The Daily Dose Press
DDH: Daily Dose off History was founded in November of 2017. This blog series has had a turbulent beginning. Just two months into the series, nothing was going as planned. Since my goal was to publish an article on a daily basis, I had to create a new blog which launched in March of 2018. In order to stay on track, I was unable to publish the DDH: Daily Dose of History articles from January and February of 2018. The first articles will be housed here, The Daily Dose Press. Enjoy.
The Daily Dose Press will be updated with past articles periodically.
The Beginning
Woodson was born December 19, 1875, in New Canton, Virginia. He was the fourth of seven children born to Anna Eliza Riddle and James Woodson. Like most Black folk in those times, young Carter was a sharecropper. But he was destined to be much more.
Woodson exhibited his academic excellence by completing his traditional, four-year high school program in only two years. After completing high school in an impressively short amount of time, Woodson went on to Berea College in Kentucky. He then began working as an Education Superintendent in the Philippines for the U.S. government.
Continued Education
After completing his work in the Philippines, Woodson returned to the U.S. to continue his education. By 1912, Woodson had earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Chicago, as well as, his doctorate’s degree from Harvard University.
Upon completion of his education, Woodson made it his mission to incorporate Black history into the school curricula and as a field of study for scholars. Black history is now being taught at the collegiate level, which is necessary, but there is a clamant need for Black history to be taught at the primary school level as well.
Father of Black History
Woodson published many pieces of written work that are essential to Black history. His most notable piece, The Mis-Education of The Negro (1933), is about Western indoctrination and Black self-empowerment. Woodson wrote over a dozen books and established a scholarly journal and a publishing press.
#BlackHistory365
In 1926, Woodson began lobbying for schools and organizations to make Black history a permanent part of their curriculum, thus the creation of Negro History Week which began in February, 1926. Woodson decided to celebrate Negro History Week during February in order to align with the birthdays of Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln.
Negro History Week gradually grew into Black History Month. The U.S. was the first to adopt the month-long observation of Black history in 1976. Following that, the U.K. implemented Black History Month as a national holiday in 1987, and Canada, in 1995. Now, although not every country observes Black History Month, people around the world celebrate #BlackHistory365.
Homegoing
Carter Godwin Woodson died April 3, 1950 at the age of 75. Thanks to Woodson’s scholarly work as a writer and overall historian, we as a community are that much closer to knowing our true identity.
The Beginning
Woodson was born December 19, 1875, in New Canton, Virginia. He was the fourth of seven children born to Anna Eliza Riddle and James Woodson. Like most Black folk in those times, young Carter was a sharecropper. But he was destined to be much more.
Woodson exhibited his academic excellence by completing his traditional, four-year high school program in only two years. After completing high school in an impressively short amount of time, Woodson went on to Berea College in Kentucky. He then began working as an Education Superintendent in the Philippines for the U.S. government.
Continued Education
After completing his work in the Philippines, Woodson returned to the U.S. to continue his education. By 1912, Woodson had earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Chicago, as well as, his doctorate’s degree from Harvard University.
Upon completion of his education, Woodson made it his mission to incorporate Black history into the school curricula and as a field of study for scholars. Black history is now being taught at the collegiate level, which is necessary, but there is a clamant need for Black history to be taught at the primary school level as well.
Father of Black History
Woodson published many pieces of written work that are essential to Black history. His most notable piece, The Mis-Education of The Negro (1933), is about Western indoctrination and Black self-empowerment. Woodson wrote over a dozen books and established a scholarly journal and a publishing press.
#BlackHistory365
In 1926, Woodson began lobbying for schools and organizations to make Black history a permanent part of their curriculum, thus the creation of Negro History Week which began in February, 1926. Woodson decided to celebrate Negro History Week during February in order to align with the birthdays of Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln.
Negro History Week gradually grew into Black History Month. The U.S. was the first to adopt the month-long observation of Black history in 1976. Following that, the U.K. implemented Black History Month as a national holiday in 1987, and Canada, in 1995. Now, although not every country observes Black History Month, people around the world celebrate #BlackHistory365.
Homegoing
Carter Godwin Woodson died April 3, 1950 at the age of 75. Thanks to Woodson’s scholarly work as a writer and overall historian, we as a community are that much closer to knowing our true identity.
Carter G. Woodson
The Beginning
Woodson was born December 19, 1875, in New Canton, Virginia. He was the fourth of seven children born to Anna Eliza Riddle and James Woodson. Like most Black folk in those times, young Carter was a sharecropper. But he was destined to be much more.
