normal Institute in Charleston. 1884, Wilkinson was appointed to West Point Military Academy but failed to pass the physical […]
learn more*Marion Wilkinson was born on this date in 1870. She was a Black suffragist and community activist. Marion B. Wilkinson was born in Charleston, South Carolina, the eldest daughter of Richard Birnie and Anna Frost Birnie. Her family’s status and relative wealth allowed her to study at the Avery Normal Institute, which ingrained an ethic […]
learn more*Florence Cole Talbert was born on this date in 1890. She was a Black operatic soprano, music educator, and musician. Florence Cole was born in Detroit, Michigan, to a family deeply rooted in music and the performing arts. Her mother, Sadie Chandler Cole, was a mezzo-soprano and member of the Fisk Jubilee Singers. Her father […]
learn more*Mamie Garvin Fields was born on this date in 1888. She was a Black teacher, civil rights and religious activist, and writer. Mamie Elizabeth Garvin was born in Charleston, South Carolina. She was the daughter of George Washington Garvin and Rebecca Mary Logan Bellinger. She attended school at Shaw University and Claflin College. She received […]
learn more*Manet Harrison Fowler was born on this date in 1895. She was a Black musician, dramatic soprano, artist, voice coach, piano teacher, conductor, music educator, and midwife. Manet Helen Harrison was born in Fort Worth, Texas, to Taylor Henry Harrison, an African, and Carrie Vickers Harrison, a Creole, both Louisiana natives. She was a child […]
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