Black History Month: Activities, Leaders, the Civil Rights Movement

Black History Month Spotlight... Kevin Kemp - A True Disciple of God:

2011-02-17T23:13:00.003-06:00

Kevin Kemp was incarcerated. With his family falling apart on the outside, Kevin was looking for a change on the inside. Discover more amazing and inspirational stories, Christian testimonies, and healing miracles.

Black Owned Businesses by Christopher C. Herring (http://www.African-American.us)

Black History Month High Achiever : Derek Fisher

2011-02-17T23:06:00.002-06:00

Black Owned Businesses by Christopher C. Herring (http://www.African-American.us)

SPOTLIGHT: Otis Clark, a Black History Month Living Legend

2011-02-17T22:51:00.003-06:00

Meet the world's oldest living evangelist who happens to be a Black American. At 108 years of age, Otis Clark has survived the Tulsa, Oklahoma race riots and the fast life in Los Angeles, California.

Black Owned Businesses by Christopher C. Herring (http://www.African-American.us)

Black History Month 2011

2011-02-04T18:00:00.001-06:00

Heritage Months » Black History Month
Friday, February 4, 2011
Time Event Venue
10:15am [Kids & Families] DISCOVERY THEATER, Black Diamond Preview S. Dillon Ripley Center
11:30am [Performances] Historic Theater: Join the Student Sit-Ins at the Greensboro Lunch Counter American History Museum
11:30am [Kids & Families] DISCOVERY THEATER, Black Diamond Preview S. Dillon Ripley Center
12pm [Gallery Talks & Tours] Highlights Tour Renwick Gallery
12:30pm [Gallery Talks & Tours] Highlights of the American Art Museum American Art Museum
12:30pm [Films] February Film Screening: Shared Experience: Telling Our Stories American Indian Museum
1:30pm [Performances] Historic Theater: Join the Student Sit-Ins at the Greensboro Lunch Counter American History Museum
2pm [Gallery Talks & Tours] Highlights of the American Art Museum American Art Museum
3pm [Performances] Historic Theater: Join the Student Sit-Ins at the Greensboro Lunch Counter American History Museum
3:30pm [Films] February Film Screening: Shared Experience: Telling Our Stories American Indian Museum
4:30pm [Performances] Historic Theater: Join the Student Sit-Ins at the Greensboro Lunch Counter American History Museum
Saturday, February 5, 2011
Time Event Venue
10am [Kids & Families] Family Day: African American Pioneers in Aviation Air and Space Museum Udvar-Hazy Center
10am [Celebrations] [Kids & Families] A Chance to Take Home an American Girl Addy Doll! American History Museum
10am [Workshops] Mixed Media a la Romare Bearden, 4-Session Weekend Course S. Dillon Ripley Center
10:30am [Kids & Families] [Performances] [Workshops] The Music of West Africa Anacostia Community Museum
10:30am [Gallery Talks & Tours] Special Exhibition Tour: The Kinsey Collection: Shared Treasures of Bernard and Shirley Kinsey -- Where Art and History Intersect American History Museum
11:30am [Celebrations] [Kids & Families] Black History Month 2011 Family Day Celebration American History Museum
11:30am [Performances] Historic Theater: Join the Student Sit-Ins at the Greensboro Lunch Counter American History Museum
12pm [Gallery Talks & Tours] Special Exhibition Tour: The Kinsey Collection: Shared Treasures of Bernard and Shirley Kinsey -- Where Art and History Intersect American History Museum
12:30pm [Gallery Talks & Tours] Highlights of the American Art Museum American Art Museum
12:30pm [Films] February Film Screening: Shared Experience: Telling Our Stories American Indian Museum
1pm [Gallery Talks & Tours] Special Exhibition Tour: The Kinsey Collection: Shared Treasures of Bernard and Shirley Kinsey -- Where Art and History Intersect American History Museum
1:30pm [Performances] Historic Theater: Join the Student Sit-Ins at the Greensboro Lunch Counter American History Museum
2pm [Gallery Talks & Tours] Highlights of the American Art Museum American Art Museum
3pm [Films] [Performances] Film: Body and Soul with Thad Wilson Orchestra American Art Museum
3pm [Performances] Historic Theater: Join the Student Sit-Ins at the Greensboro Lunch Counter American History Museum
3:30pm [Films] February Film Screening: Shared Experience: Telling Our Stories American Indian Museum
4:30pm [Performances] Historic Theater: Join the Student Sit-Ins at the Greensboro Lunch Counter American History Museum
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Time Event Venue
10am [Kids & Families] Discover Addy's World American History Museum
10:30am [Gallery Talks & Tours] Special Exhibition Tour: The Kinsey Collection: Shared Treasures of Bernard and Shirley Kinsey -- Where Art and History Intersect American History Museum
11:30am [Gallery Talks & Tours] [Lectures & Discussions] Greensboro Talks American History Museum
12pm [Gallery Talks & Tours] Special Exhibition Tour: The Kinsey Collection: Shared Treasures of Bernard and Shirley Kinsey -- Where Art and History Intersect American History Museum
12:30pm [Gallery Talks & Tours] Highlights of the American Art Museum American Art Museum
12:30pm [Films] February Film Screening: Shared Experience: Telling Our Stories American Indian Museum
1pm [Gallery Talks & Tours] Special Exhibition Tour: The Kinsey Collection: Shared Treasures of Bernard and Shirley Kinsey -- Where Art and History Intersect American History Museum
1pm [Gallery Talks & Tours] Highlights Tour Renwick Gallery
1:30pm [Gallery Talks & Tours] [Lectures & Discussions] Greensboro Talks American History Museum
2pm [Films] [Lectures & Discussions] Family Across the Sea Anacostia Community Museum
2pm [Gallery Talks & Tours] Highlights of the American Art Museum American Art Museum
3pm [Gallery Talks & Tours] [Lectures & Discussions] Greensboro Talks American History Museum
3:30pm [Films] February Film Screening: Shared Experience: Telling Our Stories American Indian Museum
4pm [Gallery Talks & Tours] Highlights of the American Art Museum American Art Museum
4:30pm [Gallery Talks & Tours] [Lectures & Discussions] Greensboro Talks American History Museum
Monday, February 7, 2011
Time Event Venue
10am [Kids & Families] Discover Addy's World American History Museum
12pm [Gallery Talks & Tours] Highlights Tour Renwick Gallery
12:30pm [Films] February Film Screening: Shared Experience: Telling Our Stories American Indian Museum
2pm [Gallery Talks & Tours] Highlights of the American Art Museum American Art Museum
3:30pm [Films] February Film Screening: Shared Experience: Telling Our Stories American Indian Museum
Printed: Friday, February 04, 2011 at 4:03 PM PST Calendar events displayed in Eastern Standard Time