Woodson exhibited his academic excellence by completing his traditional, four-year high school program in only two years. After completing high school in an impressively short amount of time, Woodson went on to Berea College in Kentucky. He then began working as an Education Superintendent in the Philippines for the U.S. government.
Continued Education
After completing his work in the Philippines, Woodson returned to the U.S. to continue his education. By 1912, Woodson had earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Chicago, as well as, his doctorate’s degree from Harvard University.
Upon completion of his education, Woodson made it his mission to incorporate Black history into the school curricula and as a field of study for scholars. Black history is now being taught at the collegiate level, which is necessary, but there is an urgent need for Black history to be taught at the primary school level as well.
Father of Black History
Woodson published many pieces of written work that are essential to Black history. His most notable piece, The Mis-Education of The Negro (1933), is about Western indoctrination and Black self-empowerment. Woodson wrote over a dozen books and established a scholarly journal and a publishing press.
#BlackHistory365
In 1926, Woodson began lobbying for schools and organizations to make Black history a permanent part of their curriculum, thus the creation of Negro History Week which began in February 1926. Woodson decided to celebrate Negro History Week during February in order to align with the birthdays of Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln.
Negro History Week gradually grew into Black History Month. The U.S. was the first to adopt the month-long observation of Black history in 1976. Following that, the U.K. implemented Black History Month as a national holiday in 1987, and Canada, in 1995. Now, although not every country observes Black History Month, people around the world celebrate #BlackHistory365.
Homegoing
Carter Godwin Woodson died April 3, 1950, at the age of 75. Thanks to Woodson’s scholarly work as a writer and overall historian, we as a community are that much closer to knowing our true identity.
Queen Nefertiti
Origins
Nefertiti, which loosely means “a beautiful woman has come”, is the most revered Queen of Egypt. Enigmatically, Nefertiti’s origins are unknown. Many speculate that she was the daughter of Ay, who became Pharaoh following King Tutankhamun’s death in 1323 B.C. Others believe that Nefertiti was a princess from the Mittani Kingdom in Northern Syria.
Alien theorists speculate that Queen Nefertiti’s origins may be of another world. Regardless of her origins, Queen Nefertiti ruled alongside her husband Pharaoh Akhenaten from 1353 to 1336 B.C. and made a significant impact on Egyptian culture.
Race
Many debates have arisen surrounding Queen Nefertiti’s race. Many depictions—like the artistic renditions of Jesus Christ—erroneously delineate Nefertiti with white features; blonde hair with blue eyes and ‘fair’ skin (I disagree with the term ‘fair’ because fair is defined as pure, beautiful, and not dark, indicating that Black women are the opposite of pure and beautiful). Based on her bust which was found by archeologists in 1913, Queen Nefertiti was neither blonde-haired, blue-eyed, nor pale-skinned.
Time Of Ruling
Queen Nefertiti and her husband, King Amenhotep IV, completely changed the religious culture of the Egyptian people. They eradicated the polytheistic views denouncing all gods with the exception of one; the sun god, Aten. They convinced people that Aten was the inimitable god worthy of Egyptian worship.
To show her absolute devotion to Aten, Queen Nefertiti changed her name to Neferneferuaten-Nefertiti. The Queen’s new name is loosely translated as “beautiful are the beauties of Aten, a beautiful woman has come.” Her revolutionary changes to Egyptian culture made her one of Egypt’s most famous queens.
Disappearance
According to historical accounts, the Queen simply disappeared. After the twelfth year of Akhenaten’s seventeen-year rule, she vanished without a trace and history, thereafter, was completely devoid of her name. So, what happened to the Queen?
Guise
There have been many speculations as to Nefertiti’s disappearance. Some scholars believe that Queen Nefertiti took on the guise of a man complete with a ceremonial synthetic beard. Under this proposed guise, Nefertiti changed her name to Smenkhkare which some believe is another name for Nefertiti. Under this alias, it is believed that Nefertiti ruled Egypt as the Pharaoh following Akhenaten’s death.
Other Theories
Alien theorists believe that she returned to the stars to be with her people. But in 2015, archeologists found a secret passageway connected to King Tutankhamun’s tomb which is believed to contain Queen Nefertiti’s remains. Confirmation is still pending.
James Baldwin
Youth
James Baldwin was born in Harlem, New York on August 2, 1924. In his book, The Fire Next Time, is a letter to his nephew titled, “Down At The Cross”. In his letter, Baldwin gives a very descriptive account of his childhood.
