*Joseph Delaney was born on this date in 1904. He was a Black artist. Delaney was born in Knoxville, Tennessee, one of ten children of a Methodist minister. He was the younger brother of Beauford Delaney, with whom he shared an interest in drawing. In his late teens and early 20s, Delaney spent a period […]
learn more*Robert Pious was born on this date in 1908. He was a Black graphic artist. Robert Savon Pious was born in Meridian, Mississippi. His father was Nattie Pious and his was mother, Loula Pious. His parents married in 1895 and had nine children, of which he was the sixth born. The family lived at 2005 […]
learn more*Arthur Wilson was born on this date in 1886. He was a Black actor, singer and musician. Arthur “Dooley” Wilson was born in Tyler, Texas, the youngest of five children. At age seven, the year of his father’s death, he began to make a living by performing in churches in Tyler. When he was eight years old, he was […]
learn more*Muriel Rahn was born on this date in 1911. She was a Black vocalist and actress. Muriel Ellen Rahn was born in Boston in 1911, the daughter of Willie and Elizabeth “Bessie” Smith. After her father died, she moved with her mother to New York City, where Bessie met and married Cornelius M. Battey, who […]
learn more*Helen Martin was born on this date in 1909. She was a Black actress of stage and television. Helen Dorothy Martin was born in St. Louis, Missouri, the daughter of William Martin, a minister, and Amanda Frankie Fox. Raised in Nashville, Tennessee, Martin attended segregated public schools. During her teenage years, Martin led a band and performed with local theater groups. For […]
learn more*On this date in 1937, the Negro Actors Guild (NAG) is celebrated. Formed in 1936, the Negro Actors Guild of America (NAG) wanted to eliminate stereotyping of African Americans in theatrical and cinematic performances. They began operation in 1937 to create better opportunities for black actors during a period in America where the country was […]
learn more*Mary P. Burrill was born on this date in 1881. She was a Black teacher and playwright. Born in Washington, D.C., her father was John H. Burrill and her mother was Clara E. Burrill. She graduated in 1901 from Washington’s M Street School (later Dunbar High School), entered Emerson College in the fall of […]
learn more*Chadwick Boseman was born on this date in 1976. He was a Black actor and director. Chadwick Aaron Boseman was born and raised in Anderson, South Carolina to Carolynand Leroy Boseman. His DNA testing indicate that his ancestors were Krio people from Sierra Leone, Yoruba people from Nigeria and Limba people from Sierra Leone. His […]
learn more*Isabel Washington Powell was born on this date in 1908. She was a Black dancer and actress. Isabel Geraldine Washington was born in Savannah, Georgia. She was one of five children, with her older sister being the actress Fredi Washington. She was raised primarily in New York City where she pursued a show business […]
learn more*The Howard Theatre Opened on this date in 1910. This is a historic theater, located at 620 T Street, Northwest, Washington, D.C., Constructed in 1910, the theater was founded and owned by the National Amusement Company, a white-owned group. When built, it had a capacity of more than 1,200. Designed by J. Edward Storck, […]
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