Black Owned Businesses by Christopher C. Herring (http://www.African-American.us)

Love as a Weapon -- Black History Month 2010

2010-02-01T19:31:00.000-06:00

Commentary by Maj. Christopher Herring
12th Flying Training Wing Plans and Programs

1/20/2010 - RANDOLPH AIR FORCE BASE, Texas -- As we reflect on the Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday, let's focus on the vast leadership lessons he left us that pertain to our current world condition. As a nation, we are at war in at least two campaigns, humanitarian operations are underway in Haiti, and many of our families and friends are rebounding from financially tough times. The central message that will work across each of these examples is the love Reverend King preached to his congregation.

Dr. King would foot stomp love in every message, every public and private gathering, that it was love that was sufficient to correct any unjust situation. He was the drum major for justice and determined non-violent direct action would cause a domino effect to improve conditions for black people in America.

As a military person, I know we don't think about packing "love" into our deployment bags, but maybe you should. Love is the No. 1 weapon that has improved our nation and our capacity to do even more as the greatest nation on the earth.

America learned through Dr. King we have a moral responsibility to be the ambassador' of love. Our military is a reflection of that love. Thousands of Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines sacrifice, even their very lives, to ensure America can continue to be free and foster the principles on which it was founded in 1776.

We are the strongest nation because of the freedoms which we enjoy -- the freedom to communicate, even when our words, Tweets, IMs and blogs may be unpopular; the freedom to worship, even when other areas of the world condemn religion or condemn one's particular faith; the freedom to have a vote, even when others may spit at democracy. We know our purpose is grounded in the love of humanity and our nation. Our nation's all-volunteer military force is a credit to how far we have come and provides a benchmark of our success in the global environment.

Dr. King was just as committed a soldier. He forced America to take a hard look at itself and used nonviolent civil disobedience to spread his message. I found out over the holidays my mother-in-law served in the forerunner to the Montgomery Bus Boycott. It was called the Montgomery Improvement Association. As a teenager, she met with Dr. King and Reverend Abernathy to organize meetings and conduct fund-raisers in the community.

As she told me her story, she spoke of the love that filled the community to ensure people would continue to sacrifice and do the hard things being asked of them. Why would children, teens, adults and the elderly commit to a fight knowing they would be attacked for doing so? Because love is the most powerful law we can follow to prevail in tough situations. Love will cause you to "love thy enemy" and not turn your back on the truth.

The truth is America was forced to look at itself and realize that our shores couldn't be a beacon of hope or a refuge for foreign immigrants until America removed the double talk that discrimination and racism fostered.

Today, people of all races support the dream of Reverend King more so than ever before. The top Twitter tweets on Jan. 18 were #MLK, #IHaveADream, and not surprisingly #Haiti. Each topic is relevant to the MLK Holiday.

The new orphans of Haiti will need loving families and a fresh start at life. Dr. King said every American is responsible for helping people living in poverty. We have overlooked situations like Haiti long before the earthquake. Today, actions that people have taken to adopt African children in poverty will hopefully catch on so that the orphans of Haiti will not have problems with adoptions. America has been preparing for this challenge for years and we will be able to make a difference.

