January 26

Angela Davis (born January 26, 1944) is an American political activist, scholar, and author. She emerged as a nationally prominent activist and radical in the 1960s....

Bessie Coleman (January 26, 1892 – April 30, 1926) was the first woman of African American or Native American descent to earn an aviator’s license. Unable to find anyone willing to train a black woman to fly in the U.S., she learned French so that she could train in France and was encouraged by Robert S. Abbott, founder and publisher of the Chicago Defender. She was the first American of any race or gender to earn an international pilot’s license. Upon returning to the U.S. she began a barnstroming career, first appearing at an American airshow on September 3, 1922, at an event honoring veterans of the all-black 369th Infantry Regiment of World War I. She died at age 34 during a test flight for an exhibition in Jacksonville, Florida before she could realize her dream of opening an aviation school for African Americans.


Birthdays

Zara Frances Cully (January 26, 1892 – February 28, 1978) was best known for her role as Olivia "Mother Jefferson" Jefferson on the CBS sitcom The Jeffersons (1975-78). She was one of the oldest performers active in television at the time of her death, and originated the Mother Jefferson role on an episode of All in the Family at the age of 82. A graduate of the Worcester School of Speech and Music, she was a drama teacher at her own studio as well as at Edward Waters College in Jacksonville, and had become known as Florida's "Dean of Drama" before relocating to Hollywood in 1940.

May Miller (January 26, 1899 – February 8, 1995) was the most widely published female playwright of the Harlem Renaissance, with seven published volumes of poetry during her career as a writer. She was a graduate of Howard University in 1920 and did graduate work in poetry and drama at American University and Columbia University, followed by twenty years teaching English and speech at Frederick Douglass High School, in Baltimore, Maryland. She helped establish the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities, serving as Chair of the Literature Panel for the Commission’s first three years.  She was the daughter of educator and activist Kelly Miller.

Huey "Piano" Smith (born January 26, 1934, New Orleans, is a rhythm and blues pianist whose sound was influential in the development of rock and roll. Allmusic journalist, Steve Huey, noted "At the peak of his game, Smith epitomized New Orleans R & B at its most infectious and rollicking, as showcased on his classic signature tune, "Don't You Just Know It."

Ivan Gladstone Van Sertima (26 January 1935 – 25 May 2009) was born in Karina Village, Guyana, when Guyana was still a British colony; he retained his British citizenship throughout his life. He published They Came Before Columbus in 1976, as a Rutgers graduate student. The book deals mostly with his claims of African origin of Mesoamerican culture in the Western Hemisphere, but among other things also writing that the kings of the 25th Dynasty of Egypt were Nubians.

Sherian Grace Cadoria (born January 26, 1943) was the first African American female general in the United States Army and the highest ranking female at the time of her retirement in 1990 with the rank of Brigadier General. She is a graduate of Southern University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and holds a Master of Arts degree in Social Work from the University of Oklahoma. Initially in the Women's Army Corps, she transferred to the Military Police Corps in the 1970s.

Angela Davis (born January 26, 1944) is an American political activist, scholar, and author. She emerged as a nationally prominent activist and radical in the 1960s, as a leader of the Communist Party USA, and had close relations with the Black Panther Party through her involvement in the Civil Rights Movement despite never being an official member of the party. She was a professor at the University of California, Santa Cruz, in its History of Consciousness Department and a former director of the university's Feminist Studies department.

Dr. L. Natalie Carroll (born January 26, 1950) is a 1974 graduate of Meharry Medical College and the next year became the first woman to complete a surgery internship at the Washington Hospital Center in Washington, D.C. In 1978, became the first African American woman to complete an obstetrics/gynecology residency at the same facility. She has had an OB/GYN practice in Houston since 190, and in 2002 was elected president of the National Medical Association (NMA), the oldest and largest organization of black healthcare professionals in the United States.

Events

On January 26, 1863, Edwin Stanton, the U.S. Secretary of War, gave Massachusetts Governor John A. Andrew permission to begin recruiting black troops for the first U.S. Colored Regiment. Andrew set about assembling officers for the 54th Massachusetts Infantry, all of whom are to be white, as mandated by the government. Two weeks after the call for volunteers, more than 1,000 free blacks from Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio and other Northern states, as well as newly-freed slaves from the South, answered the call to join the 54th Massachusetts Infantry.

