MISGUIDED MAGAZINE SPRING 2020

2020

SPRING EDITION

MAR / APR / MAY

A WORKING WIFE,

MOTHER, AND

ENTREPRENEUR’S

REDEMPTION STORY

DEPRESSION

IS KILLING THE

BLACK COMMUNITY

PUBLICATION OF

CWR MEDIA GROUP

SPECIAL

BLACK HISTORY

MONTH EDITION

RAPPERS GONE

TOO SOON

FROM COLLEGE TO CAREER:

SENIORS TRANSITIONING INTO THE

PROFESSIONAL WORLD

PUBLISHER

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

DESIGNER

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Donell Edwards

Natyana Rochelle

Mason Bullington

Danni Harris

Chaela Gray

Kalynn Johnson

Gerrell Johnson

Cat Melendez

Natyana Rochelle

Dervedia Thomas

Tanya Knight

Starling Thomas

Arilia Winn

Natalie Jobity

Dr. Leona Johnson

LETTER

FROM THE EDITOR

There has been so much going on in this world

that I just wanted to take the time to not only

say be safe but take the time to love and hold

your loved ones because life is too short. I hope

everyone enjoyed their holidays and take some

much needed time for self-care and rest.

R.I.P to a fellow Clark Atlanta University student,

Alexis Crawford. Fly high Panther, your good

spirit will be missed.

Natyana

Rochelle

2 | MISGUIDED MAGAZINE

MISGUIDED MAGAZINE

TABLE OF CONTENTS

THE MAGAZINE FOR MILLENIALS

06 BRANDING: A BURNING PASSION

Branding is an undeniable part of the experience at Historically

Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU). Many persons see this

act as barbaric or simply gross.

12 A WORKING WIFE, MOTHER, AND

ENTREPRENEUR’S REDEMPTION

STORY

...juggling a fiancée, motherhood, school, and now a business

did over¬whelm me, but I didn’t want to let this dream go, so I

pushed through.

44 EXCLUSIVE!

BLACK HISTORY

MONTH TRIBUTE

Alexii Alijay photo courtesy eonline.com

RAPPERS GONE TOO SOON

Alexii Alijai (2/19/1998–1/1/2020)

30 CAT MELENDEZ’S QUICK FASHION

DOS AND DON’TS

Do be true to yourself and remember that fashion is a way to

say who we are without having to speak.

32 LAMAR IS WINNING BUT...

This shift may be unsettling for some NFL fans who don’t

understand that winning should be the main focus of a player’s

likability and not his race or past transgressions.

DEPRESSION IS

KILLING THE

BLACK COMMUNITY

According to the Health and

Human Services Office of

Minority Health, Blacks are

20 percent more likely to

experience serious mental

health problems than the

general population.

SENIORS

TRANSITIONING

INTO THE

PROFESSIONAL

WORLD

Basic degrees just won’t cut

it anymore and if you don’t

build relationships with the

right people or build your

resume with internships in

your field, finding a job after

graduation is going to be an

obstacle for you.

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SPRING 2020

2020 HOROSCOPE 2020 HOROSCOPE 2020 HOROSCOPE 2020 HOROSCOPE 2020 HOROSCOPE 2020 HOROSCOPE 202

HOROSCOPE 2020 HOROSCOPE 2020 HOROSCOPE 2020 HOROSCOPE 2020 HOROSCOPE 2020 HOROSCOPE 2020 HOROS


















A new adventure is coming for you in this new year. A new partner in crime is going to be


2020 HOROSCOPE ARIES 2020 HOROSCOPE coming into 2020 your HOROSCOPE space. There might 2020 be HOROSCOPE a time where you 2020 feel HOROSCOPE stagnant for most 2020 of HOROSCOPE the 202

HOROSCOPE year 2020 but HOROSCOPE don’t worry! You 2020 can HOROSCOPE push through 2020 it! Don’t HOROSCOPE fight the things 2020 you HOROSCOPE can’t control this 2020 year HOROSCOPE and don’t burn 2020 HOROS

2020 HOROSCOPE yourself 2020 out. Focus HOROSCOPE on what you’re 2020 grateful HOROSCOPE for and the 2020 things HOROSCOPE you have control 2020 over. HOROSCOPE 2020 HOROSCOPE 202


2020 HOROSCOPE 2020 HOROSCOPE Buckle 2020 in for HOROSCOPE a bumpy ride 2020 this new HOROSCOPE year. Radical 2020 change HOROSCOPE will be coming 2020 into HOROSCOPE your 202

HOROSCOPE TAURUS 2020 HOROSCOPE 2020 life HOROSCOPE like a tornado. 2020 This HOROSCOPE may seem a bit 2020 chaotic, HOROSCOPE but don’t worry, 2020 you HOROSCOPE are stronger 2020 HOROS

2020 HOROSCOPE than this 2020 change HOROSCOPE and the universe 2020 doesn’t HOROSCOPE give you things 2020 you HOROSCOPE can’t handle. 2020 The way HOROSCOPE you approach 2020 situations, HOROSCOPE 202


your sense of purpose and your health may be the main things that will shake up your year. By the end of


HOROSCOPE 2020 you’ll HOROSCOPE be a completely 2020 different HOROSCOPE person 2020 and amazing HOROSCOPE gifts will 2020 flow HOROSCOPE to you with your 2020 new HOROSCOPE mindset. 2020 HOROS


This new year for you is about self-reflection. You may feel like you’ve been ignored


2020 HOROSCOPE GEMINI 2020 HOROSCOPE by many 2020 or even HOROSCOPE taken for granted, 2020 HOROSCOPE but just know your 2020 worth. HOROSCOPE Don’t forget 2020 to express HOROSCOPE 202

HOROSCOPE yourself 2020 HOROSCOPE in the ways you 2020 truly HOROSCOPE can be you. Drama 2020 HOROSCOPE may be coming 2020 to you HOROSCOPE this year, please 2020 try HOROSCOPE to avoid it but 2020 HOROS

2020 HOROSCOPE stand your 2020 ground. HOROSCOPE Many things 2020 from HOROSCOPE the past are 2020 going to HOROSCOPE be coming to 2020 light this HOROSCOPE year. This is 2020 a time HOROSCOPE for 202

HOROSCOPE healing 2020 HOROSCOPE childhood wounds, 2020 but HOROSCOPE remember you 2020 can’t HOROSCOPE change the past. 2020 HOROSCOPE 2020 HOROSCOPE 2020 HOROS


HOROSCOPE 2020 HOROSCOPE 2020 It’s HOROSCOPE time to focus 2020 on your HOROSCOPE own needs this 2020 new HOROSCOPE year. Self care 2020 is the HOROSCOPE best care and 2020 HOROS

2020 HOROSCOPE CANCER 2020 HOROSCOPE it’s 2020 time to HOROSCOPE tune into your 2020 body and HOROSCOPE treat yourself. 2020 It’s HOROSCOPE time to date yourself 2020 even HOROSCOPE 202


if you’re in a relationship. Taking care of yourself can help with your spiritual growth. Breakthroughs are


HOROSCOPE coming 2020 HOROSCOPE as well, just choose 2020 your HOROSCOPE words carefully. 2020 Be HOROSCOPE less emotional 2020 and HOROSCOPE more logical with 2020 your HOROSCOPE words. Clear 2020 HOROS

2020 HOROSCOPE away emotional 2020 HOROSCOPE and mental clutter 2020 this HOROSCOPE year. 2020 HOROSCOPE 2020 HOROSCOPE 2020 HOROSCOPE 202


2020 HOROSCOPE 2020 This HOROSCOPE new year keep 2020 a low HOROSCOPE profile. A transformation 2020 HOROSCOPE is happening 2020 where HOROSCOPE you need to 2020 have more HOROSCOPE 202

HOROSCOPE LEO 2020 HOROSCOPE alone time 2020 with HOROSCOPE yourself, which 2020 will HOROSCOPE help you grow 2020 subconsciously. HOROSCOPE Grow 2020 into HOROSCOPE a routine of 2020 HOROS

2020 HOROSCOPE meditating 2020 and HOROSCOPE grounding yourself. 2020 Continue HOROSCOPE to work 2020 on your HOROSCOPE goals! Big rewards 2020 are HOROSCOPE coming for you 2020 so work HOROSCOPE 202

HOROSCOPE quietly 2020 HOROSCOPE and be patient. 2020 Mend HOROSCOPE your relationships 2020 with HOROSCOPE friends and family 2020 that HOROSCOPE you’ve been 2020 having HOROSCOPE trouble with, 2020 HOROS

2020 HOROSCOPE and don’t 2020 let your HOROSCOPE pride get in 2020 your way. HOROSCOPE 2020 HOROSCOPE 2020 HOROSCOPE 2020 HOROSCOPE 202


2020 HOROSCOPE 2020 HOROSCOPE This new 2020 year is HOROSCOPE all about discovery 2020 for HOROSCOPE you. Travel far 2020 because HOROSCOPE you can make 2020 a home HOROSCOPE 202

HOROSCOPE

VIRGO

2020 HOROSCOPE 2020 HOROSCOPE 2020 HOROSCOPE 2020 HOROSCOPE 2020 HOROSCOPE 2020 HOROS

anywhere you go. See the world, find your cultural and spiritual roots! Your ancestors


HOROSCOPE are 2020 call- HOROSCOPE ing you! Try not 2020 to idolize HOROSCOPE relationships 2020 and HOROSCOPE make sure you 2020 create HOROSCOPE clear boundaries 2020 HOROSCOPE with people. 2020 HOROS

2020 HOROSCOPE Be mindful 2020 of your HOROSCOPE space and 2020 protect HOROSCOPE your energy. Put 2020 your HOROSCOPE desires in the front 2020 and HOROSCOPE center. Rebel 2020 a little HOROSCOPE this 202

HOROSCOPE new 2020 year, HOROSCOPE be selfish. Don’t 2020 limit HOROSCOPE yourself when 2020 it comes HOROSCOPE to your passions! 2020 HOROSCOPE 2020 HOROSCOPE 2020 HOROS




VOL 4


COPE 2020 HOROSCOPE 2020 HOROSCOPE 2020 HOROSCOPE 2020 HOROSCOPE 2020 HOROSCOPE 2020 HOROSCOPE

















This coming new year is for you to evaluate your relationships. Take an honest look at the


0 HOROSCOPE LIBRA 2020 HOROSCOPE groups you 2020 associate HOROSCOPE with: Do 2020 you like HOROSCOPE them? Can you 2020 trust HOROSCOPE them? Can you 2020 be yourself HOROSCOPE 2020

COPE 2020 around HOROSCOPE them? Don’t 2020 hold HOROSCOPE on to relationships 2020 HOROSCOPE that don’t serve 2020 you. HOROSCOPE Be yourself and 2020 you’ll HOROSCOPE find people who 2020 are HOROSCOPE

0 HOROSCOPE similar 2020 to you. HOROSCOPE Know your worth, 2020 be HOROSCOPE your own authority 2020 HOROSCOPE figure and learn 2020 to thicken HOROSCOPE your skin because 2020 HOROSCOPE a lot 2020

COPE 2020 of HOROSCOPE tough love is 2020 coming HOROSCOPE your way. 2020 HOROSCOPE 2020 HOROSCOPE 2020 HOROSCOPE 2020 HOROSCOPE


COPE 2020 HOROSCOPE 2020 HOROSCOPE This new 2020 year pay HOROSCOPE attention to 2020 your words HOROSCOPE because 2020 they have HOROSCOPE power. The 2020 truth HOROSCOPE

0 HOROSCOPE SCORPIO 2020 HOROSCOPE 2020 may be HOROSCOPE demanded of 2020 you this HOROSCOPE new year, but 2020 just remember HOROSCOPE to collect 2020 yourself. HOROSCOPE 2020

COPE 2020 It HOROSCOPE may be a little 2020 hard HOROSCOPE to express these 2020 truths HOROSCOPE but you owe 2020 it to yourself. HOROSCOPE You learned 2020 a HOROSCOPE lot about your- 2020 self HOROSCOPE


these past years and now it’s time to bestow your wisdom to others. This is a great time to find a tribe of like


0 HOROSCOPE minded 2020 individuals. HOROSCOPE 2020 HOROSCOPE 2020 HOROSCOPE 2020 HOROSCOPE 2020 HOROSCOPE 2020


0 HOROSCOPE 2020 HOROSCOPE 2020 HOROSCOPE This new 2020 year HOROSCOPE is going to be your 2020 year! HOROSCOPE This positive 2020 energy HOROSCOPE and 2020

COPE 2020 SAGITTARIUS HOROSCOPE 2020 HOROSCOPE 2020 a HOROSCOPE new sense of 2020 adventure HOROSCOPE is coming 2020 your HOROSCOPE way! You are truly 2020 a HOROSCOPE

0 HOROSCOPE layered 2020 person HOROSCOPE and this new 2020 year HOROSCOPE may bring out another 2020 HOROSCOPE side of you that 2020 you HOROSCOPE must embrace, 2020 even though HOROSCOPE 2020

COPE 2020 you HOROSCOPE might not feel 2020 the HOROSCOPE proudest about 2020 it. HOROSCOPE 2020 HOROSCOPE 2020 HOROSCOPE 2020 HOROSCOPE


COPE 2020 HOROSCOPE 2020 HOROSCOPE 2020 Honor HOROSCOPE your limits this 2020 year. HOROSCOPE Let go of the weight 2020 HOROSCOPE you carry for others, 2020 HOROSCOPE

0 HOROSCOPE CAPRICORN 2020 HOROSCOPE 2020 HOROSCOPE and this may 2020 be easier HOROSCOPE said than done. 2020 This HOROSCOPE is a time to tackle 2020 your HOROSCOPE self 2020

COPE 2020 destructive HOROSCOPE habits 2020 and HOROSCOPE pursue your creative 2020 HOROSCOPE gifts. Let your 2020 deep inner HOROSCOPE sources of 2020 wisdom HOROSCOPE and love guide 2020 you HOROSCOPE


this new year. Your intuition will be high so, trust it. Don’t let your concerns or anxiety weigh you down.



You don’t have to follow the rules this year, just make your own. You are


0 HOROSCOPE AQUARIUS 2020 HOROSCOPE 2020 the HOROSCOPE most rebellious 2020 horoscope HOROSCOPE sign and 2020 don’t HOROSCOPE conform with 2020 the HOROSCOPE status 2020

COPE 2020 quo, HOROSCOPE but this new 2020 year HOROSCOPE find some sort 2020 of structure HOROSCOPE that you 2020 find comfortable HOROSCOPE for 2020 yourself. HOROSCOPE You haven’t 2020 been HOROSCOPE

0 HOROSCOPE passive 2020 last HOROSCOPE year and been 2020 speaking HOROSCOPE your mind on 2020 political HOROSCOPE and personal 2020 issues HOROSCOPE which has caused 2020 a HOROSCOPE lot of 2020

COPE 2020 conflict. HOROSCOPE Tackle 2020 your old HOROSCOPE trauma this year, 2020 find HOROSCOPE healing energy 2020 and HOROSCOPE sur- round yourself 2020 with HOROSCOPE people who 2020 don’t HOROSCOPE

0 HOROSCOPE alienate 2020 you. HOROSCOPE 2020 HOROSCOPE 2020 HOROSCOPE 2020 HOROSCOPE 2020 HOROSCOPE 2020


0 HOROSCOPE 2020 HOROSCOPE This new 2020 year HOROSCOPE will help you 2020 see yourself HOROSCOPE more clearly 2020 and HOROSCOPE more compassionately 2020 HOROSCOPE as 2020

COPE 2020 PISCES HOROSCOPE 2020 HOROSCOPE you continue to 2020 heal HOROSCOPE yourself. You are 2020 a natural HOROSCOPE healer and 2020 deeply HOROSCOPE in touch with 2020 your HOROSCOPE


emotions. You may start feeling out of place while circumstances continue to change, but this is the universe


0 HOROSCOPE teaching 2020 you HOROSCOPE to adapt to new 2020 environments. HOROSCOPE More 2020 and more HOROSCOPE people you can 2020 trust HOROSCOPE are coming into 2020 your HOROSCOPE circle 2020

COPE 2020 this HOROSCOPE new year. 2020 HOROSCOPE 2020 HOROSCOPE 2020 HOROSCOPE 2020 HOROSCOPE 2020 HOROSCOPE



MISGUIDED MAGAZINE | 5

BRANDING

A Burning Passion

By Dervedia Thomas

Guest Contributor

Branding is an undeniable part of the experience at Historically Black Colleges and

Universities (HBCU). Everyone has either seen someone with a brand and been mortified,

thought of getting one or felt the heat themselves. One senior history major that was

interviewed for this article, who is part of the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Inc, has felt the

heat 19 times. He has brands on his back, both sides of his shoulders, his hips and both

his wrists; one of which is dedicated to a deceased member of his chapter.

Many persons see this act as barbaric or simply gross. Most of the National Black

Greek Letter Organizations (BGLO’s) including the Omegas have even publicly distanced

themselves from this practice and underscore that it does not form part of their official

rituals. Fraternity members however, say it is a personal choice that shows their

devotion to the organization and that legitimizes their membership.

“When I first came out I was just so excited to be an Omega,” he said. “It was a goal that

I always wanted to attain, and once I got here, I crossed, had my coming out show; I was

Branding is a second

degree burn inflicted

by a heated iron.

Many persons

see this act as

barbaric or

simply gross.


the mind-set of all the atrocities that happen in the world like

people being burned by the stake or just being burned period

because of dumb stuff people did then.”

When asked if he had any second thoughts before the brand

was placed on his skin he said, “I was like, why the heck am

I doing the dumb s@&#, but I was thinking this is actually

something I want. It’s just like with anything in life, you’re going

to do some stupid stuff to get what you want but at the end of

the day you’ve got to think is it worth it, and to me it is.”

After getting the brand, many persons try to intensify the scar

by itching it lightly or gently rubbing it with a loofah sponge

as it begins to heal. Our interviewee said he used to hit them

despite the excruciating pain that it caused to intensify the

scar. Healing isn’t easy either. The brands on his hip forced him

to sleep sitting down for a month and even interfered with his

ability to have intercourse.

wearing the shirts and doing everything I was supposed to, but

it just didn’t feel real to me until I made it legit. The brand to me

signified, OK; you’re really an Omega now.”

Students pledging Greek organizations gain not just

membership, but a new family which they often refer to as

brothers or sisters. This bond is something he says he has

never experienced.

“Before I pledged, I knew a lot of people, but I never really

had any close friends. Omegas are about friendship. When

two Omegas see each other, we’re just ecstatic, the way we

greet each other and we just saw each other yesterday. It has

also enabled me to become friends with people that I would

probably have never talked to.”

Branding is a second degree burn inflicted by a heated iron.

In this case, it is a clothes hanger twisted in the form of an

Omega that is pressed on the skin for about five seconds. The

person inflicting the burn is often called a Hit Master and many

fraternity members even have parties where branding is done.

“My first brand was on my chest,” he explained. “This one

actually hurt and right before he branded me I could see the

hair on my chest burn and then I saw all the smoke from my skin

come up to my face and I smelled my skin burning. It puts you in

Critics of the procedure are not limited to non Greeks.

According to the book “African American Fraternities and

Sororities: The Legacy and the Vision” by Clarenda M. Phillips,

members are often confronted by other members with the idea

that branding is associated with cattle and slavery. The author

cites the Black code of 1685 which states that slaves were

punished by branding for unlawful assembly or escape. A few

fraternity members including one who emphatically stated

that he disagrees with the practice, were interviewed in this

book. “These guys take it on themselves,” he said. “They think

that that’s the only way you can be a real Q which is asinine…I

just don’t believe that you need to disfigure your body. But if it’s

something that people get a kick out of, fine.”

Men are not the only Greek members who engage in branding,

while it is more taboo, there has been a marked increase in

women being branded after the 1990’s, with the upper thigh

and bikini line being the more popular locations.

Despite the criticism, branding has a history of its own in the

Omega culture. According to one member, during World War I,

members could not be identified when their bodies came back

from war. As such he said, many were not given the Omega

funeral as is customary. As a result, “brothers” were branded

on their torsos in case their limbs were blown off. It was

also pointed out that branding was a ritual done in Africa to

symbolize manhood.

To avoid discrimination in professional settings, his 19 brands

which coincide with his line number, are not visible in a long

sleeved shirt. He acknowledges that his brands could cause

discrimination from potential employers and also deter other

people from approaching him.

“If you look back in history, we as human beings, what we don’t

understand we fear, but if you have an understanding of Greek

life you will know; we love what we love.”

ABOUT THE WRITER: DERVEDIA THOMAS

Dervedia Thomas is a financial journalist covering mutual fund trends, strategy and the

latest news. She is a graduate of South Carolina State University and was a regular

contributor to The College World Reporter student empowerment magazine.


FRESHMAN SURVIVAL

How to Survive Your Freshman Year

By Tanya Knight, MBA

Guest Contributor

Nobody can have doubts about the fact that the freshman

year of college turns out to be one of the most important and

influential years in anybody’s life. Your first year in college and

away from your family can be exciting and challenging. These

challenges will give you a chance of knowing who you are and

what you know. College life unfolds in itself a unique phase in

our journey towards a successful future. This journey presents

you with fun-filled, exciting and challenging opportunities on

the academic and social front. You must be prepared to face

these opportunities in the right manner that will transform

them into stepping stones towards success in your career!

If you feel lost in college, don’t get frustrated. Almost everyone

goes through this phase and everyone thinks that they are the

only ones to go through this experience. It is not true! All of

us have experienced this strange feeling one time or another.

With this article on freshman year survival, you can ease your

introductory phase into college life and convert them into

the best and most memorable years of your life! With the

assistance of some simple techniques and tips, you can handle

your first year of college in a successful manner and get the

most out of your college in terms of academic success and

personal happiness.

These strategies will help you handle the most important

chapter in your life. All your concerns and questions, worries

and anxieties about your first year in college can be handled

well. Your freshman year in college will turn into an enjoyable

and memorable experience.