Dr. King told us that love could penetrate the worst situations in life. The children in the third grade class I read to at Randolph Elementary School are far ahead of what I knew about Dr. King at their age, and their interpretation of his message is truly amazing. They will not allow the clock to turn back America's progress. America's spirituality has improved tremendously since Dr. King's assassination.

In his Letter of Birmingham, Dr. King appealed to white clergy to lead and not be passive. He described the most segregated hour in America as the 11 o'clock hour on Sunday morning. Time magazine reported this year Evangelical Churches have moved from 6 percent inclusion in 1998 to 25 percent racially inclusive in 2009. What happened? What occurred? When love is allowed to take root, all things are possible.

We can see the love Dr. King spoke of is working and making great progress. As we gain more blessings as a nation, we should only expect more will be required of us -- not less. America's greatness is not built on being isolationist, but our ability to influence the world for its good.

To clarify an answer to the fundamental question we hear on television every year, "Have we reached the promises of Dr. King's dream?" The answer for me is "No," but I do offer faith, hope and love is the only way to continue making progress in our nation and across the world.

I leave you with Dr. King's last sentence taken from his "Letter of Birmingham City" sent to his fellow clergy on April 16, 1963: "Let us all hope that the dark clouds of racial prejudice will soon pass away and the deep fog of misunderstanding will be lifted from our fear-drenched communities, and in some not too distant tomorrow the radiant stars of love and brotherhood will shine over our great nation with all their scintillating beauty."

Black Owned Businesses by Christopher C. Herring (http://www.African-American.com)

Letter from NAACP about Dr. King

2010-01-18T15:42:00.000-06:00

Black Owned Businesses by Christopher C. Herring (http://www.African-American.com)

Dr. Martin Luther King was a moral giant and cherished hero of the world - a tireless champion of the poor and oppressed against the powerful. He understood the inescapable mutability of our fates and entreated the nation to embrace peace, justice and equality. He called on us to love humanity and one another and to fight for a just society.

This year our celebration of Dr. King's legacy has taken a solemn tone, as the unimaginable tragedy that has struck our brothers and sisters in Haiti weighs heavily on our hearts. It is, however, in these times of great suffering that we find comfort, leadership and inspiration from our heroes. As Dr. King said, "the time is always right to do what is right," and as Americans there can be no better way to celebrate Dr. King's life than to give what we can to assist the people of Haiti, who have lost their homes, businesses, family members, and livelihoods.

The contributions made by the country of Haiti and Haitian Americans have helped shape our country into what it is today. The time is now for all of American and the world to band together to help relieve the suffering of the Haitian community, rebuild the nation, and renew the spirit of all Haitians and Haitian Americans.

Dr. King was a man of vision and prescience. Sadly, many of his speeches are just as relevant today as they were over 40 years ago.

Dr. King courageously raised his voice against war. He spoke of the destructive impact of the Vietnam war draining resources from the fight against poverty and exhorted people to see the war as "an enemy of the poor and to attack it as such."

He spoke on behalf of the Vietnamese people that we were fighting. "They must weep as the bulldozers roar through their areas preparing to destroy the precious trees. They wander into the hospitals with at least twenty casualties from American firepower for one Vietcong-inflicted injury. So far, we may have killed a million of them, mostly children. They see the children selling their sisters to our soldiers, soliciting for their mothers. It is clear to them that we are on the side of the wealthy, and the secure, while we create a hell for the poor."

Today, we are at war in two nations.

Much of Dr. King's work was to end the scourge of poverty and he began to question the essence of our prevailing economic system. "We must ask the question why there are forty million poor people in America. And when you begin to ask that question, you are raising questions about the economic system, about a broader distribution of wealth. When you ask that question, you begin to question the capitalistic economy."

Today, the forty million poor of whom Dr. King spoke have barely decreased in number, with 39.2 million Americans still living in poverty. The greed and excesses of our system has led to one of the worst recessions in history.

Dr. King championed labor describing the labor movement as the "principal force that transformed misery and despair into hope and progress. When in the thirties the wave of union organization crested over our nation, it carried to secure shores not only itself but the whole society," he said.

Today, the laws on union organizing have been weakened and the percentage of unionized workers has fallen from 36 percent in 1945 to 12.4 percent of American workers, only 7.6 percent in the private sector.

And Dr. King asked us all to give of our time and our voice to change the injustice around us. "Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter" he said.

Dr. King would be deeply satisfied at the progress we have made. The historic election of our nation's first African-American president, the rise of many prominent Black Americans to the pinnacle of politics and business. But Dr. King was a man of the poor and he would remind us that the struggle is not over. The dream has not yet been achieved. That the disparities in the criminal justice system, in poverty, in health and in employment that still plague our communities means that we have a long way to go.