On January 26, 1990, Elaine Weddington Steward was named assistant general manager of the Boston Red Sox of the American League, becoming the first African American woman to hold an executive position in MLB. She graduated with honors from St. John’s University in 1984 with a B.S. in Athletic Administration, followed by a law degree from St. John's Law School in 1987. While attending St. John’s she served as an intern in the New York Mets public relations department, and joined the Red Sox as general counsel in 1988.



Photo Gallery

Historic American Buildings Survey W. N. Manning, Photographer, January 26, 1935 S.W. CORNER OF DOUBLE LOG SLAVE HOUSE - Freeman-Caver-Christian House, Upper Friendship Road, Oxford, Calhoun County, AL

Lena Horne and Eleanor Roosevelt in Mrs. Roosevelt’s Manhattan apartment prior to their appearance on 'The Frank Sinatra Timex Show' on January 26, 1960. Ms. Horne worked with the former first lady to pass anti-lynching legislation. Photo via Bettman/Corbis.

Earl Campbell (left) and Bum Phillips (right) are recognized as part of Houston's 41 sports legends during the opening ceremony of Super Bowl XXXVIII in Houston, Texas, January 26, 2004.

US President Barack Obama walks to his car upon arriving in Romules, Michigan, on January 26, 2012. AFP Photo/Jewel Samad

Publications

Actress, singer, model and poet Mauryne Brent on the January 26, 1956 cover of Jet Magazine

Emmett Till Murder Case Could Be Reopened - Jet Magazine, January 26, 1956

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January 1

On January 1, 1863, President Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation which called for the freedom of approximately three million enslaved people in 10 states of the Confederacy. It did not apply to border states (Missouri, Kentucky, Maryland, Delaware) or some areas under Union control, although it did have the effect of freeing those who escaped to those areas and inspired many to do so. It was not enforceable in most places but had the impact of making the eradication of slavery an explicit military goal of the Union. It also called for the recruitment of African American men as Union soldiers.

Birthdays

Randall Albert Carter (January 1, 1867 - February 6, 1954) was ordained an elder in the Colored (now Christian) Methodist Episcopal Church in 1887 and served as a presiding elder from 1894 to 1898 and 1903 to 1914 before being elected bishop in 1914 with the largest vote any candidate had received to that time. He was President of the Board of Trustees of Texas College and a member of the Executive Committee of the Association for Study of Negro Life and History. Bishop Carter was born in Fort Valley, Georgia, and held BA, MA, and DDiv degrees from Paine College in Augusta, Georgia.

Muriel Petioni (January 1, 1914 - December 6, 2011) was a Harlem physician and activist. Her family emigrated from Trinidad when she was 5, and her father graduated from Howard Medical School in 1925, establishing a practice at their home on 131st Street. She joined him in 1937, after graduating from Howard as the only woman in her class. She was also a school physician and active in many community organizations promoting health care, housing development and education.

John Henrik Clarke (January 1, 1915 - July 16, 1998) was a self-educated writer, editor, and historian of the African Diaspora. He came from Alabama to Harlem in 1933, becoming a member of the Harlem History Club and the Harlem Writers' Workshop. He taught at Cornell and Hunter College where he was founding chairman of the Department of Black and Puerto Rican Studies. He also founded the  African Heritage Studies Association and the Black Caucus of the African Studies Association.

Milt Jackson (January 1, 1923 – October 9, 1999) played guitar, piano, drums and violin before took up the vibraphone at 16 after hearing Lionel Hampton play the instrument in Benny Goodman's band. He was discovered by Dizzy Gillespie, who hired him for his sextet in 1945, then his larger ensembles. He and  pianist John Lewis, bassist Ray Brown, and drummer Kenny Clarke formed the Modern Jazz Quartet in 1952, playing together for over 20 years, and reuniting during the 1980s.

Matthew Beard, Jr. (January 1, 1925 – January 8, 1981) was most famous for portraying the character of Stymie in the Our Gang short films from 1930 to 1935. The character's trademark was a bald head crowned by an oversize derby hat, a gift to Beard from comedian Stan Laurel, who had also worked under Our Gang creator Hal Roach. After leaving the series at age ten he appeared in several films including Captain Blood, Jezebel, and The Return of Frank James. He was addicted to heroin for most of his adult life but after successful rehab he resumed acting, appearing on television and in a cameo appearance in The Buddy Holly Story as a member of the backstage crew at the Apollo Theatre, wearing his trademark bowler hat.

