People, Locations, Episodes

The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater is Founded

*On this date in 1958, the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater (AAADT)’s beginning is affirmed. This is a modern dance company based in New York City. Choreographer and dancer Alvin Ailey founded it. Ailey was the company’s director, choreographer, and principal dancer. The company started as an ensemble of only seven dancers, plus their choreographer and many guest choreographers. Initially, their […]

Revelations by Alvin Ailey Debuts

*On this date in 1960, Revelations, the best-known work of the modern dance choreographer Alvin Ailey. It is also the signature work of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, which premiered an extended version of the work when Ailey was 29 years old. Set to spirituals, gospel, and blues music and influenced by the choreographer’s Christian upbringing, it presents a vision of the historically African American experience from […]

Jean-Michel Basquiat, Contemporary Artist born

This date marks the birth in 1950 of Jean-Michel Basquiat. He was an African American artist specializing in painting. Initially a street artist, his graffiti-inspired work won international acclaim during the 1980s.

Born to a Haitian father and a first-generation Puerto Rican-American mother, Basquiat grew up in Brooklyn. As a child, he created drawings inspired by comic books and television cartoons. His mother, who often took him to local art museums, nurtured his early interest in art. In May 1968, a car hit Basquiat. He suffered a broken arm and his spleen had to be removed.

Mark Bradford, Artist born

*Mark Bradford was born on this date in 1961. He is a Black gay artist born and raised in Leimert Park in South Los Angeles. Bradford moved with his family to a predominantly white neighborhood in Santa Monica when he was 11, but his mother still maintained her business in the old community. His mother […]

Beverly McIver, Artist born

*Beverly McIver’s birth is celebrated on this date in 1962. She is a Black contemporary artist, mostly known for her self-portraits. McIver was the youngest of three daughters and was raised by a single mother who worked as a maid to support their family. Born and raised in Greensboro, NC, her mother’s attention and resources were […]

The Kamoinge Workshop is Formed

*On this date in 1963, we celebrate the Kamoinge Workshop. Kamoinge, Inc. was founded as a collective of Black photographers dedicated to achieving artistic equality and empowerment. It is a forum where members view, nurture, critique, and challenge each other’s work in an honest and understanding atmosphere. In 1963, two groups of African American photographers […]

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 […]

The Black Arts Movement In America, a story

*The Black Arts Movement (BAM) is celebrated on this date in 1965. They were a Black-led art movement active during the 1960s and 1970s. BAM created new cultural institutions through activism and art, conveying another message of black pride. Amiri Baraka’s move uptown marks the beginnings of the Black Arts Movement to establish the Black […]

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 […]

Franklin Meets Charlie Brown In The ‘Peanuts’ Cartoon

*On this date in 1968, Franklin appeared in the Peanuts cartoon. He was the first Black character created by Charles Shultz, the cartoonist who created Peanuts. In the episode, Charlie Brown lost his beach ball; it was found and returned to him by a Black boy named Franklin. The episode ended with the two building a […]