Langston Hughes
On December 30, 1960, Langston Hughes Received The NAACP's Spingarn Medal, At Which Time He Was Dubbed. The "Poet Laureate Of The Negro Race." Hughes Is Also Considered One Of The Most Important And Proliific American Writers Of The 20th Century.
Hughes' Career Spanned From The Harlem Renaissance Of The 1920s Through The "New Black Renaissance" Of The 1960s.
His First Volume Of Poetry, "The Weary Blues," Was Published In 1926 And His First Book Of Short Stories, "The Ways Of White Folks," In 1934.
Hughes' Novels, Poetry, Plays And Short Stories Were Central To The Transition Of Black Writing From "The Plantation Tradition" To Contemporary, Urbane Forms Which Promoted Racial Pride.
Langston Hughes Died May 22, 1967, In New York City, While Working On A New Collection Of Poetry That Was Later Published As "The Panther And The Lash."
The Following Poem Can be Interpreted As An Inversion Of The Golden Rule And As A Creed For Survival. It's Also One Of My Personal Favorites:
"MOTTO"
By Langston Hughes
I play it cool
And dig all jive
That's the reason
I stay alive
My motto
As I live and learn
Is:
Dig And Be Dug
In Return.
"In Order For Black History To Live, We Must Continue To Breathe Life Into It." -- Hubert Gaddy, Jr. 
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Innervisions
On December 29, 1973, Stevie Wonder Held The Number One Position On BillBoard's R&B Chart, With the Song "Living For The City," One Of Several Hits From The Landmark Album, "Innervisions."
Wonder Produced "Innervisions" During What Is Generally Referred To As His "Classic Period." Released In August, 1973, It Was The Third Of Five Phenomenally Successful And Innovative Recordings -- Including "Music Of My Mind," "Talking Book," "Fulfillingness First Finale" And "Songs In The Key Of Life."
As With His Previous And Subsequent Work, Wonder Masterfully Deals With A Wide-Range Of Topics In "Innervsions." There Is Social Commentary On Drug Usage ("Too High"), Oppression And Racism ("Living For The City"), Religion And Spirituality (Jesus Children Of America & "Higher Ground"), Dogmatism ("He's Misstra No-It-All") And Of Course, Love ("All In Love Is Fair" & "Golden Lady"). The Album's Recurring Theme: Life Is Both Beautiful And At Times, Ugly, But Ultimately We Must Take Personal Responsibility For How We Live.
"Living For The City" Remained Number 1 For Two Weeks. "Innervisions" Was One Of 1973's 10 Best-Selling Albums.
" In Order For Black History To Live, We Must Continue To Breathe Life Into It." - Hubert Gaddy, Jr.
STEVIE WONDER
PERFORMS MUSIC FROM INNERVISIONS
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Denzel Washington
Actor/Director, Denzel Hayes Washington, Jr., Was Born December 28, 1954.
A Native Of Mount Vernon, New York, The Two-Time, Academy Award-Winning Actor Received A B.A. In Drama And Journalism From Fordham University In 1977.
Washington Also Made His Television Debut In 1977 -- Appearing In The Made-For-TV Movie, Wilma. He Went On To Star In The Popular Television Hospital Drama, St. Elsewhere, From 1982 -1988.
Over The Next Several Years, Washington's Talent And Popularity Made Him One Of Hollywood's Most Sought-After Leading Men.
His Reputation For Choosing Film Roles With Integrity And Substance Became As Much A Trademark As His Acting Ability. He Has Portrayed Several Significant Black History Figures, Including: Steve Biko (Cry Freedom), Malcolm X (Malcolm X), Rubin "Hurricane" Carter (The Hurricane), Herman Boone (Remember The Titans), And Most Recently, Frank Lucas (American Gangster) And Dr. Melvin B. Tolson (The Great Debaters).
Since 1977, Denzel Washington Has Either Starred In And/Or Directed More Than 35 Films -- Proving His Starpower In Each One. Among His Best Work To Date, Are The Films, Glory (For Which He Won A Best-Supporting Actor Oscar), Malcolm X, John Q, Training Day (For Which He Won The Academy Award For Best Actor), Antwone Fisher (His First Film As A Director), The Pelican Brief, Philadelphia, Crimson Tide, Mo' Better Blues, Devil In A Blue Dress, A Soldier's Story, Inside Man, The Manchurian Candidate And Man On Fire.
Washington Has Also Received A Golden Globe And NAACP Image Award. When Asked About His Good Fortune (Luck) Over The Years, He Answers With The Quote Credited To Abraham Lincoln And Others:, "Luck Is Where Opportunity Meets Preparation." Denzel Washington In An Early Role
From 1984
WARNING: Clip Contains Strong Language
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John Amos
Actor, John Amos, Was Born On December 27, 1939, In Newark, New Jersey.
