Rare and very interesting photos
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On this day in 1957, Kenyan freedom fighter, Dedan Kimathi, was executed by the British. He led the KLFA (MauMau) revolution against the brutal British occupation of his country. "I don’t lead terrorists. I lead Africans who want their self-government and land.”—D. Kimathi
In 1898, the federally appointed postmaster for Lake City, South Carolina, Frazier Baker, was lynched, along with his baby daughter, Julia. This was a lynching by bullets, which also hit his wife, Lavinia and four of their children. The crime which incensed the white mob that descended on their house (also the town post office)? That of being a black postmaster - no more, no less. And no one was ever convicted. White supremacists all over the South were infuriated at President McKinley's postings of Black federal employees; he had spoken out against lynching in order to secure the Black vote when he was running for president. This sentiment led directly to the massacre in Wilmington later that year, which destroyed the Black prosperity in that North Carolina port and turned the previously majority-Black town majority-White, practically overnight. It also dismantled the rising and theretofore successful Fusionist party, a coalition of working class Blacks and Whites. This picture was taken after Lavinia Baker and her five surviving children escaped and relocated up to Boston; the faces say it all. People love to talk about 'get over it' and 'slavery was so long ago' and 'Black people love to be victims' - when the issue is truly systemic and not dismantled in a day. We will be fighting the results of how our society was formed (and how that formation is protected by white supremacy to this day) for a long time. And let's not forget that the white poor (and that of every other race) also get left behind in this scheme which only benefits the few.
Height makes senseKareem Abdul-Jabbar with his parents Cora and Ferdinand Alcindor.
Damn, she was fine as fuck back then.Eartha Kitt drinking honey before a performance [1958]
The Golden Thirteen were the thirteen African American enlisted men who became the first African American commissioned and warrant officers in the United States Navy. Throughout US history untill the end of WorldWar I, the Navy had enlisted African American for general service,they were barred from joining from 1919-1932. In June 1941, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the executive order (8802) that prohibited racial discrimination by any government agency.Although all sixteen members of the class passed the course, only Thirteen were commissioned in March 1944: John Walter Reagan (b.1920-d.1994), Jesse Walter Arbor (b.1914-d.2000), Dalton Louis Baugh, Frank Ellis Sublett (b.? - d.2006), Graham Edward Martin (b.1917- d.?), Phillip George Barnes, Reginald E. Goodwin,James Edward Hair (b.1915-d.1992), Samuel Edward Barnes, George Clinton Cooper, William Sylvester White, and Dennis Denmark Nelson were commissioned as Ensigns; Charles Byrd Lear (b.1920-d.2006) was appointed as a Warrant Officer.
Because Navy policy prevented them from being assigned to combatant ships, early black officers wound up being detailed to run labor gangs ashore.
Because Navy policy prevented them from being assigned to combatant ships, early black officers wound up being detailed to run labor gangs ashore.
In 1944, The United States Maritime Commission launched the SS Harriet Tubman, the first Liberty ship ever named for a Black woman.
The ship was laid down by the South Portland Shipbuilding Corporation, South Portland, Maine, on 19 April 1944, then launched on 3 June 1944. Twenty-two members of Tubman's extended family attended the launch. Eva Stuart Northrup, Tubman's great-niece, christened the ship.
The ship was laid down by the South Portland Shipbuilding Corporation, South Portland, Maine, on 19 April 1944, then launched on 3 June 1944. Twenty-two members of Tubman's extended family attended the launch. Eva Stuart Northrup, Tubman's great-niece, christened the ship.
Dr. Charles Drew, a Black American surgeon, pioneered Blood Banks, making it possible to store blood plasma for transfusion helping save countless lives
Did you know Dr. Charles R. Drew, often called the 'Father of the Blood Bank,' transformed medicine with his groundbreaking work on blood storage and transfusions? During World War II, he pioneered large-scale blood preservation methods, which became the foundation for blood banks worldwide. His contributions revolutionised medicine and laid the groundwork for today’s life-saving blood donation systems.
