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Welcome Forum > BV Welcome Forum
"BLACK TRAILBLAZERS"(173)
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The future belongs to those who prepare for it today. Malcolm X Prior to 1700, men who had been born in Africa generally led the Maroon population; many claimed they had been Kings in their homeland. CMI MEMBER.
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QUEEN
Major Gen. 
William Alexander Leidesdorff - First Black Millionaire, American Consul and California Pioneer
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History is a clock that people use to tell their time of day. It is a compass they use to find themselves on the map of human geography. It tells them where they are, but more importantly, what they must be." Dr. John Henrik Clarke "Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world" *Harriet Tubman "Ones Attitude Defines Ones Latitude" *ff17* |
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Thanks for that brother , never heard of him.
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The future belongs to those who prepare for it today. Malcolm X Prior to 1700, men who had been born in Africa generally led the Maroon population; many claimed they had been Kings in their homeland. CMI MEMBER.
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Thanks for that brother , never heard of him. My pleasure King...I love it when I find someone I had never heard of before! It's great learning on a daily! John Dendy, Ethiopian golf wiz! May 2
Early on, John Brooks Dendy was influenced by a creative process Black elders have referred to as "Ethiopian ingenuity." In a literal sense, it speaks to the art of making something out of nothing or making the best use of what you have. As a 12-year-old in the roaring '20s, obsessed with a game considered a pursuit for the privileged, Dendy had to use every bit of his imagination to fashion a set of golf clubs. He collected several metal club heads but had no shafts with which to connect head and grip-a situation akin to having a car with no motor. So he took some discarded broom handles and a case knife and whittled them down to a more flexible thickness. He would fit one end in the club head and shaved the other in the manner of a grip. Dendy played with those homemade relics for several years. He would eventually become a three-time Negro National Open champion. With broom handle golf clubs; Dendy developed a swing less refined than the members at Asheville Country Club for whom he caddied, but just as effective. By his early teens, he had built a reputation among the other caddies as a determined competitor. Some of the members began to take note, too. The summer between his graduation from Stephens Lee High School and his freshman year at Paine College, he got financial backing from several members to travel to Atlanta to play in the Southern Open. Though he was only 18 years old, Dendy conquered high winds and difficult sand greens to defeat the best the South had to offer. ...[Message truncated]
History is a clock that people use to tell their time of day. It is a compass they use to find themselves on the map of human geography. It tells them where they are, but more importantly, what they must be." Dr. John Henrik Clarke "Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world" *Harriet Tubman "Ones Attitude Defines Ones Latitude" *ff17* |
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A Voice of Reason, Kelly Miller. July 19
Miller believed that the truest way to freedom from bondage was education. He worked his way through school, graduating from Howard University in 1886, continuing to study mathematics and physics at Johns Hopkins University. There he earned an A. M. in 1901 and an LL.D. in 1903 from Howard. Miller taught at Howard from 1890 to 1934, and became dean of the College Arts and Sciences in 1936. His nurturing and leadership caused the school to expand dramatically, with developments in the sociology department, a growth in student recruitment, and modernization of their curriculum. Miller wrote essays and a weekly column for the black press, where he dealt with the promise and progress of African-Americans since Emancipation and proposed ideas for global racial equality. Additionally, he wrote several books including Race Adjustment (1903), Out of the House of Bondage (1917), and History of the World War and the Important Part Taken by the Negroes (1919). Kelly Miller was thought of as a voice of reason with a mind of exceptional range. Kelly Miller died December 27, 1939. Reference: The Mathematics Department of The State University of New York at Buffalo. Mathematics Building Buffalo, NY 14260 History is a clock that people use to tell their time of day. It is a compass they use to find themselves on the map of human geography. It tells them where they are, but more importantly, what they must be." Dr. John Henrik Clarke "Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world" *Harriet Tubman "Ones Attitude Defines Ones Latitude" *ff17* |