Baldwin grew up in the tough streets of America’s ghettos. He watched his father struggle to endure racism and poverty, which Baldwin states ultimately broke him and took his life. In that sense, young James did not want to be like his father. However, he followed in his father’s footsteps by becoming a minister.
Religion
From the ages of 14-17, James made quite a name for himself as a well-spoken, charismatic young minister. From the pulpit, however, Baldwin noticed what he perceived to be discrepancies within the church; he realized that the Black Christian church operated similarly to the white Christian church.
Instead of upholding the creed: Faith, Hope, and Charity, Baldwin writes that both churches uphold the creed: Blindness, Loneliness, and Terror. His outlook on Christianity and religion shaped his written and spoken work immensely.
Career
In the mid-1940s, Baldwin received a few writing fellowships. With the aid of those fellowships, Baldwin was able to publish a number of novels including, Go Tell It on the Mountain, and his controversial novel, Giovanni’s Room, which focused on exploring homosexuality. His fellowships also allowed him to move to France where he wrote about race and politics more.
Race And Politics
Baldwin began to speak out against racial inequalities more heavily. He grew so weary of the political atmosphere in America that he retreated to France as an expatriate. In an interview, an older Baldwin stated that if he were a young person at that time—which was near the time of his death—he would have probably moved to Africa instead of France.
St. Paul
James Baldwin died on December 1, 1987. He was living in St. Paul de Vance, France at the time. In everything that Baldwin wrote and said, he bore “witness to the truth.” Following his death, his home was transformed into a museum where fans visit from all over to praise James Baldwin.
Angela Y. Davis
Her Youth
Angela Yvonne Davis was born in Birmingham, Alabama in 1944. One of Davis’ first experiences with racism came with the bombing of the Black church in Birmingham killing the four little girls. She knew a couple of those young girls. Like other admirable Civil Rights leaders, Davis used her experiences with racism as inspiration to fight oppression.
Education
Angela attended Sorbonne in Paris and Brandeis where she studied philosophy and French. She graduated magna cum laude. She also completed graduate programs at the University of Frankfurt in Germany, as well as at UC San Diego. Upon graduating, she went on to teaching.
Politics
Davis taught at the UCLA until 1969. That year, she lost her professorship after then Governor Ronald Reagan learned that she was affiliated with the Che-Lumumba Club, the all-Black branch of the Communist Party. Davis fought for her job—but more importantly her right to support any political party that she chose—and won. When her contract ended the following year, Angela left UCLA.
Soledad Brothers
While working with the Black Panther Party, Davis protested for the freedom of the Soledad Brothers. The Soledad Brothers, who were not actually brothers, consisted of John W. Cluchette, Fleeta Drumgo, and George Lester Jackson. The three men were accused of killing a prison guard after another prison guard had killed Black inmates during a riot.
Davis wanted to show her support of the three men by lobbying for their release. This support paradoxically resulted in her incarceration when members of the Black Panthers -- unbeknownst to Davis -- used guns that she had purchased for self-defense to open fire in the courtroom. Several people were killed and Davis was placed on the FBI’s “Ten Most Wanted” list.
Prison
Davis was imprisoned for two years on charges of kidnapping, conspiracy, and murder. A massive international political movement to free Angela was organized by the Communist Party and the National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression. She was released in 1972.
Life After Prison
Since regaining her freedom, Angela Y. Davis has incessantly fought for racial and gender equality, socialism, and eradication of the prison-industrial complex. Davis has written several books, coined the critical term “Black feminist thought”, and currently teaches the History of Consciousness at UC Santa Cruz.
Mansa Musa
Musa Keita I
Musa Keita I was born in Mali in 1280. Very little is known about Musa’s life prior to his rule over Mali. Keita succeeded his father, King Abu Bakr II, in 1312. His coronation earned him the title Mansa, meaning king. As the King of Mali, Mansa Musa was highly revered. He was a powerful individual with an abundance of wealth and a kingdom that spanned almost 2,000 miles.
Pilgrimage
Mansa Musa was able to bring such notoriety and prestige to the Mali Empire via his pilgrimage to Mecca. Mansa Musa’s caravan was the largest caravan to ever travel across Africa. It consisted of 500 slaves and 80 camels carrying more than 26,000 pounds of supplies and gold across the desert.
