Black History 365 | # 260 Ibrahim Traoré

Shoutout to Ibrahim Traoré. Ibrahim Traoré is a Burkinabè military commander and the transitional president of Burkina Faso. Ibrahim Traoré became the transitional president of Burkina Faso after a military coup in September 2022 — that deposed then-interim president Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba, who had himself gained office in a coup just eight months earlier. Under Traoré's administration, Burkina Faso has pursued a revolutionary and anti-colonial agenda, expelling French soldiers and strengthening ties with Russia. Burkina Faso has nationalized its wealth by creating a state mining corporation. In the 3 years since being interim leader of the West African country, Ibrahim Traoré has been on a rapid campaign to rid his country of any traces of Western influence, he is following the footsteps of legendary leader, Thomas Sankara. Captain Ibrahim Traoré is no longer just the leader of a small, landlocked West African nation; for some, he has become a symbol of resistance, independence, and Pan-African pride. He is making modern day history, salute.

Black History 365 | # 259 Million Man March

The event was organized by the NOI (Nation of Islam), led by Louis Farrakhan, and directed by Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr., the former executive director of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, to bring about a spiritual renewal that would instill a sense of personal responsibility in African American men for improving the condition of African Americans. Among other prominent African Americans who supported and spoke at the event were Jesse Jackson, Rosa Parks, Cornel West, and Maya Angelou, along with Marion Barry and Kurt Schmoke, then the mayors of Washington, D.C., and Baltimore, Maryland, respectively. “Let our choices be for life, for protecting our women, our children, keeping our brothers free of drugs, free of crime,” Schmoke told the crowd, which assembled on the Mall. It was reported that in response to the march some 1.7 million African American men registered to vote. Very fresh, salute.

Black History 365 | # 258 Booker Wright

This is Booker Wright. In 1965, filmmaker Frank De Felitta produced an NBC News documentary about white attitudes towards race in the American South and the tensions of life in the Mississippi Delta during the Civil Rights struggle.  The film outraged some Southern viewers, in part, because of a candid and unforgettable scene featuring Booker Wright, a local African-American waiter in Greenwood, MS.  Wright, who worked at a local “whites only” restaurant, went on national television to deliver a stunning and heartfelt monologue about his true feelings about serving the white community, and about his aspirations for his children, who he hoped would grow up free from the prejudice he faced.  The repercussions for Booker Wright’s courageous candidness were extreme at the time apparently. He spoke about despite being hurt and disrespected by white customers he would maintain a smile on his face. He was later pistol-whipped by a white police officer. And in 1973, Wright was killed in an altercation with a customer at his own restaurant, Booker's Place. Almost fifty years after Booker Wright’s television appearance, his granddaughter Yvette Johnson, and Frank De Felitta’s son, director Raymond De Felitta, journey into the Mississippi Delta in search of answers: Who exactly was Booker Wright?  What was the mystery surrounding his courageous life and untimely murder? And what role did this 1965 NBC News documentary play in his fate? While Booker Wright’s name does not appear in history books, Finding Booker’s Place demonstrates that his legacy continues to inspire, many decades later. Rest in power Mr. Wright.

Black History 365 | # 257 Dorothy Dandridge

Shoutout to Dorothy Dandridge. She became the first Black woman to be nominated for an Academy Award for best actress. Dandridge’s mother was an entertainer and comedic actress who, after settling in Los Angeles, had some success in radio and, later, television. The young Dorothy and her sister Vivian began performing publicly as children and in the 1930s joined a third (unrelated) girl as the Dandridge Sisters, singing and dancing. In the 1940s and early ’50s Dorothy secured a few bit roles in films and developed a highly successful career as a solo nightclub singer, eventually appearing in such popular clubs as the Waldorf Astoria’s Empire Room in New York City. In 1954, Dorothy played the much coveted role of Carmen Jones, starring opposite of Harry Belafonte  This movie brought her fame and recognition. This is when she received an Academy Award nomination for her role in the film. She was the first black woman in history to receive the honor of being nominated in the category of Best Actress.  Dandridge eventually lost the award to Grace Kelly (The Country Girl). Still, after the phenomenal success of Carmen Jones, Dandridge seemed well on her way to becoming the first non-white actress to achieve the kind of superstardom that had accrued to contemporaries like Marilyn Monroe and Ava Gardner. In 1955, she was featured on the cover of Life magazine, and was treated like visiting royalty at that year’s Cannes Film Festival. In the 1960s Dandridge’s life and career were wracked by divorce, personal bankruptcy, and the absence of offers of work. At age 42 she was found dead in her West Hollywood apartment, either a suicide or a victim of an accidental drug overdose. Dandridge had began drinking heavily and taking antidepressants as opportunities started to wane. The threat of bankruptcy and nagging problems with the IRS forced her to resume her nightclub career, but she found only a fraction of her former success. Relegated to second-rate lounges and stage productions, Dandridge's financial situation grew worse and worse. By 1963, she could no longer afford to pay for her daughter's 24-hour medical care, and Harolyn was placed in a state institution. Dandridge soon suffered a nervous breakdown. Like most Hollywood stars, Dorothy’s star shone too brief, respect to her legacy on the silver screen.

Black History 365 | # 256 Bert Williams

Get to know Bert Williams. Throughout his career Williams achieved many firsts. In 1901, he became the first African American to become a best-selling recording artist. In 1902, he became an international star with his performance in the show In Dahomey, the first black musical to be performed on Broadway. Also, in 1910 Williams became the first black actor to be regularly featured in a Broadway revue when he joined the Ziegfeld Follies, and he eventually claimed top billing for the show. Despite Williams’s superstar popularity, many people still refused to look past the color of his skin. As a comedian and songwriter, he was loved by both blacks and whites, yet he often faced racism in restaurants and hotels when he was not performing. Williams also was forced to perform in blackface makeup and he could not escape playing stereotypical characters in his performances. Still, Williams was one of the most important pioneers for African American entertainers, and after his death on March 4, 1922 the Chicago Defender insisted that “No other performer in the history of the American stage enjoyed the popularity and esteem of all races and classes of theater-goers to the remarkable extent gained by Bert Williams.” Respect to his legacy.