There are various issues that may disturb you in your initial

days at college. You may feel extremely embarrassed about

certain aspects about yourself like your socio-economic,

financial and economic background, your language, looks

etc. Do not get bewildered by these issues as these are only

‘passing clouds’ and can be easily handled with some mental

make-up. And one more thing, all these feelings are extremely

natural. So do not worry and feel that you are the only one that

experiences such a situation.

First and foremost, there is a secret strategy that you need

to adopt to handle your freshman year. This strategy is called

“The CPO Strategy”. Are you wondering what this is all about?

Let me explain.

This CPO theory expects you to stay Calm, be Positive and

always be Optimistic.

STAY CALM You need to be very calm and cool in your

approach. Your freshman year in college can corner you

with some surprises. But, you should not let yourself lose

your temper.

BE POSITIVE I always advise students to maintain a positive

attitude about their college experience. Being positive will

mentally strengthen you and empower you with amazing selfconfidence

that will make your freshman year more enjoyable.

STAY OPTIMISTIC One more important thing that I want

you to remember is that ‘Optimism is the best way of assuring

success in life’. So try to be optimistic in your approach and

open in your attitude.


5 TIPS FOR BETTER FRESHMAN YEAR SURVIVAL:

ATTEND ORIENTATIONS

This is the most important tip that I suggest to all new

1 students going into college. Attend your orientations

over the summer. This gives you the opportunity to

meet your future class-mates and know more about them.

Attending orientations also gives you the golden opportunity

to start getting comfortable with the campus.

If students enter college with an open mind, it would really help

them to cope up with the surprises of the initial year in college.

Being optimistic will make students happy and excited about

their college and open to any kind of change. It is this openmindedness

that ultimately puts you in a proper mental shape.

With an optimistic outlook towards life, you will automatically

be prepared for the unprepared.

Your college can be a place that endlessly offers you

surprise packages. Adjusting to all these changes may sound

uncomfortable but we should remember that “the only thing

that is constant is change”. Change is a necessary part of

growth. Coping up with any change can be extremely difficult.

But with the secret CPO strategy, you will be mentally tuned

to accept these changes in the right manner and your comfort

level with the college will start increasing with time.

Remember, every new experience comes with anxiety,

uncertainty and grief. To cope with this new phase of life that

brings with it some exciting opportunities to learn more about

yourself and about life, you need to be in perfect ‘mentalshape’.

The CPO strategy will help you be in that shape and will

prevent you from feeling lost in your college.

GET INVOLVED IN COLLEGE ACTIVITIES

One more way of surviving your freshman year in

2 college is to keep yourself mentally active. The best

and most healthy way of implementing this is to

actively participate in your college club activities, sororities

or sports teams. Apart from other advantages, this will keep

you constantly engaged and will lessen the moments of your

home sickness.

BE DISCIPLINED

Discipline in your life takes you to greater heights. So

3 try to bring in a certain amount of discipline in your

everyday activity. Get yourself into an orderly style of

living your day-to-day routine (like wake up hours, preparation

time everyday, extra-curricular activity on a regular basis

and so on). Your main aim at this point of time is to work hard

and get the best possible grades. Devote your energy and

resources towards this end.

GET ORGANIZED

College life needs to be taken a lot more seriously than

4 your school life. It is here that you are building a strong

foundation for a successful future. Be more organized

in your approach towards studying.

LEARN TO SEEK HELP

You must get to know your academic advisor in a

5 proper manner. This person happens to be the most

precious resource at your hand. With the able guidance

of the academic advisor, all your issues pertaining to your

course conflicts, changing course, deciding on your subject

of specialization etc can be handled in an amazingly easy

manner to the best of your interests. Never hesitate to go for

professional help when you think you are in need of it.

You are at college as a result of your hard work at school and

the efforts and prayers of your loved ones. Do not leave any

stone unturned in laying your groundwork for a successful

college career. Try to survive your freshman year in the best

possible manner.

ABOUT THE WRITER:

TANYA KNIGHT

Have fun as well as learn as much as you can and get the most

from your college life and you will be able to look back at your

freshman year with a smile later in life…

As America’s Education Coach, Tanya is a skilled advocate for the importance of higher

education. The acclaimed author of Who Says You Can’t Go to College?, she is also an

engaging public speaker and personal mentor. A graduate of Columbia College, Tanya also

holds an MBA in Leadership from Grand Canyon University. She is currently completing

her Doctorate in Education Leadership with a focus on retention. Tanya’s diverse client

list includes high school students, adult learners, school districts, colleges, universities and Fortune

500 corporations. Each and every client receives personalized services that draw on Tanya’s extensive

experience working in the fields of education and human service for more than 10 years.


WHY CAN’T I LOVE YOU

Why won’t I let you love me?

I’m selfish.

I’ll never allow you to love me before me,

I won’t allow my heart to be free to love

anyone else outside myself.

If only I knew how to,

But why do

I lie to my soul,

And till in this state of denial.


I never received this degree of kindness

at such an immense amount,

As much or intense to count;

The times you’ve told me you loved me.

That can be very heavy on a man with no

love for himself and without,

A sense of mental health.


It’s simple, because I’m difficult.

I seem easy but I’m very critical,

And yes, I know my looks seems pitiful;

But that’s just who I am.

I’ll never forget that you tried to love me,

I just need time to learn me, then love me;

So I can love me and then you can love

me for me.

BY ROSCOE


NORVALE Duerson

The New Voice of Social Consciousness

Host Of The New Social

Justice Program

BE THE CHANGE

YOU

WANT TO SEE

FRIDAY

8 P ET

To submit your request,

be a guest or for more

information, contact

Norvale Duerson at

cwrmedia@cwrmedia.net.

COMING SOON

to The CWR Talk Network

blogtalkradio.com/bthechange

A Working Wife, Mother,

and Entrepreneur’s

Redemption Story

By Chaela Gray

Up until my sophomore year in college, everything was

fine. My grades were looking good and I just got a new

man, my now fiancée, William. I didn’t really have to juggle

anything at the time because I was only taking one class

that semester, which was a major chemistry class. Since, I

had a lot of time from that, William and I traveled together

a lot when we first got together.

Six months later, William and I are in Savannah, GA on

vacation and I found out I was pregnant. I wasn’t scared or

upset about it, I was actually calm and just got prepared. I

didn’t go to school for the next couple semesters so I could

save and get ready for my baby. After I had her, I thought I

could go back and finish school right away, but I was wrong.

Now, juggling a newborn, fiancée, and school, I ended up

failing that class I was taking. I felt defeated and like a

failure, but I didn’t let that stop me. I re-evaluated my time

and made a schedule for myself. That fall semester when I

went back, I made it my mission to not only pass the class

I failed but pass the other classes I was taking as well. It

worked out for me and I ended up passing all my classes. I

was feeling better about my classes, the schedule I made,

and myself. I felt like I could conquer anything, so I did just

that and decided to open up my own business.

I’ve always had a passion for dance ever since I was three.

I always knew I wanted to open my own dance studio and I

felt like at that moment, it was the right time for me. Still,

juggling a fiancée, motherhood, school, and now a business

did overwhelm me, but I didn’t want to let this dream go, so

I pushed through.

A year after my daughter was born, I opened a dance studio

with a family member and I was excited, nervous and even

a little doubtful, but my dream was coming true in front of

my eyes. I struggled to get students at first, but I didn’t let

that discourage me because I had marketing plans to get

dance students.

Once students started coming in, things were going

smoothly until misunderstandings began happening

between the family member and me. I don’t think she

understood everything I was juggling because when asked

to pick up a little more slack because I had to be with my

baby, go to class, do homework, and take care of the house,

it was an issue. I don’t blame her for anything though, it

was just time to go our separate ways, so I opened another

studio on my own this time.

I had students follow me over, which was good, and

everything was going good again until I got deeper into

my chemistry classes and I needed more time to study, so

I wouldn’t fail again. This took away time from the dance

studio and I lost students because of it. I started to feel

overwhelmed again and defeated. I failed again, I kept

thinking to myself.

After talking to some family and business owners, I got

insight and wisdom on how all businesses have ups and

downs but its about how you get back up that matters. I

decided to get up and keep going. I just had to re-evaluate

my schedule again because of the changes. After getting

back reorganized and focused by joining study groups,

making dance classes on the weekends only, and spending

time with my family, I was back to me and happy.

Some advice I would give to mothers balancing home,

school, and a business is to make time for yourself. You

have to schedule that in. Also, make time for some fun,

whether it’s chilling with some friends, or going out to

have some drinks, do something you enjoy for your mental

health. And talk to someone when you’re overwhelmed

or going through it because it helps. Mental health is

important especially when it comes to being a mother and

multifaceted. Laughing and smiling is the best medicine; we

need to do that more often and just stop to enjoy life.


Freshman

Year

versus

Senior

Year

By Natyana Rochelle

Many freshmen enter college with big aspirations and

goals. They feel as though they will take over college

and change the world.

Over four years however, freshmen mindsets and

opinions change. Many seniors now, including myself,

have said they have changed a lot since being a

freshman. First excited about school, now just ready

to graduate and start their careers. What changed?

During freshmen orientation, high school graduates

get the opportunity to walk around the campus

and experience college life. Orientation leaders,

professors and staff all come together to get

freshmen excited about their next journey. There are

events and seminars during freshmen week to help be

a guide. After that week, freshmen are on their own

and life begins to hit. No parents to wake us up for

class and nobody there to remind us of assignments

that are due.

For many students, college is a place to find yourself

and begin to transform into independent adults. There

are many things that students have said changed

during their four years of college. Their diet, figuring

out their career path and finding a balance between

school and a social life.

Many have heard of the freshman 15, which is the belief

that every freshman going into college gains 15 pounds.

According to The Atlantic, this is a myth that was started in

the 80s when research showed that the average freshman

gains eight pounds. What once started out as freshman

10, ended up becoming freshman 15 after being covered by

different magazines. A study has also shown that it became

freshmen 15 because students were drinking more, which

adds four or five more pounds. This is a myth because a

quarter of freshman from a new study have said they lost

weight, while only 10 percent gained 15 or more pounds.

I lost five pounds my freshmen year. I didn’t start gaining

weight until my sophomore year. Even though, I lost weight,

I wasn’t eating healthy. I ate anything I could get my hands

on. It was easier to eat junk food in between classes because

I didn’t have time to cook or watch what I ate, but I had to

eat. Once I began to gain weight and noticed my body wasn’t

healthy, I changed my eating habits and started cooking and

eating healthier snacks. I had to make time for it, just like I

had to make time for everything else.

According to HBCU Career Center, fifty percent of college

students change majors at least once before they graduate.

It is common for freshmen to enter college not knowing

exactly what they want to do. Even those that come to

college with a clear vision of what they want to do, their

career path could still change once they get to school and

experience new things.

College students change their majors when they discover

their V.I.S.A. or their vision, interest, skills and abilities.

Students take their major classes and realize it’s not what

they want to do, or they take elective classes not in their

major or concentration and find they are passionate about

something else.

I always knew I wanted to be a writer, but I didn’t know

exactly what I wanted to do. I just knew I didn’t want to

be a reporter. It wasn’t until I took a film and editing class

that I realized I had a passion for filming and editing. I now,

want to write scripts and direct movies. Even though, my

concentration is Journalism and not TV or Film, I have taken

a lot of electives that reflect the field I’m going into.

For many freshmen, it is their first time away from home

and they have freedom like they never had before. They

are trying new things, making new friends and just want to

have fun all of the time. The problem most freshmen seem

to have is that they come to college and forget why they

came. They are having so much fun and begin to put school

in the background.

After the first semester of my freshman year, I saw my

grades and wasn’t proud of the work I put into school or

studying. I had to remember I came to school to get an

education first, so I had to learn to prioritize. There is always

going to be a party happening, but my work comes first.

As a senior now, my attitude has changed over the years.

As a freshman, graduation seemed so far away and like an

afterthought because I figured I’ll have a job and life will be

set for me as soon as I graduate, but I didn’t want to worry

about it because it was so far away. Now that it’s right

around the corner, that’s all I can think about. I’m thinking

time went by quickly, and even though I have an idea of

where I want to end up career wise, I still have to find my

own way getting there. I’m excited to be in the real world,

and I plan on taking everything I learned in my five years of

school with me.

LONELY

BY KALYNN JOHNSON

SHORT STORY

My dress from last night was no longer wet and clinging

to my skin, but airy like it never touched a drop of water.

The house was crowded with people I knew and didn’t

know. My mother, held by my father, as she sobbed into

his black suit rocking back and forth on the silver couch.

I’ve never seen my father cry, but his face turned deep

mahogany as his chin quivered attempting to keep his

composure. My brother with his hands balled into a

tight fist, and his mouth clamped together trying not to

sob out loud. “What’s up with everyone?” I asked aloud

looking at my grandmother. A sob escaped her lips as

she turned away from me to go outside. A group of kids

from my school pooled inside from the front door in all

black. What the hell? I barely talked to them, so why

are they just showing up in my house? “Thank you for

coming,” said reverend Smith sullenly. “What’s going

on,” I began to ask again when the Reverend walked

towards me but looked ahead like I wasn’t here; like a

boulder rolling through grass, he walked into me going

through me like I was smoke.

My body began to shake. “What, what’s happening?” I

asked shakily. I walked up to my mother who cried even

harder as she tried to heave air in and out. “Mom?” she

continued to cry, “Dad, guys stop you’re scaring me?” I

said as he held my mother tightly with his eyes shut. Fear

and confusion coursed through me like a river. “What’s

going on?” I shouted, trying to get people’s attention,

waving my arms and stopping in front of them just so

they can walk through me.


I went into the backyard following the crowd of

strangers and family. My best friend Destinee was being

held by my brother, they both cried quietly. I reached

out to touch her shoulder as my hand sinks into it, she

shivers but continues to cry. I glided through the crowd

to see my face enlarged on a portrait with my cap and

gown surrounded by flowers and candles. My chest felt

heavy and painful, as I let out a deep sob. I turned to

the crowd, “No! I’m right here! I’m right here!” I shouted,

but it didn’t faze them. The candle flickered wildly,

my portrait began to shake. I ran back inside and my

mother was on the floor now, “My baby...my baby,” she

sobbed painfully. “Mom look at me,” I pleaded, feeling

tears as hot as fire rolling down my cheeks. “Look at

me!” I screeched the window behind me, it cracks like

a walnut under pressure. My mother snapped her head

up, “Baby?” she looked at me. “Mama I’m right here, I’m

right-” She gets up quickly and walks through me to

the window. “No,” I sobbed looking down at my yellow

flowy dress with a deep red hole in my stomach, blood

streamed down the yellow fabric. The house was so full

but I never felt more alone.


Lady

Poem by Danni Harris

Swallowed by depression

(and) cuddled with misery,

A vodka bottle hanging over the edge of her bed

Pouring all of its hatred onto the floor.

Records scratching on the player

That old sad song repeating in the air.

Furious storms rumbling outside of her window

The echoing of madness soothes her.

She reminisces.

How did I get here she asks?

Why?

How?

Why is alcohol my only friend?

How did I allow this to happen?

Will drugs do this to me?

Will the swirling of powder in the air take over

the whiskey scents swarming around?

Nothing cures depression.

Its only contained.

All cabinets destroyed.

There’s evidence of frustration.

Every bottle is empty,

The even emptier ones are splattered against the wall.

The lady who said she’ll never drink,

Has become an uncontrollable alcoholic after all.

It was only supposed to be one time.

Never should this have become the case.

Reality has sunken in,

Maybe the lady was destined for this.

Her fate won after all.

She has become one with her drink.

Misery is her friend,

Misery is her only company.

Please lady, change your ways,

This bottle is harming you.

On the outside lady is smiling,

She’s seen as the perfect example.

At home, she’s rummaging for loose change

Speeding to the liquor store.

They know this beautiful lady so well,

Never could they imagine her ways.

Lady has died, But not alone.

Her bottle still warm in her hand...

Danni Harris is a twenty year old, Metro-

Atlanta native. Danni is currently a second

semester sophomore at Clark Atlanta

University. At Clark Atlanta University, Danni

majors in Mass Media Arts (Journalism) and

History. After college, Danni plans on going

to graduate school to obtain a Doctorate’s

degree in History. Her dream careers

include being a Sports Journalist for the

National Basketball Association (NBA)

and a Historian. Since she was a young

child, Danni enjoyed writing both poetry and stories. With

Misguided Magazine, Danni hopes to get more exposure and

recognition for her literary work. In the near future, she hopes

to publish her own poetry collection as well.


NORVALE Duerson



Justice Program

BE THE CHANGE

YOU

WANT TO SEE

FRIDAY

8 P ET




Norvale Duerson at


COMING SOON



LEXII ALIJAI

Rappers Gone

Too Soon

By Natyana Rochelle

While everyone was celebrating the new

year and claiming the year as theirs,

entertainers and fans all over mourned

the death of 21-year-old rapper, Lexii

Alijai. Although, her cause of death is still

unknown it doesn’t take away the fact

that she died way too young, along with

other rappers and entertainers. Alexis

Alijai Lynch, or Lexii, was an inspiration

to many. The Minnesota rapper touched

many lives with not only her music but her

spirit. She released many mixtapes before

getting her big break in 2016 as a feature

on Kehlani’s song “Jealous.” From that, she

gained the attention of many artists and

released another project that featured

Elle Varner. She got the opportunity to

perform at Soundset Music Festival

opening up for artists like: Playboi Carti,

Lil Uzi Vert, and Rich the Kid. The following

year, Lexii released a remix of “Redbone”

by Childish Gambino and “Me, Myself and

I” by Beyoncé. Gaining more recognition

and fans, she released her first full-length

debut album, “Growing Pains.” Still touring

and making music, her fans anticipated

her next major project that will no longer

come.

Other young rappers and entertainers that

died in 2019, were either from illnesses,

drugs or gun violence. Arizona rapper,

Traphouse was only 35 years old when

he died from Stage 4 pancreatic cancer. In

March of 2019, we lost rap legend, Nipsey

Hussle to gun violence. He was fatally shot

in front of one of his stores. Twenty-one

year old, Willie Bo, a rapper from California

was fatally shot by police officers outside

of a Taco Bell. Twenty-five year old,

Kevin Fret, an openly gay Puerto Rican

rapper was fatally shot, while driving his

motorcycle. Thirty-one year old, Nina Ross

Da Boss, a female rapper from Florida was

the victim of a double homicide. Twentyone

year old rapper, Juice Wrld overdosed

on drugs he had taken before going into an

airport which caused him to have a seizure

and die.

There has to come a point when we

question not only rappers’ lyrics but also

check on their mental health status as

well. Most of the lyrics from rap artists are

about using drugs and gun violence. Fans

hear this and want to be like their favorite

rapper so, they begin to experiment with

drugs until a rapper abuses it and loses

their life. Just like a lot of people in the

world that uses drugs to cope, rappers and


entertainers do too. The pressures

put on them every single day to be

good role models, put out music in a

timely manner, set trends, and still be

authentic and real can be hard on an

artist, especially when they are also

dealing with other things, like family

issues, fake friends, money problems,

etc. At the end of the day; rappers are

humans just like we are, and as fans

we have to realize that everything

we go through, they do too, but ten

times worse because the whole world

is watching and judging. We don’t

allow artists to really be themselves.

In a lot of rappers’ lyrics, if you just

listen, a lot of them are crying out for

help. Them rapping about drowning in

drugs or using them to cope is a cry

for help, but unfortunately, just like a

lot of people, they won’t get the help

they need because it is diregarded.

So, when will mental health be taken

serious? Too many people are using

different things to cope and then find

out that it doesn’t work. Drugs don’t fix

any problems, it just buries them until

they have to resurface.

NIPSEY HUSSLE

JUICE WRLD

Natyana Rochelle is a college student

at Clark Atlanta University pursuing

Journalism. She has written for magazines

such as Boss Magazine and YBE Magazine.

Although, she is getting a degree in

Journalism, she ultimately aspires to write

scripts and direct. Having many dreams,

she plans to go to graduate school to

pursue a degree in Entertainment Law.

Natyana loves to write and hopes to have

a lasting career writing in many different

aspects and ways.


The Unique

between Colin Kaepernick

When he was originally blackballed, he should’ve gone to the

Canadian Football League and continued his career. I know

players these days look down on the CFL. We should never

forget the impact of Warren Moon, who went undrafted in

the 1978 draft, went to the CFL and won five Grey Cup titles

– He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2006.

To me, it looks like Colin Kaepernick doesn’t understand his

power, if the NFL is racist or is actively colluding against him

then there is strong evidence to support that. However, let us

always remember, as African Americans we must know our

value and understand “They need us, we don’t need them”.

COLIN KAEPERNICK

Another week of NFL football has passed, yet the biggest

story is seemingly the never-ending saga of Colin Kaepernick

vs. The National Football League. No one could have predicted

what would have happened when Kaepernick decided to take

a knee three seasons ago. Kaepernick’s silent protest to bring

awareness to police brutality has turned into a collusion

lawsuit settlement, a political feud with the President, and

the growing mistrust between the NFL players and team

owners.

We’ve heard several opinions from both sides of the

argument. Some say Kaepernick should have a job because

other quarterbacks aren’t as talented and the league is still

actively colluding against him. Others claim that Kaepernick

isn’t really interested in playing and that this is all for

personal gain. As a fan of the NFL and Colin Kaepernick, it

was interesting that after several years the NFL requested

a private workout with Kaepernick and then requested

he sign a document stating that he can’t sue under any

circumstance in the future. More transparency is needed

for a full understanding of what went wrong. Either way, I

wish Kaepernick saw himself the way we see him; a man in

his prime with years left to play and plenty of talent to offer.

If Kaepernick doesn’t want to play in the CFL I totally

understand so, let’s pool our resources and start our own

league. We can all come up with the many reasons on how

difficult starting a professional sports league will be, but

let’s not forget the blueprint has already been established.

Ice Cube started the BIG 3. League in 2017. After 3 seasons

he has already received offers for purchasing of this League

based on its early success. The NFL is already comprised

of approximately 70% African Americans, so the talent and

player personnel is in place.