Inflation
While on his pilgrimage to Mecca, Mansa Musa spent a great deal of currency. Of the gold that was not spent to fund his journey, he gave an abundance to the inhabitants of the Arab cities that he visited.
He gave so much of his gold to the people of Cairo that two major events took place: Mansa Musa caused Egypt’s gold to depreciate leading to inflation for over a decade following his visit, and the Mali Empire became highly revered to other nations. European maps displayed Mali with Mansa Musa’s name next to it for centuries to follow.
His Legacy
If for nothing else, Mansa Musa is remembered for being the wealthiest person to ever live. Today, Mansa Musa’s wealth would roughly translate into $400 billion making him wealthier than Bill Gates.
Religious Work
Before his death in 1337, his Muslim faith led him to Timbuktu where he built schools, mosques, and universities. One mosque in particular that Mansa Musa built is the renowned Djingguereber Mosque, which still stands to this day.
Impact
Aside from his wealth, however, he also left behind a prosperous Mali Empire. The commerce, agricultural advances, and prosperity found within the Mali Empire 15 years later were attributed to Mansa Musa Keita I’s rule. His leadership withstood the test of time for many years, thereafter.
Shirley Chisolm
Childhood
Shirley Chisholm was born Shirley Anita St. Hill on November 30th, 1924. Chisholm was born in Brooklyn, New York but spent a great deal of her childhood in Barbados with her grandmother. She always lived in predominantly Black neighborhoods, which shaped her political career and interests.
Education
Chisholm attended Brooklyn College and graduated in 1946. Upon graduating, Chisholm went on to teach before she earned her master’s degree in Elementary Education from Columbus University.
Because of her knowledge and passion for the subject, Shirley’s professors encouraged her to pursue a career in politics. She countered their suggestions by acknowledging the hardships that she would face due to the intersectionality of race and gender-based discrimination. Her views drastically changed, however.
Career
From 1953 to 1959, Chisholm worked as the Director at the Hamilton-Madison Child Care Center. From 1959 to 1964, she worked as an Educational Consultant for New York City’s Bureau of Child Welfare.
Congresswoman
By 1968, Shirley Chisholm became the first Black Congresswoman serving seven terms with the House of Representatives. Upon obtaining her seat, Chisholm was assigned to the House Forestry Committee but demanded reassignment to the Veterans’ Affair Committee. From there she worked her way up to the Education and Labor Committee.
During her career as a Congresswoman, Shirley Chisholm made a great impact on American politics. In 1969, she became one of the founding members of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC). And although the CBC was one of her most long-standing accomplishments as Congresswoman, it was not her biggest accomplishment, overall.
Presidential Candidacy
In 1972, Shirley Chisholm became the first Black person and the first woman to run for one of the two major political parties: the Democratic Party. Of course, it being 1972, she did not win the election amassing the low amount of only 152 delegate votes at the Democratic National Convention.
Her Legacy
Shirley Chisholm died on January 1, 2005, at the age of 80. She authored two books and posthumously received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in November 2015. Her work is highly revered and greatly appreciated. Some even referred to Chisholm as our Moses — parting the Red Sea of oppression and allowing us a passage through the system.
Malcolm X
Before ‘X’
Malcolm Little was born on May 19th, 1925 in Omaha, Nebraska. Malcolm was one of eight children born to Louise Norton Little and Earl Little. After Malcolm’s father was killed by the Black Legion, a white supremacist hate group, everything took a turn for the worse.
Malcolm’s mother suffered a mental breakdown and was institutionalized. As young adults, Malcolm and his best friend Malcolm “Shorty” Jarvis, were caught burglarizing a house and sentenced to 10 years in prison.
Turning Point
While serving his time in prison, Malcolm embarked on a journey of self-enlightenment. Heeding the advice of his brother Reginald, who had converted to the Muslim religion, Malcolm began to study the work of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad.
NOI
By the time he was paroled in 1952, Malcolm was devoted to the Nation Of Islam (NOI). He had changed his name from Malcolm Little to arguably the most infamous name during the Civil Rights Movement, Malcolm X.
Why ‘X’?
Brother Malcolm stated that the ‘X’ in mathematics symbolizes an unknown variable. The last name of the white man who owned his ancestors was Little, therefore, Little was not his name. Malcolm’s real last name--his African last name--was unknown, thus, the variable ‘X’.
Ministry
Brother Malcolm quickly earned a reputation for being an intelligent, young man eager to fight oppression. Elijah Muhammad soon appointed Malcolm X the role of minister and national spokesman for the NOI. Malcolm aimed to teach the Black community the doctrine he had learned from Elijah Muhammad; economic and political independence.
