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John Oliver Killens Born this day (January 14) in 1916, John Oliver Killens was an important figure in the Black Arts Movement of the 1960s, Killens was a close friend of Martin Luther King and other civil rights activists. Killens created the National Black Writer’s Conference (which has been hosted every few years at MedgarContinue reading “Black History Highlights”

Alvin Ailey Alvin Ailey was a choreographer who founded the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in 1958. It was a hugely popular, multi-racial modern dance ensemble that popularized modern dance around the world thanks to extensive world tours. His most famous dance is Revelations, a celebratory study of religious spirit. Ailey received the Kennedy CenterContinue reading “Black History Highlights”

Montgomery Bus Boycott The Montgomery Bus Boycott was one of the influential developments of the civil rights movement. It was a social protest that led to the end of segregation in public transportation while propelling into renown such figures as Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King Jr. The protest began on Dec. 5, 1955, fourContinue reading “Black History Highlights”

Hubert F. Julian Hubert F. Julian (1897-1983) was one of the earliest Black Aviators and known as “the Black Eagle.” He was a Trinidad-born American aviation pioneer. In 1913, aircraft designer Frank Boland crashed a tail-less biplane and was killed instantly. Because of this crash, Julian designed an airplane safety device and was awarded aContinue reading “Black History Highlights”

Sanaa Lathan & Eleanor McCoy Sanaa Lathan Shared a photo of herself with her mom, Eleanor McCoy. “Me & mom when I was 5. Mom was 28 …”-Sanaa Lathan Eleanor McCoy is an American dancer and actress. She is known for Swashbuckler (1976), Hill Street Blues (1981) and The White Shadow (1978). She was previouslyContinue reading “Black History Highlights”