CARMELO ANTHONY

Carmelo Anthony finally got another job in the NBA after

being signed by the Portland Trailblazers, it took years of

workout videos, interviews, the nickname “hoodie Melo”, and


Parallels

and Carmelo Anthony

By Gerrell W. Johnson

the fans got what they wanted. Let me preface that I’m born

and raised in Western New York and what Carmelo Anthony

did for Syracuse by winning the 2003 NCAA title will never

been understated. He gave us a look nationally of the many

talented players in the Western New York area. In Carmelo’s

first two games back he continued his quest to prove isolation

ball works by shooting 4-14, and 6-15 respectively.

Again, when the NBA decided to move on from isolation ball

and Carmelo’s outdated game didn’t fit why he didn’t go play

overseas is a solid question. I know a lot of Professional

athletes look down on these other leagues. However, the

blueprint for success is there - Stephon Marbury won three

championships overseas and rebuilt his career and image.

Marbury’s game included a high volume of shots, turnovers,

and controlled chaos, the same game Russell Westbrook,

James harden, Kyrie Irving and others are praised for these

days.

Many times the best lessons learned in life come from the No’s

we receive. One can only dream of Kaepernick winning a CFL

championship, or starting a new league for players who desire

to be in the NFL. Carmelo could’ve gone overseas and averaged

25 points 7 rebounds then allowed his fans to support him in

a new way. Sports conglomerates have a way of painting a

narrative of players once they are finished with them, usually

leaving the fans wanting more. Nowadays, players have more

options than ever to continue to play professional sports and

build their brand without begging or bending to a system or

job they feel has done them wrong.

ABOUT THE WRITER

Gerrell W. Johnson is a screen writer

and actor in Atlanta with a passion

in sports, comedy, education and

urban culture.


DEPRESSION

IS KILLING

T HE B L A C K

COMMUNITY

By Natyana Rochelle

Depression has been killing the

black community for centuries

This mental health condition has caused many to harm themselves

or even take their own lives. Many suffer in silence and through my

research I found out why that is. Without getting the help that people

needs, they rather go through it alone and help themselves, which is

only killing them faster.

Even after slavery and during the civil rights movement, the

humiliation, disenfranchisement, segregation, and fight that blacks

had to endure caused a lot to lose hope at some points, which also

caused depression. Not only is having depression hurting the black

community but not speaking about it has caused many to suffer in

silence. According to U.S Department of Health and Human Services,

9.4 percent of Black people committed suicide in 2015 and the numbers

have only risen since then. Blacks are suffering in silence, not speaking

to a professional, and drowning in drugs such as antidepressants.

Since the second millennium, depression has existed and affected

many people. In Mesopotamia there were writings that explained

depression as a spiritual condition rather than a physical one.

The idea of depression being caused by demons and evil spirits

has existed in cultures such as; the Greeks, Romans, Babylonians,

Chinese and Egyptians (Schimelpfening, 2019). So, knowing that black

cultures like the Egyptians knew about depression, we know that

depression has been around in the black community for over 400

years. Depression is not only a mental condition but can be classified

as a mental illness. Mental Illnesses has existed as long as humans

have existed yet, there are little to no references available on people

of African descent before the 1700s. In the early 1800s, a physician

and medical director in Virginia, John Galt said that blacks are immune

to mental illnesses. He suggested that enslaved Africans could not

develop mental illnesses because they didn’t own property, engage

in commerce, or participate in civic affairs like voting, or being able

to hold office.


There can be many causes for depression

such as: early childhood trauma, brain

structure, medical

conditions, drug use, stress, grief

and loss, environment, or it can be

hereditary. According to the Health

and Human Services Office of Minority

Health, Blacks are 20 percent more likely

to experience serious mental health

problems than the general population.

Black youth who are exposed to violence

are at a greater risk for PTSD by over

25 percent. Black people are also more

likely to be exposed to factors that

increase the risk for developing a mental

health condition, such as homelessness

and exposure to violence.

After the 13th amendment abolished

slavery, blacks had already suffered

so much by being separated from their

families, beaten, humiliated, raped,

watched their friends and family

killed, and being oppressed that a lot

of them suffered from mental health.

Not only that, but many had PTSD

from everything they wit nessed and

experienced. Now, after going through

all of that, blacks are being told they are

free, but not really and they have to go

fend for themselves, stay on their sides,

keep their mouths closed, and stay

oppressed. Thrown into poorly standard

housing and neighborhoods, and not

given employment to be able to pay for it

or take care of their families. Many blacks

went back to what they knew in terms of

becoming housekeepers, maids, butlers

and nannies in order to provide for their

families. Survival became the way of

living for blacks. While many blacks

went to get employed by the people

that enslaved and oppressed them,

many had the mentality that they were

going to get money themselves. This is

where gambling, numbers running, and

different things deemed illegal now

arose. The survival mentality came to

many blacks, so they learned to take

care of themselves.

In Sex Workers, Psychics, and Numbers

Runners by LaShawn Harris, she focuses

on black women in New York during the

1930s. She explains that during this time,

women were forced into sex working and

numbers running to be able to take care

of home. She states that being confined

to the same communities and living

structures made it difficult for blacks

not to notice everything going on in their

communities. Blacks had to stay on their

sides and in their own communities, so

they saw all the problems and issues

taking place, but nobody fixing or doing

anything about it. This caused many

people to turn on each other because

they are angry, sad, confused, and

mistreated with nobody to take all of

that frustration out on but each other.

The government, police, and whites in

general didn’t care to fix anything or be

around to hear any concerns blacks had,

so being that we are only around each

other, all of that frustration is going to

come out one way or another.

In this study of depression is killing the

black community, I studied how long

black people have been suffering from

depression, why many suffer in silence,

and are antidepressants really helping?

From initial research, I found that 20

percent of black people are more likely

to experience serious mental health

problems than the general population.

Only about 30 percent of black people

with depression or a mental illness

receive treatment each year versus the

average 43 percent. This is because of

distrust and misdiagnosis. Constantly,

black people have been negatively

represented and discriminated against

in the health care system. Misdiagnosis,

unequal treatment, experimented on,

and cultural misunderstandings by

health care professionals has caused

distrust which prevented black people

from receiving or staying in treatment.

Also, socio-economic factors play a role

because many black people don’t have

health insurance. In 2017, 11 percent

of black people had no form of health

insurance.

I surveyed 50 students on Clark Atlanta

University’s campus, 25 men and 25

females. I passed these surveys to

students in my class and just some

walking around campus that I stopped

and asked to fill it out.

I asked the questions: do you suffer

from depression, do you know if anyone

in your family suffers from depression,

are you or a family on/or ever taken

medication for depression, and why do

you think many suffer in silence?

From the survey, I found that out of 25

males, seven answered they suffered

from depression while 18 said they

didn’t. Out of 25 females, 12 answered

they suffered from depression while

13 said they didn’t. Fifteen females

answered they knew someone in their

family who suffered from depression

while 10 said they didn’t. Seven males

said they knew someone in their family

that suffered from depression while

18 said they didn’t. Twenty males

answered that neither they nor a family

member took medication for depression

while five answered they did. Sixteen

females answered that neither they nor

a family member took medication for

depression while nine answered they

did. For the question why do you think

many suffer in silence, I received many

different answers. The top answers I

received from both genders were pride,

ego, money, no health insurance, and no

support from family.

From my research and the surveys,

I found that men and women handle

mental health differently. While women

may be more willing and open to talk

about their feelings and emotions, men

are not and that’s for many different

reasons. I do believe, however from

some conversations I had with the

students who took the surveys, some

didn’t have knowledge if their family

members were ever depressed or taken

medication for it. This leads me to believe

that conversations about depression

and mental health issues are not being

talked about in families, which is why

so many suffer in silence and feel like

they have no support when in actuality,

if they would have opened up and talked

about it then the support would have

been there and they wouldn’t have to go

through the tough moments alone.

Natyana Rochelle is a college student

at Clark Atlanta University pursuing

Journalism. She has written for magazines

such as Boss Magazine and YBE Magazine.

Although, she is getting a degree in

Journalism, she ultimately aspires to write

scripts and direct. Having many dreams,

she plans to go to graduate school to

pursue a degree in Entertainment Law.

Natyana loves to write and hopes to have

a lasting career writing in many different

aspects and ways.


LEAVE ME BE

Leave me be..

Why me?

Why me? Why me?

Who do I blame?

For this horrid life of mine,

The one engulfed in flames.

Who to fault?

Who to pray to?

I feel deceived.

I.

I, who have nothing,

From nothing;

With nothing.

I became something.

Here I am,

Alive!

Open, ready!

I am one.

I have arriven.

Arisen,

From that damsel of distress.

My life,

but that’s that.

From a child,

I was cursed.

Born into a family of

dysfunction,

That left me scarred

and damaged.

In all my years,

I carried fears that were

matched with tears.

I was abandoned,

I was nothing.

From a young age,

I wanted out.

Neglected and blamed,

I wanted an end.

I was through.

But saved,

I am still here.

There’s purpose in me,

I have lived.

I made it!

BY ROSCOE


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FROM COLLEGE TO CAREER:

SENIORS TRANSITIONING INTO

THE PROFESSIONAL WORLD

By Starling Thomas

Guest Contributor

This fall thousands of incoming freshmen geared up for the

next four to five years of their life in college. Students packed

dorm rooms and small apartments to capacity with laptops

and books and embraced on a new journey that will help them

take their life to the next level. Most of us have been preparing

since high school for college and we have had some sort of

idea of what to expect, whether it be through conversations

with people or family members or campus visits, we have had

an idea of what is to come. Freshman year is the most fun

and exciting year to be in college. Football games, fraternity

parties and pulling all nighters is something that most college

students will become accustomed to, but for students who

are coming into their senior year are looking at stepping into

a downsizing economy that could make it extremely difficult

to find a post grad job.

Transitioning from college to career has been a major issue

concerning new grads. According to the national Center for

Education Statistics, about 2.9 million students are expected

to graduate in 2020 with a bachelor’s or associates degree,

but a careerbuilder.com survey stated that 74 percent of

employers plan to hire recent college grads.

“There is way more competition in the market than there has

ever been before,” said recent graduate of University of Texas

at Dallas, Jaime Gales.

“Basic degrees just won’t cut it anymore and if you don’t build

relationships with the right people or build your resume with

internships in your field, finding a job after graduation is

going to be an obstacle for you,” said Gales.

Anysa Wilson, who graduated with a degree in business

administration in marketing from Florida A&M University,

says she had to settle for a job as a retail manager at a

women’s clothing store to earn a paycheck. She is making

money but the fulfillment of the job is not there.

“The problem did not come in finding a job; it came in finding a

career. I had jobs in college; I want something that challenges

me every day and this path is not where I want to be.”

Wilson said if she could she would have done more internships

to gain more experience.

“These companies don’t want to hire you if you do not have at

least some entry level experience in whatever field you are

trying to go into,” said Wilson.

“I know I will find the career path I want, I just wasn’t prepared

for it to take this long, so in the meantime I just do what I have

to in order to pay my bills and student loans off.”

According to CBSmoneywatch.com, the highest paying

degrees are those in engineering, mathematics and

sciences such as computer science, physics and bio

chemistry, with some salaries starting out with as much

as $97,000 a year.

Although this economy has left some grads with a sense

of uncertainty about their future and finding their dream

career, preparation has become the key to success.

Myriam James, recent psychology graduate of Florida

State University says that building your resume and

attaining internships throughout college has a major

impact on being able to find a good job after graduation.

“Without experience these companies don’t want

anything to do with you period, I had friends that

struggled to find a job after graduation and I was

determined to not let that happen to me,” said Wilson.

Wilson opted to continue her education and is attaining

her master’s degree while working as a case worker for

the Department of Children and Families.

Today’s graduates face a tough job market and a

commandingly obscure professional future and in this

professional world these recent graduates are entering

into, the only thing constant will be change.

“I had an internship every semester, most were unpaid

or were for little or nothing but I gained experience and

that’s what is most important.”

ABOUT THE WRITER: STARLING THOMAS

Starling Thomas is a filmmaker and her current project “Harvest,” which was

written and directed by Ms. Thomas, is in the festival circuit now. It’s a short film

about the harvesting of African American’s organs in America. She is also a writer

on Season 2 of #Washed premiering later 2020 on Amazon prime.


CAT MELENDEZ’S QUICK FASHION

DO BUY LASTING CLASSICS.

Classics never go out of style and keep

you from having to buy new things

every year just to stay fresh.

DO BUY A LONG

T R E NCH COAT

and throw it over

Jeans and a turtle

neck to give you that

extra oomph us girls

love to have when we

walk out of the door.

DO WEAR A

POP SHADE

OF R ED

LIPSTICK.

Trust me on this

one lol.


DO BU Y

MOTO JACK ETS

to make a statement with little

effort. Plus they are timeless.

DO FINISH OFF YOUR LOOK

with a pair of statement sunnies.

My go to sunglasses are Aviators or

Mirrored flat tops.

DO BE TRUE TO YOURSELF

and remember that fashion is a way to say who

we are without having to speak.

DON’T BUY OVERSIZED JACKETS.

It’s not flattering or feminine and the look is old

school, dolls.

DON’T BU Y

FLASH

FA SH ION

PIECES.

Boring.

DON’T OVER-ACCESSORIZE,

but please do wear a classic stud diamond

earring and a nice wrist watch. This will

spice up your everyday looks.

Lamar Is Winning but...

Vick Apologized but...

By Gerrell Johnson

In only his second season in the National Football

League, Lamar Jackson has not only led his

team to the top seed in the AFC, but he also threw

a league high 36 touchdown passes and rushed

for a quarterback record 1,206 yards—good for

6th overall in the league. Not bad for the guy who

waited alongside his mother to be selected dead

last in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft by

the Baltimore Ravens. Better yet, not bad for a

‘running back’. Jackson’s historic season should be

celebrated loudly, unfortunately his success and

accomplishments seem to be undermined with

racism.

A day after Jackson lead his team to a tough win

against the San Francisco 49ers in which Jackson

ran for over 100 yards, a San Francisco sports

reporter stated the reason Lamar Jackson is hard to

tackle was because ‘the ball is the same color as his

skin’. The sports reporter was suspended, not fired.

That’s another story for his employer to discuss.

Jackson’s silent response to blatant racism was

brilliant. He wore white gloves and white sleeves

in his next game to prove (to no one’s surprise) that

defenders still couldn’t tackle him with success.

Jackson is the clear front runner in this year’s MVP

race based off his skills and leadership alone.

Unfortunately, here we are discussing race when it

comes to the success of a black quarterback.

This season has seen a shift in quarterback play

unlike the NFL has ever seen before: Jameis Winston,

Dak Prescott, Russell Wilson, Patrick Mahomes,

and Deshaun Watson—all people of color—will

finish the season in the top 10 in passing yards

and touchdown passes thrown. This shift may be

unsettling for some NFL fans who don’t understand

that winning should be the main focus of a player’s

likability and not his race or past transgressions.

Jackson’s record rushing year broke a 13-year

record held by one of his idols Michael Vick. This

feat will be one that will be extremely difficult to

break in the future in the NFL’s increasingly pass

laden offenses.


Vick is currently under fire, since the NFL announced he would be

honored at the Pro Bowl. Many animal rights activists have again

positioned Vick as the face of animal abuse and have redirected

their protests toward him. However, Vick continues to apologize

for his role in a dog fighting ring and still speaks out against

animal cruelty. Vick also spent 548 days behind bars and had his

$100 million contract voided. He repaid his debt to society and is a

free man. So, when will we let him live a free unencumbered life?

Also, let’s look at some facts regarding animal rights. Every year

we flock to zoos, aquariums, circuses, and the world-famous

Kentucky Derby. Maybe our animal rights activists should protest,

boycott, and bring awareness to the damage they are doing

toward animals.

Society has yet to make animal cruelty or abuses such as cock

fighting and dog fighting palatable for mass consumption. We

normalize breeding a horse to run around a track for a minute

and if they underperform or get injured, they get euthanized.

It’s normal to see circuses parade African elephants around for

tricks. The zoo wants us to believe their 700 pound tiger is happy

walking in circles in its cage. Trust me, I genuinely believe that if

society can monetize cock fighting or dog fighting, we wouldn’t be

talking about Vick. We would head to Vegas and place our bets on

the mean looking dog in cage #4, while dressing up to drink fine

liquor with other successful patrons. Society has been tricked

so much that the Kentucky derby has been a sign of wealth or

privilege if you attend and bet on a horse race.

I, myself along with the majority of society are complicit in

animal abuse and cruelty. I take my family to zoos, and aquariums

frequently. I support rodeos and circuses also. Until we are

honest about how much money plays a role into who we support

and what is acceptable in society, we will never see the truth on

how impactful our actions are. Vick lost millions of dollars, went

to prison and paid for his crimes. I wonder what price we should

pay for our complicity.

ABOUT THE

WRITER

Gerrell W. Johnson is

a screen writer and

actor in Atlanta with

a passion in sports,

comedy, education

and urban culture.


SISTREAT

LAU NCHES

TO HELP

MINORITY

WOMEN

By Arilia Winn

Although more people are aware of mental health issues and

diagnoses, the majority still can’t tell when someone they

love is struggling with it. It’s no surprise as most people who

have a mental health illness don’t initially recognize that they

are struggling with it themselves. When they do come to it,

a number of things can happen. What happens next weighs

heavy on a person’s sex and cultural background.

That’s why AriAnnah Edwards, founder of SisTreat in Little Rock,

Arkansas, a non-profit created for women by women to remove

the mental health stigma got started. She aims to create a

healing space for girls and women experiencing mental health

disparities.

AriAnnah has an up-close and personal connection with this

matter. Attributing the launch of her non-profit to witnessing

the difficult moments of her friends and family members who

are minorities and women.

ARIANNAH EDWARDS

Founder & CEO

As someone who has also expericed a mental health illness, she

said, “ It’s not talked about enough. The resources aren’t there.

The information isn’t there. The education isn’t there. It’s not

as prevalent.” Whereas in other communities they don’t seem

to be lacking anything. AriAnnah hopes to change that reality.

“We [minorities] also have a different set of obstacles,” the

majority of therapists are not from a minority group. Noting

that when someone has a mental illness, they progress better

and maybe even faster when they meet with someone who

looks like them and who is from their culture.

Although they teach therapists how to be culturally aware, and

they train therapists on how to allow their clients to explain

their culture to them, that might not be enough. There is

something special about connecting with someone who looks

similar to you and who can help you.

CONTACT SISTREAT:

815 Technology Dr. #242292

Little Rock, AR 72223

Phone: (501) 291-3361

Email: contact@sistreat.com

sistreat.org

SisTreat represents the idea of, “Sisters retreating.” SisTreat

wants other minority women to know that they are not

struggling alone, nor are they healing alone. There are other

women out there similar to them.

ABOUT THE WRITER: ARILIA WINN, Contributing Writer

Arilia Winn is a twenty nine year old California girl. Arilia graduated from

Bethune-Cookman University in 2014. There she received a degree in Mass

Communication. Working for an employment agency by day and running a

publishing company at night, she enjoys helping others. Her dream is to run

her small business full time and work with creative people everyday. Since

she was a young child, Arilia enjoyed writing and playing on the computer.

With Misguided Magazine, Arilia hopes to continue to help others as well as

reach Millennials who are interested in self-publishing. In the near future,

she hopes to help more poets get published as National Poetry Month is

quickly approaching.


DRESS TO IMPRESS

Dress Like A Winner

By Natalie Jobity, MPhil, MBA

Guest Contributor

We’ve all heard the

phrase “dress for

success” but when

you get to the nittygritty

what does it

really mean? Dressing for success is

more than just the clothes you wear.

It is your total image presentation,

which includes your clothing, but

also how you accessorize, the way

you communicate, how groomed you

are, your poise and posture, nonverbal

cues, your ability to maintain

eye contact, and more. Because

research has proven that people

make first impression judgments

about us primarily based on how we

look, the “dressing” part of dressing

for success is very critical.

The way you dress impacts how you

are perceived as a professional. As you

progress through life and your career,

you’ll find it increasingly important to

cultivate your personal brand, inside

and out. Dress like a winner and you’ll

find yourself elevating faster and

more exponentially than your peers

who dress poorly. So how does a

winner dress?

They own their signature style.

Your style becomes part of your

personal brand which in is critical.

Your personal brand is your

advertisement about who you are

and what you stand for. It must be

credible, authentic and sustainable.

This is what will leave a lasting

impression on professors and bosses,

and help secure things like letters of

recommendation, or internships.


They understand the benefits of

investing in high quality clothing.

They are aware that quality is associated

with success. They invest in themselves

before asking others to invest in their

company, product or service. This does

not necessarily mean that the clothing

you wear must be expensive. A few high

quality investments (such as a classic

white oxford, well-tailored pants,

a classic pair of shoes) can offset

cheaper pieces and add polish to an

easygoing look.

They don’t abuse “business casual”

dress codes.

They get that business casual wear

typically means mixing an informal

piece or two into their regular business

wear. Like a solid tee under a jacket.

Or nicely tailored slacks paired with

a blouse. It does not mean wearing

an outfit you would wear to a casual

occasion.

They ensure their clothing fits them

impeccably whether they are wearing

a suit or a sheath dress. Have your

clothing altered by professionals as

needed or pay attention to the designers

and brands that work well for your

figure and proportions. If your $1,500

Brooks Brothers suit puckers, pulls or

is too tight you’re better off wearing a

cheaper alternative that fits you to a

T. Tailoring is fairly inexpensive, but it

is also easy to try on several options

when shopping. If the item doesn’t fit

you perfectly, look for an alternative.

If the item is one that you cannot do

without, have it altered.

They pay attention to the accent

pieces that impact their image and

make them a stand out.

For men, your tie is your signature,

followed by your watch, belt, shoes.

Invest in these accents and select them

wisely. For women, your signature can

be your shoes, handbag, jewelry and

also scarves and how they’re worn.

Makeup should be subtle and enhance

your natural features, and hair should

not be too distracting.

They are business appropriate and

know that the way they dress speaks

loudly about the type of professional

they are. They choose classic or

timeless designs. They don’t follow

fashion trends and instead invest

in clothing uniquely appointed to

reinforce their professional goals.

Though there is nothing wrong with

trendy clothing, your internship or

job interview is not the best place to

experiment with the latest fashions.

Save the trend pieces for the weekend,

and wear classic looks to the office.