Denouncing The NOI
In addition to gaining media attention, the NOI also received attention from the FBI. FBI informants revealed a scandal against Elijah Muhammad; he was accused of having relations with multiple women of the NOI.
After this shocking revelation, Malcolm went on a pilgrimage to Mecca where he met fellow Muslims of all nationalities leading him to question the teachings of Elijah Muhammad. When he returned home, he denounced Elijah Muhammad -- cutting ties with the NOI and becoming their target.
Assassination
After enduring a great deal of harassment and near-death experiences, Malcolm finally met his doom. Malcolm was shot fifteen times at a speaking engagement by Talmadge Hayer, Norman 3X Butler, and Thomas 15X on February 21st, 1965. Brother Malcolm was survived by his wife and his six daughters. He fought tirelessly for our equality “By Any Means Necessary.”
Queen Tiye
Lineage
Queen Tiye was born in 1415 BCE to Yuya and Thuya. Tiye’s parents were affluent individuals. Her father, Yuya, was the High Priest of Min from Akhmin in Upper Kemet and her mother, Thuya, was Chief of the Entertainers of Amun and Min.
Queen Tiye’s mother, Thuya, is believed to be the descendant of Ahmose-Nefertari of the eighteenth dynasty. The idea of Tiye one day becoming the queen was inevitable. Enthrallingly, however, the idea of Tiye one day becoming Queen of Egypt was highly improbable.
Marriage
Queen Tiye married at a young age. Although conjugality to the ancient ruler of Kemet (Egypt), Pharaoh Amenhotep III, was unlikely, Queen Tiye’s beauty and wisdom beguiled him relentlessly. Pharaoh Amenhotep III was so mesmerized by Queen Tiye’s beauty that he defied that which had already been determined about his royal wife-to-be, and married Queen Tiye.
Pharaoh Amenhotep III was so wildly in love with Queen Tiye. In order to express his love for her, he had statues and monuments built in her image. Amenhotep also relied heavily on the Queen’s input. Queen Tiye stood beside him in terms of political power.
Her Time of Rule
Changing the perception of royal women, Queen Tiye counseled Pharaoh Amenhotep III on various issues including national military and political topics. In their later years, Pharaoh Amenhotep III’s mental and physical state began to deteriorate. As a result, Queen Tiye stepped in as the leader.
She was able to maintain Egypt's position of power within a global context. Had Queen Tiye not stepped in and acted as secretary of the state, Egypt surely would have fallen or at least would have lost a great deal of political and military power.
Until The End
Queen Tiye was the mother of Pharaoh Akhenaten and grandmother of Pharaoh Tutankhamun. Throughout both of their time in power, Queen Tiye maintained her influence as a royal advisor. Queen Tiye died in 1340 BCE. Even more statues of Queen Tiye were created thereafter.
Additionally, a temple was constructed in Sedeinga, Nubia as a means to show praise and honor of her life, her work, and dedication to the people of Egypt. Her leadership should be an influence to all.
Stokely Carmichael
Childhood
Stokely Carmichael was born in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, on June 29, 1941. As a toddler, his parents left him with his grandmother and traveled to America. Stokely joined his parents years later at the age of eleven. His mother, Mabel, worked as a stewardess for a steamship line. His father, Adolphus, did carpentry by day and drove taxi by night.
Education
The Carmichaels moved to Morris Park, a predominantly white neighborhood in the Bronx, in 1954. Stokely was accepted into the prestigious Bronx High School of Science where his outstanding academics awarded him multiple scholarships to various universities. Upon watching the brutal footage of protesters at a sit-in, he decided to attend Howard University.
Politics
While still in high school, Stokely joined the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE). In 1961, Stokely participated in his first Freedom Ride, a bus tour through the south aimed at challenging segregated interstate travel. After entering the “whites only” waiting room at a bus stop, he spent 49 days in jail.
Stokely graduated from Howard in 1964 and then joined the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC). Carmichael worked closely with MLK and upheld his doctrine of nonviolence. But by the time he was elected national chairman of SNCC in 1966, he no longer supported MLK’s views.
Black Power
After James Meredith was shot during his “Walk Against Fear”, from Memphis, Tennessee to Jackson, Mississippi in 1966, Carmichael recruited SNCC volunteers to continue the march. When they reached Greenwood, Mississippi, on June 16, Carmichael gave a speech where he coined the term Black Power, spurring the Black Power Movement.
