Here are a few moments that made history in the U.S. today—because OUR history is American History.
In 1663, Queen Nzingha of Angola—a visionary leader and warrior—breathed her last at 81. Nzingha boldly fought against Portuguese colonization, leaving a legacy of defiance that still inspires freedom struggles today.
Fast forward to 1937, when Art Neville was born. As a founding member of The Meters and The Neville Brothers, Neville brought the sound of New Orleans to the world. Neville retired from music in December 2018. Sadly, he passed away in New Orleans at the age of on July 22, 2019, after years of declining health. He was 81.
Just two years later, in 1939, Eddie Kendricks, the smooth tenor voice of The Temptations, was born in Union Springs, Alabama. Kendricks is best known for his unique falsetto singing style. In 1989, the Temptations were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
In 1945, Hollywood star Ernie Hudson was born. He is best known for his role in Ghostbusters, OZ, and, more recently, in the Netflix Original series Grace and Frankie.
In 1951, Paul Robeson and William Patterson delivered a petition titled “We Charge Genocide: The Crime of Government Against the Negro People” to the United Nations—a bold indictment, signed by nearly 100 U.S. intellectuals and activists, demanding the world take notice of the atrocities happening on American soil. W. E. B. Du Bois was also ready to stand beside Patterson but was grounded—blocked from leaving the country because silence is a tool, too.
In 2002, Robert Johnson, the founder of BET, made history by becoming the first Black majority owner of a major professional sports team, the Charlotte Bobcats (now Charlotte Hornets). He is also a forceful champion for reparations for the Black community. In December 2023, Johnson, founder of Black Entertainment Television (BET), called for the U.S. government to provide $14 trillion of reparations for slavery. “Wealth transfer is what’s needed,” he said. “Think about this. Since 200-plus years or so of slavery, labor taken with no compensation is a wealth transfer. Denial of access to education, which is a primary driver of accumulation of income and wealth, is a wealth transfer.”