Amos Attended Colorado State University And Was A 1967, Golden Gloves Boxing Champion. He Also Played Semi-Professional Football, After Being Cut By The AFL Kansas City Chiefs.
From 1970 - 1973 John Amos Played The Role Of Gordy Howard, The Weatherman, On The Mary Tyler Moore Show. He Got One Of His Most Memorable Roles In 1974, When He Played James Evens, The Patriarch On The Television Comedy, "Good Times," From 1974 - 1976. He Left "Good Times" After Conflicts With The Producers Over Script Content He Felt Was Projecting Negative Stereotypes About Black Americans.
In 1977 He Was Part Of The History-Making Television Mini Series, "Roots" -- Playing Kunte Kente As An Adult. "Roots" Would Go On To Become The Most Watched Miniseries In Television History. The Finale Still Holds The Record For Most Viewed Episode In TV History.
Amos Would Go On To Be Featured In Several Television And Movie Roles, Including: "Let's Do It Again" (1975), "Hunter" (1984 - 1985), The "A-Team," "The Players Club" (1998), "Coming To America" (1988), "In The House" (1995), "704 Hauser Street" (1994), "The District," "Die Hard 2: Die Harder" (1990), "Lock Up" (1989) And "All About The Andersons" (2003).
"In Order For Black History To Live, We Must Continue To Breathe Life Into It." -- Hubert Gaddy, Jr.
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Madame C.J. Walker
Madam C.J. Walker, Whose Birth Name Was Sarah Breedlove, Was Born December 23, 1857, In Delta Louisiana. She Was The First Member Of Her Family To Be Born Free.
She Made Her Fortune By Developing And Marketing A Hugely Successful Line Of Beauty And Hair Products For Black Women. The Guinness Book Of Records Cites Walker As The First Self-Made Female, Black Or White, To Become A Millionaire.
Once She Became Successful, Walker Took Pride In Being Able To Provide Employment For Black People. As An Alternative To Domestic Labor, She Hired Thousands Of Black Women Who Worked As Commissioned Agents, Distributing Her Products. They Could Earn From $5 To $15 A Day.
Walker Lectured On Black Issues At Conventions Sponsored By Powerful Black Institutions. She Also Encouraged Black Americans To Support The Cause Of World War I And Worked To Have Black Veterans Granted Full Respect. She Also Involved Herself In The Anti-Lynching Crusade -- Contributing Money And Working With The NAACP To Make The Hanging Of Black Americans A Federal Crime.
The National Association of Colored Women (NACW) Honored Walker For Making The Largest Contribution To Saving The Home Of Abolitionist Frederick Douglass. Prior To Her Death, Ms. Walker Revised Her Will To Provide Financial Support For Black Schools, Organizations, Individuals, Orphanages, Retirement Homes, As Well As YWCAs And YMCAs.
Madame Walker Died At The Age Of 51 On Sunday, May 25, 1919, From Complications Of Hypertension.
"In Order For Black History To Live, We Must Continue To Breathe Life Into It." -- Hubert Gaddy, Jr.
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Bill Russell
William Felton "Bill" Russell Played His First Game With The NBA's Boston Celtics On December 22, 1956.
In 1966, Russell Was Named Coach Of the Boston Celtics, Making Him The First Black Head Coach Of A Major Professional Sports Team. He Coached The Team Until 1969. Russell Succeeded 16-Year Veteran Coach, Arnold "Red" Auerbach, To Become The Basketball Team's Fourth Couch.
The 6 Ft. 10 In Hall Of Fame Center Was Still A Star Player For The Celtics At The Time He Became Coach. He Served As Player/Coach For His Entire First Season. He Became The Highest Paid Coach Or Manager At That Time, Earning An Estimated $125,000 Per Year.
Bill Russell Was Born In Monroe, Louisiana On February 12, 1934. His Family Moved To Oakland, California When He Was Eight Years Old. After Failing To Make The Varsity High School Team During His 9th- Grade Year, Russell Had A Growth Spurt And At 6 Ft. 5 In, Eventually Became A Star For His High School Team.
While At The University Of San Francisco, He Led His Team To Two NCAA Basketball Championships (1955 And 1956). He Also Won A Gold Medal At The 1956 Summer Olympics, As Captain Of The U. S. National Basketball Team.
Bill Russell Is Considered By Many ,The Greatest Defensive Basketball Player In NBA History. He Made Shot-Blocking An Art And Was Also One Of The Top Rebounders To Ever Play The Game Of Basketball. During His 13 Seasons With The Boston Celtics, He Won 11 NBA Championships. He Is One Of Two Men Who Holds The Record For The Most Championships Won By An Athlete In A North American Sports League.