Did you know Dr. Charles R. Drew, often called the 'Father of the Blood Bank,' transformed medicine with his groundbreaking work on blood storage and transfusions? During World War II, he pioneered large-scale blood preservation methods, which became the foundation for blood banks worldwide. His contributions revolutionised medicine and laid the groundwork for today’s life-saving blood donation systems.
Whitney Houston, Roberta Flack, Nickolas Ashford, Valerie Simpson of Ashford and Simpson and Diahann Carroll attend the opening of Ashford and Simpsons 20/20 Club on June 16, 1986 in New York City, New York.
From left, Peggy Lee, Sarah Vaughan, Roberta Flack and Aretha Franklin performing together on stage during the 'Duke Ellington...We Love You Madly' tribute show at The Shubert Theatre in Los Angeles on 13th January 1973.
Peggy Lee, Sarah Vaughan (behind), Roberta Flack, Billy Eckstine, Sammy Davis Jr and Joe Williams performing together on stage during the 'Duke Ellington...We Love You Madly' tribute show at The Shubert Theatre in Los Angeles on 13th January 1973.
A photograph of Malcolm X's mother, Louise Norton Little (1897-1989). Louise Little was a brilliant woman, speaking multiple languages, and for years, along with her husband Earl Little, a dedicated activist of Marcus Garvey's Pan-African Movement (Universal Negro Improvement Association and African Communities League). Louise Norton Little (1897-1989) was a Grenadian-born American activist and the mother of Malcolm X. Here are some key facts about her life. - Born in Grenada to a former slave from Nigeria and a Scotsman - Raised by her grandparents in Grenada - Immigrated to Canada in 1917 and joined the UNIA (Universal Negro Improvement Association) - Met her husband Earl Little at a UNIA meeting in Montreal and married in 1919 - Had eight children with Earl, including Malcolm X - Was a Garveyite activist who taught her children about black pride and self-reliance - Was committed to a mental institution for 24 years and released in 1963 with the help of her children - Lived with her family in Grand Rapids, Michigan, until her death in 1991 at the age of 94
Did you know Hattie McDaniel lost her Oscar award during the race riots at Howard during the 1960s never to be found? She was the first black person to win an Oscar in 1940 for her supporting role as Mammy in Gone With the Wind and she donated her Oscar to Howard University. The whereabouts of the McDaniel Oscar are currently unknown. In 1992, Jet Magazine ran a story reporting that Howard University could not find it and alleged that it had disappeared in the 1960s during the protests. In 1998, Howard University stated that it could find no written record of the Oscar having arrived at Howard. In 2007, an article in the Huffington Post repeated rumors that the Oscar had been cast into the Potomac River by angry civil rights protesters in the 1960s. The assertion reappeared in the Huffington Post under the same byline in 2009. In 2010, attention focused on the McDaniel Oscar again. In her acceptance speech, Best Supporting Actress winner Mo'Nique paid tribute to McDaniel by wearing the blue dress with gardenias in her hair that McDaniel had worn to the ceremony in 1940. In 2011, J. Freedom duLac of The Washington Postagain reported that the plaque had disappeared during the '60s. In November 2011, Prof. W. B. Carter of the George Washington University Law School published the results of her year-and-a-half-long investigation into the Oscar's fate. Professor Carter rejected claims that students had stolen the Oscar (and/or thrown it in the Potomac River) as wild speculation or pure fabrication that traded on long-perpetuated stereotypes of blacks. She questioned the sourcing of the Huffington Post stories. Instead, she argued that the Oscar was likely returned to Howard University's Channing Pollack Theater Collection between the spring of 1971 and the summer of 1973 or had possibly been boxed and stored in the drama department at that time. The reason for its removal, she argued, was not civil rights unrest but rather efforts to make room for a new generation of black performers. If neither the Oscar nor any paper trail of its ultimate destiny can be found at Howard today, she suggested, inadequate storage and/or record-keeping in a time of financial constraints and national turbulence may be blamed. She also suggested that a new generation of caretakers may have failed to realize the historic significance of the 5 1/2" x 6" plaque. In 2023 September, The Academy presented a replacement of Hattie McDaniel's Academy Award to Howard University.
