TODAY’S AFRO BIRTHDAYS ! NBA PLAYER, KEMBA WALKER ! NFL PLAYER, RONNIE LOTT ! NFL COACH, LOVIE SMITH ! BOXER, SONNY LISTON ! BLUES GUITARIST, ROBERT JOHNSON ! POET, PHILLIS WHEATLEY !

TODAY IN AFRO HISTORY ! THE MUHAMMAD ALI – JOE FRAZIER FIGHT III (THE THRILLA IN MANILA) 1975 !

TODAY’S AFRO BIRTHDAYS ! SINGER, THELMA HOUSTON ! NBA PLAYER, SHAWN MARION ! NFL PLAYER, EARL THOMAS ! NFL PLAYER, RUEBEN RANDLE !

TODAY IN AFRO HISTORY ! WILLIAM H. HASTIE BECOMES THE FIRST AFRO AMERICAN GOVERNOR OF THE U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS IN 1946 !

Happy Birthday to Willie Mays ! youtube.com/shorts/5gG6R...

TODAY’S AFRO BIRTHDAY ! NBA PLAYER, CHRIS PAUL ! MLB PLAYER, WILLIE MAYS ! ACTRESS, LYNN WHITFIELD ! BOXER, RUBIN “HURRICANE” CARTER !

TODAY IN AFRO HISTORY ! HAITI REVOLTS AGAINST FRANCE, LEAD BY TOUSSAINT LOUVERTURE IN 1794 !

Happy Birthday to Chris Brown ! youtube.com/shorts/N7v6F...

TODAY’S AFRO BIRTHDAYS ! SINGER, CHRIS BROWN ! MARTIAL ARTIST/ACTOR, JIM KELLY ! NFL PLAYER, IKE TAYLOR ! SINGER, RAHEEM DEVAUGHN ! SINGER, JOHNNIE TAYLOR !

TODAY IN AFRO HISTORY ! ROBERT S. ABBOTT PUBLISHES CHICAGO’S FIRST AFRO NEWSPAPER “THE CHICAGO DEFENDER” IN 1905 ! MONETA SLEET WINS PULITZER PRIZE FOR FEATURE PHOTOGRAPHY IN 1969 !

TODAY’S AFRO BIRTHDAYS ! NBA PLAYER, GEORGE HILL ! NFL PLAYER, JAMES HARRISON ! SINGER, JACKIE JACKSON ! NBA PLAYER, VICTOR OLADIPO ! JAMAICAN SINGER, JACOB MILLER !

TODAY IN AFRO HISTORY ! FREEDOM RIDES BEGIN IN 1961 ! THE FIRST OF THE FREEDOM RIDERS LEFT FROM WASHINGTON D.C. !

Happy Birthday to Sugar Ray Robinson ! youtube.com/shorts/6-Ij6...

Happy Birthday to James Brown ! youtube.com/shorts/_gK2h...

TODAY’S AFRO BIRTHDAYS ! SINGER, JAMES BROWN ! BOXER, SUGAR RAY ROBINSON ! ACTRESS, MEAGAN TANDY ! ACTOR, DULE HILL !

TODAY IN AFRO HISTORY ! JAMAICAN SAXOPHONIST CEDRIC BROOKS PASSES AWAY IN 2013. THE SUPREME COURT RULING IN 1948, SHELLEY VS. KRAEMER, STATING THAT COVENANTS PROHIBITING AFRO AMERICANS FROM PURCHASING REAL ESTATE, ARE LEGALLY UNENFORCEABLE.

TODAY’S AFRO BIRTHDAYS ! NBA PLAYER, PAUL GEORGE ! INVENTOR, ELIJAH MCCOY ! NBA PLAYER, THABO SEFOLOSHA ! ACTOR, ROSCOE LEE BROWNE !

