People, Locations, Episodes

Cleavon Little, Actor born

*Cleavon Little was born on this date in 1939. He was a Black stage, film, and television actor. Cleavon Jake Little was born in Chickasha, Oklahoma, the son of Malachi Little and DeEtta Jones Little. He was the brother of singer DeEtta Little West; he had another sister, Rosemarie Little Martin, and two brothers, Everett […]

The First Black Person Is Seen On An American Television Show

*On this date in 1939, “The Ethel Waters Show,” a variety special appeared on NBC. The new medium then in development was called television.

Evaristo Márquez, Actor born

*Evaristo Márquez was born on this date in 1939.  He was an Afro Colombian actor and herdsman.    He was born in San Basilio de Palenque, Colombia, the first free African village in the Americas by decree from the King of Spain in 1731.  Before his involvement in films, he was a herdsman and illiterate.  He is best known for his role as José […]

Henry Hampton, Filmmaker born

*The birth of Henry Hampton in 1940 is marked on this date. He was an African American filmmaker.

Hampton was born in St. Louis and as a child suffered from polio. He obtained a B. A. degree from Washington University in his hometown. He was a renowned producer whose television documentary Eyes on the Prize set the pattern for nonfiction accounts of the civil rights movement. His films include The Great Depression and America’s War on Poverty, both of which were critically acclaimed. He made lasting contributions through his affiliations with institutions.

Bernard Shaw, Broadcast Journalist born

*Bernard Shaw was born this date in 1940. He was an African American television journalist.

Richard Pryor, Comedian, and Actor born

Richard Pryor, an African American actor, director, screenwriter, and stand-up comic, was born on this date in 1940.

Paul Winfield, Actor born

Paul Winfield, an African American actor, was born on this date in 1941.

Ed Bradley, Broadcast Journalist born

Ed Bradley, an African American journalist, was born on this date in 1941.

Born in Philadelphia, Bradley grew up in a single-parent household and learned the value of hard work from his mother. Bradley once recalled that his parents worked 20-hour days at two jobs apiece. “I was told, ‘You can be anything you want, kid,'” he once told an interviewer. “When you hear that often enough, you believe it.”

Paul Mooney, Comedian, and Scriptwriter born

*Paul Mooney was born on this date in 1941. He was a Black comedian, writer, social critic, and actor. Born Paul Gladney in Shreveport, Louisiana, he moved to Oakland, California, when he was seven. His parents were George Gladney and LaVoya Ealy. Mooney was raised by his grandmother Aimay Ealy, known as “Mama.” Gladney coined […]

Carole Simpson, Media Journalist born

*Carole Simpson was born on this date in 1941. She is a Black media broadcast journalist, news anchor, and author. Carole Estelle Simpson was born in Chicago, Illinois.   At a young age, she became involved in drama in elementary and high school, training her to articulate and project her voice for media. 1958, Simpson […]

Melba Joy Patillo Beals, Journalist, and Activist born.

*Melba Joy Patillo Beals was born on this date in 1941. She is a Black journalist, educator, and member of the Little Rock Nine. Born in Little Rock, Ark., Patillo grew up in a family prioritizing education. Her mother, Lois Marie Pattillo, was one of the first black graduates of the University of Arkansas in 1954 […]

The Hollywood Victory Committee Negro Division is Formed

*The Hollywood Victory Committee Negro Division was created on this date in 1941. Chaired by Hattie McDaniel, this was a Black subcommittee of the white Hollywood Victory Committee. Both committees were associated with the Screen Actors Guild to support American troops during World War II. It provided a means for stage, screen, television, and radio performers […]

John Witherspoon, Comedian, and Actor born

*John Witherspoon was born on this date in 1942. He was a Black actor and comedian. Born John Weatherspoon in Detroit, Michigan, he later changed his last name from Weatherspoon to Witherspoon. Witherspoon was one of 11 siblings; he had a passion for music and learned to play the trumpet and French horn. His elder […]

Charlayne Hunter-Gault, Journalist born

*Charlayne Hunter-Gault was born on this date in 1942.  She is a Black journalist and civil rights activist.  Alberta Charlayne Hunter was born in Due West, South Carolina, the daughter of Col. Charles Shepherd Henry Hunter, Jr., U.S. Army, a regimental chaplain, and his wife, the former Althea Ruth Brown.  She became interested in journalism […]

Gilbert Moses, Stage, and Media Artist born

*Gilbert Moses was born on this date in 1942. He was a Black activist, theater, television, and film actor and director. Gilbert Moses III was born in Cleveland, Ohio, and began acting as a child at Karamu House. He studied at Oberlin College and spent a year at Sorbonne University in Paris before leaving college […]