Stokely later joined the Black Panther Party in 1967 but left them in 1969. He set out for Conakry, Guinea. There, he studied Pan-Africanism -- a worldwide movement designed to promote solidarity between all people of African descent. Carmichael changed his name to Kwame Ture in honor of Ghanaian president Kwame Nkrumah, and Guinean president Sekou Toure.
Until The End
In 1985, Carmichael was diagnosed with prostate cancer which he claimed, “...was given to me by forces of American imperialism and others who conspired with them.” Stokely Carmichael died on November 15, 1998, at the age of 57. He lived in Guinea where he remained, “Ready for the revolution!” until the end.
Zora Neal Hurston
Birthday?
Zora Neale Hurston was a unique individual. She led historians to question when and where she was born. In her autobiography, Dust Tracks on a Road, Zora wrote that she was born in Eatonville, Florida. Various sources indicate, however, that she was born in Notasulga, Alabama.
In the book, Zora Neale Hurston: A Life in Letters by Carla Kaplan, Hurston states that she was born on January 15, 1891. Although her birth year is not disputed, the actual date has been subject to debate. Historians place Hurston’s birthday on January 7, 1891.
Background
Hurston’s parents, John Hurston and Lucy Ann (Potts) Hurston, were both born into slavery. Her father became a pastor and moved his family from Alabama to Florida; it is believed that due to her young age at the time of their migration, Zora hardly remembered Notasulga, Alabama, claiming Florida as her birthplace.
Education
While pursuing her education at Howard, she published one of her earliest pieces of work in the school’s newspaper. Zora graduated in 1920 earning her Associate’s Degree. Later, she was awarded a scholarship to Barnard College where she studied anthropology with Franz Boas.
Career
After graduating from Barnard College, Hurston went on to collect Black Folktales. She then published a book of her findings titled, Mules and Men (1935). In the mid-1930s, Hurston wrote a few plays both with Langston Hughes and individually as well as her first novel. Her true notoriety came from her renowned novel, Their Eyes Were Watching God, published in 1937.
Her Demise
In 1948, Hurston was accused of molesting three young boys. Her chief accuser--her landlady’s 10-year-old son--Barry Allen, claimed that Hurston and three other adults forced him and his friends to have sex with them. In actuality, Allen and his friends were having sex with each other and falsely accused Zora because his mother, Mamie Allen, despised her.
Although she was in Honduras during the time of the accusations and had no knowledge whatsoever of the others who were accused of molesting Allen and friends, Hurston’s career was irreparably decimated. Despite her fascinating life and career, Zora Neale Hurston died impoverished and forlorn on January 28, 1960.
King Hannibal
Young Hannibal
Hannibal was born in Carthage in 247 B.C. Carthage was a thriving country in North Africa that had already been established as an Empire 500 years prior to Hannibal’s birth. There is very little documentation of Hannibal’s life. Even information during his time of rule is limited, so there is much about his early life that is unknown.
What little documentation of Hannibal there is makes no mention of his mother. His father, however, was a Carthage general named Hamilcar Barca. Hannibal also had two brothers: Hasdrubal and Maharbal. Later in life, the foremost would go on to live in Spain, while the latter would become captain of Hannibal’s cavalry.
Battle
In the first Punic War, Hannibal’s father battled Rome. Both Carthage and Rome sought to rule the Mediterranean. His father fought gallantly until the war ended in 241 B.C. when Hannibal was only six years old. Years after the war ended, Hannibal’s father was killed in an ambush. Hannibal was only seventeen years old.
Soon after his father’s murder, Hannibal assumed his role in the military. By 218 B.C., Hannibal was leading a fleet during the Second Punic War. According to Levy, the Roman historian, Hannibal was “fearless, utterly prudent in danger, indefatigable, able to endure heat and cold, controlled in eating habits, unpretentious in dress, willing to sleep wrapped in military cloak, [and] a superb rider and horseman,” which made him a suitable military leader.
Alps
In the continued battle against the Roman Empire, Hannibal led his army--eight miles of 100,000 Numidian and North African men and a long line of tame elephants (which he is famous for)--to the Alps. Hannibal and his men endured many misfortunes, such as attacks from European tribes, severe weather conditions, and starvation and disease.
After only a two week’s journey through the Alps, half of Hannibal’s army had been wiped out. By the time Hannibal and his army had arrived at Po Valley, his army only consisted of 26,000 men.