Take your presentation of yourself

as seriously as you do your work and

master the nuances of your image,

personal style and communication.

Doing so will ensure you are noticed in

the best possible light and put you head

and tail ahead of your peers who take

their image for granted. Confidence is

also key. When dressing to impress,

make sure that you feel comfortable in

your clothes, adjust your posture, and

smile. These are the little things that

can set you apart from the rest.

ABOUT THE WRITER: NATALIE JOBITY

Natalie Jobity is a business coach &

consultant who empowers visionary women

to champion their calling courageously,

lead from their core values, and succeed

professionally by leveraging their signature

strengths. She is the former Founder and

President of Elan Image Management, an image consulting firm and is the

author of “Frumpy to Fabulous: Flaunting It. Your Ultimate Guide to Effortless

Style”. Natalie has worked with women and men nationwide to help them

project a signature style and an image that positions them for success in all

areas of their life.

The Unveiled Way

Business Coach & Consultant

Elan Image Management, LLC

Owner and Image/Branding Consultant

Writer, Author, Marketing Consultant

http://nataliejobity.com/be-simply-inspired/


A Lot Has Happened

Since You Left

Poem by Roscoe

You’ll never believe the scene,

jammed streets and jam beats as

feet walk along from the yard to

the porch.

The heat scorched and I was bored

as nupes looped around my living

room, meanwhile I was upstairs

getting my things prepared.

Deep. Four wheelers and more

females than you could see.

I could’ve socialized, but that’s not

me. You see, I’m not the one to want

my face all out in every snap, every

story or every HBCU category. The

party’s still gonna go on,

I made a difference, but I don’t

make a difference.

But enough about that, it gets

darker, the sun goes down and it’s

about to go down.

Folks were still outside about a

mile wide and music still blasting

with the party still lasting.

I said, “Lemme peep my head

downstairs, see who’s there.”

I walk down and all around,

it’s the same stuff.

Folks in the kitchen, swishin

and rolling;

Neos outside, just twisting

and strolling.

I go to take a step outside to

enjoy the breeze, but I see two

faces with braces that I always

recognized from Phases.

I thought to myself, say what’s up

and I spoke it;

But my voice is soft, and with loud

music I don’t think they noticed.


I thought nothing of it, as I did with

the rest of the night.

I’m just glad the event didn’t

conclude, in a giant fist fight.

As usual the daylight wakes me up,

better than my alarm does.

Thankful for the day, I check my

phone for the buzz; “Let me see my

timeline and how lit it was,”

I thought, but I saw something

different and lit it was not.

I saw this picture, on the gram, it

looked instantly familiar.

And what made me curious was the

people in particular.

It was those faces with braces I

saw from Phases, “I just saw them

yesterday...” the caption read; I

laughed a little bit, like nah they

ain’t dead.

So I was done with that noise,

it made me a little bitter.

So I go to check Twitter and the

same caption slithered its way on

all the posts.

I’m having flashbacks back to 2010

and 2013, then 2016 now 2019; what

does this all mean!!!??

It seems like I just walked by them,

It seems like we were just turnt.

Now I’m crying for them,

Now, my heart hurts.

We had to come together

as a family, we had to consolidate

and condolencize.

The size of this family is too

big for anyone to feel small in

this situation of unfortunate

circumstances.

The transition was entirely

too quick, one minute we’re lit

and the next we’re... This.

But I know y’all looking down

on us, clowning us because you

wouldn’t want us crying.

I look at this as a testament

to become better than we were

yesterday.

Better days have availed and

despite derails, we’ve still

managed to stay on track and

intact; and to keep in contact with

one another.

You sacrificed your lives so we

could better love each other.


WHY IT’S IMPORTANT

TO STILL CELEBRATE

BLACK HISTORY MONTH

By Natyana Rochelle

February 1st marks the beginning of Black History

Month. Every year, black history, culture and

contributions are celebrated all over the world. It’s

important that it continues being celebrated because

we need to know our past and where we come from.

It’s a chance to honor those that paved the way for

us, and to understand where we go in the future.

Understanding our heritage is very important and

not just for African-Americans but for everybody.

It’s important to know how your ancestors lived,

so not only can their legacy live on, but so the bad

history won’t be repeated.

them for pushing through all of that so many of us

could be standing here today. Many fought long and

hard to be able to have some of the freedoms we

have, so we should take out moments to reminisce

and show our gratitude.

Every one deserves to be honored for the sacrifice

and suffering they endured for the sake of racial

equality. Celebrating Black History Month allows

us to pause and remember their stories, so we can

commemorate their achievements. Without them,

the world would not be what it is today.

In the history books, it’s mainly shown that African-

Americans were slaves and indentured servants, but

it doesn’t show that before that, we were royalty.

Coming from different areas, we ruled and did things

our own way. Even when, we came to America, we

built, grew and raised everything still.

Apart from an awareness of the past, we can never

appreciate the blessings we enjoy in the present.

Knowing the strength and power we have is

important for the black community, especially with

everything going on today: mass shootings, police

shootings and all of the racism.

It seems everyday only the negative aspects of

African-American culture and communities get

highlighted. We hear about the poverty rates,

incarceration rates, and high crime rates. Black

History Month provides the chance to focus on

different aspects of our narrative as African-

Americans. Black History Month allows us to

seek out and lift up the best in African-American

accomplishments.

Celebrating Black History Month honors all of our

ancestors. It shows that the bloodshed and pain

they went through was not in vain. We appreciate


SPRING 2020

NATIONAL

BLACK

HISTORY

MONTH

REMEMBERING

OUR PAST AND

LOOKING TO

THE FUTURE

Author: Leona M. Johnson, Ph. D.

“Bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave,

I am the dream and the hope of the slave.

I rise. I rise. I rise.”

- Maya Angelou


VOL 4

Every year in the United States during the month of February we

celebrate “National Black History Month” as a way to educate

people about the rich cultural heritage of African Americans and

to instill pride in its citizens. This is a time to reflect on the past

accomplishments of those who have gone on before us and to lay

the groundwork for future aspirations. This is a chance to utilize

education as a powerful tool to learn about our past history and to

make Black History a serious study.

It has been said that “In order to go forward, one must look back.”

Maya Angelou emphasizes this by saying “For Africa to me is more

than a glamorous fact. It is a historical truth; no man can know where

he is going unless he knows exactly where he has been and exactly

how he has arrived at his present place.” Educating ourselves on our

rich legacy and past can only serve to make us proud of who we are.

While Black History Month occurs once a year, there is so much more

that we can do to foster a strong sense of pride in our race, including

our children who represent our future. Positive identity and well

being among our children for instance can be promoted by taking

them to African American cultural exhibits, socializing our children

about our African American heritage, teaching our children about our

history, and discussing tolerance and respect for all.

Inherent in learning about our heritage is the need to learn about

other cultures as well given the multicultural society that we live in.

Lynne Swann says it best: “This being Black History Month, I would

like to ask people to celebrate the similarities and not focus on the

difference between people of color and not of color.”

The more that we are aware of our rich heritage and the diversity of

others the more we can appreciate our legacy. As Rev. Jesse Jackson,

Sr. so aptly observes; “Our nation is a rainbow – red, yellow, brown,

black, and white – and we are all precious in God sight.

In diversity, there is strength. As Maya Angelou so eloquently sums

it up: “We all should know that diversity makes for a rich tapestry,

and we must understand that all the threads are equal in value no

matter what their color.”

DR. LEONA JOHNSON

Department of Psychology

Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University


SPRING 2020

BLACK

HISTORY

LIVES

YESTERDAY

TODAY

TOMORROW

A MISGUIDED MAGAZINE TRIBUTE TO ALL

BLACK AMERICANS, AND ESPECIALLY THOSE

WHO HAVE OVERCOME THE BRUTALITY OF

SLAVERY, SEGREGATION, JIM CROW LAWS,

AND SYSTEMIC RACISM

OUTSTANDING BLACK AMERICANS

Barack Obama Martin Luther King, jr Harriet Tubman Malcolm X

Frederick Douglass Maya Angelou Thurgood Marshall W.E.B. Du Bois

Madam C.J. Walker Reginald Lewis Dr. Mae Jemison Matthew Henson

SPRING 2020

ARTS & HUMANITIES

MAYA ANGELOU

Dr. Maya Angelou was one of the most renowned and influential

voices of our time. Hailed as a global renaissance woman, Dr.

Angelou is a celebrated poet, memoirist, novelist, educator,

dramatist, producer, actress, historian, filmmaker, and civil

rights activist.

As a teenager, Dr. Angelou’s love for the arts won her a scholarship

to study dance and drama at San Francisco’s Labor School. At 14,

she dropped out to become San Francisco’s first African-American

female cable car conductor. She later finished high school, giving

birth to her son, Guy, a few weeks after graduation. As a young

single mother, she supported her son by working as a waitress

and cook, however her passion for music, dance, performance,

and poetry would soon take center stage.

In 1954 and 1955, Dr. Angelou toured Europe with a production of

the opera Porgy and Bess. She studied modern dance with Martha

Graham, danced with Alvin Ailey on television variety shows and,

in 1957, recorded her first album, Calypso Lady. In 1958, she moved

to New York, where she joined the Harlem Writers Guild.

In 1960, Dr. Angelou moved to Cairo, Egypt. The next year, she

moved to Ghana. While in Ghana, she met with Malcolm X and, in 1964, returned to America to help him build

his new Organization of African American Unity. Shortly after her arrival in the United States, Malcolm X

was assassinated, and the organization dissolved. Soon after X’s assassination, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

asked Dr. Angelou to serve as Northern Coordinator for the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. King’s

assassination, falling on her birthday in 1968, left her devastated.

With the guidance of her friend, the novelist James Baldwin, she began work on the book that would become

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. Published in 1970, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings was published to

international acclaim and enormous popular success. The list of her published verse, non-fiction, and fiction

now includes more than 30 bestselling titles.

Dr. Angelou has served on two presidential committees, was awarded the Presidential Medal of Arts in 2000,

the Lincoln Medal in 2008, and has received 3 Grammy Awards. President Clinton requested that she compose

a poem to read at his inauguration in 1993. Dr. Angelou’s reading of her poem “On the Pulse of the Morning”

was broadcast live around the world. Dr. Angelou died on May 28, 2014.

Source: http://www.biography.com/people/maya-angelou-9185388


VOL 4

ARTS & HUMANITIES

TONI MORRISON

Toni Morrison was a Nobel and Pulitzer Prize-winning

American novelist. Her novels are known for their epic

themes, exquisite language and richly detailed African

American characters who are central to their narratives.

Among her best-known novels are The Bluest Eye, Sula,

Song of Solomon, Beloved, Jazz, Love and A Mercy.

Living in an integrated neighborhood, Morrison did not

become fully aware of racial divisions until she was in

her teens. “When I was in first grade, nobody thought

I was inferior. I was the only black in the class and the

only child who could read,” she later told a reporter from

The New York Times.

At Howard University, Morrison continued to pursue

her interest in literature. She majored in English and

chose the classics for her minor. After graduating from

Howard in 1953, Morrison continued her education at

Cornell University.

She completed her master’s degree in 1955. She then

moved to the Lone Star State to teach at Texas Southern

University. In 1957, Morrison returned to Howard University to teach English. Morrison joined a writers group

that met on campus. She began working on her first novel with the group, which started out as a short story.

Morrison decided to leave Howard in 1963. After spending the summer traveling with her family in Europe,

she returned to the United States. The following year, she moved to Syracuse, New York, where she worked

for a textbook publisher as a senior editor. Morrison later went to work for Random House, where she edited

works by Toni Cade Bambara and Gayl Jones, renowned for their literary fiction, as well as luminaries like

Angela Davis and Muhammad Ali.

Morrison became a professor at Princeton University in 1989 and continued to produce great works, including

Playing in the Dark: Whiteness and the Literary Imagination (1992). In recognition of her contributions to her

field, she received the 1993 Nobel Prize in Literature, making her the first African American woman to be

selected for the award.

Morrison died on August 5, 2019.

Source: biography.com/writer/toni-morrison


SPRING 2020

AVIATOR

BLACK HISTORY

LIVES

BESSIE COLEMAN

Bessie Coleman overcame discrimination because

of her race and her sex to become the world’s

first black woman to earn a pilot’s license.

She applied to many flight schools across the

country, but no school would take her because

she was both African American and a woman.

Famous African American newspaper publisher,

Robert Abbott told her to move to France where

she could learn how to fly. She began taking

French classes at night because her application

to flight schools needed to be written in French.

So she learned French, withdrew her savings

and went to Paris to learn to fly. She earned

her license from France’s well known Caudron

Brother’s School of Aviation. In June 1921

the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale

awarded her an international pilot’s license.

In 1922, hers was the first public flight by an

African-American woman in America. Although

she wanted to start a flying school for African

Americans when she returned to the U.S., she

specialized in stunt flying and parachuting, and

earned a living barnstorming and performing

aerial tricks. Tragically, on April 30, 1926,

Coleman was killed in an accident during a

rehearsal for an aerial show. She was only

33 years old. In 1931, the Challenger Pilots’

Association of Chicago started a tradition of

flying over Coleman’s grave every year. By

1977, African American women pilots formed

the Bessie Coleman Aviators Club. In 1995, the

U. S. Postal Service issued the Bessie Coleman

Commemorative Stamp to remember all of her

accomplishments.

Sources: womenshistory.org and biography.com


VOL 4

CENTRAL PARK FIVE / EXONERATED FIVE

The teenagers, known as the Central Park 5 (Antron McCray, Kevin Richardson, Raymond Santana, Korey Wise,

and Yusef Salaam), were exonerated by DNA evidence and a confession from the true perpetrator in 2002, 13

years after they were vilified by prosecutors and in the press after being charged and convicted of the rape of a

white woman jogging in the park

Photo: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images


SPRING 2020

CIVIL RIGHTS ACTIVISTS

DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING

One of the world’s best known advocates of non-violent social change

strategies, Martin Luther King, Jr., synthesized ideas drawn from many

different cultural traditions. Morehouse College president Benjamin Mays and

other proponents of Christian social activism influenced King’s decision after

his junior year at Morehouse to become a minister and thereby serve society.

Rejecting offers for academic positions, King decided while completing his Ph. D.

requirements to return to the South and accepted the pastorate of Dexter Avenue

Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama.

On December 5, 1955, five days after Montgomery civil rights activist Rosa Parks

refused to obey the city’s rules mandating segregation on buses, black residents

launched a bus boycott and elected King as president of the newly-formed

Montgomery Improvement Association. As the boycott continued during 1956,

King gained national prominence as a result of his exceptional oratorical skills

and personal courage. His house was bombed and he was convicted along with other boycott leaders on

charges of conspiring to interfere with the bus company’s operations. Despite these attempts to suppress the

movement, Montgomery bus were desegregated in December, 1956, after the United States Supreme Court

declared Alabama’s segregation laws unconstitutional.

Although increasingly portrayed as the preeminent black spokesperson, it was southern black college students

who took the initiative, launching a wave of sit-in protests during the winter and spring of 1960, which resulted

in the founding of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC). King soon became the target of

criticisms from SNCC activists determined to assert their independence.

King recognized the need to organize a successful protest campaign free of conflicts with SNCC. During the

spring of 1963, he and his staff guided mass demonstrations in Birmingham, Alabama, where local white police

officials were known for their anti-black attitudes. Clashes between black demonstrators and police using

police dogs and fire hoses generated newspaper headlines through the world.

Subsequent mass demonstrations in many communities culminated in a march on August 28, 1963, that

attracted more than 250,000 protesters to Washington, D. C. Addressing the marchers from the steps of the

Lincoln Memorial, King delivered his famous “I Have a Dream” oration.

During the year following the March, King’s renown grew as he became Time magazine’s Man of the Year and,

in December 1964, the recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize.

He was assassinated on April 4, 1968, while seeking to assist a garbage workers’ strike in Memphis.

Source: http://www.mlkonline.net/bio.html


VOL 4

MALCOLM X

Malcolm X was born Malcolm Little on May 19, 1925 in

Omaha, Nebraska. His father, Earl Little, was an outspoken

Baptist minister whose civil rights activism prompted

death threats from the white supremacist organization

Black Legion, forcing the family to relocate twice before

Malcolm’s fourth birthday. In 1929 their Lansing, Michigan

home was burned to the ground. Two years later, Earl’s

body was found lying across the town’s trolley tracks.

Police ruled both incidents as accidents, but the Little’s

were certain that members of the Black Legion were

responsible. Louise suffered emotional breakdown several

years after the death of her husband and was committed

to a mental institution. Her children were split up amongst

various foster homes and orphanages.

Malcolm was a smart, focused student. He graduated from

junior high at the top of his class. However, when a favorite

teacher told Malcolm his dream of becoming a lawyer was

“no realistic goal for a nigger,” Malcolm lost interest in

school and dropped out.

In 1946 he was arrested and convicted on burglary charges,

and was sentenced to 10 years in prison. (He was paroled after serving seven years.) He used the time to

further his education. Malcolm’s brother Reginald would visit and discuss his recent conversion to the Muslim

religion. Intrigued, Malcolm began to study the teachings of Nation of Islam (NOI) leader Elijah Muhammad. By

the time he was paroled in 1952, Malcolm was a devoted follower with the new surname “X.” (He considered

“Little” a slave name and chose the “X” to signify his lost tribal name.)

Malcolm was appointed as a minister and national spokesman for the Nation of Islam. Elijah Muhammad also

charged him with establishing new mosques in cities such as Detroit, Michigan and Harlem, New York.

Malcolm’s faith was dealt a crushing blow at the height of the civil rights movement in 1963. He learned that

his mentor and leader, Elijah Muhammad, was secretly having relations with as many as six women within

the Nation of Islam organization, and that some of these relationships had resulted in children. In March 1964

Malcolm terminated his relationship with the NOI.

After Malcolm resigned his position in the Nation of Islam and renounced Elijah Muhammad, relations between

the two had become increasingly volatile. On February 14, 1965 the home where Malcolm, his wife and their

four daughters lived was firebombed. Luckily, the family escaped physical injury. One week later, however,

Malcolm’s enemies rushed him onstage while he was at a speaking engagement and shot him 15 times at

close range. The 39-year-old was pronounced dead on arrival at New York’s Columbia Presbyterian Hospital.

Malcolm’s assassins, Talmadge Hayer, Norman 3X Butler and Thomas 15X Johnson were convicted of firstdegree

murder in March 1966. The three men were all members of the Nation of Islam.

Source: http://history1900s.about.com/od/people/a/Malcolm-X.htm


SPRING 2020

CIVIL RIGHTS ACTIVISTS

THURGOOD MARSHALL

Thurgood Marshall was an American lawyer who served as Associate Justice

of the Supreme Court of the United States from October 1967 until October

1991. Marshall was the Court’s first African American justice.

One of his father’s favorite pastimes was to listen to cases at the local

courthouse before returning home to rehash the lawyers’ arguments with

his sons. Thurgood Marshall later recalled, “Now you want to know how I got

involved in law? I don’t know. The nearest I can get is that my dad, my brother,

and I had the most violent arguments you ever heard about anything. I guess

we argued five out of seven nights at the dinner table.”

After graduating from law school, Marshall briefly attempted to establish

his own practice in Baltimore, but without experience he failed to land any

significant cases. In 1934, he began working for the Baltimore branch of the

National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.

Later in 1936, Marshall moved to New York City to work full time as legal counsel for the NAACP. Over the

following decades, Marshall argued and won a variety of cases to strike down many forms of legalized

racism, helping to inspire the American Civil Rights Movement.

The greatest achievement of Marshall’s career as a civil-rights lawyer was his victory in the landmark 1954

Supreme Court case Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka. The class action lawsuit was filed on behalf of

a group of black parents in Topeka, Kansas on behalf of their children forced to attend all-black segregated

schools. Through Brown v. Board, one of the most important cases of the 20th century, Marshall challenged

head-on the legal underpinning of racial segregation, the doctrine of “separate but equal” established by

the 1896 Supreme Court case Plessy v. Ferguson.

On May 17, 1954, the Supreme Court unanimously ruled that “separate educational facilities are inherently

unequal,” and therefore racial segregation of public schools violated the equal protection clause of the

14th Amendment.

In 1967, President Johnson nominated Marshall to serve on the United States Supreme Court, and on October

2, 1967, Thurgood Marshall was sworn in as a Supreme Court justice, becoming the first African American

to serve on the nation’s highest court.

Thurgood Marshall stands alongside Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X as one of the greatest and most

important figures of the American Civil Rights Movement. Thurgood Marshall died on January 24, 1993, at

the age of 84.

Source: http://www.biography.com/people/thurgood-marshall-9400241


VOL 4

ROSA PARKS

Rosa Louise McCauley Parks was an American activist in the

civil rights movement best known for her pivotal role in the

Montgomery bus boycott. The United States Congress has

called her “the first lady of civil rights” and “the mother of the

freedom movement”.

Her refusal to give up her seat to a white passenger on a

segregated bus led to the Montgomery Bus Boycott. Her

bravery led to nationwide efforts to end racial segregation.

Parks was awarded the Martin Luther King Jr. Award by the

National Association for the Advancement of Colored People,

the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Congressional

Gold Medal.

In 1932, at age 19, Parks met and married Raymond Parks, a

barber and an active member of the NAACP. After graduating

high school with Raymond’s support, Parks became actively

involved in civil rights issues by joining the Montgomery chapter

of the NAACP in 1943, and serving as the chapter’s youth leader

as well as secretary to NAACP President E.D. Nixon — a post she

held until 1957.

On December 1, 1955, Parks was arrested for refusing a bus driver’s instructions to give up her seat to a white

passenger. She later recalled that her refusal wasn’t because she was physically tired, but that she was tired

of giving in.

The Montgomery City Code required that all public transportation be segregated and that bus drivers had

the “powers of a police officer of the city while in actual charge of any bus for the purposes of carrying

out the provisions” of the code. While operating a bus, drivers were required to provide separate but equal

accommodations for white and black passengers by assigning seats.

