This Week In Black History (January 18 – January 24)
January 18,1975 – “The Jeffersons” premiered on CBS network this year, marking the comedy as one of the first sictoms to feature an all Black family. (Courtesy Photo)
January 19, 2006 – R&B, rock &roll and soul singer-songwriter, Wilson Pickett was a pioneer in soulful music. Pickett recorded over 50 songs and topped the R&B charts, and the US Billboard Hot 100. Classic hits, “In the Midnight Hour,” “Land of 1,000 Dances”, “Mustang Sally”, and “Funky Broadway” led to his 1991 induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. (Courtesy Photo)
January 20, 2013 – Former President Barack Obama is sworn in for his second term at the 57th Presidential Inauguration Ceremony, Washington, D.C. A private swearing-in ceremony took place on Sunday, January 20, 2013 in the Blue Room of the White House, while a public inauguration ceremony took place on Monday, January 21, 2013, at the United States Capitol building. (Photo Courtesy: Andrew Harnik/The Washington Times)
January 21, 1951 – Eric H. Holder, Jr. was born in Bronx, New York. Holder served as the 82nd Attorney General of the United States from 2009 to 2015. (Courtesy Photo)
January 22, 1948 – Civil rights leader Benjamin Franklin Chavis, Jr. was born in Oxford, North Carolina. He is the author of “Psalms from Prison” and “An American Political Prisoner.” In 1993, Chavis was became the Executive Director and CEO of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). During his term, he advocated for crime, social and economic issues plaguing the Black community. In 1995, he held the position of National Director of the Million Man March. Chavis served as President and CEO of the Hip-Hop Summit Action network, co-founded by hip-hop mogul Russell Simmons. He currently serves as the CEO and President of the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA). (Courtesy Photo)
January 23, 1977 – Historical miniseries “Roots,” based on Alex Haley’s 1976 novel “Roots: The Saga of an American Family” aired on ABC network that year. (Courtesy Photo)
January 24, 1979 – Actress Tatyana Ali is best known for her role as Ashley in comedy “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” was born in Long Island, NY. (Courtesy Photo)