, . Malcolm X on his last visit to Accra had announced a desire to create a foundation he called the Organization of Afro-American Unity. His proposal included taking the plight of the African-Americans to the United Nations and asking the world council to intercede on the part of beleaguered blacks. The idea was so stimulating to the community of African-American residents that I persuaded myself I should return to the States to help establish the organization. We all read Malcolm’s last letter to me. Dear Maya, I was shocked and surprised when your letter arrived but I was also pleased because I only had to wait two months for this one whereas previously I had to wait almost a year. You see I haven’t lost my wit. (smile) Your analysis of our people’s tendency to talk over the head of the masses in a language that is too far above and beyond them is certainly true. You can communicate because you have plenty of (soul) and you always keep your feet firmly rooted on the ground. I am enclosing some articles that will give you somewhat of an idea of my daily experiences here and you will then be better able to understand why it sometimes takes me a long time to write. I was most pleased to learn that you might be hitting in this direction this year. You are a beautiful writer and a beautiful woman. You know that I will always do my utmost to be helpful to you in any way possible so don’t hesitate. Signed Your brother Malcolm
Willie Mays: The Journey of a Legend Begins
One of baseball’s most iconic moments happened quietly on May 24, 1951, when a young Willie Mays, later known as “The Say Hey Kid,” was captured in a photo buying an airline ticket from Omaha to New York. That ticket symbolized the start of one of the most legendary careers in Major League Baseball history.
At the time, Mays was dominating the American Association as a member of the Minneapolis Millers. Over just 35 games, he had posted eye-popping numbers: eight home runs, 30 RBIs, and an astonishing .477 batting average. His performance left the New York Giants with no choice but to call him up to the big leagues, setting the stage for history to be made.
The next day, on May 25, 1951, Mays made his Major League debut against the Philadelphia Phillies. Like many rookies, his transition wasn’t smooth at first. He went hitless in his first game, and it took 12 at-bats before he recorded his first MLB hit. That hit, however, was no ordinary single—it was a towering home run off Boston Braves ace Warren Spahn on May 28.
Mays quickly adjusted to life in the big leagues, finishing his rookie season with 20 home runs, 68 RBIs, and a .274 batting average. His outstanding debut earned him the National League Rookie of the Year award and set the foundation for what would become an illustrious Hall of Fame career.
Willie Mays’ journey from Omaha to New York marked the beginning of a baseball legacy that continues to inspire fans of all ages. That moment at the ticket counter, captured in a simple photograph, represents more than a flight—it’s a snapshot of history in the making.
Baseball fans often look back on those early days with awe, knowing that even legends like Mays faced challenges and humble beginnings. It’s a reminder that greatness often starts with a single step—or in this case, a plane ticket to New York.
One of baseball’s most iconic moments happened quietly on May 24, 1951, when a young Willie Mays, later known as “The Say Hey Kid,” was captured in a photo buying an airline ticket from Omaha to New York. That ticket symbolized the start of one of the most legendary careers in Major League Baseball history.
At the time, Mays was dominating the American Association as a member of the Minneapolis Millers. Over just 35 games, he had posted eye-popping numbers: eight home runs, 30 RBIs, and an astonishing .477 batting average. His performance left the New York Giants with no choice but to call him up to the big leagues, setting the stage for history to be made.
The next day, on May 25, 1951, Mays made his Major League debut against the Philadelphia Phillies. Like many rookies, his transition wasn’t smooth at first. He went hitless in his first game, and it took 12 at-bats before he recorded his first MLB hit. That hit, however, was no ordinary single—it was a towering home run off Boston Braves ace Warren Spahn on May 28.
Mays quickly adjusted to life in the big leagues, finishing his rookie season with 20 home runs, 68 RBIs, and a .274 batting average. His outstanding debut earned him the National League Rookie of the Year award and set the foundation for what would become an illustrious Hall of Fame career.
Willie Mays’ journey from Omaha to New York marked the beginning of a baseball legacy that continues to inspire fans of all ages. That moment at the ticket counter, captured in a simple photograph, represents more than a flight—it’s a snapshot of history in the making.
Baseball fans often look back on those early days with awe, knowing that even legends like Mays faced challenges and humble beginnings. It’s a reminder that greatness often starts with a single step—or in this case, a plane ticket to New York.
How did they not interrupt the utilities
