This Week In Black History (September 14 – September 20)
September 14, 1973 – Rap legend Nas was born in Crown Heights, Brooklyn and grew up in Queens, one many origins of Hip-Hop. He is celebrated for his originality and socially-conscious music. He debuted album “Illmatic,” in 1994 with major success. Singles “One Love,” N.Y. State of Mind” “The World Is Yours” and more remain popular amongst his fan-base to date. A pioneer within the 1990’s East Coast rap scene, the lyricist is one the most influential rappers in the industry who is respected among his peers, fans and still sells out arenas.
September 15, 1963 – In the Birmingham Church Bombing, four Black girls: Denise McNair, Carole Robertson, Addie Mae Collins and Cynthia Wesley were killed in the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama by members of the Ku Klux Klan with an erupting bomb. Civil right leaders, Martin Luther King, Ralph David Abernathy and Fred Shuttlesworth were well known members of Sixteenth Street Baptist Church. (Photo Courtesy: Associated Press/SL)
September 16, 1889 – Journalist, entrepreneur, and social justice advocate, Claude A. Barnett born in Sanford, Florida, founded the Associate Negro Press, the first and only Black news wire services in the US. Barnet. He graduated from Tuskegee Institute in 1906. (Courtesy Photo)
September 17, 1968 – Sitcom “Julia” premieres on NBC with Diahann Carroll as the main character. Carroll starred in films “Carmen Jones” (1954) and “Porgy and Bess” (1959), however, it was “Julia” that made Hollywood take notice. She was a trailblazer becoming one of few Black actresses to land their own show in mainstream media and the first modern television show to star an African American woman since “Beulah” in the 1950’s. (Courtesy Photo)
September 18, 1919 – An American football pioneer, Fritz Pollard becomes the first Black person to play Professional football for a major team, the Akron Indians. Pollard was also the first Black man to play in the Rose Bowl and was the first African American coach. (Photo Courtesy: Associated Press)
Sept. 19, 1963 – Iota Phi Theta Fraternity was founded on this year at Morgan State University. Twelve men were influenced by the civil rights movement (Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), Black Panthers, Malcolm X and Stokely Carmichael and more) in establishing the fraternity. It is one of the Divine 9, a collection of predominantly Black fraternities and sororities. (Photo: Iota Phi Theta)
September 20, 1984 – Lovable and affluent classic 80’s sitcom, “The Cosby Show” premieres on NBC. (Photo Courtesy: NBC)
