Delores LaVern Baker (November 11, 1929 – March 10, 1997) was an American rhythm-and-blues singer who had several hit records on the pop chart in the 1950s and early 1960s. Her most successful records were "Tweedle Dee" (1955), "Jim Dandy" (1956), and "I Cried a Tear" (1958)

In 1895, Beulah Woodard was born. She was an African American artist who specialized in sculpture. Born near Frankfort, OH, Beulah Ecton Woodard was the youngest daughter in the William P. Ecton family. In , and none affected her more deeply than a native African she met when she was 12vyears ol

In 1907, Shirley Graham DuBois was born. She was an African American author, playwright, composer, and activist. She was born in Evansville, Indiana, to a minister father and homemaker mother. Her family moved around the country quite a bit when she was a child, and Shirley’s earliest memories a

The birth of William Henry Johnson in 1833 is celebrated on this date. He was a Black Abolitionist, politician and crusader for the rights of Blacks. Johnson was born near Alexandria Virginia of free parents. Johnson left home in Virginia at the age of twelve to travel to Philadelphia where he

On November 10, 1909 we celebrate the Clef Club of New York City, Inc., founded in New York by James Reese Europe and his associates. They were a fraternal and professional organization for the advancement of African American musicians and entertainers. The Clef Club was a popular entertainme

Saint Augustine was born on this date in 354. He was a Black saint, philosopher, and doctor. He was the eldest son of Saint Monica of Saint Augustine. Aurelius Augustinus (his birth name) was born in Africa, educated in Rome, and a Milanese by baptism. He spent his early years in what is now kn

John Leslie "Wes" Montgomery (March 6, 1923 – June 15, 1968) was an American jazz guitarist. He is widely considered one of the major jazz guitarists, emerging after such seminal figures as Django Reinhardt and Charlie Christian and influencing countless others. Montgomery was known for an

Riley, George Putnam (1833--1905) George Putnam Riley, a native of Boston, participated in both the California and Canadian Northwest Territory Gold Rushes. In 1869, Riley along with 14 other Portland, Oregon residents--11 African American men, two African American women, and one white man--formed