Dr. King won a Nobel Peace Prize, and the hearts and minds of millions of people around the world. He changed our country and our world for the better. He offered us a shining paragon that we can strive for and ideals that we should endeavor to live up to. Today, we can best honor Dr. King's life and commemorate his death by continuing his noble work for a just society with equal opportunity for all, humankind, peace, economic democracy and a political system within which the rights of all are enshrined.

"In the end," said Dr. King, "we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends...Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere."

Sincerely,

Benjamin Todd Jealous
President and CEO
NAACP

©2010 NAACP, 4805 Mt. Hope Drive, Baltimore, MD 21215

Team Randolph celebrates spirit and dream of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

2010-01-17T08:13:00.000-06:00

Black Owned Businesses by Christopher C. Herring (http://www.African-American.com)

by Robert Goetz
12th Flying Training Wing Public Affairs

1/15/2010 - RANDOLPH AIR FORCE BASE, Texas -- The spirit of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. reverberated during a commemoration service Wednesday afternoon in Randolph's Chapel 2.

The dream of the late civil rights leader continues to reverberate as well, the pastor of one of San Antonio's largest interdenominational churches told Team Randolph members who attended the event.

"Dr. King might be the only person in our lifetime, in our generation, that actually has a reverberating dream," Dr. Steve Fender of Livingway Christian Church said. "It just keeps going and getting bigger and bigger and bigger."

Dr. Fender, who presented the commemoration address in the African-American Heritage Committee-sponsored event, said most people die with their dreams.

"Almost never does someone's dreams outlive them," he said. "Dr. King was one of the few people that you will ever read about, hear about or be influenced by, that 40-some years after his death, the dream not only lives, the dream is bigger and growing every day."

The event, which followed the theme "Remember! Celebrate! Act!," also captured the spirit of Dr. King in song and dance - the performance of "The Impossible Dream" by Air Force Tops in Blue vocalist Edward Jones and an interpretative dance by the Carver Community Cultural Center's Little Carver Praise Team - and in an invocation by Team Randolph's Donald Young, Air Force Recognition Programs manager, and the lighting of unity candles representing faith and hope that paid tribute to Dr. King.

Dr. Fender, who asked attendees to follow Dr. King's dream, captured the civil rights leader's essence as a person - his use of nonviolence as a means of achieving equality for all, his commitment to "love that would not compromise and love that would not quiver," his ability to solicit millions of people to help him implement his dream and his selflessness.

Dr. King's famed speeches were never about him, he said.

"It was never about him," Dr. Fender said. "It was always about you. It was always about us."

He also said Dr. King was known more for his speeches than for his sermons.

"But he was known more for his life than his speeches," Dr. Fender said. "While other men preach the gospel and influence no one, he lived the gospel and influenced everyone."

Dr. King's footprint remains, more than 40 years after his assassination in Memphis, Tenn., at the young age of 39, he said.

"In 39 years he impacted the world," Dr. Fender said. "Many of us live to be much older than that and when we leave our footprint will scarcely be noticed. But today, 40-some years later, we stand in awe of this man's short life."

2010 Bill Gates Scholarship For Minority Students

2010-01-04T12:40:00.001-06:00

News Alert

2010 Bill Gates Scholarship For Low-Income Minority Students

Bill Gates, founder of Microsoft Corporation

Fairfax, VA (BlackNews.com) -- The Gates Millennium Scholarship Program, funded by a grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, was established to provide outstanding low income minority students with an opportunity to complete an undergraduate college education in any discipline area of interest.

Continuing scholars may request funding for a graduate degree program in one of the following discipline areas: education, engineering, library science, mathematics, public health or science.

In addition to increasing access to higher education for these underrepresented groups, GMS also provides leadership training. Through participation in a comprehensive leadership development program, Scholars enhance academic and leadership skills, which prepare them to assume important roles in their professions and in their communities.

The deadline for the upcoming scholarship awards is January 11, 2010.

To apply, visit www.blackstudents.com/billgates

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Google Alert - black history month

2010-01-04T09:11:00.001-06:00

Google News Alert for: black history month

Maya Angelou to Speak at UTPB 1/3/10
KOSA
Angelou is scheduled to speak at the Black History Month Leadership Conference on February 17th in the UTPB gymnasium. Tickets to the event are free and ...
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Creative Loafing Tampa (blog)

Do It Today: Roadhouse That Could at American Stage and Pride and Passion: The ...
Creative Loafing Tampa (blog)
Lily Reisman In honor of Black History Month in February, Hillsborough County's public libraries curated Pride and Passion: The African-American Baseball ...
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Star of the Week: Philip Jacobs
Meridian Star
The Temple will also be showcasing the films of black entertainers from Mississippi in February for Black History Month. To learn more about events at the ...
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Fas Trac 'going back to our roots'
Iowa City Press Citizen
Harper said that even though the tour focuses more on black history, students of any background can learn from it. "We feel it's American history," he said. ...
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In the know Briefs for January 4
Martinsburg Journal
8: Jim Taylor speaks on the black history of Jefferson County; April 12: Doug Estep presents "The Mine Wars' Impacts on Jefferson County. ...
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2010-01-04T01:00:00.001-06:00

