KRLemmons African American History, Lesson Plans, Resources

Fisk Jubilee Singers

According to the Munirah Chronicle,

1871 – The Fisk Jubilee Singers begin their tour to raise money
for the school. Soon they will become one of the most
popular African American folk-singing groups of the late
19th century, performing throughout the U.S. and Europe
and raising large sums for Fisk’s building program.

One children’s book, “A Band of Angels: A Story Inspired by the Jubilee Singers”, written by Deborah Hopkinson, and illustrated by Raul Colon, is a story based on the story of Ella Sheppard Moore, who was the pianist for the group.  This group became famous for singing spirituals.

Some additional resources are:

The American Experience The Jubilee Singers http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/singers/

The Kennedy Center: http://www.kennedy-center.org/explorer/artists/?entity_id=10212&source_type=B

At Fisk University, A Tradition of Spirituals:NPR: http://www.npr.org/2011/02/26/134028602/at-fisk-university-a-tradition-of-spirituals

KRLemmons African American History

October 6 African American Historical Events

Today in Black History – October 6 *

1776 – Henri Christophe is born a slave in Grenada. He will
become a Haitian revolutionist and ruler and also become
provisional chief of northern Haiti. He will establish
himself as King Henri I in the north and build Citadelle
Laferriere.

1847 – National Black convention meets in Troy, New York, with
more than sixty delegates from nine states. Nathan
Johnson of Massachusetts is elected president.

1868 – An African American state convention at Macon, Georgia,
protests expulsion of African American politicians from
the Georgia legislature.

1871 – The Fisk Jubilee Singers begin their tour to raise money
for the school. Soon they will become one of the most
popular African American folk-singing groups of the late
19th century, performing throughout the U.S. and Europe
and raising large sums for Fisk’s building program.

1917 – Fannie Lou Hamer is born near Ruleville, Mississippi. She
will become a leader of the civil rights movement during
the 1960’s and founder of the Mississippi Freedom
Democratic Party in Montgomery County, Mississippi.

1921 – Joseph Echols Lowery is born in Huntsville, Alabama. An
early civil rights activist, he will become a founder,
chairman of the board, and president of the Southern
Christian Leadership Conference. He will lead SCLC to
great levels of civil rights activism including a 2,700
mile pilgrimage to extend and strengthen the Voting
Rights Act, protesting toxic waste sites in African
American communities, and actions against United States’
corporations doing business in apartheid South Africa.

1965 – Patricia Harris takes the post as U.S. Ambassador to
Belgium, becoming the first African American U.S.
ambassador.

1981 – Anwar Sadat, president of Egypt, is assassinated by
extremists while reviewing a military parade.

1986 – Abram Hill joins the ancestors in New York City. He was
the founder of the city’s American Negro Theatre in 1940,
where the careers of Harry Belafonte, Ruby Dee, and
Sidney Poitier were launched. Hill’s adaptation of the
play “Anna Lucasta” premiered on Broadway in 1944 and
ran successfully for 900 performances.

1991 – Williams College’s exhibit of African American photography
– “Black Photographers Bear Witness: 100 Years of Social
Protest” opens. The exhibit includes photography by C.M.
Battey, James Van Der Zee, Marvin and Morgan Smith,
Moneta Sleet, Carrie Mae Weems, and others.

1991 – Anita Hill, a former personal assistant to Supreme Court
justice nominee Clarence Thomas, accuses Thomas of sexual
harassment (from 1981-83) during his confirmation
hearings.

1994 – South African President, Nelson Mandela, addresses a joint
session of Congress. He will warn against the lure of
isolationism, saying the U.S. post-Cold War focus should
be on eliminating “tyranny, instability and poverty”
across the globe.

Information retrieved from the Munirah Chronicle and is edited by Rene’ A. Perry.

KRLemmons African American History

October 5 African American Historical Events

Today in Black History – October 5 *

1867 – Monroe Baker, a well-to-do African American businessman,
is named mayor of St. Martin, Louisiana. He is probably
the first African American to serve as mayor of a town.

1872 – Booker T. Washington leaves Malden, West Virginia to enter
Hampton Institute.

1878 – George B. Vashion joins the ancestors after succumbing to
yellow fever in Rodney, Mississippi. He was the first
African American lawyer in the state of New York and an
educator and poet whose most famous work was “Victor Oge”
(1854), the first narrative, nonlyrical poem by an
African American writer.

1929 – Autherine Lucy (later Foster) is born in Shiloh, Alabama.
She will be the first African American student to enroll
at the University of Alabama (1956).

1932 – Perle Yvonne Watson is born in Los Angeles, California. As
Yvonne Braithwaite, she will serve as staff attorney on
the McCone Commission investigating the causes of the
Watts riots and will become the first African American
woman elected to the California state assembly, as well
as the first African American woman elected to the House
of Representatives. She also will be the first woman to
sit on the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors as a
result of an appointment by Governor Brown. Some years
later, she will become the first woman elected to the Los
Angeles County Board of Supervisors.

1985 – Grambling’s coach Eddie Robinson wins his record 324th
college football game.

1992 – Eddie Kendrick, one of the original members of the Motown
group, The Temptations, joins the ancestors after
succumbing to lung cancer.

Information retrieved from the Munirah Chronicle and is edited by Rene’ A. Perry.