As the bus Parks was riding continued on its route, it began to fill with white passengers. Eventually, the

bus was full and the driver noticed that several white passengers were standing in the aisle. The bus driver

stopped the bus and moved the sign separating the two sections back one row, asking four black passengers

to give up their seats.

Members of the African American community were asked to stay off city buses on Monday, December 5, 1955

— the day of Parks’ trial — in protest of her arrest. People were encouraged to stay home from work or school,

take a cab or walk to work. With most of the African American community not riding the bus, organizers

believed a longer boycott might be successful. The Montgomery Bus Boycott, as it came to be known, was a

huge success, lasting for 381 days and ending with a Supreme Court ruling declaring segregation on public

transit systems to be unconstitutional.

With the transit company and downtown businesses suffering financial loss and the legal system ruling

against them, the city of Montgomery had no choice but to lift its enforcement of segregation on public

buses, and the boycott officially ended on December 20, 1956.

Source: https://www.biography.com/activist/rosa-parks


SPRING 2020

EDUCATORS

MARY MCLEOD BETHUNE

Mary McLeod Bethune founded the Daytona

Normal and Industrial Institute for Negro Girls in

Daytona, Florida in 1904. The school was combined

with the Cookman Institute for Men in 1923. The

merged institution became known as the Bethune-

Cookman College. Bethune also became a Special

Advisor to president Franklin D. Roosevelt.

Source: biography.com

BOOKER T.

WASHINGTON

Booker T. Washington was an educator, author,

orator, and advisor to multiple presidents

of the United States. He began his career

as an educator as a teacher at his old grade

school in Malden, Virginia. He later became

an instructor at Hampton University. He was

Founder and first President of Tuskegee

Normal and Industrial Institute (now known as

Tuskegee University).



VOL 4

ENTREPRENUERS

MADAM C.J. WALKER

Madam C. J. Walker created a hair care and cosmetics empire and

was a selfmade millionaire. During the 1890s, she developed a

scalp disorder that caused her to lose much of her hair, and she

began to experiment with both home remedies and store-bought

hair care treatments in an attempt to improve her condition. In

1907, Walker and her husband traveled around the South and

Southeast promoting her products. in 1908 Walker opened a

factory and a beauty school in Pittsburgh, and by 1910, when

Walker transferred her business operations to Indianapolis, the

Madame C.J. Walker Manufacturing Company had profits that

were the modern-day equivalent of several million dollars. At

the time of her death she was considered the wealthiest African

American businesswoman and the wealthiest self-made woman

in America.


CHARLES CLINTON SPAULDING,

AARON MCDUFFIE MOORE,

AND JOHN MERRICK

Charles Clinton Spaulding, Aaron McDuffie, and John Merrick

cofounded the North Carolina Mutual Life Insurance Company in

1898, now the oldest and largest African American life insurance

company in the United States. At the time, all three men were

members of the Durham community: Spaulding, the general

manager of a grocery company; Moore, a practicing physician; and

Merrick, an entrepreneur with barbershops across Durham. At the

time, Durham was referred to as “Black Wall Street”, notably for

the economic successes blacks were seeing through business. The

company still stands today – with assets estimated at $162 million.

Source: tech.co/news/21-successful-blackentrepreneurs-throughout-history-2015-02


SPRING 2020

ENTREPRENUERS

REGINALD F. LEWIS

Reginald F. Lewis was a lawyer, entrepreneur, and

philanthropist. In 1965, the Rockefeller Foundation

funded a summer school program at Harvard

Law School to introduce a select number of black

students to legal studies. Reginald lobbied for his

acceptance and got in. He made such an impression

that Lewis was invited to attend Harvard Law

School that fall; the only person in the 148-

year history of the school to be admitted before

applying. During his third year at Harvard Law,

Lewis discovered the direction his career would

take as the result of a course on securities law.

His senior year thesis on mergers and acquisitions

received an honors grade. One of his professors,

Frank Sander, said, “ Those of us on the faculty who

saw in him then the promise of greatness had no

idea of the extraordinary achievements be was

to attain.” A desire to “do the deals myself” led

Lewis to establish TLC Group, L.P. in 1983. His first

successful venture was the $22.5- million dollar

leveraged buyout of McCall Pattern Company. Fresh

on the heels of the McCall deal, Lewis purchased

the international division of Beatrice Foods (64

companies in 31 countries) and rebranded the

company as TLC Beatrice International, Inc. At $985

million, the deal was the largest offshore leveraged

buyout by an American company. With revenues of

$1.5 billion the corporation made it to the Fortune

500 and was first on the Black Enterprise List of

the Top 100 African American owned businesses.

even after his death in 1993, Lewis’ philanthropic

endeavors continue. Lewis’ biography “Why Should

White Guys Have All the Fun?” was co-authored by

former USA Today business writer Blair Walker and

made the Best Seller list of Business Week when

published in 1994..

Source: http://www.biography.com/people/reginald-f-lewis


VOL 4

ENTREPRENUERS

BERRY GORDY JR.

Berry Gordy Jr. is an entrepreneur, successful media

executive and businessman, and the founder of

Motown Records. He tried many careers—boxing,

record store ownership, assembly line worker and a

tour in the U. S. Army during the Korean War—until he

found a niche in the world of entertainment. A gifted

songwriter, Berry penned or co-wrote hits for Jackie

Wilson, including “Reet Petite,” “Lonely Teardrops”

and “To Be Loved.” Despite this success, Berry was

not content to write songs: He burned with the

entrepreneurial spirit. With an $800 loan from the

Gordy Family’s Ber-Berry Co-op, Berry set out in 1959

to apply some of the principles he learned in the auto

plant to the production of records and the creation

of music groups and solo artists. In 1960 Motown

released the song “Shop Around,” written by Smokey

Robinson and performed by him and the Miracles. The

song sold more than a million copies, and with that

record Gordy’s company launched the most successful

and influential era in the history of popular music.

Motown Records made more than 110 number-one hit

songs and countless top-ten records. The same vision

that conceived of Motown Records led Berry Gordy,

Jr., into the movie industry in the 1970s. Although he

had moved into a different medium, Berry’s eye for

talent was evident in the casting of Billy Dee Williams

opposite Diana Ross in two films, Lady Sings the Blues

and Mahogany. Hit movies followed his move to Los

Angeles, with Motown artists, like Diana Ross and

Michael Jackson starring in films Gordy produced,

including the film adaptation of the Broadway musical,

The Wiz. In June 1988 Gordy sold his company to MCA,

Inc. He kept control of Jobete, the music publishing

operation, and Motown’s film division, but he sold the

record company for $61 million..

Sources: motownmuseum.org/story/berry-gordy/, and

notablebiographies.com/Gi-He/Gordy-Jr-Berry.html


SPRING 2020

ENTREPRENUERS

OPRAH WINFREY

Oprah Winfrey is an entrepreneur, successful media

executive, cable television network owner, television

host, actress, producer and philanthropist. In 1976 while

living in Baltimore, Maryland, she hosted the TV chat

show People Are Talking. The show became a hit and

Winfrey stayed with it for eight years, after which she

was recruited by a Chicago TV station to host her own

morning show, A.M. Chicago. Her major competitor in

the time slot was Phil Donahue. Within several months,

Winfrey’s open, warm-hearted personal style had won

her 100,000 more viewers than Donahue and had taken

her show from last place to first in the ratings. The show

earned several Emmy Awards. Winfrey formed her own

television production company, Harpo Productions,

Inc., in 1986, and a film production company, Harpo

Films, in 1990. Winfrey broke new ground in 1996 by

starting an on-air book club. She announced selections

two to four weeks in advance and then discussed the

book on her show with a select group of people. In 1998

Winfrey expanded her media entertainment empire

when she co-founded Oxygen Media, which launched

a cable television network for women. She brokered a

partnership with Discovery Communications in 2008,

through which the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN)

replaced the Discovery Health Channel in January 2011.

Winfrey engaged in numerous philanthropic activities,

including the creation of Oprah’s Angel Network, which

sponsors charitable initiatives worldwide. In 2007 she

opened a $40 million school for disadvantaged girls

in South Africa. According to Forbes magazine, Oprah

was the richest African American of the 20th century

and at the time was the world’s only Black billionaire

for three years running. Life magazine hailed her as the

most influential woman of her generation.

Sources: biography.com/people/oprah-winfrey-9534419?page=1

and britannica.com/biography/Oprah-Winfrey


VOL 4

ENTREPRENUERS

JOHN H. JOHNSON

John H. Johnson is widely regarded as the most influential

African American publisher in American history. After

graduating from high school, Johnson went to work for

the Supreme Life Insurance Company while attending the

University of Chicago. While with Supreme, he was given the

job of compiling weekly news clippings for his boss, which

eventually gave him the idea for his first publication, Negro

Digest. In 1942, after graduating from the University of

Chicago, he acted on this idea, and with a $500 loan against

his mother’s furniture and $6,000 raised through charter

subscriptions, Johnson launched Negro Digest, which later

became Black World. Three years later, he launched Ebony,

and in 1951, Johnson Publishing expanded again, with the

creation of Jet, the world’s largest African American news

weekly magazine. Johnson also expanded from magazine

publishing into book publishing, and owned Fashion Fair

Cosmetics, the largest black-owned cosmetics company in

the world, Supreme Beauty Products, and produced television

specials. Johnson also later became chairman and CEO of

Supreme Life Insurance, where he had begun his career. In

addition to his business and publishing acumen, Johnson

was highly involved at both community and the national

level. President John F. Kennedy sent Johnson to the Ivory

Coast in 1961 as Special Ambassador to the independence

ceremonies taking place there, and President Johnson sent

him to Kenya in 1963 for the same purpose. After 71 years,

in June 2016, Johnson Publishing sold both Jet and Ebony to

private equity firm Clear View Group. The new publisher is

known as Ebony Media Corporation, but retained its Fashion

Fair Cosmetics business and its historic Ebony and Jet photo

archives. In July 2019, three months after Johnson Publishing

filed for Chapter 7 Bankruptcy liquidation, it sold its historic

Ebony and Jet photo archives (prints and negatives) to a

consortium of foundations to be made available to the public.

Johnson passed away on August 8, 2005 at the age of 87.

Sources: thehistorymakers.org/biography/john-h-johnson-40, and

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ebony_(magazine)


SPRING 2020

ENTREPRENUERS

EARL G. GRAVES, SR

Earl G. Graves, Sr. is an entrepreneur, publisher,

businessman, philanthropist, and advocate for

African American business. He is the founder of

Black Enterprise magazine, a business-service

publication targeted to black professionals,

executives, entrepreneurs, and policy makers. He is

also Chairman of Earl G. Graves, Ltd. media company.

In 1972, he was named one of the 10 most outstanding

minority businessmen in the country by the president

of the United States and received the National Award

of Excellence in recognition of his achievements

in minority business enterprise. He is also listed in

Who’s Who in America and was named one of 200

future leaders of the country by Time magazine in

1974. Earl G. Graves Sr. was previously chairman

and CEO of Pepsi-Cola of Washington, D.C., L.P., the

largest minority-controlled Pepsi-Cola franchise in

the United States. Graves was also an administrative

assistant to the late Senator Robert F. Kennedy from

1965 to 1968. After Senator Kennedy’s assassination,

Graves formed his own management consulting firm

to advise corporations on urban affairs and economic

development. His firm’s clients included major

multinational companies. In 2002, Fortune magazine

named Graves one of the 50 most powerful and

influential African Americans in corporate America. In

2007, Graves was inducted into the U.S. Business Hall

of Fame, which recognizes the contributions of the

nation’s most distinguished corporate professionals

who have enriched the economy and inspired young

people to pursue excellence in business and in life.

During the span of his business and professional

career, Graves has received numerous awards and

honors for his outstanding business leadership and

community service.

Source: blackenterprise.com/management/earl-g-graves-sr/


VOL 4

ENTREPRENUERS

CATHY HUGHES

Cathy Hughes is a dynamic media pioneer who is the Founder

and Chairperson of Urban One, Inc.(formerly known as Radio

One), the largest African-American owned and operated,

broadcast company in the nation. Hughes began her radio

career in her hometown of Omaha, Nebraska, at KOWH

(AM), a station owned by a group of African-American

professionals. In 1971, she moved to Washington, D.C.,

and became a lecturer in the newly established School of

Communications at Howard University. During her tenure,

she served as General Sales Manager at WHUR, Howard

University Radio, increasing the station’s revenue from

$250,000 to $3 million in her first year. She also became the

first woman Vice President and General Manager of a station

in the nation’s capital and created the format known as the

“Quiet Storm,” which revolutionized urban radio and was aired

on over 480 stations nationwide. In 1980, Hughes purchased her flagship station WOL-AM, in Washington

D.C., and pioneered yet another innovative format – “24-Hour Talk from a Black Perspective.” With the

theme, “Information is Power,” she served as the station’s morning show host for 11 years. In 1999, Cathy

Hughes became the first African-American woman to chair a publicly held corporation, following the sale

of more than seven million shares of common stock to the public. Along with her son and business partner

Alfred Liggins, III, she grew what was then Radio One into a multi-media company that became an urban

radio market leader with more than 60 stations across the country. It became the first African-American

company in radio history to dominate several major markets simultaneously, and Hughes became the first

woman to own a radio station that was ranked number one in a major market. Radio One also diversified

and launched the television network TV One in 2004 and entered the digital space with Interactive One,

now iOne Digital, in 2007. In May 2017, Radio One’s name was changed to Urban One, to reflect the market it

serves. Urban One, Inc. is now the parent corporation of several subsidiaries: TV One, the largest African-

American owned, cable television network in the country; Reach Media, which presents syndicated radio

programs like the Rickey Smiley Morning Show and the Tom Joyner Morning Show; iOne Digital, home of

several popular websites including Hello Beautiful and Cassius; and One Solution, a marketing firm that

allows advertisers to take advantage of all of the assets under the Urban One brand.

Source: http://cathyhughes.com/about/


SPRING 2020

ENTREPRENUERS

ROBERT LOUIS JOHNSON

Robert Louis Johnson is an African American entrepreneur,

media magnate, executive, philanthropist, and investor. Out

of the 2,043 people who appeared on the 2017 Forbes list

of billionaires, only three were African-American: Oprah

Winfrey, Robert Smith and Michael Jordan. But before any of

them appeared on the list, Robert L. Johnson, 75, became the

first African-American billionaire in 2001. Johnson created

Black Entertainment Television (BET), a prominent cable

station targeted toward an African-American audience, in

1980. In 1991, BET became the first black-owned company

to be traded on the New York Stock Exchange, according

to CNN Money. In 2001, Johnson became a billionaire after

selling the station to Viacom for $3 billion, which catapulted

his net worth to an estimated $1.3 billion. While Johnson

is no longer a billionaire, according to Forbes’ estimates,

he made history as the first African-American to join the

exclusive billionaire’s club. Johnson became the first black

majority owner of an NBA team with the purchase of the

Charlotte Bobcats. In 2010, he sold his majority stake

to Michael Jordan in a $275 million bid. Today, Johnson is

the owner and chairman of asset management firm RLJ

companies which he founded in 2004. The RLJ Companies is

a holding company with a diverse portfolio including hotel

real estate investment, private equity, financial services,

asset management, automobile dealerships, sports and

entertainment, and Video lottery terminal gaming. In 2016,

Johnson finalized a partnership agreement with AMC

Networks through his RLJ Company after launching his own

video on demand streaming service, Urban Movie Channel

(UMC) in 2014. According to the agreement, AMC will use

its programming and distribution clout to benefit Acorn TV

and UMC.

Sources: cnbc.com/2018/02/26/what-to-know-about-robertjohnsonamericas-first-black-billionaire.html

and en.wikipedia.org/

wiki/Robert_L._Johnson


VOL 4

ENTREPRENUERS

DAVID L. STEWARD

David L. Steward is an African American billionaire

businessman. He is chairman and founder of World Wide

Technology, Inc., one of the largest African-Americanowned

businesses in America.

After graduating from Central Missouri State University in

1973, Steward faced a new set of challenges. The country

was in the midst of a huge recession and his family could

not help him financially. Steward approached a local banker

and managed to borrow $300. With all of his possessions

in a knapsack, Steward hitchhiked to St. Louis and moved in

with his sister.

Steward joined Wagner Electric in 1974 but was laid off

in 1975. In 1976 Steward accepted a marketing and sales

position with the Missouri Pacific Railroad Company. It was

the first time that the Railroad had employed a person of color to sell rail services and Steward stayed with

the company until 1979 when he joined Federal Express. Dave served as a senior account executive for Fed

Ex, where he was recognized as salesman of the year and was inducted into the company’s sales hall of

fame in 1981.

In 1984, he borrowed $2,000 from his father for a period of just three weeks, found the right target company

and leveraged his railroad experience to purchase and launch Transportation Business Specialists, which

audited and reviewed freight bill and overcharges for the railroad industry. In 1987, Transport Administrative

Services was hired by Union Pacific Railroad to audit three years’ worth of freight bills for undercharges,

which meant managing $15 billion of rate information for a single client. Steward’s company built a

local area network to handle the data and completed the audit 40 times faster using new technology to

revolutionize railroad audits.

He quickly recognized he was not in the business of auditing freight bills… he was in the business of using

technology in a new, innovative way and wanted to be a part of the technological revolution, changing the

way people were doing business. In 1990, Steward founded World Wide Technology, Inc. Over the past two

decades, Steward and his executive team have built what started as a small logistics/ transportation audit

company into a leading systems integrator and supply chain solutions provider with over 4,000 employees

in offices throughout the world. Steward is one of five black billionaires in America, being 745th in the

Forbes Billionaires 2019 list.

Source: wwt.com/profile/dave-steward


SPRING 2020

EXPLORERS

MATTHEW HENSON

American explorer Matthew Henson was 4 years old,

when his father moved the family to Washington, D.C.

in search for work opportunities. His father died there,

leaving Henson and his siblings in the care of relatives.

At age 12, he left to work as a cabin boy on a ship. Over

the next six years and under the mentorship of Captain

Childs, Henson learned literacy and navigation skills.

After Captain Childs died, Henson met Robert E. Peary,

an explorer and officer in the U.S. Navy Corps of Civil

Engineers. On the recommendation of the store owner,

Peary hired Henson as his valet for his travel expeditions.

Peary and Henson would make multiple attempts to

reach the North Pole. The team’s final attempt to reach

the North Pole took place in 1908. On April 6, 1909, Peary,

Henson, four Eskimos and 40 dogs finally reached the

North Pole. In 1937, a 70-year-old Henson finally received

the acknowledgements he deserved: The highly regarded

Explorers Club in New York accepted him as an honorary

member, and the U.S. Navy awarded him a medal in 1946.

He also received a cherished gold medal from the Chicago

Geographic Society.

Source: biography.com/explorer/matthew-henson


VOL 4

EXPLORERS

JEAN BAPTISTE

POINT DU SABLE

Jean Baptiste Point Du Sable is regarded as the first permanent

resident of Chicago, Illinois. He has become known as the

“Founder of Chicago.” His foresight in perceiving the importance

of the site of Chicago, now one of the largest cities in the

United States, was matched by his uncommon affinity with

the local Native American tribes. Together, these factors led

this visionary entrepreneur to establish the most important

center of commerce, trade, and industry in the central United

States. On the site of the current Tribune Tower in downtown

Chicago, he established the first permanent home in the

region. He added a trading post, a bake house, a smokehouse,

a dairy, a mill, a horse stable, and a barn, in addition to

miscellaneous out-buildings. This complex became the main

trade and supply depot for trappers, woodsmen, pioneers,

traders, and Native Americans. On October 25, 1968, Du Sable

was officially recognized as the founder of Chicago by the

city and the state of Illinois.

Source: blackhistorynow.com/jean-baptiste-pointe-du-sable/


SPRING 2020

FREEDOM FIGHTERS

HARRIET TUBMAN

Harriet Tubman was an abolitionist and political activist.

Born into slavery, Tubman escaped and subsequently made

some 13 missions to rescue approximately 70 enslaved

people, including family and friends, using the network

of antislavery activists and safe houses known as the

Underground Railroad. She earned the nickname “Moses”

for her leadership. With the passage of the Fugitive Slave

Law which stated that escaped slaves could be captured

in the North and returned to slavery, Tubman re-routed

the Underground Railroad to Canada. A survey at the end

of the 20th century named her as one of the most famous

civilians in American history before the Civil War, third only

to Betsy Ross and Paul Revere.


NAT TURNER

Nat Turner was born into slavery but unlike most

enslaved African Americans, Nat was able to

attain the skills of reading and writing. Nat later

became a preacher and revolutionary leader of

other enslaved African Americans. He led a fourday

rebellion of both enslaved and free black

people in Southampton County, Virginia, beginning

August 21, 1831. The rebellion caused the death

of approximately 60 white men, women, and

children. He was eventually caught and Turner

pled not guilty during his trial, believing that his

rebellion was the work of God. He was sentenced

to death by hanging.



VOL 4

FREDERICK DOUGLASS

Frederick Douglass was an outspoken and eloquent speaker against

slavery, and was a supporter of women’s rights. Frederick Douglass

tried to escape from slavery twice before he succeeded. Eventually

Douglass was asked to tell his story at abolitionist meetings, after

which he became a regular anti-slavery lecturer. In addition to the

abolition, Douglass became an outspoken supporter of women’s rights.

In 1848, he was the only African American to attend the first women’s

rights convention at Seneca Falls, New York. Elizabeth Cady Stanton

asked the assembly to pass a resolution stating the goal of women’s

suffrage. Many attendees opposed the idea. Douglass stood and

spoke eloquently in favor, arguing that he could not accept the right

to vote as a black man if women could not also claim that right. The

resolution passed. By the time of the Civil War he was one of the most

famous black men in the country. He conferred with President Lincoln

on the treatment of black soldiers, and with President Andrew Jackson

on the subject of black’s having the right to vote. In 1872 he became

the first African American nominated to be vice president of the United States on the Equal Rights Party

ticket. Nominated without his knowledge or consent, Douglass never campaigned.

