TODAY’S AFRO BIRTHDAYS ! ACTOR, RICHARD ROUNDTREE ! NFL PLAYER, O.J. SIMPSON ! SINGER/SONGWRITER/ACTOR, JESTER HAIRSTON ! SINGER, DEBBIE SLEDGE ! SINGER/ACTRESS KIELY WILLIAMS !

TODAY IN AFRO HISTORY ! THE “AFRICAN UNION” IS FOUNDED IN 2002 ! E. FREDERIC MORROW BECOMES THE FIRST AFRO AMERICAN TO HOLD AN EXECUTIVE POSITION AT THE WHITE HOUSE IN 1955 !

TODAY’S AFRO BIRTHDAYS ! OLYMPIC GOLD MEDALIST IN SPRINTS AND HURDLES, HARRISON DILLARD ! JAZZ SINGER, BILLY ECKSTINE ! MLB PLAYER, JOSH HARRISON ! ACTOR, ROCKY CARROLL ! ACTOR, JADEN SMITH !

TODAY IN AFRO HISTORY ! ROY WILKINS BECOMES EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE NAACP IN 1965 !

Happy Birthday to Satchel Paige ! youtube.com/shorts/9mAoq...

TODAY’S AFRO BIRTHDAYS ! BASEBALL LEGEND, SATCHEL PAIGE ! WNBA STAR LISA LESLIE ! WRITER, MARGARET WALKER ! ACTOR, ALLEN PAYNE ! SINGER, SEVYN STREETER !

TODAY IN AFRO HISTORY ! OTIS REDDING RECORDS “RESPECT” IN 1965 !

TODAY’S AFRO BIRTHDAYS ! COMEDIAN, KEVIN HART ! ACTRESS/SINGER, DELLA REESE ! RAPPER, 50 CENT ! ACTRESS, TIA MOWRY ! ACTRESS, TAMERA MOWRY ! NFL PLAYER, BRANDON JACOBS !

TODAY IN AFRO HISTORY ! ALTHEA GIBSON BECOMES FIRST AFRO AMERICAN WOMAN TO WIN WIMBLEDON IN 1957 !

TODAY’S AFRO BIRTHDAYS ! NFL PLAYER, BRANDON LLOYD ! NFL PLAYER, JAMES LOFTON ! ACTOR, DORIEN WILSON ! SINGER, JOE LEWIS THOMAS !

TODAY IN AFRO HISTORY ! ARTHUR ASHE BECOMES THE FIRST AFRO AMERICAN TO WIN THE MENS SINGLES TITLE AT WIMBLEDON IN 1975 !

TODAY’S AFRO BIRTHDAYS ! SINGER, BILL WITHERS ! NBA PLAYER, HORACE GRANT ! BOTSWANA SPRINTER, AMANTLE MONTSHO !

TODAY IN AFRO HISTORY ! TUSKEGEE INSTITUTE FOUNDED IN 1881 ! NEW YORK STATE ABOLISHES SLAVERY IN 1827 !

TODAY’S AFRO BIRTHDAYS ! TALK SHOW HOST, MONTEL WILLIAMS ! ACTRESS/SINGER, AUDRA MCDONALD ! DR. CHARLES DREW ! SINGER, FONTELLA BASS !

TODAY IN AFRO HISTORY ! HAZEL SCOTT BECOMES FIRST AFRO AMERICAN WOMAN TO HAVE HER OWN TV SHOW IN 1950 !

TODAY’S AFRO BIRTHDAYS ! SUPREME COURT JUSTICE, THURGOOD MARSHALL ! CIVIL RIGHTS ACTIVIST, MEDGAR EVERS ! FIRST CONGO PRIME MINISTER, PATRICE LUMUMBA ! OLYMPIC GOLD MEDALIST HURDLER, DERRICK ADKINS !

TODAY IN AFRO HISTORY ! CIVIL RIGHTS ACT OF 1964 SIGNED INTO LAW ! VERMONT BECOMES THE FIRST AMERICAN TERRITORY TO ABOLISH SLAVERY IN 1777 !