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Robert Russa Moton, a vigorous educator. August 26
Born in Amelia County, Virginia on August 26, Robert Moton enrolled in the Hampton Institute in 1885. After his junior year, he taught and obtained a license to practice law. He returned to Hampton and finished his senior year. In 1900, Moton was elected president of the National Negro Business League and was reelected for the next 20 years. Moton's working relationship with Booker T. Washington began in 1908, when he accompanied Washington on several tours through the Southern states to promote the Hampton-Tuskegee model of racial advancement through vocational education and interracial cooperation. Their method consisted of singing "Negro Melodies" led by Moton, followed by a speech from Washington. When Washington died in 1915, Moton assumed many of Washington's roles. As president of Tuskegee from 1915 until 1930, Moton increased Tuskegee's endowment from $2.3 million to $7.77 million and managed to ensure that Tuskegee's vocational curriculum kept up with the changing employment world. Robert Moton received honorary degrees, he won the Harmon Award for contributions to better race relations, and, in 1932, the NAACP honored him with the Spingarn medal for distinguished service. He died in 1940. Reference: The Moton Museum Project P.O. Box 908 Farmville, Virginia 23901 History is a clock that people use to tell their time of day. It is a compass they use to find themselves on the map of human geography. It tells them where they are, but more importantly, what they must be." Dr. John Henrik Clarke "Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world" *Harriet Tubman "Ones Attitude Defines Ones Latitude" *ff17* |
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Addison Scurlock saw Blackness through his camera! June 19
From Fayetteville, North Carolina, he graduated from high school there, and in 1900 moved with his family to Washington, D.C. His father, George Clay Scurlock, ran unsuccessfully for the North Carolina Senate. He also worked as a messenger for the U.S. Treasury Department, while studying law and later opened a law office on the 1100 block of U Street. Young Scurlock began his career as a photographer as an apprentice to Moses P. Rice, who had studios on Pennsylvania Avenue. By 1904, he learned the basics of photographic portraiture and the entire range of laboratory work. That same year he started his own business at his parents’ home on Florida Avenue. He shot students at Howard University, M Street and Armstrong high schools, and Black universities and high schools throughout the South. In 1907, he won a gold medal for photography at the Jamestown Exposition. He opened the Scurlock Studio in the African-American community’s theater district in 1911 and concentrated on portraiture and general photography. His clients included brides, successful folk, convention guest, and socialites. A 1976 Washington Post article by Jacqueline Trescott read "For years one of the marks of arriving socially in black Washington was to have your portrait hanging in Scurlock’s window." In addition to studio portraits, he mastered the use of the panoramic camera and shot conventions, banquets, and graduations. By the 1920’s he had earned a national reputation. He was the official photographer of Howard University until his death in 1964 and recorded all aspects of university life. Scurlock also produced a series of portraits of African-American leaders that historian Carter G. Woodson distributed to African-American schools nationwide. One of his most significant photographs was that of Marion Anderson singing in front of the Lincoln Memorial in 1939. A famous story told about him is that while shooting President Coolidge with the Dunbar Cadet Corp on the White House Lawn, he walked up to the President and moved him to ano ...[Message truncated]
History is a clock that people use to tell their time of day. It is a compass they use to find themselves on the map of human geography. It tells them where they are, but more importantly, what they must be." Dr. John Henrik Clarke "Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world" *Harriet Tubman "Ones Attitude Defines Ones Latitude" *ff17* |
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Woodson invented the traffic light, the water closet (the flushing toilet) and the steam engine I'm really not sure about the other two, but Garrett Morgan improved on the traffic light. The future belongs to those who prepare for it today. Malcolm X Prior to 1700, men who had been born in Africa generally led the Maroon population; many claimed they had been Kings in their homeland. CMI MEMBER.
