*Beuford Smith was born on April 12, 1936. He was a Black photographer and educator. Born in Cincinnati, Ohio, his father, Theodore Smith, worked as a porter, and his mother, Beulah Conner Smith, managed the household. Smith was an only child. He developed an interest in photography at a young age and taught himself photography. […]
learn more*Louis Draper was born on this date in 1935. He was a Black art photographer. Louis Hansel Draper was born in Richmond, Virginia. He and his sister Nell attended a private Catholic school near Richmond, the Van deVere Institute, and Virginia Randolph High School in Glen Allen, VA. In 1953, he enrolled in Virginia State […]
learn more*Emily Meggett was born on this date in 1932. She was a Black Geechee-Gullah community leader, chef, and author. Emily Meggett was born in Edisto Island, South Carolina. She grew up with Gullah culture, a set of food, rituals, and language that took root when West and Central Africans were brought to the Southern United […]
learn more*The National Black Chamber of Commerce (NBCC) is affirmed on July 16, 1993. Incorporated as The National Black Chamber of Commerce, Inc., it is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, nonsectarian organization dedicated to the economic empowerment of African American communities. The NBCC is a very young national organization when compared to the NAACP and the Congress of […]
learn more*Jewel Thais-Williams was born on this date in 1939. She was a Black Queer businesswoman and LGBTQI+ activist. Originally from Arkansas, Thais-Williams’ father, in search of employment and educational opportunities, moved their family to Gary, Indiana, where Thais-Williams was born. She was the fifth born of eight children. During World War II, several of her […]
learn moreMatthew Jenkins is a professional photographer. In this segment, he shares two early career moments that shaped his approach to this profession.
learn more*The birth of Diogo de Azambuja is celebrated on this date in 1432. He was a white European Portuguese noble, slave trader, and explorer. He was born at Montemor-o-Velho and became a knight of the Order of Aviz in the service of the son of the Regent Infante Peter, Duke of Coimbra. After Peter’s defeat […]
learn more*The Sowetan newspaper was founded on this date in 1981. This is an English-language South African daily newspaper that began publication following the end of apartheid, marking the culmination of the liberation struggle. It belonged to Dr. Nthato Motlana, a South African businessman, physician, and activist, who played a leading role in the formation of […]
learn morePearl McClintock is a collections assistant and curator. In this segment, she shares library science career advice.
learn more*The Regent Theater opened on this date in 1916, in Baltimore, MD. As a Family operation, the Regent Theater was owned by Louis Hornstein and his two sons, Simon and Isaac, who opened the theater on the former site of a coal yard at 1629 Pennsylvania Avenue. Advertised as the “largest, coolest, best-ventilated house in […]
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