Bill Russell Is In The NBA Hall Of Fame And The National Collegiate Basketball Hall Of Fame. In 1996, He Was Selected As One Of The 50 Greatest Players In NBA History. In 2011, He Was Among The 15 Honorees Recognized By President Barack Obama, For The Presidential Medal Of Freedom, The Nation's Highest Civilian Honor. The Great Bill Russell
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Max Robinson
Max Robinson, America's First Black Broadcast News Anchor, Died On December 20, 1988.
Born In Richmond, Virginia, In 1939, Robinson Began His Career In 1959, At A Television Station In Portsmith, VA. He Eventually Went To Washington, DC And Worked For Three Years At Station WRC-TV, Where He Became An Award-Winning Civil Rights Journalist. After Seeing Robinson In A Documentary On 60 Minutes, TV Executive, Roone Arledge, Hired Him To Co-Anchor The Chicago-Based ABC "World News Tonight." He Held That Position From 1978 -1983.
In Addition To Being The Pioneer Broadcaster Who Made It Possible For Other Black TV Journalists Like Ed Bradley, Bryant Gumble And Carole Simpson To Become High-Profile Media Personalities, Robinson Also Co-Founded The National Association Of Black Journalists.
"In Order For Black History To Live, We Must Continue To Breathe Life Into It." -- Hubert Gaddy, Jr.
Max Robinson - Pioneering Broadcaster
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"The Father Of Black History," Dr. Carter G. Woodson, Was Born On December 19, 1875, In New Canton, Buckingham County, Virginia.
As A Scholar, Author, Educator And Historian, Dr. Woodson Worked To Make Sure That The Accomplishments Of Black People To America And The World, Were Recognized And Not Forgotten. To That End, He Created What Is Known Today As Black History Month, In February, 1926. He Chose February To Coincide With The Birthdays Of Frederick Douglass And Abraham Lincoln, Two Figures Who Impacted The Lives Of Black Americans.
Prior To The Creation Of Black History Month, Dr. Woodson Had Already Established The Association For The Study Of Negro Life And History (Today Called The Association For The Study Of African American Life And History) In 1915. The ASALH Created Research And Publication Outlets For Black Scholars. Including The Journal Of Negro History And The Negro Bulletin.
Although Dr. Woodson Authored Many Scholarly Writings Prior To His Death, His Most Popular And Most Cited Exposition Remains The Miseducation Of The Negro, Published In 1933.
"In Order For Black History To Live, We Must Continue To Breathe Life Into It." -- Hubert Gaddy, Jr.
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Andrew Young
On December 16, 1976, Andrew Young Was Named Ambassador To The United Nations, A Cabinet-Level Post, Under The Carter Administration. He Was The First Black American To Hold This Position. Young Was Later Pressured Into Resigning From The U.N. Assignment Because Of A Secret Meeting He Held With The Palestinian Liberation Organization -- In Violation Of U.S. Policy.
As An Ordained Minster And Promoter Of Nonviolent Change, Young Was Active In The Civil Rights Movement Of The 1950s And 1960s, And Was A Chief Associate Of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
From 1972 To 1977 He Served In The U.S. House Of Representatives For Georgia, One Of The Deep South's First Black Congress Members Since Reconstruction. He Was Mayor Of Atlanta From 1982 To 1990. His 1990 Bid For Governor Was Unsuccessful.
"In Order For Black History To Live, We Must Continue To Breathe Life Into It." - Hubert Gaddy, Jr.
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Jupiter Hammon
America's First Black Poet, Jupiter Hammon, Was Born October 17, 1711.
On December 15, 1761, Hammon Published "An Evening Thought: Salvation by Christ with Penitential Cries." This Was The First Single Poem Published By A Black American. Phyllis Wheatley Published The First Volume Of Poetry In 1773.
In 1778 Hammon Released "An Address To Mis Phyllis Whearley, An Ethiopian Poetess," In Boston --- The Second Of His Several Broadside Poems. Broadside Meant That The Works Were Printed On One Side Of A Large Sheet Of Paper.
Hammon Was Born The Son Of Slaves. He Became A House Slave Of The Lloyd Family, Of Queens Village, On Long Island, New York And Was Encouraged To Read And Write.
Jupiter Hammon Is Generally Considered The First African American Man Of Letters And One Of The Architects Of African American Literature.
Most Information Suggests That He Died In 1806.
"In Order For Black History To Live, We Must Continue To breathe Life Into It." -- Hubert Gaddy, Jr
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