Source: biography.com/people/frederick-douglass-9278324

W.E.B. DU BOIS

W.E.B. DuBois was co-founder of the N.A.A.C.P. He was also an author

and outspoken social justice advocate. While growing up in a mostly

European American town, he identified himself as “mulatto,” but freely

attended school with whites and was enthusiastically supported

in his academic studies by his white teachers. In 1885, he moved to

Nashville, Tennessee, to attend Fisk University. It was there that he first

encountered Jim Crow laws. For the first time, he began analyzing the

deep troubles of American racism. After earning his bachelor’s degree

at Fisk, Du Bois entered Harvard University. In 1895, he became the first

African American to earn a doctorate from Harvard University. A year

later (1896), Du Bois published his landmark study, The Philadelphia

Negro, marking the beginning of his expansive writing career. In the

study, he coined the phrase “the talented tenth,” a term that described

the likelihood of one in 10 black men becoming leaders of their race. While

working as a professor at Atlanta University, Du Bois rose to national

prominence when he very publicly opposed Booker T. Washington’s

“Atlanta Compromise,” an agreement that asserted that vocational

education for blacks was more valuable to them than social advantages

like higher education or political office. In 1903 he published his seminal

work, “The Soul of Black Folks.” He was a proponent of Pan Africanism.

Source: biography.com/people/web-du-bois-9279924


SPRING 2020

INVENTORS

BRADLEY BENJAMIN

Bradley Benjamin was born a slave in 1830. He showed a talent

for invention and was referred by his master to the U.S. Naval

Academy as an assistant in their science department. It was

here that he invented the first steam engine for a ship. Since

he was a slave, he was not allowed to patent his invention,

however, he did sell the rights to it and bought his freedom.

Source: interestingengineering.com/the-a-z-list-of-black-inventors

ELIJAH MCCOY

Elijah McCoy was a master mechanic and engineer. In an effort

to improve efficiency and eliminate the frequent stopping

necessary for lubrication of the train, McCoy set out to

create a method of automating the task. In 1872 he invented

the “lubricating cup,” an automatic lubricating device for

locomotive steam engines. McCoy later invented the “graphite

lubricator” for superheater trains. Other inventors attempted

to sell their own versions of the device but most companies

wanted the authentic device, requesting “the Real McCoy,”

which is where this term originated. Owner of 57 U.S. Patents.

Source: blackinventor.com/pages/elijah-mccoy.html


VOL 4

INVENTORS

GARRETT MORGAN

Invented the traffic light and the forerunner of the gas Mask.

Developed first human hair straightener. On July 24, 1916 when

an explosion occurred in a tunnel being dug under Lake Erie by

the Cleveland Water Works, the tunnel quickly filled with smoke,

dust and poisonous gases and trapped 32 workers underground.

Garrett and his brother Frank quickly arrived at the scene, put

on the Safety Hood and entered the tunnel. After Morgan saved

many of the workers trapped in the tunnel using his gas mask,

orders came in from fire and police departments across the

country for the device. However many orders were canceled

when it was discovered that Morgan was black. Morgan never

forgot that his fellow Blacks still suffered injustices and

difficulties, to address these as he started a newspaper called

the Cleveland Call (later renamed as the Call & Post.)

Source: blackinventor.com/pages/garrett-morgan.html

GRANVILLE WOODS

Granville Woods Known as the black Thomas Edison,

Woods manufactured and sold telephone, telegraph

and electrical equipment. Invented the telegraphony

device; allowed transmission of voice and telegraph

messages over single line. Also invented Synchronous

Multiplex Railway Telegraph and was the owner of

more than 50 patents.



SPRING 2020

MEDICAL PIONEERS

DANIEL HALE WILLIAMS

Daniel Hale Williams was an African American general

surgeon, who in 1893 performed the first documented,

successful pericardium surgery (open heart surgery) in the

United States, without the benefits of a blood transfusion or

modern surgical procedures. Due to the discrimination of the day,

African American citizens were still barred from being admitted

to hospitals and black doctors were refused staff positions.

So, in 1891 Dr. Williams founded a hospital with an interracial

staff. In 1895, he co-founded the National Medical Association, a

professional organization for black medical practitioners, as an

alternative to the American Medical Association, which didn’t

allow African American membership.

Source: biography.com/people/daniel-hale-williams-9532269t

CHARLES DREW

Charles Drew was an African American surgeon and medical

researcher. He researched in the field of blood transfusions.

He developed a method of processing and store blood plasma

in blood banks. He organized the first large-scale blood bank

in the U.S. He managed two of the largest blood banks, for the

United States and Great Britain, during World War II. He was

Chief Surgeon at Freedman’s Hospital and was a professor at

Howard University. He resigned after a ruling that the blood of

African-Americans would be segregated.

Source: biography.com/people/charles-drew-9279094?page=1


VOL 4

SCIENTISTS

GEORGE WASHINGTON CARVER

George Washington Carver was an agricultural scientist and

inventor. He was the first black student at Iowa State. After

graduating he became a teacher and research scientist. He was

hired in 1896 by Booker T. Washington to run the agricultural

department at Tuskegee Institute. He discovered over 300

uses for the peanut. He actively promoted alternative crops to

cotton and methods to prevent soil depletion. He was the most

prominent black scientist of the early 20th century.

Source: biography.com/scientist/george-washington-carver

BENJAMIN BANNEKER

Benjamin Banneker was a free African-American

almanac author, surveyor, astronomer, and inventor.

Banneker had little formal education and was largely

self-taught. He was approached in February 1791 by his

friend Andrew Ellicott to survey the land staked out for

the new United States capital. When L’Enfant, the civil

engineer commissioned to design the capitol left the

project, he took all the designs with him, leaving the

project in disarray. According to writer Gaius Chamberlain,

“Banneker surprised them when he asserted that he

could reproduce the plans from memory and in two days

did exactly as he had promised.”

Source: biography.com/people/benjamin-banneker-9198038


SPRING 2020

SOCIAL JUSTICE WARRIOR

COLIN KAEPERNICK

Colin Kaepernick is a professional NFL Super Bowl quarterback who fights oppression globally. Originally fully

funded by Kaepernick, he founded the global Know Your Rights Camps to advance the liberation of Black and

Brown people through education, self-empowerment, mass-mobilization and the creation of new systems

that elevate the next generation of change leaders. In 2018, he completed his Million Dollar Pledge, where

he personally donated one million dollars to thirty-seven different organizations fighting for justice. He also

rallied the support of many friends including Alicia Keys, J. Cole, Kobe Bryant, Serena Williams, Steph Curry,

Zendaya and more, who matched his donations to raise an additional $400,000+ for these organizations to

continue their work on the ground in the communities.

He has done previous work with Camp Taylor, an organization helping children with congenital heart defects

after being adopted by parents who lost two children due to heart defects. Kaepernick has received the

Sports Illustrated Muhammad Ali Legacy Award, ACLU’s Eason Monroe Courageous Advocate Award, The

Puffin/Nation Prize for Creative Citizenship, Amnesty International’s Ambassador of Conscience Award, The

W.E.B. Du Bois Medal from Harvard University’s Hutchins Center and was awarded the Len Eshmont by his

NFL teammates, which is considered the most prestigious honor the players vote on..

Source: hhttps://kaepernick7.com/pages/mission


SPRING 2020

POLITICAL TRAILBLAZERS

BARACK OBAMA

Barack Hussein Obama was elected the 44th President of

the United States on November 4, 2008, and sworn in on

January 20, 2009. He is the first African American to hold

the office of President of the United States.

With a father from Kenya and a mother from Kansas,

President Obama was born in Hawaii on August 4, 1961.

After working his way through college with the help of

scholarships and student loans, President Obama moved

to Chicago, where he worked with a group of churches to

help rebuild communities devastated by the closure of

local steel plants.

He attended Harvard Law School, where he became the first

African-American president of the Harvard Law Review.

President Obama’s years of public service are based

around his unwavering belief in the ability to unite people

around a politics of purpose. In the Illinois State Senate,

he passed the first major ethics reform in 25 years, cut

taxes for working families, and expanded health care for

children and their parents. As a United States Senator, he

reached across the aisle to pass groundbreaking lobbying

reform, lock up the world’s most dangerous weapons,

and bring transparency to government by putting federal

spending online.

President Obama was named the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize

laureate. He was re-elected president in November 2012.

Source: http://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/president-obama


VOL 4


BARBARA JORDAN

Barbara Jordan was a groundbreaking African American

politician who grew up in a poor black neighborhood in

Houston, Texas.

After graduating from Texas Southern University in 1956,

Jordan continued her studies at Boston University Law

School. She was one of the few black students in the

program. Jordan returned to Texas after earning her degree

and set up her law practice.

Before long, Jordan became active in politics, and in 1962,

Jordan launched her first bid for public office, seeking a

spot in the Texas legislature. It took two more tries for her

to make history. In 1966, Jordan finally won a seat in the

Texas legislature, becoming the first black woman to do so.

Advancing in her career, Jordan won election to the U.S.

House of Representatives in 1972. As a member of the House Judiciary Committee, she was thrust into

the national spotlight during the Watergate scandal. Jordan stood as a moral compass during this time of

crisis, calling for the impeachment of President Richard M. Nixon for his involvement in this illegal political

enterprise.

At the 1976 Democratic National Convention, Jordan once again captured the public’s attention with her

keynote address. She told the crowd, “My presence here . . . is one additional bit of evidence that the

American dream need not forever be deferred.”

Announcing that she wouldn’t seek reelection, Jordan finished up her final term in 1979. Some thought

that she might have gone farther in her political career, but it was later revealed that Jordan had been

diagnosed with multiple sclerosis around this time.

In 1994, President Bill Clinton appointed Jordan to head up the Commission on Immigration Reform. He also

honored her with the Presidential Medal of Freedom that same year. She passed away two years later, on

January 17, 1996, in Austin, Texas. Jordan died of pneumonia, a complication of her battle with leukemia.

Sources: biography.com/people/barbara-jordan-9357991


SPRING 2020


COLIN LUTHER POWELL

Colin Luther Powell is an American politician and retired four-star general in the

United States Army.

It was at City College of New York, where Powell studied geology, that he found

his calling-in the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC). He soon became

commander of his unit. This experience set him on a military career and gave him

structure and direction in his life.

After graduation in 1958, Powell was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the

U.S. Army. His long and distinguished career includes service during the Vietnam

War, in Korea, and also includes numerous promotions and commendations.

In 1987, Powell became national security adviser, a post he held for the duration

of the Reagan administration. In 1989, President George H. W. Bush appointed

General Colin Powell as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The post is the

highest military position in the Department of Defense, and Powell was the first African-American officer to receive

that distinction.

In 2000, President George W. Bush appointed Colin Powell secretary of state, and Powell was unanimously confirmed

by the U.S. Senate. At that time, this was the highest rank in civilian government ever held by an African-American.

During his tenure, Powell came under fire for his role in building the case for the 2003 invasion of Iraq. Initially, Powell

had serious misgivings about President Bush’s plan to invade Iraq and overthrow Saddam Hussein. Bush decided to go

to war and, in a crucial moment, Powell agreed to support the president.

To advance the case for war with the international community, Powell appeared before the U.N. Security Council in

February 2003 to present evidence that Iraq had concealed an ongoing weapons development program. Powell’s

reputation for integrity helped convince many in Congress and the country that Iraq posed an imminent threat.

In September 2004, he testified before Congress that the intelligence sources he used in his February presentation to

the United Nations were “wrong” and it was unlikely that Saddam had any stockpiles of weapons of mass destruction.

In 2004, after acknowledging it was unlikely that Iraq possessed stockpiles of weapons of mass destruction, Powell

announced his resignation as secretary of state.

In October 2008, Colin Powell made headlines again when he announced his endorsement of Barack Obama for president.

Colin Powell has spent much of his life inspiring many with his leadership skills and life experiences. Along with his

wife, Powell began America’s Promise Alliance, as part of their dedication to the wellbeing of children and youth of all

socioeconomic levels and their commitment to seeing that young people receive the resources necessary to succeed.

Source: biography.com/people/colin-powell-9445708


VOL 4


CONDOLEEZZA RICE

Condoleezza Rice is an American political scientist, diplomat,

civil servant, and professor. She served as the 66th United States

Secretary of State.

In 1993, Rice became the first woman and first African American

to serve as provost of Stanford University, a post she held for six

years. During that time, she also served as the university’s chief

budget and academic officer.

In 200, Rice was appointed national security adviser by President

George W. Bush, becoming the first black woman (and second

woman) to hold the post. She went on to become the first black

woman to serve as U.S. Secretary of State in 2004, following Colin

Powell’s resignation, and served from January 2005 to 2009.

As Secretary of State, Rice dedicated her department to

“Transformational Diplomacy,” with a mission of building and

sustaining democratic, well-governed states around the world and

the Middle East in particular. To that end, she relocated American

diplomats to such hardship locations as Iraq, Afghanistan and Angola,

and required them to become fluent in two foreign languages. She

also created a high-level position to de-fragment U.S. foreign aid.

In March 2009, Rice returned to Stanford University as a political

science professor and the Thomas and Barbara Stephenson Senior

Fellow on Public Policy at the Hoover Institution. In September 2010,

she became a faculty member of the Stanford Graduate School of

Business and a director of its Global Center for Business and the

Economy. She is currently the Denning Professor in Global Business

and the Economy.

Rice speaks five languages fluently, she is an accomplished concert

pianist, has a reputation as a shopaholic and reportedly loves

expensive designer clothes by Armani and Oscar de la Renta.

Sources: biography.com/people/condoleezza-rice-9456857?page=1 and

gsb.stanford.edu/faculty-research/faculty/condoleezza-rice



HAROLD WASHINGTON

Harold Washington was an African American politician who

gained national prominence as the first African American

mayor of Chicago.

He served in the Illinois House of Representatives, the Illinois

State Senate, and the U.S. House of Representatives. During

his second term in Congress, Washington was persuaded by

black leaders to enter the 1983 mayoral race in Chicago.

Campaigning for reform and an end to city patronage, he won

the Democratic nomination by upsetting incumbent Mayor

Jane Byrne and Richard M. Daley, the son of four-term mayor

Richard J. Daley.

In the general election, Washington narrowly defeated

Bernard Epton, a virtually unknown white Republican, in a

record voter turnout tinged with racial overtones.

Washington was often unable to implement his programs

during his first term in office because the opposition in

City Council controlled a majority of the 50 council seats.

Washington ruled by veto.

After a court ruled that several ward boundaries violated the

law by disfranchising minority voters, new elections in those wards finally gave him control of the council

in 1986. The following year he was easily reelected to a second term even though he had pushed through an

unpopular $70 million property tax increase.

By the final months of 1987, Mayor Harold Washington was finally having things his own way. Elected to a

second term earlier in the year, Washington had a majority of the city’s 50 aldermen working with him.

During his time as mayor, Washington had chipped away at the Democratic machine’s patronage system by

appointing professionals, minorities and women to city positions. He had worked for economic development

in neighborhoods rather than just downtown.

Sitting in his fifth-floor office in City Hall one morning, talking to a press aide, he suddenly slumped over, his

face resting on the desktop. He had suffered a heart attack and died in office.

britannica.com/biography/Harold-Washington and en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harold_Washington

From left, Kaliegh Garris, Miss Teen USA; Nia Franklin, Miss America; Cheslie Kryst, Miss USA; Zozibini Tunzi, Miss Universe;

and Toni-Ann Singh, Miss World.Credit...Paras Griffin/Getty Images; Steven Ferdman/Getty Images; Stephen R. Sylvanie/

USA Today Sports, via Reuters; Paras Griffin/Getty Images; Daniel Leal-Olivas/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

In 2019, For the First Time,

Black Women Have Simultaneously

Held Titles of Five of the World’s

Top Beauty Pageants

SPRING 2020

WAR HERO

DORIS “DORIE” MILLER

During a short-lived but distinguished Navy career, Doris “Dorie”

Miller, with limited training and on his own volition, fought at Pearl

Harbor against attacking Japanese planes with anti-aircraft guns to

defend his ship and his country.

Miller did his basic training at the Naval Training Station in Norfolk,

Virginia, and reported to his first duty station in November 1939. He

served as a mess attendant, for the most part waiting on tables in

the dining facilities of the ammunition ship USS Pyro.

Soon after, he transferred to the battleship USS West Virginia.

There, he also became the West Virginia’s heavyweight boxing

champion. A two-month temporary tour of duty in June and July of

1940 took Miller to the Secondary Battery Gunnery School aboard

the USS Nevada, after which he returned to the West Virginia in

August 1940.

On December 7, 1941, Miller was serving aboard the West Virginia, anchored in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. The

Japanese attacked the U.S. fleet that day. Within minutes the entire U.S. fleet was engulfed in a massive

offensive by Japanese torpedo planes, bombers, and kamikaze fighters.

B efore trained gunners could arrive, Miller manned one of the 50-caliber Browning anti-aircraft machine

guns on deck. Despite his lack of training, he drew on his early experience shooting rifles on the family

farm, and by his own account, it came naturally: “It wasn’t hard. I just pulled the trigger and she worked

fine.” Witnesses say his marksmanship was outstanding. He is generally credited with shooting down three

Japanese planes, and some accounts estimate as many as six.

He died two years later aboard the USS Liscome Bay when the ship was hit by a torpedo and sank off

Butaritari atoll, according to the Navy.

For his courage during the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941, Miller became the first African American to receive

the Navy Cross. Along with the Navy Cross, Miller was awarded the Purple Heart; the American Defense

Service Medal, Fleet Clasp; the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal; and the World War II Victory Medal.

On Jan. 20, 2020 —the holiday marking the birthday of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.— the U.S. Navy

officially named its newest aircraft carrier, the future USS Doris Miller. USS Doris Miller will be the first

aircraft carrier named for an enlisted Sailor and the first named for an African American.

Source: http://blackhistorynow.com/doris-miller/


VOL 4

DEPUTY U.S. MARSHAL

BASS REEVES

During the late 19th Century no area in the United States was a haven

and a refuge for criminals like the Indian Territory, pre–statehood

Oklahoma. In 1875, Judge Isaac C. Parker, was given the task of

cleaning up the territory by President Ulysses Grant. One of the first

of the deputies hired by Judge Parker’s court was a former slave

from Texas (born in Arkansas) named Bass Reeves. Reeves was

an imposing figure said to have superhuman strength, and at 6’2,

180 lbs. he made even the most violent outlaws think twice before

they resisted arrest. This, along with the fact that he was a skilled,

ambidextrous gunslinger, could account for Reeves’ extraordinary

ability to round up and bring in multiple prisoners at once. He was

known to work in disguise in order to get information and affect

the arrest of fugitives he wanted to capture. Being a former slave,

Reeves was illiterate. He would memorize his warrants and writs. In

those thirty–two years it is said he never arrested the wrong person

due to the fact he couldn’t read. Bass Reeves escaped numerous

assassination attempts on his life, he was the most feared deputy

U.S. marshal to work the Indian Territory. He brought in outlaws by

the dozens from all over Indian Territory. Belle Star, infamous bandit,

bootlegger and horse thief, is said to have turned herself in when she

found out Reeves had the warrant for her arrest. On one occasion

he herded nineteen horse thieves to the federal jail in Fort Smith,

Arkansas, by himself. During his long career, he was credited with

arresting more than 3,000 felons. Historian Art Burton postulated

the theory that Bass Reeves may have served as inspiration for the

character of the Lone Ranger..

Source: http://www.nps.gov/fosm/learn/historyculture/bass_reeves.htm


SPRING 2020

SPACE EXPLORERS

MAE CAROL JEMISON, PH.D.

Mae Carol Jemison is an American engineer, physician, and

former NASA astronaut. She became the first black woman

to travel into space when she served as a mission specialist

aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour.

During her time at Morgan Park High School in Chicago,

Illinois, she became convinced she wanted to pursue a career

in biomedical engineering, and when she graduated in 1973 as

a consistent honor student, she entered Stanford University

on a National Achievement Scholarship.

At Stanford, Jemison received a B.S. in chemical engineering in

1977. Upon graduation, she entered Cornell University Medical

College to work toward a medical degree.

When she obtained her M.D. in 1981, she interned at Los

Angeles County/University of Southern California Medical

Center and later worked as a general practitioner. For the

next two and a half years, she was the area Peace Corps

medical officer for Sierra Leone and Liberia where she also

taught and did medical research. Following her return to the

United States in 1985, she made a career change and decided

to follow a dream she had nurtured for a long time. In October

of that year she applied for admission to NASA’s astronaut

training program.

When Jemison was chosen on June 4, 1987, she became the first

African American woman ever admitted into the astronaut

training program. On September 12, 1992, Jemison finally flew

into space with six other astronauts aboard the Endeavour on

mission STS47. During her eight days in space, she conducted

experiments on weightlessness and motion sickness on the

crew and herself. Altogether, she spent slightly over 190 hours

in space before returning to Earth on September 20.

Source:

biography.com/people/mae-c-jemison-9542378?page=1


VOL 4

SPACE EXPLORERS

GUION STEWART

BLUFORD JR., PH.D.

Guion Stewart Bluford Jr., Ph.D., is an American

aerospace engineer, retired U.S. Air Force officer and

fighter pilot, and former NASA astronaut, who is

the first African American and the second person of

African descent to go to space.

A distinguished U.S. Air Force Reserve Officers’

Training Corps member in college, he joined the U.S.

Air Force and served in the Vietnam War. Flying more

than 140 combat missions, he won several medals,

including the Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Palm.

After the war, Bluford enrolled at the Air Force Institute

of Technology, where he received a master’s degree in

aerospace engineering in 1974. He went on to earn a

Ph.D. in the same subject in 1978, the same year that

he was picked for the National Aeronautics and Space

Administration’s space program.

Guion S. Bluford made history on August 30, 1983, when

he became the first African American to experience

space travel. Bluford was a mission specialist aboard

the space shuttle Challenger. He conducted several

experiments during the mission, which included 98

Earth orbits in 145 hours and ended on September

5, 1983, when the spacecraft landed at Edwards Air

Force Base in California.

Bluford later joined crews of three other space

missions: He boarded Challenger again in October

1985 for a mission that included 111 Earth orbits in

169 hours and concluded the following month, when

Challenger returned to Edwards Air Force Base.

His last two missions, in 1991 and 1992, were both

completed aboard the orbiter Discovery.

