People, Locations, Episodes

Soul Train (Music Program) Airs On TV

*On this date in 1971, Soul Train aired on television.  This African American music-dance television program aired in syndication until March 27, 2006. In its 35-year history, the show primarily featured performances by R&B, Soul, dance/pop, and hip-hop artists, although funk, jazz, disco, and gospel artists also appeared. The series was created by Don Cornelius, who also served as its first host and […]

Snoop Doggy Dogg, Rapper, and Entertainer born

*Snoop Doggy Dogg was born on this date in 1971. He is a Black rapper, songwriter, media personality, actor, and entrepreneur. He was born Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr. in Long Beach, California, to Vernell Varnado and Beverly Tate. His father, a Vietnam War veteran, singer, and mail carrier, left the family only three months after […]

Alice Bah Kuhnke, Politician born

*Alice Bah Kuhnke was born on this date in 1971. She is an Afro Swedish (Black Swede) politician and former actress. Alice Bah grew up in Horda in Småland, Sweden, the daughter of a Gambian father and a Swedish mother. She attended a track-and-field-oriented high school in Växjö and was one of the country’s best female sprinters […]

Maya Rudolph, Actress, and Singer born

*Maya Rudolph was born on this date in 1972.  She is a Black actress, comedian, and singer.   Maya Khabira Rudolph was born in Gainesville, Florida, to singer-songwriter Minnie Riperton and composer Richard Rudolph. Her mother was black, and her father is white-Ashkenazi Jewish. Her paternal grandfather was Sidney Rudolph, a philanthropist who once owned all […]

Ava DuVernay, Filmmaker born

*Ava DuVernay was born on this date in 1972.  She is a Black filmmaker and film distributor.   Ava Marie DuVernay is from Long Beach, California. Her mother, Darlene Sexton, an educator, and her stepfather, Murray Maye, raised her.  Her biological father’s surname, Joseph Marcel DuVernay III, originates from Louisiana.   She grew up in Lynwood, California. She has four brothers and sisters.  In 1990, […]

Dave Chappelle, Comedian, and Actor born

*Dave Chappelle was born on this date in 1973. He is a Black stand-up comedian and actor. David Khari Webber Chappelle was born in Washington, D.C. His father, William David Chappelle III, was a professor of vocal performance and the dean of students at Antioch College in Yellow Springs, Ohio. His mother, Yvonne Seon, worked […]

The Spook Who Sat by the Door (film) Opens

*On this date in 1973, The Spook Who Sat by the Door (film) opened in American movie theaters.  This was an action crime–drama film based on the 1969 novel of the same name by Sam Greenlee.  It is both a satire of the American Civil Rights struggle of the late 1960s and a thoughtful attempt […]

Aaron McGruder, Cartoonist born

The birth of Aaron McGruder in 1974 is celebrated on this date. He is an African American cartoonist and social commentator through media.

Ken Sibanda, Writer, and Lawyer born

*Ken Sibanda was born on this date in 1975. He is an African American constitutional attorney, writer and film director.

Rashida Jones, Media Entertainer born

*Rashida Jones was born on this date in 1976. She is a Black Jewish actress, director, writer, and producer. Rashida Leah Jones was born in Los Angeles, California. Her mother was actress Peggy Lipton, and her father is musician/record producer Quincy Jones. She is the younger sister of actress and model Kidada Jones. Jones’s father is […]

Chadwick Boseman, Actor born

*Chadwick Boseman was born on this date in 1976.  He was a Black actor and director.   Chadwick Aaron Boseman was born and raised in Anderson, South Carolina, to Carolyn and Leroy Boseman.   His DNA testing indicates that his ancestors were Krio people from Sierra Leone, Yoruba people from Nigeria, and Limba people from Sierra […]

The Mini-Series ‘Roots’ Airs on Television

*On this date in 1977, ABC-TV began televising the Roots mini-series. This television show (which would go on to be the most watched mini-series in history), was based on Alex Haley’s book.

The January 30th installment (final episode) became the third most watch TV program in history with a 51% rating.

Kanye West, Music Artist, and Producer born

Kanye West was born on this date in 1977. He is an African American record producer and rapper.

Kanye Omari West was born in Atlanta, GA. His father was Ray West, a former Black Panther who was one of the first Black photojournalists at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution; he is now a Christian counselor. His mother is Dr. Donda West. When Kanye was three years old, his parents divorced, and he and his mother moved to Chicago. He was raised in an upper-middle-class family, attending Polaris High School in suburban Oak Lawn, IL.

‘The Wiz'(The Movie) Opens

*On this date in 1978, the movie The Wiz opened in theaters globally.  The Wiz was an American musical adventure fantasy film produced by Universal Pictures and Motown Productions.   It was a reimagining of L. Frank Baum’s classic 1900 children’s novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz features an all-black cast; the film was loosely adapted from the 1974 Broadway musical. It follows the adventures of Dorothy, a shy, twenty-four-year-old Harlem schoolteacher. She […]

Black Entertainment Television (BET) is Founded

*On this date in 1980, Black Entertainment Television (BET) was launched.  This is an American cable television channel targeting African American audiences. It is owned by the Viacom CBS Domestic Media Networks unit of Viacom CBS via BET Networks. It has offices in New York City, Los Angeles, and Chicago and was formerly headquartered in […]