James Reeb (January 1, 1927 – March 11, 1965) was severely beaten by white supremacists on "Turnaround Tuesday", the day of protests after the "Bloody Sunday" violence toward voting rights activists in Selma, Alabama, as they attempted to cross the Edmund Pettis Bridge. Rev. Reeb survived brain surgery but died two days after the attack. He was a Unitarian Universalist minister who also served as community relations director for the American Friends Service Committee's Boston Metropolitan Housing Program and had traveled to Alabama in response to a nationwide plea from the Southern Christian Leadership Conference for faith leaders to personally join the protests. People across the country were outraged at the killing, and President Johnson invoked Rev. Reeb’s memory on March 15 when he delivered a draft of the Voting Rights Act to Congress. Four men were indicted for the murder; three were acquitted and the fourth fled the state and was not returned.

Matthew Thomas (Matt) Robinson, Jr. (January 1, 1937 – August 5, 2002) was the first actor to portray the character of Gordon Robinson on the long-running PBS children's TV program Sesame Street. When Sesame Street began in 1969, not only did Robinson play Gordon, but he also provided the voice of the puppet Roosevelt Franklin and also was one of the show's producers. After leaving the show in 1972  he wrote and produced the films Save the Children and Amazing Grace, and wrote scripts for Sanford and Son and Eight Is Enough. In 1983, he joined the staff of the NBC's The Cosby Show as a producer and staff writer. He is the father of actress Holly Robinson Peete and a 1958 graduate of Penn State University where he was president of  Omega Psi Phi fraternity.

Events

On January 1, 1808, the importation of slaves into the United States was formally abolished. Although this had been a goal of abolitionists since the Constitutional Convention of 1787, it was not until March 1807 that a bill was passed outlawing the trade, taking effect the following year. However the trade continued illegally, primarily between U.S. ports on the Gulf of Mexico and those in the Caribbean.

On January 1, 1916, The Journal of African American History, formerly The Journal of Negro History, was founded by Dr. Carter G. Woodson. Since then, the Journal has evolved into the leading scholarly source on African American life and history. The Journal of African American History in still in publication and continues to explore "African Americans and Movements for Reparations: Past, Present, and Future," and the articles and reviews shed new light on past activities and point to new directions.




Photo Gallery

January 1, 1864: Parker Robbins of Bertie County, a free person of color of mixed African and Native American descent, enlisted in the 2nd United State Colored Cavalry Regiment at Fort Monroe, Va.

Lena Horne, with a group of Tuskegee Airmen on January 1, 1945, left. There are countless photos of Ms. Horne visiting Tuskegee Airmen and other military personnel to show her support for their service. She also showed her support for them by refusing to perform for segregated military audiences during World War II  

Malcolm X and Muhammad Ali in Harlem January 1, 1964.

To curb his fear of flying, Rosey Grier picked up a hobby that would keep him preoccupied: needlepoint. On January 1, 1973 he released “Rosey Grier’s Needlepoint for Men” thereby making it okay for the hypermasculine to sit down and needlepoint a picture of themselves on a pillow case.

January 1, 1980: Diana Ross and Mary WIlson (The Supremes) buying shoes, Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images.

(L-R) Spike Lee, Randy Jackson, Janet Jackson and Whitney Houston at The United Negro College Fund in New York City, January 1, 1999

Publications

Shirley Robinson and Ernest Brown, Jr. The First Negro Couple to be Wed on Television - Jet Magazine, January 1, 1953

Errol Garner and Eartha Kitt on Voices of Firestone - Jet Magazine, January 1, 1959

Jet Magazine, January 1, 1976 On the cover: Sherman Hemsley

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December 27

Clementine Hunter (December 27, 1886 - January 1, 1988) was a self-taught folk artist from the Cane River region in Louisiana. She worked as a farm hand, never learning to read or write. She began painting in her fifties, using brushes and paints left by an artist who visited Melrose Plantation, where she lived and worked. Hunter's artwork depicted plantation life in the early 20th century, documenting a bygone era. By the end of her life, Hunter's work was being exhibited in museums and sold by dealers for thousands of dollars. Hunter was granted an honorary Doctor of Fine Arts degree by Northwestern State University of Louisiana in 1986. In 2013 director Robert Wilson presented a new opera about her: Zinnias: the Life of Clementine Hunter, at Montclair State University in New Jersey.

