Music & Arts
Yusuke Was a Former Slave From Africa Who Became Japan's First Black Samurai in the 1500s
Yasuke, a warrior during the 1500s who became the world's first Black samurai, e…
Music & Arts
Michael Jackson Wrote "We Are the World" with Lionel Richie
"We Are The World" is a seven-minute ballad that was written by both Michael…
Music & Arts
Stevie Wonder was the First Black Artist to Win a GRAMMY for “Album of the Year”
Released in 1973, "Innervisions" carries some of the most iconic tunes creat…
Music & Arts
Nat King Cole Was the 1st Black Person to Have His Own Nationally-Syndicated TV Show on NBC
"Ladies and Gentlemen, The Nat King Cole Show!" This was the intro to a TV s…
Music & Arts
Floyd Norman Was Walt Disney Studio’s First African American Animator
Walt Disney Animation Studios, one of the world's largest and most profitable fi…
Music & Arts
This 11-Year Old is the Youngest Fashion Designer Ever to Present at New York Fashion Week
The fashion business has broken societal norms by the dozen, but 11-year old Kheris Ro…
Music & Arts
Mary Alexander, the First Black Woman to Appear in Coca-Cola Advertisements
Born in Alabama, Mary Alexander is truly a trailblazer as well as a lovely example fo…
Sports & Entertainment
Kurtis Blow, the First Rapper to be Signed by a Major Label
Often regarded as a founding father of Hip-Hop, Kurtis Blow became a huge part of mu…
Music & Arts
Sam Cooke Was the First African American Pop Singer to Have His Own Record Label
Sam Cooke, commonly known as the King of Soul, has been influential to the world of …
Music & Arts
Who Killed Sam Cooke?
On December 11, 1964, Sam Cooke, the King of Soul was shot three times in a seedy mo…
Music & Arts
Black Composers Have Been Missing From Music School Curriculums For 130 Years
Established in 1889, The Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music (ABRSM) is t…
Music & Arts
The History of Easter and Easter Hats
The tradition of wearing Easter hats, or Easter bonnets, dates back many, many years…
Music & Arts
Ella Fitzgerald Was the First Black Person to Ever Win a Grammy
Despite living during a time when music in America was divided into two categories — p…
Music & Arts
Meet the Family of 7 Brothers and Sisters Who Are World-Renowned, Classical Music Geniuses
The Kanneh-Mason siblings are all talented classical musicians on the rise. All in …
Music & Arts
First Black Man to Perform at the White House Was a Blind, Autistic Slave
Thomas Wiggins, nicknamed Blind Tom by his "handlers", was the first Afri…
Music & Arts
At 8-Years Old, She Was Already Speaking 8 Languages and Playing 8 Instruments
In 2015, when Mabou Loiseau from Queens, NYC was just 8-years old, she was already …
Music & Arts
WERD Was America’s First Black-Owned Radio Station
In 1949, bank president and professor Jesse B. Blayton purchased a radio station fo…
Music & Arts
Meet The First Black Symphony Orchestra Conductor
In 1968, Henry Lewis broke racial barriers by becoming the first director of a lead…
Music & Arts
What Ever Happened to Tammi Terrell?
Thomasina Winifred Montgomery, best known as Tammi Terrell, was a star singer for M…
Music & Arts
Jazz Singer Billie Holiday Was Only 44-Years Old When She Died
Billie Holiday is one of the most famous jazz singers in history. However, her diff…