Defeat
In his noble attempt to prevent Rome from executing a possible attack on Africa, Hannibal won many battles but lost many men. After injuring the Roman army and preventing their supposed attack, Hannibal lost the Battle of Zama against the Scipio Africanus and retreated with his army.
The Roman Empire never forgot the debilitating attack that Hannibal administered on them; they sought revenge. A 64-year-old Hannibal was soon to be taken captive by the Romans but ingested poison before he could be imprisoned. King Hannibal, the Ruler of Carthage, died in 183 B.C.
Rosa Parks
McCauley
On February 14, 1913, Rosa Louise McCauley was born in Tuskegee, Alabama to James and Leona McCauley. The McCauleys moved to Pine Level, Alabama where they lived with Rosa’s maternal grandparents. Her brother, Sylvester McCauley was born that same year, 1915, and shortly thereafter, James and Leona separated.
Education
The McCauleys moved to Montgomery, Alabama when Rosa was eleven. She attended a laboratory school at the Alabama State Teachers’ College for Negroes. Five years later, Rosa dropped out of school in order to take care of her ailing grandmother. After her grandmother died, her mother fell ill as well, preventing her from finishing school.
But at nineteen years old (1932), Rosa married twenty-nine-year-old Raymond Parks. Raymond Parks worked as a barber and was a member of the NAACP. Since Rosa was determined to earn her high school diploma, Raymond supported her. She earned her diploma the following year.
Activism
Rosa had expressed interest in joining the NAACP. But out of fear for her life, Raymond discouraged her from joining. However, in 1943 she joined the Montgomery chapter anyway. She worked as the chapter’s secretary. The Parks’ were already well-known activists within the Black community in Montgomery but her work with the NAACP brought them more praise.
Her Arrest
Due to dehumanizing segregation laws, many Black folk tried to refrain from riding the bus. Not too many members of the Black community liked the idea of being sent to the back of the bus. But upwards of 70% of the public bus company’s daily customers were Black. Rosa usually avoided the bus but on December 1, 1955, she decided to take the bus home.
When a white man needed a place to sit because the front of the bus was full, driver James Blake told her and three other Black people to move. While the other three moved, Rosa refused. She remained seated, deliberately disobeying the law. Police escorted Parks off the bus and she was then taken to jail and fined $14.
Mother of The Civil Rights Movement
Following her protest, E. D. Nixon founded the Montgomery Improvement Association (MIA) naming Martin Luther King, Jr. president of the organization. The MIA supported the Montgomery Bus Boycott where Black people refused to ride the bus until segregation laws were amended. This spurred the Civil Rights Movement naming Parks the Mother of the Civil Rights Movement.
Later Years
The Parks and Rosa’s mother moved to Detroit where her brother lived. She worked as the administrative aide for the office of John Conyers until she retired in 1988. She also co-founded the Rosa and Raymond Parks Institute for Self-Development. Rosa Louise Parks died on October 4, 2005, at the age of 92.
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Michael
Martin Luther King, Jr. was born Michael King, Jr. on February 15, 1929, to Michael King, Sr. and Alberta Williams King in Atlanta, Georgia. He changed his name to Martin Luther following his father who changed his name in honor of the German Protestant religious leader, Martin Luther.
Education
In his junior year, Martin took a Bible class which encouraged him to pursue a career in ministry. After high school, Martin attended Morehouse College where he graduated with a Sociology degree in 1951. He also attended Crozer Theological Seminary in Chester, Pennsylvania.
Morehouse College President Benjamin E. Mays took King under his wing. He influenced King to use Christianity as a vehicle to change society. After completing seminary, King went on to Boston University where he earned his doctorate degree. While working on his doctorate, he met aspiring singer, Coretta Scott. They wed in 1953. Two years later, King earned his Ph.D. at the age of 25.
Ministry
While pursuing his Ph.D. and marrying Coretta, he became the new pastor of the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama. After Rosa Parks’ arrest on December 1, 1955, E.D. Nixon, head of the local NAACP chapter placed 26-year-old Martin in charge of the Montgomery Bus Boycott. The boycott resulted in King’s and Nixon’s houses being bombed.
Along with over sixty other ministers, Martin founded the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) in 1957. Later on, Martin worked closely with the SNCC and Stokely Carmichael, who he later criticised for coining the term ‘Black Power.’
