Author Archives: deidredeanne

Peterson was born in Metuchen, New Jersey. His father, also named Thomas, worked for the Mundy family. His mother, Lucy Green, was a slave of Hugh Newell (1744–1816) of Freehold Township, New Jersey. She was manumitted at age 21 by Newell’s will. After moving to Perth Amboy, Peterson’s father married Daphne Reeve, whos parents had also been slaves onContinue reading “Black History Month day #25 Thomas Mundy Peterson”

A graduate of New York City’s Music & Art High School, Billy Graham was influenced artistically by the work of Al Williamson, Frank Frazetta, Burne Hogarth, and George Tuska. One of his earliest comics projects was illustrating writer Don Glut‘s “Death Boat!” in Vampirella #1 (Sept. 1969), one of Warren Publishing‘s influential black-and-white horror-comics magazines. Graham would pencil and self-ink a story in nearly each of the first dozenContinue reading “Black History day #24 Comic Artist Billy Grahm”

On February 14, 1920, Smith recorded “That Thing Called Love” and “You Can’t Keep a Good Man Down” for the Okeh label in New York City, after African-American songwriter and bandleader Perry Bradford persuaded Fred Hagar to break the color barrier in black music recording. Okeh Records recorded many iconic songs by black musicians. Although this was the first recording byContinue reading “Black History day #23 Mamie Smith”

In her fiction debut, Destiny O. Birdsong offers three different stories of Black women coming of age in Shreveport, Louisiana while navigating albinism. While each character has something to lose, Birdsong shapes each story around what they have to gain, which is their own internal magic. With an exquisite attention to southern visuals and vernacular,Continue reading “Black History day #22 Kindred Stories”

Jessie Sleet Scales was the first black public health nurse in the United States. Scales contributed to the development and growth of public health nursing in New York City and is considered by many to be a health nurse pioneer. Here is more about this amazing woman. Scales was born in Stratford, Canada. She attended Provident Hospital inContinue reading “Black History day #21 the First Black Nurse”

In 1920, Fritz Pollard became the first African-American to play in the NFL during its formative years. However, in the years after Fritz’s departure, the NFL owners imposed a “gentleman’s agreement” preventing the signing of more black players. The four men below are credited with re-integrating the NFL in 1946. The Los Angeles Coliseum threatenedContinue reading “Black History in Sports day #20 Fritz Pollard, Kenny Washington, Woody Strode, Bill Willis & Marion Motley”

Don’t miss the Community Market Trailer this Wednesday, February 2310am-1pmGreetings Members! Please don’t forget to join us this week for the Community Market Trailer located at the 3rd Ward MSC in the big parking lot. If you or someone you know could use some extra groceries at no cost please stop by… We look forwardContinue reading “Black History Month day #19 Community Market Trailer”

In 1870 Hiram Revels of Mississippi became the first African American senator. Five years later, Blanche K. Bruce of Mississippi took the oath of office. It would be nearly another century, 1967, before Edward Brooke of Massachusetts followed in their historic footsteps. Hiram Rhodes Revels, the first African American to serve, was elected by theContinue reading “Black History Month day #18 Blacks in Politics”

Never could two completely separate adages have come to me at a more seemingly random time. Watching the celebration of Jackie Robinson Day throughout Major League Baseball yesterday reminded me of two truisms that are often repeated in our society, even in the world of sports. The first by Winston Churchill: “History is written byContinue reading “Black History Month day # 17 Moses Fleetwood Walker”

Harvard University Archives. Richard Theodore Greener (1844-1922), professor, lawyer, and diplomat, was the first Black graduate of Harvard College, receiving his AB from the College in 1870. not to mention but also Lillian Lincoln Lambert is an American businesswoman, and the first African-American woman to graduate from Harvard Business School (HBS), where she was one ofContinue reading “Black History Month day #16 Richard Theodore Greener”