*Robert Riggs was born on this date in 1896. He was a Black artist and editor. He was born in Decatur, Illinois, and as a young man, ran away from home and joined the circus. In World War I, Riggs served in the Army with a medical unit in France. After returning from France, he […]
learn more*On this date in 1950, we celebrate the Ebony Showcase Theatre and Cultural Arts Center (ESTCAC), Inc. Originally opened in 1923, as the Rimpau Theatre, Washington & Rimpau streets in Los Angeles. The location was on the south side of the street, five blocks east of La Brea Ave. Its seating capacity was 750, and […]
learn more*Alvin Hollingsworth was born on this date in 1928. He was a Black painting artist and one of the first Black artists published in comic books. Alvin Carl Hollingsworth was born in Harlem, New York, to West Indian parents and began drawing at age 4. By 12, he was an art assistant on Holyoke Publishing’s Cat-Man Comics. He […]
learn more*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 […]
learn more*The birth of Mabel Ridley is celebrated on this date in 1894. She was a Black mezzo-soprano singer who appeared in Broadway theatre and revues in the 1920s and 1930s. Early life: Mabel Ridley was born in Augusta, Georgia, to Charles and Katherine Ridley in January 1894. Back in 1843, on their marriage, her grandparents […]
learn more*The Tutt Brothers were celebrated on this date in 1888. They were a Black song and dance team that performed in the American Vaudeville era. They were producers, writers, and performers of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Salem Tutt Whitney was born in Logansport, Indiana, as was his brother J. Homer Tutt. They were also […]
learn more*Mercedes Gilbert was born on this date in 1894. She was a Black actress, novelist, and poet. Gilbert was a native of Jacksonville, Florida, and attended Edward Waters College. She originally trained as a nurse before coming to New York and entering the entertainment profession, first as a songwriter and then as a stage actress. Career […]
learn more*On this date in 1930, The Green Pastures debuted on Broadway. This is a play written in 1930 by Marc Connelly adapted from Ol’ Man Adam an’ His Chillun (1928), a collection of stories written by Roark Bradford. The play was the winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1930. It had the first all-black Broadway cast. The […]
learn more*The founding of the Urban Bush Women (UBW) is celebrated on this date in 1984. Jawole Willa Jo Zollar is the Brooklyn, New York-based non-profit dance company founder and the only professional African American women’s dance company. The ensemble performs choreography by Zollar and other choreographers, often focusing on the experiences of women of African […]
learn more*The birth of Maren Hassinger is celebrated on this date in 1947. She is a Black artist and educator. Born Maren Louise Jenkins in Los Angeles, California, the daughter of Helen Mills Jenkins, a police officer and educator, and late father, Carey Kenneth Jenkins, an architect. At an early age, she showed a gift […]
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