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News Alert - Black History Month

2010-01-03T22:37:00.001-06:00

Google News Alert for: black history

Bellingham Herald

Bellingham Community Gospel Choir sings the 'good news'
Bellingham Herald
Johnson wanted to put together a black history program for the Bellingham community. And what is a black history program without a gospel choir? ...
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Relations group to meet Monday
Farmington Daily Times
FARMINGTON — The Community Relations Commission will meet to discuss alleged discrimination and Black History Month. Commission members meet at 4 pm Monday ...
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From the Beacon: This Jan. 27, remember your public library
Hilton Head Island Packet
There's a lot going on in 2010, so mark your calendar for these highlights: February is National Black History Month, and you can find great resources not ...
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Renowned poet
Odessa American
17 to speak at the Black History Month Leadership Conference being held by the Black Leadership Counsel of UTPB. The event is sponsored by UTPB, ...
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Zoo offers crafts, entertainment on winter weekends
Mirror
Wild Winter African Adventure will celebrate Black History Month February 6 and 7, with an African drum lesson and stories told by Kenyan naturalist and ...
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Gone, But Not Forgotten: World Says Goodbye
L.A. Watts Times (subscription)
RONALD TAKAKI, 70 — May 26; taught the University of California systems' first black history course. GERARD JEAN-JUSTE, 62 — May 27; the Haitian Roman ...
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Plan ahead for 2010
Monroe Evening News
The Monroe County Library System's annual Black History Month Blue Series might be scaled back slightly, but the quality won't suffer, event organizer Bill ...
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Comic Book Resources

What are you excited about for 2010? Part 2
Comic Book Resources
... after Comic-Con about his experiences at the convention. He also let us rerun some of his 4thletter! posts in February that he did for Black History Month.
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Melancon's work earns spotlight
The Daily Advertiser
He returned home a few weeks ago, and plans to return in February to deliver a speech at UL for Black History Month. Melancon's wife, Lisa Maria, ...
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Home an early present for Plant City father and daughter
Tampa Tribune
"I wrote the essay during Black History Month," Harris said. "I wrote about black leaders in America and members of my family, including my mother and ...
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Submit Your Video...Black List

2009-11-28T12:02:00.000-06:00

See the HBO "Black List" Project at "Who's on your blacklist"

“History of Black Colleges in America”

2009-11-10T23:20:00.000-06:00

Kia Richards

Woodland Hills, CA

For many generations African Americans have always had a struggle to overcome. Whether it was slavery, segregation, or receiving an education, blacks have managed to rise above all the obstacles thrown at them. One of the hardest struggles to overcome was for blacks to receive the same quality education as whites. Since African Americans were considered inferior to whites, the need to educate blacks was not a priority in America. In the eyes of closed minded individuals, blacks didn’t have capability to learn and were only good for physical labor.

Even with the stereotype that African Americans were inferior and ignorant, many raised above the stigma attached to their race and proved themselves gifted. There was still a problem though. None of the universities allowed African Americans to receive higher education at their institutions. It was especially difficult for African Americans to attend school because many families struggled with poverty and were barely able to keep food on the table and a roof over their heads.

Many blacks still wanted a higher education so around the late 1890’s, institutions for higher education aimed at young African Americans started to open its doors. One of the first historical black colleges was Tuskegee Institute in Alabama founded by Booker T. Washington. Booker T. Washington was a strong advocate of higher education. Without a higher education, moving up economically would almost be impossible. Like Tuskegee Institution, other historical black colleges like Howard, Fisk, Clark, Morehouse, Spelman, and Duke opened their doors to see that African Americans can receive a higher education.

Slowly other universities started to admit blacks, but the historical black colleges still held prestige. At these institutions, young African Americans are able to learn about their culture and still receive a high education in order to keep up with the fast pace America is going. Great men and women have come out of these institutions as productive individuals who help America become what it is today. Without the historical black colleges giving young African Americans the opportunity other universities didn’t offer, many great individuals might have not blossomed into the men and women they are today. Historical Black Colleges have given African Americans a sense of pride and proved to America that blacks were not inferior.

This Day In Black History For The Month Of February

2009-11-10T23:14:00.000-06:00

February 1, 1865 – John Rock became the first Black admitted to practice before the U.S. Supreme Court.
February 2, 1839 – Inventor Edmond Berger patented the spark plug.

February 3, 1920 – The Negro Baseball League was founded.
February 4, 1913 – Rosa Parks (born Roas Louise McCauley) was born.
February 5, 1934 – Henry "Home Run King" Aaron, baseball superstar was born.
February 6, 1945 – Bob Marley, Jamaican reggae star was born.