Source: biography.com/people/guion-s-bluford-213031


SPRING 2020

SPORTS ICONS

MUHAMMAD ALI

Muhammad Ali (original name Cassius Marcellus Clay, Jr. was an American

professional boxer, activist, and philanthropist. Nicknamed “The Greatest,”

he is widely regarded as one of the most significant and celebrated sports

figures of the 20th century and as one of the greatest boxers of all time.

After advancing through the amateur ranks, he won a gold medal in the

175-pound division at the 1960 Olympic Games in Rome and began a

professional career.

Purists cringed when Clay predicted the round in which he intended to

knock out an opponent, and they grimaced when he did so and bragged

about each new conquest.

On February 25, 1964, Clay challenged Sonny Liston for the heavyweight

championship of the world. Liston was widely regarded as the most

intimidating, powerful fighter of his era. Clay was a decided underdog. But

in one of the most stunning upsets in sports history, Liston retired to his

corner after six rounds, and Clay became the new champion.

Two days later Clay shocked the boxing establishment again by announcing

that he had accepted the teachings of the Nation of Islam. On March 6, 1964,

he took the name Muhammad Ali, which was given to him by his spiritual mentor, Elijah Muhammad.

Then, on April 28, 1967, citing his religious beliefs, Ali refused induction into the U.S. Army at the height of the war

in Vietnam. Ali was stripped of his championship and precluded from fighting by every state athletic commission in

the United States for three and a half years. In addition, he was criminally indicted and, on June 20, 1967, convicted of

refusing induction into the U.S. armed forces and sentenced to five years in prison. Although he remained free on bail,

four years passed before his conviction was unanimously overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court on a narrow procedural

ground.

In October 1970, Ali was allowed to return to boxing, and on March 8, 1971, he challenged Joe Frazier, who had become

heavyweight champion during Ali’s absence from the ring. It was a fight of historic proportions, billed as the “Fight of

the Century.” Frazier won a unanimous 15-round decision.

On October 30, 1974, Ali challenged George Foreman, who had dethroned Frazier in 1973 to become heavyweight

champion of the world. The bout took place in Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of the Congo), and Ali knocked out

Foreman in the eighth round to regain the heavyweight title.

Ali was a member of the inaugural class of the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1990, and in 2005 he was awarded

the Presidential Medal of Freedom..

Source: britannica.com/biography/Muhammad-Ali-boxer


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JOE LOUIS

Joseph Louis Barrow, known professionally as Joe Louis, was

an American professional boxer. He reigned as the world

heavyweight champion from 1937 to 1949, and is considered to

be one of the greatest heavyweight boxers of all time.

Nicknamed the “Brown Bomber,” his knockout of Germany’s

Max Schmeling in 1938 made him a national hero, and he

established a record by retaining the championship for nearly

12 years.

Joe Louis hit the ground running as a professional in 1934,

obliterating opponents with his powerful jab and devastating

combos. By the end of 1935, the young fighter had already

dispatched former heavyweight champions Primo Carnera and

Max Baer. However, he reportedly did not train hard for his first

fight against former heavyweight champion Max Schmeling of

Germany, and on June 19, 1936, Schmeling scored a 12th-round

knockout to hand Louis his first professional defeat.

On June 22, 1938, Louis got the chance at a rematch with Schmeling. This time the stakes were higher:

With Schmeling hailed as an example of Aryan supremacy by Adolph Hitler, the bout took on heightened

nationalistic and racial overtones. This time Louis annihilated his German opponent with a first-round

knockout, making him a hero to both black and white Americans.

Of his 25 successful title defenses, nearly all came by knockout. After reigning as heavyweight champion

for 11 years and eight months, a record, Louis retired on March 1, 1949.

Saddled with financial problems, Louis returned to the ring to face new heavyweight champ Ezzard Charles

in September 1950, dropping a 15-round decision. He compiled a new winning streak against a series of

lesser opponents, but was no match for top contender Rocky Marciano; following their bout on October

26, 1951, which ended in a brutal eighth-round TKO, Louis retired for good with a career record of 68-3,

including 54 knockouts.

He was inducted into The Ring Magazine Boxing Hall of Fame in 1954 and the International Boxing Hall of

Fame in 1990. He was posthumously awarded a Congressional Gold Medal in 1982, and in 1993 he was the

first boxer to appear on a commemorative postage stamp.

Louis passed away from cardiac arrest on April 12, 1981.

Source: biography.com/people/guion-s-bluford-213031


SPRING 2020

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SATCHEL PAIGE

He began his professional career in the Negro leagues in

the 1920s and quickly became the biggest drawing card in

Negro baseball.

At the age of 42, Paige made his big league debut when Bill

Veeck signed him to a contract with the Indians on July 7,

1948. Two days later, Paige made his debut for a Cleveland

club involved in one of the tightest pennant races in

American League history.

On August 20, 1948, a 42-year-old Satchel Paige pitched the

Indians to a 1-0 victory over the White Sox in front of 78,382

fans, a night-game attendance record that still stands.

That summer and fall, Paige went 6-1 with three complete

games and a save and a 2.47 earned-run average. Cleveland

won the AL pennant in a one-game playoff against Boston,

then captured the World Series title in six games against

the Braves. Paige became the first African-American

pitcher to pitch in the World Series when he worked twothirds

of an inning in Game 5.

Paige pitched for the Indians again in 1949, then spent three

seasons with the St. Louis Browns from 1951-53, earning

two All-Star Game selections. He then returned to life in

the minors and barnstorming, resurfacing in the majors

at the age of 59 in a one-game stint with the Athletics. He

pitched three shutout innings.

Paige was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1971 as the first

electee of the Committee on Negro Baseball Leagues. He

passed away on June 8, 1982.

Source: biography.com/musician/beyonce-knowles


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JOSHUA GIBSON

“There is a catcher that any big league club would like

to buy for $200,000. His name is Gibson. He can do

everything. He hits the ball a mile. He catches so easy

he might as well be in a rocking chair. Throws like a rifle.

Too bad this Gibson is a colored fellow.”

Walter Johnson

Joshua Gibson was an American Negro league baseball

catcher. Baseball historians consider Gibson to be among

the very best power hitters and catchers in the history

of any league, including Major League Baseball. He was

referred to as the black Babe Ruth, but some – then and

now – believe it might be just as accurate to call the

Bambino the white Josh Gibson 1 .

“There exists no official source of statistics…no

compilations of scorecards.…Many gaps exist in the

historical record,” an authority on the Negro Leagues points out. The record-keeping was incomplete and

non-standardized, so the actual total is unclear and probably unknowable. That reality, that statistics

cannot be usefully compared between the Negro Leagues and the pre-integration major leagues, is an

unfortunate one, yet it is also largely irrelevant. Josh Gibson was, by so many accounts as to make the

claim indisputable, one of the greatest sluggers who ever stepped into a batter’s box.

For his “official” career, Josh Gibson hit 107 home runs and batted .350. His Grays teams won nine consecutive

league titles at one point, and he played on too many all-star teams to count.

Unofficially, he may have homered close to 900 times in various settings. Gibson’s National Baseball Hall

of Fame plaque credits him with “almost 800 homers” in a 17-year career, but it is the testimony of his peers

that truly underscores Josh Gibson’s prowess. “I played with Willie Mays and against Hank Aaron,” said Monte

Irvin. “They were tremendous players but they were no Josh Gibson.” Josh Gibson was elected to the Baseball

Hall of Fame in 1972, part of the inaugural induction of former Negro League stars. He was, truly, worthy of

the honor.

Source: Excerpts from Society for American Baseball Research written by Bill Johnson https://sabr.org/

bioproj/person/df02083c#sdendnote39anc

1 Ken Burns, volume 5 of the documentary series Baseball (“Shadow Ball”, 1994.

2 Lawrence Hogan, Shades of Glory (New York: National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, 2006): 380


SPRING 2020

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JESSE OWENS

James Cleveland “Jesse” Owens was an American track and field athlete

and four-time gold medalist in the 1936 Olympic Games. Owens specialized

in the sprints and the long jump, and was recognized in his lifetime as

“perhaps the greatest and most famous athlete in track and field history”.

In 1935, Jesse Owens made sporting history when he broke five world

records and equaled a sixth in the space of 45 minutes. One of these world

records, 8.13m in the long jump, would last for 25 years.

At the 1936 Berlin Games, Owens won four gold medals, in the 100m, 200m,

4x100m relay and the long jump. He managed to break or equal nine Olympic

records and also set three world records. One of those world records was

in the 4x100m relay. The quartet set a time that wouldn’t be bettered for

20 years.

Adolf Hitler hoped that the 1936 Berlin Games would prove his theory of

Aryan racial superiority. Instead, Owens’ achievements led the people of

Berlin to hail him, an African-American, as a hero.

Jesse Owens died of lung cancer in 1980. Since then a street and a school

have been named after him in Berlin, two US postage stamps have been

issued in his honour, and a memorial park has been opened in Alabama,

amongst other tributes.

Source: olympic.org/jesse-owens


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JACKIE ROBINSON

Jack Roosevelt Robinson was an American professional baseball player

who became the first African American to play in Major League Baseball

(MLB) in the modern era. Robinson broke the baseball color line when he

started at first base for the Brooklyn Dodgers on April 15, 1947.

Growing up in a large, single-parent family, Jackie excelled early at

all sports and learned to make his own way in life. At UCLA, Jackie

became the first athlete to win varsity letters in four sports: baseball,

basketball, football and track. In 1941, he was named to the All-

American football team.

In 1945, Jackie played one season in the Negro Baseball League, traveling

all over the Midwest with the Kansas City Monarchs. In 1947, Brooklyn

Dodgers president Branch Rickey approached Jackie about joining the

Brooklyn Dodgers. The Major Leagues had not had an African-American

player since 1889, when baseball became segregated. When Jackie

first donned a Brooklyn Dodger uniform, he pioneered the integration

of professional athletics in America. By breaking the color barrier in

baseball, the nation’s preeminent sport, he courageously challenged

the deeply rooted custom of racial segregation in both the North and

the South.

At the end of Robinson’s rookie season with the Brooklyn Dodgers,

he had become National League Rookie of the Year with 12 homers, a

league-leading 29 steals, and a .297 average. In 1949, he was selected

as the NL’s Most Valuable player of the Year and also won the batting

title with a .342 average that same year. As a result of his great success,

Jackie was eventually inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1962.

Jackie Robinson’s life and legacy will be remembered as one of the most

important in American history. In 1997, the world celebrated the 50th

Anniversary of Jackie’s breaking Major League Baseball’s color barrier.

On the date of Robinson’s historic debut, all Major League teams across

the nation celebrated this milestone.

Robinson’s No. 42 is the only number to be retired across baseball.

Since 2009, MLB honored Robinson on the anniversary of his debut

by having all players and staff wear his number, hence the matching

uniform numbers every year across baseball..

Source: jackierobinson.com/


SPRING 2020

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SIMONE BILES

Simone Biles is a five-time Olympic medalist (4 gold, 1 bronze). She is the holder of twenty-five world

championship medals, the most among men and women. She is the first woman gymnast to win three

consecutive World all-around titles. She has won the most World Championship gold medals won by a

female gymnast in history (10). She is the most decorated World Championship American gymnast with

14 total medals (10 gold, two silver, two bronze). Simone is the first woman to capture four gold medals

at a single World Championships (2014 & 2015) since the Soviet Union’s Ludmilla Tourischeva in 1974. She

is the first American woman in 23 years to win three all-around national titles. Simone is the first female

African American all-around world champion. She was honored as the 2014 Women’s Sports Foundation’s

“Sportswoman of the Year,” and in 2016 was named Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year and the BBC

Overseas Sports Personality of the Year. She is considered by many to be the greatest gymnast of all time.

Source: simonebiles.com/bio


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SERENA WILLIAMS

Serena Jameka Williams is an African American professional tennis player and former world No. 1 who

revolutionized women’s tennis with her powerful style of play. She has won 23 major singles titles, the most

by any man or woman in the Open Era. The Women’s Tennis Association ranked her world No. 1 in singles

on eight separate occasions between 2002 and 2017. She held the WTA No. 1 ranking in the world for 186

consecutive weeks, which ties Steffi Graf’s record for longest consecutive weeks ranked No. 1. She is a fourtime

Olympic gold medalist. In 2008 she established the Serena Williams Foundation, to assist American

youth touched by violent crime and also underprivileged children around the world. At age 31 she becomes

the oldest female tennis player to be ranked No. 1 since computer rankings began in 1975.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serena_Williams and https://cnn.com/2013/09/13/us/serena-williams-fast-facts/index.html


SPRING 2020

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TIGER WOODS

Eldrick Tont “Tiger” Woods is an American professional golfer. He is tied for first in PGA Tour wins and ranks

second in men’s major championships, and also holds numerous golf records. Woods is widely regarded as

one of the greatest golfers, and one of the most famous athletes of all time. In 1997, he became the youngest

man and the first African American to win the U.S. Masters. Woods won another 13 majors and was named the

PGA Player of the Year 10 times over the next 12 years, but he struggled to regain his top form after personal

problems surfaced in 2009. With his victory at the 2019 Masters, Woods claimed his first major title in nearly

11 years, and he went on to tie Sam Snead’s career record of 82 PGA Tour wins later that year.

Source: https://www.biography.com/athlete/tiger-woods


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MICHAEL JORDAN

Michael Jeffrey Jordan is a professional American basketball player, Olympic athlete, businessperson and

actor. Considered one of the best basketball players ever, he dominated the sport from the mid-1980s to the

late 1990s. Jordan led the Chicago Bulls to six National Basketball Association championships and earned the

NBA’s Most Valuable Player Award five times. With five regular-season MVPs and three All-Star MVPs, Jordan

became the most decorated player in the NBA. Outside of his career in basketball, Jordan has been involved

in a number of profitable business and commercial ventures. Between his profitable Nike partnership and his

ownership of the NBA Charlotte Hornets, Forbes estimated Jordan’s net worth to be over $1 billion in 2018.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serena_Williams and https://cnn.com/2013/09/13/us/serena-williams-fast-facts/index.html


SPRING 2020

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WILMA RUDOLPH

Wilma Glodean Rudolph was an African-American sprinter who became a world-record-holding Olympic

champion and international sports icon in track and field following her successes in the 1956 and 1960 Olympic

Games. In 1960, Rudolph became the first American woman to win three gold medals in track and field at a

single Olympics. Held in Rome, Italy, the 1960 Olympic Games were a golden time for Rudolph. After tying a

world record with her time of 11.3 seconds in the 100-meter semifinals, she won the event with her windaided

mark of 11.0 seconds in the final. Similarly, Rudolph broke the Olympic record in the 200-meter dash

(23.2 seconds) in the heats before claiming another gold medal with her time of 24.0 seconds. She was also

part of the U.S. team that established the world record in the 400-meter relay (44.4 seconds) before going on

to win gold with a time of 44.5 seconds.

Source: https://www.biography.com/athlete/wilma-rudolph

Photo: www.si.com


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ALTHEA GIBSON

Althea Neale Gibson was an African American tennis player and professional golfer, who dominated women’s

tennis competition in the late 1950s. She was one of the first Black athletes to cross the color line of

international tennis. In 1956, she became the first African American to win a Grand Slam title. She was the first

black player to win the French (1956), Wimbledon (1957–58), and U.S. Open (1957–58) singles championships.

in 1957 Gibson was voted Female Athlete of the Year by the Associated Press, becoming the first African

American to receive the honor; she also won the award the following year. Gibson took up professional golf in

1964 and was the first African American member of the Ladies Professional Golf Association. In 1971 she was

elected to the International Tennis Hall of Fame.

Source: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Althea-Gibson


SPRING 2020

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JIM BROWN

James Nathaniel Brown is an African American former professional football player, sports analyst and actor.

He was a fullback for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League from 1957 through 1965. In

college, Brown dominated the competition, both on the football field and on the basketball court. He also

ran track and was a talented lacrosse player. Along with his acting ambitions, Brown sought to use his fame

and influence in the service of African American causes. In the 1960s, he threw his support behind blackowned

businesses by helping to create the Negro Industrial Economic Union. In the late 1980s, he started

the Amer-I-Can program, which aimed to turn the lives of young gang members around. In 2002, Brown was

named the greatest football player of all time by The Sporting News. In SPRING 2020, during halftime of the

college football national championship game, he was recognized as the top college football player ever. He

was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1971.

Source: https://www.biography.com/athlete/jim-brown

Photo: athlonsports.com


VOL 4

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HANK AARON

Hank Aaron ascended the ranks of the Negro Leagues to become a Major League Baseball icon. He spent

most of his 23 seasons as an outfielder for the Milwaukee and Atlanta Braves, during which time he set many

records, including a career total of 755 home runs. Aaron ranks second all-time in home runs (755), third in hits

(3,771), third in games played (3,298) and fourth in runs scored (2,174). Over the course of his career, he won

two batting titles, led his league in homers and RBIs four times each, and won three Gold Gloves for fielding

excellence. In 1999, Major League Baseball introduced the Hank Aaron Award to honor the top hitter in each

league. The iconic Babe Ruth finished his career in 1935 with 714 home runs, a record considered untouchable

until Aaron tied Ruth’s record in 1974, and then on April 8, 1974, he banged out his record 715th home run

breaking the legendary Babe Ruth’s almost 40 year old record. After retiring as a player, Aaron moved into the

Atlanta Braves front office as executive vice president, where he became a leading spokesman for minority

hiring in baseball. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1982.

Source: https://www.biography.com/athlete/hank-aaron

Photo: sportingnews.com


SPRING 2020

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BILLIE HOLIDAY

Eleanora Fagan, professionally known as Billie Holiday, was an African American jazz singer with a career

spanning nearly thirty years. Also known as Lady Day, she had a seminal influence on jazz music and pop

singing. At the age of 18, Holiday was discovered by producer John Hammond while she was performing in

a Harlem jazz club. Hammond was instrumental in getting Holiday recording work with an up-and-coming

clarinetist and bandleader, Benny Goodman. Holiday later toured with the Count Basie Orchestra in 1937. The

following year, she worked with Artie Shaw and his orchestra. Holiday broke new ground with Shaw, becoming

one of the first female African American vocalists to work with a white orchestra. Promoters, however,

objected to Holiday—for her race and for her unique vocal style—and she ended up leaving the orchestra

out of frustration. Holiday married James Monroe in 1941. Already known to drink, Holiday picked up her new

husband’s habit of smoking opium. That same year, Holiday had a hit with “God Bless the Child.” Holiday gave

her final performance in New York City on May 25, 1959. Not long after this event, Holiday was admitted

to the hospital for heart and liver problems. She was so addicted to heroin that she was even arrested for

possession while in the hospital. On July 17, 1959, Holiday died from alcohol- and drug-related complications.

Her autobiography was made into the 1972 film Lady Sings the Blues with famed singer Diana Ross playing

the part of Holiday. In 2000, Holiday was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Source: https://www.biography.com/musician/billie-holiday

Photo: ethnicseattle.com


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ARETHA FRANKLIN

Aretha Louise Franklin was an American singer, songwriter, pianist, and civil rights activist, who defined the

golden age of soul music of the 1960s. Franklin began her career as a child singing gospel at New Bethel Baptist

Church in Detroit, Michigan, where her father C. L. Franklin was minister. Franklin’s musical gifts became

apparent at an early age. Largely self-taught, she was regarded as a child prodigy. A gifted pianist with a

powerful voice. At age 18, with her father’s blessing, Franklin switched from sacred to secular music. She

moved to New York City, where Columbia Records executive John Hammond arranged her recording contract.

While Franklin’s career did not immediately flourish, she found acclaim and commercial success after signing

with Atlantic Records in 1966, where producer Jerry Wexler allowed her to sculpt her own musical identity.

At Atlantic, Franklin returned to her gospel-blues roots, and the results were sensational. By the end of the

1960s, Aretha Franklin had come to be known as “The Queen of Soul”. In 1987 she became the first female

artist to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and in 2008 she won her 18th Grammy Award, making

her one of the most honored artists in Grammy history.

Source: https://www.biography.com/musician/aretha-franklin and https://www.britannica.com/biography/Aretha-Franklin

Photo: thetimes.co.uk


SPRING 2020

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SAM COOKE

Sam Cooke was an African American singer, songwriter, civil-rights activist and entrepreneur. He is commonly

known as the King of Soul for his distinctive vocals and importance within popular music. Forging a link between

soul and pop, he had a diverse repertoire that attracted both black and white audiences. He established his

own publishing company for his music in 1959 and negotiated an impressive contract with RCA in 1960, that

included ownership of his master recordings after 30 years. He continued to be a pioneer behind the scenes,

founding his own record label in the early 1960s. No one knows for certain what exactly happened in the

early hours of December 11, 1964. Cooke and a woman he was with at the Hacienda Motel, named Elisa Boyer,

had some type of altercation in their room, and Cooke then ended up in the motel’s office. He reportedly

clashed with the motel’s manager, and the manager shot Cooke. Cooke died from his injury. It was later ruled

justifiable homicide. Cooke was inducted into the Rock and Rock Hall of Fame in 1986.

Source: https://www.biography.com/musician/sam-cooke


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SAMMIE DAVIS JR.

Samuel George Davis Jr. was an American singer, musician, dancer, actor, vaudevillian, comedian and activist

known for his impressions of actors, musicians and other celebrities. At age three, Davis Jr. began his career

in vaudeville with his father Sammy Davis Sr. and the Will Mastin Trio, which toured nationally.

Davis studied tap dancing under Bill “Bojangles” Robinson but never received a formal education. After serving

in the U.S. Army he became the central figure of the Mastin Trio, not only singing and dancing but also playing

trumpet, drums, piano, and vibraphone; moreover, he was an accomplished mime and comedian.

He encountered virulent racial prejudice early in his career, but he endured to become one of the first African

American stars to achieve wide popularity. As his fame grew, his refusal to appear in any clubs that practiced

racial segregation led to the integration of several venues in Miami Beach and Las Vegas.

Along with his extremely successful nightclub career, Davis was also a popular recording artist, and he was

successful on Broadway.

Davis was a heavy smoker, and in 1989 doctors discovered a tumor in his throat. Although Davis underwent

radiation therapy and the disease appeared to be in remission, but it was later discovered to have returned.