TODAY IN AFRO HISTORY ! FIRST GAME OF THE NATIONAL NEGRO BASEBALL LEAGUE PLAYED IN 1920 ! #BlackHistory

TODAY’S AFRO BIRTHDAYS ! SINGER, RAY PARKER JR. ! ACTOR, DARIUS MCCRARY ! SINGER, TINA ATKINS-CAMPBELL ! ACTRESS, DREW SIDORA ! NBA PLAYER, AMIR JOHNSON ! HURDLER, MICHELLE PERRY ! FIRST AFRO AMERICAN NEWS ANCHOR, MAX ROBINSON !

TODAY IN AFRO HISTORY ! GWENDOLYN BROOKS RECEIVES PULITZER PRIZE FOR POETRY IN 1950 !

TODAY’S AFRO BIRTHDAYS ! NBA PLAYER/COACH, ISIAH THOMAS ! NBA PLAYER, BRANDON BASS !

TODAY IN AFRO HISTORY ! WILLIE MAYS HITS 4 HOME RUNS IN A SINGLE GAME IN 1961 !

Happy Birthday to Duke Ellington ! youtube.com/shorts/xDx-b...

TODAY’S AFRO BIRTHDAYS ! MUSICIAN, EDWARD “DUKE” ELLINGTON ! SINGER, TAMMI TERRELL ! RAPPER/PRODUCER, MASTER P ! SINGER, ERICA ATKINS-CAMPBELL !

TODAY IN AFRO HISTORY ! ASHMUN INSTITUE BECOMES THE FIRST CHARTERED AFRO-AMERICAN COLLEGE IN 1854, NOW NAMED LINCOLN UNIVERSITY !

TODAY’S AFRO BIRTHDAYS ! NBA PLAYER, JOSH HOWARD ! ACTRESS, MADGE SINCLAIR ! MUSICIAN, ROBERT GREENIDGE ! ACTRESS, ALEISHA ALLEN !

TODAY IN AFRO HISTORY ! MUHAMMAD ALI IS STRIPPED OF TITLE FOR REFUSING TO BE DRAFTED INTO VIETNAM WAR IN 1967 ! SAMUEL LEE GRAVELY BECOMES FIRST AFRO ADMIRAL IN U.S. NAVY !

TODAY’S AFRO BIRTHDAYS ! ACTIVIST, CORETTA SCOTT KING ! PLAYWRIGHT, AUGUST WILSON ! SINGER, CUBA GOODING SR. ! #BlackExcellence #BlackHistory

TODAY IN AFRO HISTORY ! KWAME NKRUMAH, THE FIRST PRESIDENT OF GHANA PASSES AWAY IN 1972. SIERRA LEONE GAINS IT’S INDEPENDENCE IN 1961 ! TOGO GAINS IT’S INDEPENDENCE IN 1960 !

TODAY’S AFRO BIRTHDAYS ! ACTOR, GIANCARLO ESPOSITO ! SINGER, TIONNE “T-BOZ” WATKINS ! SINGER, AVANT ! JAMAICAN SPRINTER, NOVLENE WILLIAMS-MILLS !

TODAY IN AFRO HISTORY ! JAZZ PIANIST AND BAND LEADER, COUNT BASIE, PASSES AWAY IN 1984. SOUTH AFRICA HELD ITS FIRST ALL RACES ELECTION AFTER THE ENDING OF APARTHEID IN 1994.

Happy Birthday to Ella Fitzgerald ! youtube.com/shorts/XfhXD...

TODAY’S AFRO BIRTHDAYS ! JAZZ SINGER, ELLA FITZGERALD ! NBA PLAYER, TIM DUNCAN ! HARLEM GLOBETROTTER, MEADOWLARK LEMON ! NFL PLAYER, DEANGELO WILLIAMS !

TODAY IN AFRO HISTORY ! THE UNITED NEGRO COLLEGE FUND IS FOUNDED IN 1944 ! CHARLES “CHUCK” COOPER BECOMES THE FIRST AFRO AMERICAN PLAYER TO BE DRAFTED BY AN NBA TEAM ! HE WAS DRAFTED BY THE BOSTON CELTICS IN 1950.