February 7, 1883 – Eubie Blake, pianist, was born.
February 8, 1986 – Oprah Winfrey becomes the first African American woman to host a nationally syndicated talk show.
February 9, 1995 – Bernard Harris, African-American astronaut, takes space walk.
February 10, 1940 – Singer Roberta Flack was born.
February 11, 1976 – Clifford Alexander Jr. Confirmed as the first Black secretary of the United States army.

February 12, 1793 – First fugitive slave law enacted by Congress. The measure made it a criminal offense to harbor a fugitive slave or prevent his arrest.
February 13, 1957 – Southern Christian Leadership Conference organized at New Orleans meeting with Martin Luther King Jr. as president.
February 14, 1946 – Entertainer and dancer Gregory Hines was born.
February 15, 1968 – Henry Lewis becomes the first African American to lead a symphony orchestra in the United States.
February 16, 1951 – New York City Council passed bill prohibiting racial discrimination in city-assisted housing developments.

February 17, 1942 – Huey Newton, founder of the Black Panthers, was born.
February 18, 1931 – Toni Morrison (born Chloe Anthony Wofford) was born.
February 19, 1919 – Pan-African Congress, organized by W.E.B. Du Bois, met at Grand Hotel, Paris.
February 20, 1927 – Actor and thespian Sidney Poitier was born.
February 21, 1965 – Brother El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz (Malcom X), American black nationalist, was assassinated.
February 22, 1950 – Julius Winfield ("Dr.J") Erving, 49, former basketball player, was born.

February 23, 1868 – William Edward Burghardt Du Bois (W.E.B. Du Bois) was born.
February 24, 1864 – Rebecca Lee becomes the first black woman to receive an M.D. degree.
February 25, 1964 – Nat King Cole, the singer with the "Golden Voice", dies.
February 26, 1869 – Fifteenth Amendment guaranteeing the right to vote sent to the states for ratification.
February 27, 1964 – Anna Julia Cooper, champion for the rights of black women, dies at the age of 105.
February 28, 1871 – Second Enforcement Act have federal officers and courts control of registration and voting in congressional elections.

February 29, 1940 – Hattie McDaniel known for her supporting roles became first African American to win the Oscar Award for her role in the movie ‘Gone With The Wind’.

AOL Time Warner Announces Company-Wide Celebration of Black History Month

2009-11-10T23:05:00.000-06:00

February 06, 2001
America Online, Atlanta Hawks, CNN, HBO, TBS Superstation, TIME Magazine, TIME School Publishing, Timeforkids.com, TNT, Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., Turner Classic Movies, Turner South, and WEA Corp. Fulfilling the Company's Commitment to Honoring African-Americans Through a Range of Educational and Entertaining Events

New York — AOL Time Warner today announced a host of events, spanning the Company's divisions, to celebrate Black History Month. The extensive schedule of events and activities — ranging from HBO's 14-city film festival to Turner Broadcasting System, Inc.'s star-studded "Trumpet Awards" to Time For Kids' interactive Black History Month web site — fulfills the Company's commitment to honoring and supporting African-Americans.

The events span numerous divisions of AOL Time Warner, and include:

