Celia Cruz is the first Afro-Latina to be on the US quarter. She was known as the Queen of Salsa and was the first Black Latina to sing in Spanish on American television and perform at Carnegie Hall. “¡Azúcar!" The 2024 Celia Cruz Quarter is the 14th coin in a series for a US American Woman Quarters Program. Celia Cruz was a Cuban-American singer, cultural icon, and one of the most popular Latin artists of the 20th century.
Black History 365 | #22 - George Carruthers
Have you heard of George Carruthers? In 1969, Carruthers had patented his invention of the first “Image Converter for Detecting Electromagnetic Radiation Especially in Short Wave Lengths.” Additionally, Carruthers was the principle inventor of the Far Ultraviolet Camera/Spectrograph in 1972 which later resulted in his providing the first proof of the existence of molecular hydrogens in space during the 1970s Aerobee-150 rocket launch. It would most notably be used during Apollo 16’s famous 1972 lunar landing. Carruthers’s invention allowed scientists to examine UV images of over 550 stars, nebulae, and galaxies, as well as research the earth’s atmosphere for the first time for concentration of pollutants. Because of his inventions, Carruthers received the Arthur S. Flemming Award in 1970, NASA’s Exceptional Scientific Achievement Medal in 1972, the Warner Prize in 1973, and the Black Engineer of the Year Award in 1987. In 2003 he was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame. Peace to Dr. Carruthers ✌🏾
Black History 365 | # 18 - Earl Lloyd
Have you heard of Earl Lloyd? He was the first American-African player to play a game in the NBA. Lloyd was drafted in the 9th round with pick #100 by the Washington Capitols in the 1950 NBA draft. Nicknamed "The Big Cat", Lloyd was one of three black players to enter the NBA at the same time. It was because of the order in which the team's season openers felt that Lloyd was the first to actually play in a game in the NBA, scoring six points on Halloween night.
Black History 365 | #27 Jackie Robinson
We know about Jackie Robinson. The man the The Dodgers signed, signaling the so-called end of racial segregation in professional baseball. Did you know…Robinson’s older brother Mack was a silver medalist at the Olympics? Despite struggling with a heart condition, Mack Robinson later clinched a spot on the U.S. Olympic team and finished second to Jesse Owens in the 200-meter race at the 1936 games in Berlin. Jesse also was an impressive all-around athlete, and during college at UCLA, he became the first student to letter in four different sports in a single season. He shined in basketball as a guard and forward; in football as a quarterback, running back and safety; and in track and field as a long jumper. He broke his brother’s long jump record and may have had his sights set on his own Olympic glory before the 1940 games were canceled because of World War II. He also went crazy as a tennis player, and got a few amateur titles during his summer breaks from school. Badmon. Shortly after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, Robinson was drafted into the Army and assigned to a cavalry unit at Fort Riley, Kansas. While in basic training, he struck up a friendship with another recruit it was Joe effing Louis…Another legendary badmon.
Black History 365 | # 37 - Idi Amin
Idi Amin got his start in the British colonial army under the King’s African Rifles (KAR). There he quickly rose through the ranks. He was deployed to Somalia to fight the Shifta rebels and later fought with the British during the suppression of the Mau Mau Rebellion in Kenya. During his time in the army, Amin became the light heavyweight boxing champion of Uganda, a title he held for nine years. After more than 70 years under British rule, Uganda gained its independence on October 9, 1962, and Milton Obote became the nation’s first prime minister. Obote ordered Amin’s arrest while en route to Singapore for a Commonwealth Heads of Government Conference. During his absence, Amin took the offensive and staged a coup on January 25, 1971, seizing control of the government and forcing Obote into exile. From there Amin began mass executions upon the Acholi and Lango, a group he perceived as a threat for their loyalty to Obote. Then h expelled Uganda’s Asian population, which numbered between 50,000 and 70,000, resulting in a collapse of the economy as manufacturing, agriculture and commerce. Throughout his rule, Amin was estimated to have been responsible for the deaths of roughly 300,000 civilians. Amin was forced to flee over time, after the number of Amin’s intimate allies dwindled and former loyal troops began to turn on him. He originally sought refuge in Libya, then later moved to Saudi Arabia, where he lived comfortably until his death of multiple organ failure in 2003.