Did you know how radical Angela Yvonne Davis is? As a teenager she organized interracial study groups, which were broken up by the police. As a graduate student at the University of California San Diego she joined the Black Panthers and the Che-Lumumba Club, an all black branch of the Communist Party. She got hired then subsequently fired at The University Of California Los Angeles because of her associations. She fought back in court and got her job back. She left when her contract expired in 1970. She spent 18 months in jail due to her support of three prison inmates and their escape attempt during a court hearing which result in two inmates being killed in a shootout. She was acquitted in June 1972. Today she is a professor at the University of California Santa Cruz. She is 80 years old.
Black History Month 365 | # 89 Marsha P. Johnson
Did you know Marsha P. Johnson is slowly being written into American History as a gay rights and liberation activist? In the 1960s same-sex relationships were illegal in New York City. Night clubs and bars were where gays would gather in privacy from the law. Police would still conduct raids because many bars were owned by the Mafia and operated without liquor licenses. For me, it’s presumable the Mafia could still make their money from the gay community and then allow the police to still do their job and kick them out. But that’s not historically accurate because I have no proof of there being deals between the Mafia and New York Police…lol. Anyway, an event cited as the Stonewall Riots took place after a raid happened at a club in the arts hub, Greenwich Village in 1969. Police roughly hauled employees and patrons out the bar. No deaths. Thankfully. That led to six days of protests and violent clashes with the law. It served as the catalyst for the gay rights movement in the United States and around the world. It was said that Marsha P Johnson “really started it” according to others. It was said that she threw a brick, but that history is fuzzy. What isn’t fuzzy is Marsha P Johnson died mysteriously and was found floating in a river in 1992 after a gay pride parade.
Black History 365 | # 88 Malcolm X & Muhammad Ali
Did you know Malcolm X and Muhammad Ali were super tight? Yes early on, while Muhammad Ali was still named Cassius Clay and taking in the teachings of the NOI by Elijah Muhammad. Malcolm took on a mentor role with Ali. Ali once said, “My first impression of Malcolm X was how could a Black man talk about the government and white people and act so bold and not be shot at? He was fearless. That really attracted me." Friction came when Malcolm started making moves and saying things unapproved by Elijah Muhammad, but ultimately ended when Malcolm exposed his extramarital affairs. There’s a whole doc on Netflix about it if you haven’t seen it. It’s called “Blood Brothers,” very emotional watch.
Black History 365 | # 87 Jesse Owens
Did you know Jesse Owens won 4 gold medals at the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin, Germany? 100 meters, long jump, 200 meters, and 4 x 100-meter relay. Before that he set 4 world records in less than an hour in 1936 at the Big Ten track meet. Bro was siiick!! And he went to OSU. TUFF!!
Black History 365 | # 86 The Origin Of Hushpuppies (Fact or Fiction?)
Did you know the ap the appetizer Hushpuppies come from enslaved Africans? Yes. They were fried balls of cornmeal and were thrown out to distract the hounds from tracking them. It worked. They’ve been called Hush Puppies ever since. A chef & historian interviewed by Harvard magazine denies this as a popular fable, assuming that slaves would not have time to cook & that the onions in the recipe are obnoxious and noisome. This denial of the origin story does not take into account the fact that the recipe could’ve have changed depending on the situation that called to it. Whether you to choose to believe the widespread documented history or the griots of communities across the diaspora is up to you, the reader.