TODAY’S AFRO BIRTHDAYS ! OLYMPIC SPRINTER/LONG JUMP CHAMPION, CARL LEWIS ! GOSPEL SINGER, THOMAS A. DORSEY ! RAPPER, MISSY ELLIOTT ! BLUES SINGER, WILLIE DIXON !

TODAY IN AFRO HISTORY ! GHANA BECOMES A REPUBLIC IN 1960 !

Happy Birthday to Lena Horne ! youtube.com/shorts/BJbuG...

TODAY’S AFRO BIRTHDAYS ! SINGER/ACTRESS LENA HORNE ! BOXER, MIKE TYSON ! COMEDIAN, DAVID ALAN GRIER ! JAZZ MUSICIAN, STANLEY CLARKE ! NBA PLAYER, TREVOR ARIZA ! SINGER, FANTASIA BARRINO !

TODAY IN AFRO HISTORY ! THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO GAINS INDEPENDENCE FROM BELGIUM IN 1960 !

TODAY’S AFRO BIRTHDAYS ! NBA PLAYER, KAWHI LEONARD ! NBA PLAYER, JOE JOHNSON ! ACTIVIST, STOKELY CARMICHAEL AKA KWAME TURE !

TODAY IN AFRO HISTORY ! CARTER G. WOODSON RECEIVES THE SPINGARN MEDAL IN 1926 ! MARTIAL ARTIST/ACTOR, JIM KELLY PASSES AWAY IN 2013.

TODAY’S AFRO BIRTHDAYS ! ACTRESS, TICHINA ARNOLD ! MLB PLAYER, BRANDON PHILLIPS ! NBA PLAYER, BRADLEY BEAL ! MLB PLAYER, AL DOWNING !

TODAY IN AFRO HISTORY ! MALCOLM X ESTABLISHES THE ORGANIZATION FOR AFRO AMERICAN UNITY IN 1964 !

TODAY’S AFRO BIRTHDAYS ! OLYMPIC CHAMPION, LASHAWN MERRITT ! POET, PAUL LAURENCE DUNBAR ! NFL PLAYER, JULIUS THOMAS ! NFL PLAYER, BOBBY WAGNER !

TODAY IN AFRO HISTORY ! U.S. SUPREME COURT JUSTICE, THURGOOD MARSHALL RETIRES IN 1991 !

TODAY’S AFRO BIRTHDAYS ! MLB PLAYER, DEREK JETER ! FIRST AFRO AMERICAN TO WALK IN SPACE, BERNARD A. HARRIS JR. ! NFL PLAYER, MICHAEL VICK ! NFL PLAYER, SHANNON SHARPE ! NBA PLAYER, IMAN SHUMPERT !

TODAY IN AFRO HISTORY ! JAZZ TRUMPETER, CLIFFORD BROWN PASSES AWAY IN 1956.

TODAY’S AFRO BIRTHDAYS ! NBA HALL OF FAMER, WILLIS REED ! ACTOR, JIMMIE WALKER ! TV PERSONALITY/ACTRESS, LA LA ANTHONY ! NBA PLAYER, DIKEMBE MUTOMBO ! NBA PLAYER, DELL CURRY !

TODAY IN AFRO HISTORY ! MOZAMBIQUE GAINS INDEPENDENCE FROM PORTUGAL IN 1975 ! LINCOLN ALEXANDER BECOMES THE FIRST AFRO CANADIAN MEMBER OF THE CANADIAN PARLIAMENT IN 1968 !

TODAY’S AFRO BIRTHDAYS ! NBA PLAYER, SAM JONES ! SINGER/ACTRESS, SOLANGE KNOWLES ! NBA PLAYER, TAJ GIBSON !

TODAY IN AFRO HISTORY ! APOLLO THEATER OPENS IN HARLEM IN 1933 ! #ApolloTheater #BlackHistory

Happy Birthday to Wilma Rudolph ! youtube.com/shorts/mgz-4...