* America Online will offer a wide array of special content throughout the service in honor of Black History Month. AOL@School will explore Black History all month long with areas created specifically for students and teachers. AOL Kids Only has developed a Black History Month special honoring great African-Americans. AOL Kids Only has also teamed up with Time For Kids to develop a "SuperSite" which includes an interactive timeline, audio clips from famous civil rights speeches, and bios of famous African-Americans. AOL Research & Learn will dedicate the main "History" screen to the history of African-Americans.
* The Atlanta Hawks will challenge students in Atlanta's middle schools to participate in a Black History Month Art Contest. This annual program is sponsored by the Hawks Foundation in partnership with the Fannie Mae Foundation.
* CNN Newsroom programming will highlight a Shelley Walcott profile of Spike Lee and the historic Apollo Theater; Tom Haynes documents his ride with Harold Martin, drag racer and founder of Martin Motorsports; and Mike McManus interviews Black Entertainment Television founder Robert Johnson. CNN Headline News will present "28 days of Headliners," brief, informative highlights featuring prominent African-American or African newsmakers or events such as Olympic Gold Medallist runner Wilma Rudolph; Hank Aaron; the Martin Luther King Jr. family; Pulitzer Prize-winning author and performer Maya Angelou; opera singer Leontyne Price; tennis star and AIDS activist Arthur Ashe; singer Lena Horne; Muhammad Ali; U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell and dancer/choreographer Judith Jamison.
* HBO's "Sharing The Stories" campaign premieres two new HBO Films by black directors: "Dancing in September" (Feb. 3, 9:00 p.m. ET), written and directed by Reggie Rock Bythewood and "Boycott" (Feb. 24, 8:00 p.m. ET), directed by Clark Johnson; and encores of HBO Films' "Disappearing Acts," the documentaries "Half Past Autumn: The Life and Works of Gordon Parks" and "Bill Russell: My Life, My Way." The campaign, which continues HBO's tradition of telling stories that honor the achievements of African-Americans also includes a 14-city film festival with a retrospective of HBO original films and a national contest that challenges young adults to create artistic works to express how they've endured difficult "crossroads" in their lives
* TBS Superstation will dedicate the month of February to celebrate Black History Month, highlighting 28 influential Americans with diverse cultural backgrounds. The Public Service Announcement (PSA) campaign, "Great American Moments," features students, ages 9-18, in PSAs on such influential American icons as Gordon Parks, Mahalia Jackson, Colin Powell and Arthur Ashe. The PSAs will air locally on WTBS, nationally on TBS Superstation and regionally on Turner South, covering the southeastern U.S. These PSAs will continue to air on TBS Superstation year-round in 2001 and will reflect the achievements of many Americans from a variety of diverse cultures.
* TIME Magazine has partnered with BlackPlanet.com and throughout the month of February will provide some of its archived stories to BlackPlanet, allowing BlackPlanet users to access historic profiles of black leaders such as Marian Anderson and Thurgood Marshall.
* Timeforkids.com will feature a comprehensive Black History Month area at www.timeforkids.com that will include: an illustrated click-through timeline of black history from slavery to the Million Man March; pictures and audio excerpts of famous speeches in black history, including some by Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, John F. Kennedy, and Lyndon B. Johnson; and a civil rights trivia game.
* TIME School Publishing has also joined with HBO to raise awareness of the 1955 Montgomery Bus Boycott. HBO's historical docu-drama "Boycott" dealing with the 1955 Montgomery Bus Boycott will air on February 24 and TSP's "Boycott" site on Timeclassroom.com will feature content and information about the historic boycott. The site will feature an interactive timeline with pictures and text, one-on-one interviews with prominent black studies scholars, the original 1955 TIME Magazine coverage of the entire boycott, a closer look at some of the famous figures who played key roles in the boycott, a gallery of original and reproduced period documents from the boycott period, including boycott fliers, meeting minutes, and information disseminated by Martin Luther King Jr. while president of the Montgomery Improvement Association.
* TNT's observance includes "Passing Glory," a TNT Original film starring Andre Braugher and Rip Torn, on Saturday, Feb. 10; "Why Do Fools Fall in Love?" on Friday, Feb. 16; "Ghosts of Mississippi" on Saturday, Feb. 17; and "Freedom Song," a TNT Original film starring Danny Glover, on Sunday, Feb. 18. TNT Learning, a joint partnership between Turner Learning and TNT, will provide schools nationwide with the TNT Original films "Freedom Song" and "Passing Glory" with accompanying teaching guides offering extensive curriculum connections.
* Turner Broadcasting System, Inc.'s "2001 Trumpet Awards," honors African-American achievers in fields as diverse as law, politics and entertainment. This year, TBS, Inc. honored Ray Charles, Willie Mays, Leslie Uggams, Maynard Jackson and others. The star-studded awards ceremony, hosted by Richard Roundtree on January 8th, will air in a special presentation on TBS Superstation Saturday, Feb. 24, at 8 p.m. (ET).
* Turner Classic Movies will mark Black History Month with a month-long schedule of classic films featuring themes from religion to racism to coming of age. The schedule includes, among others, "The Defiant Ones," "Green Pastures," and "Cabin in the Sky."
* Turner South will air "In Black and White," a special reuniting four civil rights photographers, as well as the "2001 Trumpet Awards." A new episode of "Southern Living Presents," slated to air Monday, Feb. 26, will profile some of Alabama's most important civil rights cities and feature a rare interview with architect and artist Maya Lin, who created the National Civil Rights Memorial in Montgomery. Turner South will also air the PSAs scheduled to run on TBS Superstation.
* WEA Corp. , Warner Music Group's U.S. distribution company, launched its annual campaign "The Rhythm of History" that promotes top-selling urban catalog titles and celebrates the pioneers of urban music. The campaign features classic albums from artists including Ray Charles, John Coltrane, The Drifters, Charles Mingus, Keith Sweat, Natalie Cole and others. WEA's Black History Month Web site (www.black-history-month.com) features a link to top urban online partners and to popular urban Web sites.

About AOL Time Warner
AOL Time Warner (NYSE:AOL) is the world's first Internet-powered media and communications company, whose industry-leading businesses include interactive services, cable systems, publishing, music, cable networks and filmed entertainment.