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Peace afanone* thx for appreciating the info...hope your doing well tonight! History is a clock that people use to tell their time of day. It is a compass they use to find themselves on the map of human geography. It tells them where they are, but more importantly, what they must be." Dr. John Henrik Clarke "Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world" *Harriet Tubman "Ones Attitude Defines Ones Latitude" *ff17* |
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Jimmy Smith, Mr. Hammond B-3! December 8
From Norristown, Pennsylvania, near Philadelphia; His given name is James Oscar Smith. His mother played the organ in a local church and his father was a tap dancer and a musician. Smith began playing piano for his father’s act at an early age. At the young age of 14, Smith enlisted in the navy where he played both the piano and the bass in the segregated army band. After a couple of years in the service, Smith moved back to Philadelphia where he worked construction and on the Pennsylvania Railroad to make ends meet. It wasn’t until he saw "Wild Bill Davis" perform on organ that he decided to pursue a musical career. Soon after that night Smith bought a Hammond B-3 organ and a big Leslie speaker. After four months of intense practice, he came out swinging. Energetic hard bop, blues, and the sound of the church also developed his style. Smith’s reputation grew and the Hammond organ quickly became a legitimate jazz instruments. In 1956, Smith took his music to New York. Successful performances helped him get signed by Blue Note Records. He began his recording career with a trio album called "A New Sound, A New Star" and by the end of the ‘50s he was one of the busiest artist on the label. Often working with saxophonist Stanley Turrentine, guitarist Kenny Burrell and drummer David Bailey he developed a great following. In 1962, Smith signed with Verve Records and began working with larger ensembles with arranger and composer Oliver Nelson using many of his orchestrations. He also wrote themes for movies such as "Goldfinger" and “The Carpetbaggers" and worked with guitarist Wes Montgomery. During the ‘70s and early ‘80s Smith opened up a nightclub in Los Angeles with his wife Lola. His career has spanned more than forty years and his musical influence is still being felt. His soulful, rhythmic and thunderous sound on the Hammond B-3 organ created a space for a new generation of jazz organists as well as other instrumentalists. Smith lived in Sacramento, California and occasionally doing a concert or a recording session he died on February 8, 2005. Reference: A Century of ...[Message truncated]
History is a clock that people use to tell their time of day. It is a compass they use to find themselves on the map of human geography. It tells them where they are, but more importantly, what they must be." Dr. John Henrik Clarke "Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world" *Harriet Tubman "Ones Attitude Defines Ones Latitude" *ff17* |
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The future belongs to those who prepare for it today. Malcolm X Prior to 1700, men who had been born in Africa generally led the Maroon population; many claimed they had been Kings in their homeland. CMI MEMBER.
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While slavery still existed, some odd reverse discrimination occurred. Because of their value as property, slaves were sometimes treated differently. Abel "Shanghai" Pierce recalled breaking horses in Texas in 1853. Several slaves assisted. A superior ordered Pierce to break the most dangerous mounts. The slave owner did not want to risk injuring slaves, because "those Negroes are worth a thousand dollars a piece."
After the Civil War, ranches east of the Trinity River often had all-black crews. West of the Nueces River, ranchers employed vaqueros more often than black cowboys. Far fewer blacks populated the northern ranges. Montana censuses counted only 183 blacks in 1870 and 346 in 1880.
The life of Isom Dart (born Ned Huddleston) took a very different direction from Ikard's. He was born a slave in Arkansas in 1849. After Emancipation, he went to west to Texas. Huddleston soon began stealing Mexican horses and swimming them across the Rio Grande for sale in Texas. He moved to northwest Colorado and became involved in gambling and fights. After brushes with the law, he took work as a bronc buster. Although a great horseman, Huddleston could not keep to the straight-and-narrow. He joined a gang of rustlers in 1875. A rancher and his cowboys ambushed and killed the entire gang, except for Huddleston.