On May 16, 1990, Sammy Davis Jr. passed away at his home in Beverly Hills, California, at the age of 64.

Source: britannica.com/biography/Sammy-Davis-Jr


SPRING 2020

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BEYONCÉ

Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter is a multi-platinum,

Grammy Award-winning recording artist, songwriter,

record producer, and actress who’s acclaimed for her

thrilling vocals, videos and live shows.

Beyoncé first captured the public’s eye as lead vocalist

of the R&B group Destiny’s Child. She later established

a solo career with her debut album Dangerously in Love,

becoming one of music’s top-selling artists with sold-out

tours and a slew of awards.

Beyoncé is the first female artist to debut at No. 1 on the

Billboard 200 with her first five studio albums. Her selftitled

fifth studio album was the fastest-selling album

distributed in iTunes history, having sold more than 80,000

copies in three hours, and more than 800,000 copies

throughout the weekend it was released alone. Knowles

has also starred in several films, including Dream Girls.

She married hip-hop recording artist Jay-Z in 2008 and the

couple has three children.

At the 2010 Grammy Awards, Knowles walked away with

six honors — the most wins in a single night by a female

artist at the time. By 2013, Knowles had won 16 Grammys.

One year after she canceled a planned appearance at

Coachella because of her pregnancy, Knowles took the

stage for an eagerly anticipated performance at the April

2018 music festival. The first black woman to headline the

event, Knowles wowed attendees and critics alike.

In addition to acting and performing, Knowles ran a clothing

line called House of Dereon with her mother. She also

launched her own fragrance, Heat, in 2010. Throughout her

career, Knowles has served as a spokesperson and model for

several other brands, including L’Oreal and Tommy Hilfiger.

Source: biography.com/musician/beyonce-knowles


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WHITNEY HOUSTON

Whitney Elizabeth Houston was cited as the most awarded female artist of all time by Guinness World

Records and remains one of the best-selling music artists of all time with 200 million records sold worldwide.

Music historians cite Whitney’s record-setting achievements: the only artist to chart seven consecutive #1

Billboard Hot 100 hits; the first female artist to enter the Billboard 200 album chart at #1; and the only artist

with eight consecutive multi-platinum albums.

In fact, The Bodyguard soundtrack is one of the top 5 biggest-selling albums of all-time (at 18x-platinum in

the U.S. alone), and Whitney’s career-defining version of Dolly Parton’s “I Will Always Love You” is the biggestselling

single of all time by a female artist (at 8x-platinum for physical and digital in the U.S. alone).

After establishing her screen appeal in her well-received music videos, Whitney finally made her movie debut

in The Bodyguard (November 1992). The film broke box office records worldwide.

Guinness World Records lists Whitney as music’s “most awarded female artist of all time,” with an amazing

tally of 411 awards (as of 2006), including six GRAMMY Awards, 16 Billboard Music Awards, 22 American Music

Awards, two Emmy Award nominations and one win, as well as MTV VMAs in the U.S. and Europe, NAACP

Image Awards, BET Awards, Soul Train Music Awards, and so on.

Nearly 35 years after the release of her debut album, Whitney was honored with induction into the Rock &

Roll Hall of Fame Class of 2020.

Source: whitneyhouston.com/biography/


SPRING 2020

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RAY CHARLES

Ray Charles Robinson was an American singer, songwriter, pianist, and composer. He was often referred to as

“The Genius.” He was a pioneer of soul music, integrating R&B, gospel, pop and country. he is considered one

of the greatest artists of all time.

Charles started losing his vision at the age of 6 due to glaucoma. He was blind by the age of 7, and his mother

sent him to a state-sponsored school, where he learned to read, write and arrange music in Braille. He also

learned to play piano, organ, sax, clarinet and trumpet.

The year 1960 brought Charles his first Grammy Award for “Georgia on My Mind,” followed by another Grammy

for the single “Hit the Road, Jack.”

Charles avoided jail after his arrest for possession by finally kicking the habit at a clinic in Los Angeles.

During his lifetime, Charles recorded more than 60 albums and performed more than 10,000 concerts.

Charles won 17 Grammy Awards, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986 and received the

Songwriters’ Hall of Fame 1993 Lifetime Achievement Award.

Charles learned he was suffering from liver disease, and he died on June 10, 2004, at his home in Beverly Hills,

California.

Source: biography.com/musician/ray-charles


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STEVIE WONDER

Stevland Hardaway Morris, better known by his stage name Stevie Wonder, is an African American singer,

songwriter, musician, multi-instrumentalist and record producer. He was born six weeks early with retinopathy

of prematurity, an eye disorder which was exacerbated when he received too much oxygen in an incubator,

leading to blindness.

Stevie Wonder made his recording debut at age 11 when he was discovered by Ronnie White of the Motown

recording group The Miracles. An audition followed with Motown founder Berry Gordy Jr., who didn’t hesitate

to sign the young musician to a record deal.

Over the next decade, Wonder had an array of No. 1 songs on the pop and R&B charts. In 1971, Wonder

negotiated a new contract with Motown that gave him almost total control over his records and greatly

increased his royalty rate. Wonder continued to churn out hits into the 1980s.

In addition to his acclaimed artistry, Wonder has routinely tackled social issues through his music and

appearances. He successfully spearhead a movement to create a national holiday recognizing the birthday

of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. On March 25th 1985, Wonder dedicated his Oscar win for Best Original Song with

“I Just Called To Say I Love You,” featured in the movie The Woman In Red, to anti-apartheid activist/future

president Nelson Mandela.

He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1989. Wonder has won 25 Grammy Awards, as well

as a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1996. He is one of only two artists and groups who have won

the Grammy for Album of the Year three times as the main credited artist, along with Frank Sinatra. In 2014,

Wonder received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Barack Obama.

Source: biography.com/musician/stevie-wonder


SPRING 2020

ENTERTAINMENT ICONS

MICHAEL JACKSON

Michael Joseph Jackson was an African American singer, songwriter, and dancer regarded as one of the most

significant cultural figures of the 20th century and one of the greatest entertainers in the history of music.

Jackson released several solo albums in the ’70s, but his great breakthrough came in 1979 with Off the Wall.

He became the first solo artist to score four Top 10 hits from one album. His next album, Thriller (1983),

became the biggest selling album up to that time, selling some 45 million copies around the world. This time,

he scored seven Top 10 singles, and the album won eight Grammys. The album stayed on the charts for 80

weeks, holding the No. 1 spot for 37 weeks. In 1991, Jackson signed an unprecedented $65 million record deal

with Sony.

Jackson underwent a facelift and nose job and was rumored to have lightened his skin through chemical

treatment. In 1993, Jackson agreed to a rare television interview with Oprah Winfrey to quell rumors. He

explained that the change in his skin tone was the result of a skin condition known as vitiligo, and he opened

up about the abuse he suffered from his father.

Michael Jackson was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Jackson 5 in 1997, and later as

a solo artist in 2001. Michael Jackson died on June 25, 2009, in Los Angeles, California..

Source: history.com/this-day-in-history/michael-jackson-is-born, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Jackson, and biography.com/

musician/michael-jackson


VOL 4

ENTERTAINMENT ICONS

PRINCE

Prince Rogers Nelson was an African American singer, songwriter, musician, record producer, dancer, actor,

and filmmaker. Prince is regarded as one of the greatest musicians in the history of popular music. Prince

taught himself how to play the piano, guitar and drums and was a rare composer who could perform at a

professional level on virtually all the instruments he required, and a considerable number of his recordings

feature him in all the performing roles.

With his band the Revolution, Prince went on to create the classic album Purple Rain (1984), which also served

as the soundtrack to the film of the same name, grossing almost $70 million at the U.S. box office. The movie

garnered an Academy Award for Best Original Song Score.

In the fall of 1992 Prince signed a record $100 million dollar deal with Warner Bros., which was considered

“the largest recording and music publishing contract in history” at the time.

Prince has sold over 100 million records worldwide, he was nominated for 38 Grammy Awards over the years

and won a grand total of seven. Prince was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004. Prince was

found dead at his Paisley Park estate on April 21, 2016. An autopsy later revealed that he had died from an

accidental overdose of fentanyl, a powerful opioid..

Source: biography.com/musician/prince, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prince_(musician), britannica.com/biography/Prince-singer-andsongwriter


MILLENIALS CHAN

This year let’s not only remember those that paved a way for us, but let’s

FREDDIE FIGGERS

Founder of

Figgers Communication

First Ever Black-Owned

4G LTE Smart Phone

ANGEL RICH

Founder, The Wealth Factory, Inc.,

which designs financial literacy

and workforce development

education technology. Creator,

Credit Stacker app. Named by

Forbes Magazine as “The Next

Steve Jobs.”

MARLEY DIAS

wanted little brown girls to be

able to see themselves in the

books they read, so she founded

#1000BlackGirlBooks, a social

media campaign to collect and

donate children’s books with

black girl protagonists. The

youngest person on Forbes’

30 Under 30 list.

GING THE WORLD

also support those that are still here paving a way for the black community

TAMIKA MALLORY

is an African American activist who

was one of the leading organizers

of the 2017 Women’s March, for

which she and her three other cochairs

were recognized in the Time

100 year. Mallory is a proponent

of gun control, feminism, and the

Black Lives Matter movement.

DURELL COLEMAN

is the founder and CEO of DC

Design, a social impact design firm

that uses Human-Centered Design

to co-develop validated, long

lasting solutions to complex social

problems, such as new approaches

to criminal justice reform and

developing new educational

models for the 21st century.

MORGAN DEBAUN

is an African American

entrepreneur who is the cofounder

and CEO of Blavity,

the largest media company

for black millennials. Blavity’s

network includes five websites

including Blavity.com, 21ninety.

com, Travelnoire.com, AfroTech.

com, and Shadowandact.com.

BLACK HISTORY TIMELINE OF

Mar. 5, 1770

Mar. 13, 1773

June 17, 1775

Feb. 2, 1807

May 24, 1854

Sept. 22, 1862

Jan. 1, 1863

Jan 24, 1865

June 19, 1865

Jan 9, 1866

Mar. 2, 1867

Nov. 28, 1868

Mar. 30, 1870

July 2, 1872

Dec. 9, 1872

Feb. 14, 1879

Dec. 2, 1884

Apr. 7, 1885

Sept. 13, 1886

Crispus Attucks becomes one of the first casualties of the American

Revolution.

Jean Baptiste Pointe DuSable, Black pioneer and explorer, founded the city

of Chicago.

Peter Salem, a Minuteman, fights in the battle of Bunker Hill.

Congress bans foreign slave trade.

Lincoln University of Pennsylvania, the first Black college in the U. S. is

founded.

The Emancipation Proclamation is announced.

President Abraham Lincoln issues Emancipation Proclamation.

Congress passes 13th Amendment, which on ratification abolished slavery.

Blacks in Texas notified of Emancipation Proclamation; Juneteenth now

marks this event.

Fisk University is founded in Nashville, Tennessee.

U. S. Congress enacts charter to establish Howard University.

14th Amendment, granting Blacks full citizenship rights, becomes part of

the Constitution.

15th Amendment ratified, guaranteeing voting rights to African Americans.

Elijah McCoy patents his first self-lubricating locomotive engine.

The quality of his inventions helped coin the phrase “The Real McCoy.”

P.B.S. Pinchback from Louisiana becomes first African American governor

in U. S.

B. K. Bruce becomes first African American to preside over U. S. Senate.

Granville T. Woods patents telephone transmitter.

Granville T. Woods patents Synchronous Multiplex Railway Telegraph.

Alain Locke, literary critic and first African American Rhodes Scholar, is

born.


IMPORTANT DATES & EVENTS

Oct. 11, 1887

May 14, 1888

July 5, 1892

July 9, 1893

Sept. 18, 1895

May 18, 1896

Oct. 20, 1898

May 23, 1900

Nov. 6, 1901

Feb. 12, 1909

Apr. 6, 1909

Sept. 29, 1910

July 25, 1916

Aug. 26, 1920

Feb. 19, 1923

Jan. 29, 1926

Aug. 23, 1926

May 16, 1927

Dec. 6, 1932

Granville T. Woods patents telephone system and apparatus.

Slavery abolished in Brazil.

Andrew J. Beard patents rotary engine.

Dr. Daniel Hale Williams performs first successful open-heart operation.

Booker T. Washington delivers famous Atlanta Exposition speech.

Plessy vs. Ferguson, U. S. Supreme Court upholds the doctrine of "separate

but equal" education and public accommodations.

The first African American owned insurance company, North Carolina Life

Insurance Company, is founded.

Sgt. William H. Carney, first African American awarded Congressional

Medal of Honor for valor at Fort Wagner, S. C., 1863.

James Weldon Johnson and J. Rosamond Johnson compose "Lift Every Voice

and Sing", widely regarded as the Black national anthem.

NAACP founded in New York City.

Matthew A. Henson, Black explorer, becomes first to reach North Pole.

National Urban League founded in New York City.

Garrett Morgan, inventor of the gas mask, rescues six people from gasfilled

tunnel in Cleveland, OH.

19th Amendment, giving women the right to vote is ratified.

In Moore vs. Dempsey decision, U. S. Supreme Court guarantees due

process of law for Blacks in state courts.

Violette Nealy Anderson becomes the first Black woman lawyer to argue a

case before the U.S. Supreme Court.

Carter G. Woodson, educator, historian and author, inaugurates Negro

History Week.

William H.Barnes becomes the first African American certified by any

American Surgical Board.

Richard B. Spikes patents automatic gearshift.


July 22, 1939

Mar. 9, 1941

Dec. 22, 1943

Dec. 13, 1944

June 21, 1945

Apr. 10, 1947

Jan. 12, 1948

July 12, 1949

Dec. 10, 1950

May 17, 1954

Sept. 7, 1954

Oct. 27, 1954

Dec. 5, 1955

Oct. 3, 1956

Sept. 24, 1957

Feb. 1, 1960

May 4, 1961

Aug. 5, 1962

Sept. 30, 1962

June 12, 1963

Aug. 28, 1963

Jane M. Bolin from New York City, appointed first African American

female judge.

Amistad defendants freed by U.S. Supreme Court.

W.E.B. DuBois, first African American elected to National Institute of Arts &

Letters.

First African American servicewomen sworn into the WAVES.

Col. Benjamin O. Davis, Jr. becomes first African American to command U.S.

Army Corps base.

Jackie Robinson first African American to play baseball in major leagues.

Supreme Court rules African Americans have right to study law at state

institutions.

Frederick M. Jones patents air conditioning unit used in food transportation

vehicles.

Dr. Ralph J. Bunche becomes the first Black to be awarded the Nobel Peace

Prize.

U. S. Supreme Court declares segregation in public schools unconstitutional

in Brown vs. Board of Education decision.

Washington, D.C. and Baltimore, MD public schools integrated.

Benjamin O. Davis, Jr. becomes first African American general in the U.S. Air

Force.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. organizes Birmingham bus boycott.

Nat King Cole becomes first Black performer to host his own TV show.

Federal troops enforce court-ordered integration as nine children, who

become known as the Little Rock Nine, integrate Central High School in

Little Rock, AR.

Four students at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical College in

Greensboro, N.C., begin a sit-in at Woolworth's Drug Store.

Freedom Riders begin protesting segregation of interstate bus travel in the

South.

Nelson Mandella, South African freedom fighter, imprisoned. He was not

released until 1990.

Under protection of federal marshalls, James Meredith enrolls as the first

African American student at University of Mississippi.

Medgar W. Evers, civil rights leader, is assassinated in Jackson, MS.

The March on Washington becomes the largest civil rights demonstration

in U.S. history. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. delivers famous “I Have A Dream”

speech.


Sept. 15, 1963

June 24, 1964

Oct. 14, 1964

Feb. 21, 1965

Mar. 14, 1965

Mar. 21, 1965

July 13, 1965

Jan. 3, 1967

June 13, 1967

Apr. 4, 1968

Nov. 5, 1968

Feb. 13, 1970

Nov. 26, 1970

Jan. 4, 1971

Jun. 2, 1971

May 29, 1973

Oct. 16, 1973

Apr. 8, 1974

July 5, 1975

Feb. 3, 1977

Jan. 16, 1978

Nov. 30, 1982

Four African American girls killed in Birmingham, AL church bombing.

Carl T. Rowan appointed the Director of the U.S. Information Agency.

At 35, Dr. M. L. King, Jr., becomes youngest man ever to win Nobel Peace

Prize.

Malcolm X assassinated in New York.

Montgomery bus boycott ends when municipal bus service is desegregated.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. leads voting rights march from Selma to

Montgomery, AL.

Thurgood Marshall becomes first African American appointed U.S. Solicitor

General.

Edward William Brooke III becomes the first black senator (Massachusetts)

since Reconstruction.

Thurgood Marshall becomes first African American appointed to U.S.

Supreme Court.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. assassinated in Memphis.

Shirley Chisholm of Brooklyn, NY, becomes first African American woman

elected to Congress.

Joseph L. Searles becomes first African American member of NY Stock

Exchange.

Charles Gordone becomes first Black playwright to receive the Pulitzer

Prize for drama for his play No Place to Be Somebody.

Congressional Black Caucus formed

Samuel L. Gravely, Jr. becomes first African American admiral in U.S. Navy.

Tom Bradley elected mayor of Los Angeles.

Maynard Jackson elected mayor of Atlanta.

Hank Aaron breaks Babe Ruth's career all-time home run record.

Arthur Ashe becomes the first African-American male to win the British

Men's Singles championship at Wimbledon.

The eighth and final episode of the mini-series, Roots, based on Alex

Haley’s novel, airs, receiving the highest ratings for a single program.

NASA names Black astronauts: Maj. Frederick D. Gregory, Maj. Guion S.

Bluford, and Dr. Ronald McNair.

Michael Jackson releases Thriller; with sales of $110 million, it becomes the

best-selling recording of all time.


Apr. 12, 1983

Apr. 18, 1983

June 22, 1983

Aug. 30, 1983

Sept. 17, 1983

Aug. 10, 1984

Jan. 20, 1986

Sept. 8, 1986

June 5, 1987

Mar. 31, 1988

July 20, 1988

Feb. 22, 1989

Apr. 20, 1989

Aug. 10, 1989

Jan. 13, 1990

Feb. 11, 1990

Apr. 13, 1990

Nov. 6, 1990

Mar. 3, 1991

Sept. 12, 1992

Harold Washington becomes first African American mayor of Chicago.

Alice Walker's The Color Purple wins the Pulitzer Prize for fiction.

The State Legislature of Louisiana repeals the last racial-classification law

in the U.S.

Lt. Col. Guion S. Bluford becomes first African American astronaut in space.

Vanessa Williams becomes first African American woman to win Miss

America.

Carl Lewis wins four gold medals at the L.A. Olympics, matching Jesse

Owens' record of 1936.

First Martin Luther King Day celebrated.

The Oprah Winfrey Show is syndicated in more than 120 American cities.

Dr. Mae C. Jemison becomes first Black woman astronaut.

Toni Morrison wins Pulitzer Prize for Beloved.

Jesse Jackson receives 1,218 delegate votes at the Democratic National

Convention.

Col. Frederick D. Gregory becomes the first African American to command a

space shuttle mission.

Five black and Latino teens (Antron McCray, Kevin Richardson, Yusef

Salaam, Raymond Santana, and Korey Wise), who became known as the

Central Park Five, were arrested for the assault and rape of Trisha Meili,

a 28-year-old white investment banker. In 2002, the five were later

exonerated and their charges were vacated.

Gen. Colin Powell is nominated Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff, the first

African American to hold the post.

L. Douglas Wilder becomes first African American U. S. governor (Virginia)

since Reconstruction.

Nelson Mandela is freed after 27 years in prison.

African-American playwright August Wilson wins Pulitzer Prize for The

Piano Lesson.

Sharon Pratt Kelley elected mayor of Washington, D.C., the first African-

American female to head a major city.

Rodney King brutally beaten in San Fernando Valley by L.A. police officers,

sparking riots, an investigation and subsequent trial.

Dr. Mae C. Jemison becomes first African American woman to travel in

space.


Oct. 7, 1993

Oct. 16, 1995

July 9, 2000

Dec. 16, 2000

Dec. 17, 2000

July 3, 2001

2004

Nov. 7, 2006

Nov. 4, 2008

Feb. 2, 2009

June 25, 2009

Nov. 10, 2009

Aug. 22, 2011

Jan. 20, 2013

Toni Morrison becomes the first African American to win the Nobel Prize for

literature.

Million Man March held in Washington, D.C.

Venus Williams becomes the first black woman to win the Women's Singles

title at Wimbledon since Althea Gibson in 1957 and 1958.

President George W. Bush appoints Colin L. Powell as secretary of state.

President George W. Bush appoints Condoleezza Rice as national security

adviser.

Ruth Simmons becomes first black president of an Ivy League university,

Brown University.

Four black men — Kenneth Chenault (American Express), Richard Parsons

(Time Warner), Franklin Raines (Fannie Mae) and E. Stanley O'Neal (Merrill

Lynch) — have become CEOs of Fortune 500 companies.

Deval Patrick is elected first African American governor of Massachusetts.

Barack Hussein Obama elected first African American president of the U.S.

The U.S. Senate confirms, with a vote of 75 to 21, Eric H. Holder Jr. as

attorney general of the United States. Holder is the first African American

to serve as attorney general.

Michael Jackson, the "King of Pop," dies of a drug overdose.

President Obama delivers his acceptance speech in Stockholm, Sweden on

receiving the Nobel Peace Prize.

The Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial on the National Mall in Washington,

D.C. opens to the public, and is officially dedicated on October 16.

Barack Obama is sworn in for his second term as president.

This timeline is not intended to be an all-inclusive listing of all historical events involving

African Americans, but is a compilation of the achievements of many great black Americans

and some of the major events in black American history gathered from various sources.


IN LOVING MEMORY

KOBE & GIANNA

KOBE BRYANT

August 23, 1978 - January 26, 2020

GIANNA “GIGI” BRYANT

May 1, 2006 - January 26, 2020

NORVALE Duerson



Justice Program

BE THE CHANGE

YOU

WANT TO SEE

FRIDAY

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