Labels Mark Black History Month

2009-11-10T23:02:00.000-06:00

By GAIL MITCHELL
Publication: Billboard
Date: Saturday, February 5 2000

LOS ANGELES-A radio scholarship program, educational seminars, CD samplers, specially commissioned art, purchase incentives, and an HBO tie-in are among the multitiered marketing plans being launched by labels in observance of February's Black History Month. What began as a weeklong tribute in 1926 has become a wide-ranging monthlong celebration of African-American achievements.
In partnership with HBO, the WEA-distributed family of labels-including Warner, Elektra, Atlantic, and Rhino-is uniting for a six-week marketing and visibility campaign called "Hear The Voices . . . Share The Vision."
"We've been celebrating Black History Month successfully for the last 12-13 years," says WEA VP of R&B music Ornetta Barber. "And for the last three years Rhino has been doing its own campaign through us. Then retailers and others started asking when WEA was going to do a campaign with all the family of labels again. So we figured this would be a good way to kick off the new millennium."
A major component of the campaign is a $15 rebate program for new HBO subscribers who purchase featured WEA product by developing and established R&B genre artists. The special subscriber incentive runs through Feb. 29.
New HBO subscribers will receive a free 21-track compilation CD that encompasses WEA's developing acts and catalog product, with music ranging from gospel to R&B, rap/hip-hop, and crossover/jazz. Among the artists included are Chaka Khan, Aretha Franklin, Eric Ben t, and Gerald Levert.
The cable channel will be providing radio and cross-channel spots in top markets as well as distributing a direct-mail piece about the campaign to 2 million customers. A sweepstakes tie-in offers the chance to win a trip to the Black Film Festival in Acapulco, Mexico, slated for April.
WEA and HBO are also launching Web sites, www.black-history-month.com and www.hbo.com/soul, respectively.
Other offshoots of the WEA campaign include Rhino's radio scholarship program, which targets key radio stations in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Detroit, Atlanta, and Washington, D.C. Contest prizes include scholarships to select music schools, Rhino CDs/home videos, electronic music equipment, and books.
WEA commissioned a limited-edition poster by renowned New York artist Alonzo Adams, which will be used tohelp promote the month.
Similarly, specially commissioned artwork depicting key African-Americans' musical and other contributions to society will adorn the cover of BMG's 14-track CD/cassette sampler that features key and developing gospel/R&B/hip-hop artists from Hezekiah Walker to Carl Thomas. Consumers who purchase featured R&B/hip-hop BMG titles throughout February will receive a free copy of the sampler.
In addition, there will be BMG-sponsored essay contests as well as high school and college seminars. During these forums, prominent African-American professionals and artists will share their experiences with students.
Notes BMG director of marketing Brian Floyd, "This important celebration takes on new meaning in the 21st century. The focus of our program is to educate the record-buying consumer about the many contributions and achievements of African-Americans."
Universal Music Group (UMG) and EMI are also producing special samplers. UMG's compilation is a double CD. The first disc is historical in nature, containing catalog music from the '60s, '70s, and '80s by such artists as Chuck Berry, Etta James, Joe Sample, and Gwen Guthrie; the second disc focuses on new and developing music from a cross section of contemporary soul and rap acts, including the Jazzyfatnastees, Brian McKnight, Rahsaan Patterson, Tamar Braxton, and Sol .
Already in anticipation of Black Music Month in June, UMG is planning to update the second disc with more new music.
EMI's purchase-incentive sampler includes music from such acts as D'Angelo, Tracie Spencer, Ideal, and Kelis. In a similar setup to Universal's, consumers who purchase featured R&B EMD product receive a free sampler.
Meanwhile, Jackson, Miss.-based Malaco Records is releasing the second volume in what's proving to be a successful compilation series, "Celebrate The Heritage." The label's tribute to gospel's roots includes performances by veterans James Cleveland and Mahalia Jackson and relative newcomers the Mississippi Mass Choir and the Rev. James Moore. The first volume in the series debuted last February.
Connecticut-based CustomDisc.com is embarking on its first Black History Month observance by donating $1 for every CustomDisc sold during February to the Rhythm & Blues Foundation. Consumers visiting the CustomDisc.com site can create their own CDs from more than 250,000 licensed titles. Adds co-founder/president Nicolas Darveau-Garneau, "This is a fantastic way to create virtual compilations that have a theme and an occasion."
As previously reported (The Rhythm and the Blues, Billboard, Jan. 29), Def Soul labelmates Kelly Price, Montell Jordan, Dru Hill, Case, Playa, LovHer, and Kandice Love recorded a remix of "The Hurricane" soundtrack cut "Love Sets You Free" in conjunction with Black History Month. Originally recorded by Price and Guy member Aaron Hall, the remix is being released commercially-with sale proceeds being donated to breast cancer research.

Additionally, Columbia/Legacy is releasing a spate of projects by black music veterans throughout February. These include Return To Forever's "Romantic Warrior" and "The Best Of Herbie Hancock: The Hits!" on Feb. 8. On tap Feb. 15 are "Super Hits" compilations by Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes featuring Teddy Pendergrass, Peabo Bryson, C+C Music Factory, and Louis Armstrong. Coming Feb. 22 is a tribute to Duke Ellington-"The Duke: The Essential Collection (1927-1962)."

Assistance in preparing this story was provided by Jill Pesselnick.

Black History Month: I Have A Dream Video

2009-11-03T18:49:00.000-06:00