This Week In Black History (August 2nd – August 9th)

August 3, 1960 – Niger declared independence from France. The country’s first president, the leader of the Niger Progressive Party, Hamani Diori, ruled the country for 14 years. The country celebrates their independence in Enugu. (Photo Courtesy: Getty Images)

August 4, 1901 – Louis Armstrong was born in New Orleans. Armstrong was known famously as “Satchmo,” and was an everything from a trumpeter, bandleader, singer, soloist, actor and comedian. The jazz legend is known for songs such as “Star Dust,” “La Vie En Rose” and “What a Wonderful World.” (Courtesy Photo)

August 5, 1962 – Basketball great, Patrick Ewing was born in Kingston, Jamaica. Ewing is a retired Hall of Fame basketball player who is best known for winning Olympic gold medals in basketball in 1984 and 1992. (Courtesy Photo)

August 6, 1965 – The Voting Rights Act of 1965 was signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson. The act granted African Americans the right to vote. (Photo Courtesy: Newsmakers)

August 7, 1904 – Diplomat and Nobel Peace Prize winner Ralph Bunche was born in Detroit. In 1950, Bunche was awarded a Nobel Peace Prize for his work on the conflict in Palestine. (Courtesy Photo)

August 8, 1911 – Broadway and television actress Rosetta LeNoire was born in New York City. LeNoire, became famously known for her role as the grandmother, Mother Winslow on sitcom “Family Matters” in the 1990s. She starred on Broadway in “A Streetcar Named Desire,” “The Sunshine Boys,” “Lost in the Stars,” “Cabin in the Sky,” “Sophie” and starred in “Anna Lucasta.” A pioneer, she broke barriers in casting interracial roles in classic Hollywood era. (Courtesy Photo)

August 9, 1869 – An inventor and philanthropist, Annie Malone was born. She became a businesswoman, who founded a cosmetics line for African American women. Malone developed her own line of hair care products, “Wonderful Hair Grower.” In 1920, she was a multi-millionaire. (Courtesy Photo)

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