Birthdays

Henry P Cheatham (December 27, 1857 - November 29, 1935) was an educator, farmer and politician, elected as a Republican member of the US House of Representatives from 1889 to 1893 from North Carolina. He was one of only five African Americans elected to Congress from the South in the 1890's as disfranchisement reduced black voting. After that, no African Americans would be elected from the South until 1972 and none from North Carolina until 1992.

William A. Harper (December 27, 1873 - March 27, 1910) took a job as a janitor at the Art Institute of Chicago while saving money in order to attend the school. He graduated with honors in 1901 and later taught in Houston and studied in Europe under Henry Ossawa Tanner. He died of tuberculosis while on a painting trip to Mexico at the age of 36.

John Amos (born Dec 27, 1939) played James Evans, Sr. on the 1970s  television series Good Times. His television work includes roles in The Mary Tyler Moore Show, the miniseries Roots, for which he received an Emmy nomination, and a recurring role in The West Wing. He also played the father of Will Smith's character's girlfriend, Lisa Wilkes, in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. He holds a degree in sociology from Colorado State University.

Isola Jones (born December 27, 1949) sang over 500 performances at the Metropolitan Opera; more than twice that of any black singer before her. She debuted at the Met in 1977 as Olga in Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin, and stayed with the company for sixteen seasons. The title role of DeMars' opera Guadalupe, Our Lady of the Roses was written for her.

Varnette Honeywood (December 27, 1950 - September 12, 2010) is best known for having her paintings shown as part of the set decorations of The Cosby Show. Her work, primarily depicting everyday African American life, was strongly influenced by Romare Bearden and Jacob Lawrence. With her sister Stephanie she founded the greeting card company Black Lifestyles, the first such company specializing in African American themes.

Events

The Second Day of Kwanzaa is December 27. To represent the second doctrine or principle the left-most red candle is lit after the black one. This principle is Kujichagulia or Self- Determination. The person who lights the candle on 2nd day makes a statement which is related to the second principle. The Unity cup is shared & the candles are extinguished.

On December 27, 1892 the first intercollegiate football game between two African American institutions was played in Salisbury NC. Biddle University (now Johnson C. Smith University, shown here) defeated Livingston College 5-0 when the gamed was called after snow completely covered the field.



Photo Gallery

18th Boule | Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. | December 27-30, 1935

British contralto Evelyn Dove (1902-1987) wearing a mantilla and holding a fan in a photography by Carl Van Vechten taken on December 27, 1935. 

Morris Thomas defying segregated bus seating: Tallahassee, Florida (December 27, 1956). The Tallahassee bus boycott and suspension of bus service followed the arrest of two FAMU students on May 26, 1956 and continued through the spring of 1957.

Preston Bruce, the White House Doorman, stands with his family in front of the Christmas tree in the Blue Room. Kennedy administration, December 27, 1961.

Obama shares a laugh with a supporter in Hawaii on December 27, 2010. [Photo: Getty Images]

Publications

Lena Horne, Sexiest Actress - Jet Magazine, December 27, 1951 

Dickie Wells, Billie Holiday and Tallulah Bankhead at Club Ebony - Jet Magazine, December 27, 1951

Actress Dorothy Dandridge - Jet Magazine, December 27, 1951

Chicagoan Barbara Pace Covers Jet Magazine December 27, 1956

At 118, William E Davis is Oldest Social Security Recipient - Jet Magazine December 27, 1956

New York Airways Hires Perry Young, Their First Black Pilot - Jet Magazine December 27, 1956

Dorie Miller's Mother Honors Recipients of Dorie Miller Award in Chicago - Jet Magazine December 27, 1956

The Black Panther (December 27, 1969) "Although my body may be bound and shackled, the driving force cannot be held down by chains, and will always pick freedom and dignity."

Redd Foxx Jet Magazine - December 27, 1973

Moving North: African Americans and the Great Migration 1915-1930 (Crossroads America) by Monica Halpern. $12.95. Publication: December 27, 2005. Reading level: Ages 5 and up. 40 pages. Series - Crossroads America. Publisher: National Geographic Children's Books

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