People, Locations, Episodes

Denyce Graves, Mezzo Soprano born

*Denyce Graves was born on this date in 1964. She is a Black Mezzo-Soprano vocalist. She was born in southwest Washington, D.C. Her father left her family when Graves was one year old, and her mother struggled to support the family through most of her childhood. Graves’ early musical education was limited to singing gospel […]

The Harlem School of the Arts is Formed

*The Harlem School of the Arts (HSA) was celebrated on this date in 1964.  Soprano Dorothy Maynor founded the school in the basement of the St. James Presbyterian Church in Harlem when the community suffered severe physical blight, high levels of poverty, and few cultural resources for its young people. As it grew, the school […]

The Symphony of the New World Debuts

*The Symphony of the New World’s first concert was on this date in 1965. It was the first racially integrated orchestra in the United States. They were a symphony orchestra based in New York City. They gave their debut concert at Carnegie Hall, conducted by Benjamin Steinberg, who told the orchestra: “We have a lot […]

Awadagin Pratt, Classical Pianist born

*Awadagin Pratt was born on this date in 1966. He is a Black classical concert artist and pianist. Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Awadagin Pratt began studying piano at six. Three years after moving to Normal, Illinois, he began studying violin. At 16, he entered the University of Illinois, studying piano, violin, and conducting. He subsequently […]

The First World Festival of Negro Arts is Held

*The first World Festival of Negro Arts was held on this date in 1966. Also known as FESMAN, it is a month-long culture and arts festival in Africa that takes place every ten years. The festival features poetry, sculpture, painting, music, cinema, theatre, fashion, architecture, design, and dance from artists and performers around the African Diaspora. […]

The Society of Black Composers is Formed

*The Society of Black Composers (SBC) is celebrated on this date in 1968.  It was an African American composer collective. The SBC began in New York City. The collective hosted several concerts showcasing the works of Black composers. Members of the Society have made significant contributions to American musical culture, including contemporary jazz, classical music, […]

The Last Poets, Musicians, and Nationalistic Group Formed

*The Last Poets were formed on this date in 1968. They were a progressive group of Black Nationalist poets and musicians that evolved from the late 1960s American Civil Rights movement. Their name was taken from a poem by the South African revolutionary poet Keorapetse Kgositsile; the original users of that name were the trio […]

The Black Academy of Arts and Letters is Formed

*On this date in 1969, the “Black Academy of Arts and Letters (BAAL)” was founded.

Kara Walker, Artist born

Kara Walker was born on this date in 1969. She is an African American contemporary artist known for her exploration of race, gender, sexuality, and identity in her works.

She was born in Stockton, CA. Her father was a painter and a teacher. Walker’s education includes an Master of Fine Arts (MFA) at Rhode Island School of Design in painting/printmaking, and a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in painting/printmaking at Atlanta College of Art.

The Muntu Dance Theater Begins

Muntu Dance Theatre’s was founded on this date in 1972 in Chicago.

Stephen Wiltshire, Autistic Artist born.

*Stephen Wiltshire was born on this date in 1974. He is a Black British architectural autistic savant artist. Stephen Wiltshire was born in London. His father, Colvin, was a native of Barbados, and his mother, Geneva, is a native of St. Lucia. He grew up in Little Venice, Maida Vale, London. Wiltshire was non-verbal when young. At three, he was […]

Fabrice Monteiro, Photographer born.

*This date celebrates Fabrice Monteiro’s birth, which was in 1974. He is an Afro Brazilian photographer and visual artist. Fabrice Monteiro is an Agouda, the descendant of enslaved Brazilians with Portuguese names. He was born to a Beninese father and a Belgian mother. He was born in Belgium, grew up in Benin, and now lives and works in […]

Radmilla Cody, Model, and Singer born

*Radmilla Cody was born on this date in 1975. She is an African Native American (Navajo) model, singer, and activist.  Radmilla A. Cody was born into the Tłʼááshchíʼí clan of the Navajo Nation. Her father is Black. Her maternal grandmother raised her in the rural areas of the Navajo Nation, AZ, NM, and Utah.   Cody recalled her grandmother getting upset with her […]

Bubbling Brown Sugar Opens on Broadway

*Bubbling Brown Sugar opened on this date in 1976. This Black musical revue opened on Broadway at the ANTA Playhouse.  This stage performance, written by Loften Mitchell, is based on a concept by Rosetta LeNoire and features the music of numerous popular Black artists during the Harlem Renaissance. The revue included Duke Ellington, Eubie Blake, […]

Kehinde Wiley, Artist born

*Kehinde Wiley was born on this date in 1977. He is a Black Gay portrait painter known for his highly naturalistic paintings of African America, frequently referencing the work of Old Master paintings. Wiley was born in Los Angeles, California. His father, Isaiah D. Obot, is a Yoruba man from Nigeria, and his mother, Freddie Mae Wiley, is African […]