We have somewhat sounder historical data on Willie M. "Bill Pickett," (circa 1870-1932) the Texas-born cowboy credited with the invention of bulldogging (steer wrestling). Pickett performed as "The Dusky Demon " with the Miller Brother's 101 Ranch Wild West Show and rodeos for several decades. One of thirteen children, he was born in Travis County, Texas, thirty miles northwest of Austin.
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The Reggae Cowboys' name came from Stone's fascination with the role of African-Americans in settling the West in the 1800's. "One in seven cowboys were Afro-American. Nat Love was a rodeo champion and Alberta's John Ware was one of the best-known ranchers in Canada. Bill Pickett actually invented the sport of bull-dogging" says Stone. Reggae Cowboys pay tribute to the black cowboys of the past century and the contribution they made to cowboy culture. Take a look at the pictures to learn a little more about the black cowboys who are honored in the song "Tell the Truth" Reggae & Country ? The West Indies meets the Wild West! Country influences are widely pumped through the radio stations and films in the Caribbean islands, so a lot of West Indians grew up listening to country music. Stone grew up watching Westerns starring Clint Eastwood, Gary Cooper, Gabby Hayes, Audie Murphy and Fernando Sancho. Bronco-bustin' Jesse Stahhl The Reggae Cowboys' name came from Stone's fascination with the role of African-Americans in settling the West in the 1800's. "One in seven cowboys were Afro-American. Nat Love was a rodeo champion and Alberta's John Ware was one of the best-known ranchers in Canada. Bill Pickett actually invented the sport of bull-dogging" says Stone. Reggae Cowboys pay tribute to the black cowboys of the past century and the contribution they made to cowboy culture. Take a look at the pictures to learn a little more about the black cowboys who are honored in the song "Tell the Truth" Reggae & Country ? The West Indies meets the Wild West! Country influences are widely pumped through the radio stations and films in the Caribbean island...[Message truncated]
History is a clock that people use to tell their time of day. It is a compass they use to find themselves on the map of human geography. It tells them where they are, but more importantly, what they must be." Dr. John Henrik Clarke "Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world" *Harriet Tubman "Ones Attitude Defines Ones Latitude" *ff17* |
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The future belongs to those who prepare for it today. Malcolm X Prior to 1700, men who had been born in Africa generally led the Maroon population; many claimed they had been Kings in their homeland. CMI MEMBER.
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The minister of defense, Basketball's Bill Russell! February 12
From Monroe, LA William Felton Russell attended McClymonds High School in Oakland, Calif. After this he finished College at the University of San Francisco and was drafted (third overall) by St. Louis Hawks in 1956 and was traded to Boston Celtics. It was at USF that Russell cultivated his skills under Hall of Fame Coach Phil Woolpert. Russell was a dominant collegian, and teamed with K.C. Jones to make USF one of college basketball's most successful teams. Russell led the Dons to 55 consecutive victories and the 1955 and 1956 NCAA championships. From both championships Russell earned All-America honors and was named national Player of the Year in 1956. Russell waited on his professional career to play in the 1956 Olympic Games in Melbourne, Australia where he led the U.S. to an 8-0 record and the gold medal. His on court legacy can be defined in three words; Defense wins championships. Before Russell brought his defensive and shot blocking skills to basketball, the game focused primarily on offense. He was arguably the greatest defensive center in the history of basketball. Russell played in 48 of the Boston Celtics' 72 games as a rookie, and his presence in the Celtics' lineup began a dynasty in Boston rivaled in sports only by John Wooden's UCLA Bruins and baseball's New York Yankees. During his career, Boston won 11 NBA championships, including eight consecutive from 1959 to 1966. Russell's head-to-head battles with Wilt Chamberlain in the 1950s and 1960s are legendary. In their first highly anticipated showdown on Nov. 7, 1959, Russell grabbed an amazing 35 rebounds and Boston won 115-106. Russell's honors include: five-time league MVP (1958, 1961-63, 1965), 12-time All-Star Game participant (MVP in 1963), Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year in 1968 and The Sporting News Athlete of the Decade in 1970. Russell, who once had 51 rebounds in a game against Syracuse in 1960, led the NBA in rebounding five times and grabbed 21,620 rebounds (second all-time), averaged 15.1 ppg and 22.5 rpg for his career. At the beg ...[Message truncated]