TODAY’S AFRO BIRTHDAYS ! COMEDIAN/ACTOR, CEDRIC THE ENTERTAINER ! ACTRESS, REAGAN GOMEZ-PRESTON ! ACTOR, DEREK LUKE ! ACTOR, DJIMON HOUNSOU !

TODAY IN AFRO HISTORY ! GAMBIA BECOMES A REPUBLIC WITHIN THE COMMONWEALTH OF NATIONS IN 1970 !

TODAY’S AFRO BIRTHDAYS ! INVENTOR, GRANVILLE T. WOODS ! MIDDLE DISTANCE RUNNER, ALYSIA MONTANO !

TODAY IN AFRO HISTORY ! NAMIBIA JOINS THE UNITED NATIONS IN 1990 ! CHARLOTTE E. RAY BECOMES THE FIRST AFRO AMERICAN FEMALE LAWYER IN 1872 !

TODAY’S AFRO BIRTHDAYS ! NFL PLAYER, MARSHAWN LYNCH ! JAZZ PERFORMER CHARLES MINGUS ! MLB PLAYER, DEE GORDON ! ACTRESS, SHERRI SHEPHERD ! NBA PLAYER, DEJUAN BLAIR !

TODAY IN AFRO HISTORY ! THE HYERS SISTERS MAKE THEIR PROFESSIONAL DEBUT AT THE SACRAMENTO METROPOLITAN THEATER IN 1867 !

TODAY’S AFRO BIRTHDAY ! NBA PLAYER, RODNEY STUCKEY ! NFL PLAYER, TARVARIS JACKSON ! ACTOR, BRIAN J. WHITE ! GOSPEL SINGER, CLARA WARD ! NFL PLAYER, CARNELL “CADILLAC” WILLIAMS !

TODAY IN AFRO HISTORY ! MILTON L. OLIVE III BECOMES THE FIRST AFRO AMERICAN TO RECEIVE THE CONGRESSIONAL MEDAL OF HONOR FOR THE VIETNAM WAR IN 1966. NINA SIMONE PASSES AWAY IN 2003.

Happy Birthday to Luther Vandross ! youtube.com/shorts/hyC7d...

TODAY’S AFRO BIRTHDAYS ! GRAMMY AWARD WINNING SINGER, LUTHER VANDROSS ! JAZZ MUSICIAN/BANDLEADER, LIONEL HAMPTON ! NBA PLAYER, DANNY GRANGER ! ACTOR, SHEMAR MOORE !

TODAY IN AFRO HISTORY ! MICHAEL JORDAN SETS NBA RECORD WITH 63 POINTS IN A PLAYOFF GAME IN 1986 ! HARRIET TUBMAN STARTS WORKING WITH THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD IN 1853 !

TODAY’S AFRO BIRTHDAY ! WNBA PLAYER, CANDACE PARKER ! POET, ETHERIDGE KNIGHT ! NIGERIAN ACTRESS, INI EDO !

TODAY IN AFRO HISTORY ! EVANDER HOLYFIELD DEFEATS GEORGE FORMAN IN HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP FIGHT IN 1991 !

TODAY’S AFRO BIRTHDAYS ! JAMES MCCUNE SMITH, FIRST AFRO AMERICAN TO EARN MEDICAL DEGREE ! SINGER/COMPOSER, LORD KITCHENER ! ADDIE MAE COLLINS, 14 YR OLD BIRMINGHAM CHURCH BOMBING VICTIM.

TODAY IN AFRO HISTORY ! ALICE WALKER IS AWARDED THE PULITZER PRIZE IN 1983 ! ALEX HALEY IS AWARDED THE PULITZER PRIZE IN 1977 !

TODAY’S AFRO BIRTHDAY ! NBA PLAYER, C. J. WATSON ! ACTRESS, LELA ROCHON ! RAPPER REDMAN ! ACTRESS, KIMBERLY ELISE !