People, Locations, Episodes

Emmett Carson, Administrator and Philanthropist born

*Emmett Carson was born on this date in 1959. He is a Black policy administrator and philanthropist. Born in Chicago, Illinois, to city business inspector Emmett D. Carson and Chicago Public School’s head cook Mary Carson. He graduated from Emil G. Hirsch High School in 1977 and received his B.A. in economics from Morehouse College in 1980. […]

Motown Records is Founded

Motown Record Company, the first large Black owned music company in America, was founded on this date in 1959.
It was also the source of a variant of Black popular music that earned world wide acclaim in the 1960s.

Motown was founded in Detroit by Berry Gordy, Jr., a successful rhythm-and-blues songwriter. The company enjoyed local success and scored its first nationwide hits with singles by two of its earliest musical groups, the Miracles’ “Shop Around” (1960) and the Marvelette’s “Please Mr. Postman” (1961).

Magic Johnson, Businessman born

*On this date in 1959, Magic Johnson was born. He is an African American athlete, businessman and humanitarian.

Jeffrey Orridge, Businessman born

*The birth of Jeffrey Orridge is celebrated on this date in 1960. He is a Black lawyer and businessman. Jeffrey Lyndon Orridge is a New York native. His mother was a registered nurse and social worker; his father worked for the New York City Transit Authority. Orridge participated in track and field and played basketball […]

Isabel Wilkerson, Author, and Journalist born

*This date in 1961 is celebrated as the birth date of Isabel Wilkerson, a Black journalist and author.   Born in Washington, D.C., she studied journalism at Howard University, becoming editor-in-chief of the college newspaper, The Hilltop. Wilkerson interned at many publications, including the Los Angeles Times and the Washington Post, during college. In 1994, […]

The DuSable Museum (Chicago) Opens

Chicago’s DuSable Museum was chartered on this date in 1961. The Museum is named for Jean Baptiste Point DuSable, an African Haitian who in 1779 established the trading post and permanent settlement which would become known as… Chicago.

Byron Allen, Entertainment Businessman, born

*Byron Allen was born on this date in 1961. He is a Black businessman, comedian, television producer, philanthropist, and the head of the US entertainment company Entertainment Studios. Byron Allen Folks was born in Detroit but grew up in Los Angeles. His interest in show business began during childhood when he accompanied his mother, Carolyn […]

A Black Man Receives A Patent For Improving The Automatic Safety Brake System

*On this date in 1962, Richard B. Spikes received a patent for improving the Automatic Safety Brake System. Major companies welcomed his invention.  U.S. Patent #3015522. By the time he was creating the automatic safety brake, Spikes was losing his vision. He first created a drafting machine for blind designers to complete the device. The […]

Robb Armstrong, Cartoonist born

*Robb Armstrong was on this date in 1962. He is a Black artist and cartoonist.    Armstrong was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; his mother, Dorothy, was a seamstress. He has four siblings. He started drawing sketches of Charlie Brown at age five and lists Charles M. Schulz as one of his influences and heroes. Armstrong […]

Michael Jordan, Basketball Player and Businessman born.

*Michael Jordan was born on this date in 1963. He is an African American businessman and was one of the best basketball players in the world.

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 seeking 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 held a […]

Cecilia Rouse, Economist born

*Cecilia Rouse was born on this date in 1963. She is a Black University administrator and economist. Cecilia Elena Rouse grew up in Del Mar, California. She has two siblings: Forest Rouse, a physicist, and Carolyn Rouse, an anthropologist and professor at Princeton University. Her father is a research physicist who received his Ph.D. from […]

Mary Ann Green, Cahuilla Leader born

*Mary Ann Green, a Black Native American (Cahuilla) tribal leader and politician, is celebrated on this date in 1964.   She was born Mary Ann Martin, years after members of the Augustine Band of Cahuilla Indians abandoned their reservation and traditional lands surrounding Coachella, which is east of Los Angeles, CA. (There were only 11 living […]

Diébédo Kéré, Environmental Themed Architect born

*Diébédo Kéré was born on this date in 1965. He is a Black African architect recognized for creating innovative, often sustainable, and collaborative works. Diébédo Francis Kéré was born in the village of Gando, Burkina Faso. He was the first child in the town to be sent to school as his father, the village chief, […]

Fredricka Whitfield, Television Journalist born

*Fredricka Whitfield was born on this date in 1965. She is a Black television journalist and news anchor. From suburban Washington, D.C., she is the daughter of Mal Whitfield and Nola Whitfield.   She has a brother and a sister and graduated from Paint Branch High School in Burtonsville, Maryland, in 1983. In 1987, she earned a bachelor’s […]