History is a clock that people use to tell their time of day. It is a compass they use to find themselves on the map of human geography. It tells them where they are, but more importantly, what they must be." Dr. John Henrik Clarke "Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world" *Harriet Tubman "Ones Attitude Defines Ones Latitude" *ff17* |
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Moneta Sleet, photographer of excellence. February 14
From Owensboro, KY, he began taking photographs after his parents gave an old box camera. After graduating from high school, Sleet attended Kentucky State College and later he relocated to New York City. It was there that he earned a M.A. in journalism from NYU. In 1955, Sleet joined the staff at Ebony Magazine, covering many prominent moments of the Civil Rights Movement, the Nobel Peace Prize, and other world events. Sleets’ photos have been exhibited in a number of museums and libraries. In 1969, he was the first Black to receive a Pulitzer Prize in journalism for his photo of Coretta Scott King at the funeral of her husband Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. He wrote Special Moments in African American History: The photographs of Moneta Sleet, Jr. 1955-1996, which was published in 1999. Moneta Sleet died on September 30, 1996 in New York City. Reference: Jet Magazine Johnson Publishing 820 South Michigan Avenue Chicago IL 60605 To become a Photographer History is a clock that people use to tell their time of day. It is a compass they use to find themselves on the map of human geography. It tells them where they are, but more importantly, what they must be." Dr. John Henrik Clarke "Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world" *Harriet Tubman "Ones Attitude Defines Ones Latitude" *ff17* |
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A complete entertainer, Gregory Hines! February 14
From New York City he became involved in show business as a toddler. Hines was the brother of actor/dancer Maurice Hines. When he was two, his father had him in a dance act with his older brothers. Hines polished his dancing skills with master tap dancer Henry Le Tang. He was five when his father teamed Gregory with his big brother, Jake, to form the Hines Kids and later the Hines Brothers. The siblings spent much of their early careers dancing at the Apollo Theater and learned from such famed fellow performers as the Nicholas Brothers and Sandman Sims. In 1954, at eight years old, he debuted on Broadway in the musical The Girl in Pink Tights. In 1963, they became Hines, Hines and Dad, which started a ten-year stretch on the nightclub circuit and on television. They also went abroad. In 1973, he left his brother and father's act to form a jazz-rock group called Severance. He eventually came back to New York, where later that same year he launched a distinguished Broadway career that earned him a Tony (for playing Jelly Roll Morton in George C. Wolfe's musical tribute Jelly's Last Jam in 1992), three additional Tony nominations, and a Theater World Award. Hines made his feature-film debut in The History of the World, Pt. I. In film, Hines proved himself a versatile actor and starred in musical dramas (The Cotton Club and White Nights), to straight dramas (The Preacher's Wife), comedy (Renaissance Man), sci-fi horror (Wolfen), and action films (Running Scared). In 1994, Hines directed Bleeding Hearts. Musically he released an album, simply titled Gregory Hines, in 1987. Ten years later he starred in the family comedy The Gregory Hines Show. Though short-lived, he was seen on TV’s Will and Grace. In addition, he did voice work for the Blues Clues Adventure, Big Blue's Treasure Hunt and the children's series Little Bill. Hines also appeared in Things You Can Tell Just by Looking at Her (2000), and Bojangles (2001), in which he portrayed the title role of legendary dancer Bill "Bojangles" Robinson. Hines ma ...[Message truncated]
History is a clock that people use to tell their time of day. It is a compass they use to find themselves on the map of human geography. It tells them where they are, but more importantly, what they must be." Dr. John Henrik Clarke "Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world" *Harriet Tubman "Ones Attitude Defines Ones Latitude" *ff17* |
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