TODAY’S AFRO BIRTHDAYS ! OLYMPIC GOLD MEDALIST, WILMA RUDOLPH ! NFL PLAYER, LADAINIAN TOMLINSON ! NFL PLAYER TONY HILL ! MUSIC PRODUCER/ TV PERSONALITY, RANDY JACKSON !

TODAY IN AFRO HISTORY ! DR. BETTY SHABAZZ, (WIFE OF MALCOLM X) PASSES AWAY IN 1997.

TODAY’S AFRO BIRTHDAYS ! DANCER/CHOREOGRAPHER/ACTIVIST, KATHERINE DUNHAM ! NBA PLAYER, CLYDE DREXLER ! NFL PLAYER CHAMP BAILEY ! ACTOR, TIM RUSS ! NBA PLAYER, DANNY GREEN ! ACTOR, DONALD FAISON ! FORMER PRESIDENT OF GHANA, JERRY RAWLINGS !

TODAY IN AFRO HISTORY ! AARON ANDERSON IS AWARDED THE CONGRESSIONAL MEDAL OF HONOR IN 1865 ! JOE LEWIS KNOCKS OUT MAX SCHMELING IN 1938 !

TODAY’S AFRO BIRTHDAYS ! ARTIST, HENRY OSSAWA TANNER ! SINGER, BRENDA HOLLOWAY ! POLITICIAN, JOSEPH HAYNES RAINEY ! RAPPER, PETE ROCK ! NBA PLAYER, DERRICK COLEMAN ! NBA PLAYER, THADDEUS YOUNG !

TODAY IN AFRO HISTORY ! CIVIL RIGHTS WORKERS, ANDREW GOODMAN, JAMES CHANEY, AND MICKEY SCHWERNER ARE MURDERED IN MISSISSIPPI BY KLU KLUX KLAN IN 1964.

Happy Birthday to Lionel Richie ! youtube.com/shorts/4mK0W...

TODAY’S AFRO BIRTHDAYS ! SINGER, LIONEL RICHIE ! ACTRESS, TIKA SUMPTER ! NFL PLAYER, DARREN SPROLES ! ACTRESS, SERAYAH MCNEILL !

TODAY IN AFRO HISTORY ! MUHAMMAD ALI IS CONVICTED OF DRAFT EVASION AFTER REFUSING INDUCTION INTO THE ARMED SERVICES IN 1967 ! HARRY BELAFONTE BECOME THE FIRST AFRO AMERICAN TO WIN AN EMMY IN 1960 !

TODAY’S AFRO BIRTHDAYS ! ACTRESS, ZOE SALDANA ! ACTRESS, PHYLICIA RASHAD ! MIDDLE DISTANCE RUNNER, JOHNNY GRAY !

TODAY IN AFRO HISTORY ! 2 YEARS AFTER THE EMANCIPATION PROCLAMATION, SLAVES IN GALVESTON TEXAS ARE FINALLY INFORMED OF THEIR FREEDOM IN 1865 . CELEBRATED AS “JUNETEENTH” !

TODAY’S AFRO BIRTHDAYS ! SINGER, NATHAN MORRIS ! BROADWAY ACTOR, AVON LONG ! NFL PLAYER, BRUCE SMITH ! NFL PLAYER, ANTONIO GATES ! SOUTH AFRICAN PRESIDENT, THABO MBEKI ! NFL PLAYER, CHRIS HARRIS !

TODAY IN AFRO HISTORY ! U.S. SUPREME COURT BANS HOUSING DISCRIMINATION IN 1968, KNOWN AS THE CIVIL RIGHTS ACT OF 1968. SIGNED INTO LAW BY PRESIDENT JOHNSON. 3,000 AFRO AMERICAN STUDENTS BOYCOTT BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS OVER THE QUALITY OF THEIR EDUCATION IN 1963 !

Happy Birthday to Venus Williams ! youtube.com/shorts/0cqUT...

TODAY’S AFRO BIRTHDAYS ! TENNIS CHAMPION, VENUS WILLIAMS ! AUTHOR/LYRICIST/CIVIL RIGHTS ACTIVIST, JAMES WELDON JOHNSON ! SINGER, SIMONE BATTLE !