W.E,B. Du Bois
One Of The Greatest Intellectuals Of The 20th Century, William Edward Burghardt Du Bois, Was Born In Barrington, Massachusetts On February 23, 1868.
Du Bois Was A Leader In Black American Protest For Most Of His Adult Life. He Emerged At The Turn Of The Century As An Opposing Voice To Booker T. Washington, Who Appeared To Have Accepted Segregation And Assimilation --- Or In Du Bois's Eyes, Defeat. Du Bois Believed Blacks Should Challenge And Question Whites On All Grounds.
His Book, The Souls Of Black Folk, Written In 1903, Presented Al Alternative To Booker T. Washington's "Accommodation" Platform And Is Considered A Classic Work In The Civil Rights Movement.
W.E. B. Du Bois Was Also Instrumental In The Formation Of Both The Niagara Movement And The NAACP, Which Grew Out Of The Niagara Movement. He Was The NAACP's Only Black Officeholder When It Was Chartered. He Worked For 20 Years With The NAACP, Including Serving As Editor Of The Organization's Primary Publication, The Crisis.
Du Bois Was A True Renaissance Man. During His Distinguished Career He Was A Professor, Sociologist, Novelist And Nonfiction Writer Who Made Contributions To Politics, Social Issues And The Arts. He Earned A Bachelor's Degree cum laude From Harvard University In 1890. In 1895 He Became The First Black American To Earn A Ph.D From Harvard.
He Was Tried As An Anti-American During The McCarthy Era And Was Acquitted For Lack Of Evidence. He Won The Lenin International Peace Prize In 1958.
In 1963, W.E. B. Du Bois, At the age of 95, Became A Naturalized Citizen Of Ghana. He Died August 27, 1963
"In Order For Black People To Live, We Must Continue To Breathe Life Into It." -- Hubert Gaddy, Jr.
Nat King Cole
Nat King Cole, At One Time, The Most Successful Post-World War II, Black Pop Singer, Died Of Lung Cancer On February 15, 1965. He Was 45 Years Old At The Time Of His Death.
Cole's Smooth Singing Style And Deep Voice Were Featured On Several Romantic Hits, Including: "Mona Lisa," "The Christmas Song," "Nature Boy," "Too Young" And His Signature Tune, "Unforgettable."
Born Nathanial Adams Cole, 1919 In Alabama, The Jazz Pianist And Songwriter Began His Recording Career In The 1930's With The King Cole Trio.
In 1956 He Hosted The Nat King Cole Show On NBC, Becoming The First African American To Host A Regular Network Television Program. The Show Lasted Only One Year, Due To Lack Of Sponsors. Commenting On The Lack Of Sponsorship His Show Received, Cole Quipped Shortly After Its Demise, "Madison Avenue Is Afraid Of The Dark."
"In Order For Black History To Live, We Must Continue To Breathe Life Into It." -- Hubert Gaddy, Jr.
Nat King Cole Performs "Route 66"
On February 11, 1989, At The Age Of 58, The Reverend Barbara C. Harris Was Ordained As Bishop Of The Episcopal Diocese Of Massachusetts And Became The First Female Bishop Of The Episcopal Church.
A Worldwide Religious Organization, The Episcopal Church Originated From The Church Of England. Harris Noted That The Church's Decision Break Color And Gender Barriers Had Brought "New Hope And New Vision To Hundreds Of Thousands."
In 1984 Harris Was Appointed Executive Director Of The Episcopal Church's Publishing Company. The Company Produces The Witness, A Journal Known For Its Liberal Viewpoint.
"In Order For Black History To Live, We Must Continue To Breathe Life Into It." -- Hubert Gaddy, Jr.
Jack Johnson
Boxer, Jack Johnson Won His First Title On February 3, 1903, Beating "Denver" Ed Martin Over 20 Rounds For The World Colored Heavyweight Championship.
His Efforts To Win The Full Title Were Blocked, As Then World Heavyweight Champion James J. Jeffries, Refused To Face Him.
Johnson Eventually Won The Heavyweight Title After Defeating Tommy Burns In Sydney, Australia On December 26, 1908, In Front Of 20,000 Spectator.. The Bout Went 14 Rounds. The Referee Stopped The Fight After 14 Rounds And Awarded Johnson A TKO Decision.
On July 4, 1910, A Boxing Match Billed As "The Fight Of The Century," Took Place Heavyweight Champion, Jack Johnson And White Challenger, James J. Jeffries, In Reno, Nevada. Jeffries Came Out Of Retirement As "The Great White Hope," To Take Down The World's First Black Heavyweight Boxing Champion. Whites Generally Believed That A World Boxing Championship Was Too Prestigious A Prize For A Black Man To Hold.
Johnson Knocked Jeffries Out In The 15th Round Of The Fight And Retained His Championship.
White America Was Outraged While Black America Celebrated The Victory.
This Led To A Backlash Of White-On-Black Rioting, In Which 11 African Americans Were Killed.
"In Order For Black History To Live, We Must Continue To Breathe Life Into It." -- Hubert Gaddy, Jr.
Jack Johnson Fight Highlights
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