His Dream
Martin was most revered for his ‘I Have A Dream’ speech. In 1963, Martin led a demonstration in downtown Birmingham, Alabama. The famous footage of men, women, and children being hosed and attacked by police dogs is a result of this demonstration. King was imprisoned where he wrote his famous letter from a Birmingham jail which defends civil disobedience.
In August of 1963, King led the historic March on Washington. And just below the Lincoln Memorial, before 200,000 people King made his famous ‘I Have A Dream’ speech. This event drew national attention as well as the support of many organizations.
Assassination
On April 3, 1968, Martin participated in a labor strike for sanitation workers. After the demonstration, he gave his final speech where he told his followers, “I’ve seen the promised land. I may not get there with you. But...we as a people, will get to the promised land.” The next day, April 4, 1968, Martin Luther King, Jr. was shot and killed by sniper James Earl Ray.
Harriet Tubman
Minty
Harriet Tubman was born in Dorchester County, Maryland to two enslaved parents, Harriet “Rit” Green and Ben Ross. Her birth name was Araminta Harriet Ross but her parents called her “Minty.” Minty was one of nine children born between 1808 and 1832. It is estimated that Minty was born between 1820 and 1825 but the date of her birth is unknown.
Deep Scars
For young Minty, violence was the norm. She was often given lashings by her master, recounting one day when she received five lashings before breakfast. She wore the deep scars from those, and countless other, lashings on her body until the day she died.
Another violent encounter took place in town. A slave had run away from his plantation and his overseer was trying to catch him. The overseer told Harriet to help capture the other slave but she refused to assist him. As a result, the overseer threw a two-pound object at her head; she suffered from seizures, severe headaches, and narcolepsy for the rest of her life.
Tubman
In 1844, Araminta married a free Black man named John Tubman. She dropped the Araminta and took on the name Harriet like her mother.
Railroad
Following her master’s death in 1849, Tubman decided to escape slavery. Harriet and her two brothers, Ben and Harry, set out for Philadelphia. But after seeing a publication offering a $300 reward for Harriet’s return, her brothers decided to return to the plantation. But Harriet refused to live in bondage any longer.
Tubman frequently returned to her former plantation in order to lead more slaves to freedom. Harriet began leading slaves to freedom along the Underground Railroad. John refused to accompany her, so they divorced.
Her achievements in liberating slaves took her all the way to the Civil War where she became an armed scout and spy. She was the first woman to lead an expedition in the war, guiding the Combahee River Raid. She helped liberate over 700 slaves.
Later Years
Harriet later remarried a Civil War vet named Nelson Davis in 1869. She was revered for her contribution to the liberation of slaves and the abolition of slavery. She died of pneumonia on March 10, 1913. Her age was unknown.
W. E. B. Du Bois
Youth
W. E. B. Du Bois was born William Edward Burghardt Du Bois on February 23, 1868, in Great Barrington, Massachusetts. William grew up in a predominantly white town and attended school with white children. He was even supported academically by his white teachers despite the fact that he proudly identified himself as a mulatto.
Education
Young Du Bois was always an outstanding student. He was the valedictorian of the class of 1884. In 1885, Du Bois moved to Nashville, Tennessee where he experienced the Jim Crow south and racism for the first time while attending Fisk University. He received his bachelor’s degree from Fisk in 1888.
Du Bois then attended Harvard University. By 1891, Du Bois had earned his master’s degree and in 1895, Du Bois had written his dissertation on, ‘The Suppression of the African Slave Trade to the United States of America, 1638-1870’ earning his doctorate degree from Harvard University.
Career
After receiving his doctorate degree, Du Bois began his writing career. His most notable piece of work was ‘The Philadelphia Negro: A Social Study’ (1899). This was the first case study of a Black community. This study is imperative as this is where he coined the term ‘the talented tenth,’ which states that one-in-ten Black men would become leaders in their community.
Disagreements
As Booker T. Washington announced his ‘Atlanta Compromise’, W. E. B. Du Bois vehemently opposed his argument. The Atlanta Compromise placed vocational training above higher education and political office. Du Bois demanded equality for the Black community criticizing Washington and his ‘inferior strategy.’ He gained much notoriety from this.
Writing & Activism
Du Bois published his next book, ‘The Souls of Black Folk’ in 1903. This book is a collection of fourteen essays that challenge the ideology of biological white superiority. He then founded the Niagara Movement (1905)--a civil rights group that held their initial meeting at Niagara Falls after being denied rooms at hotels in Buffalo, New York.
Du Bois then co-founded the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) in 1910. He served as the director of publicity among other important roles. Du Bois also delved heavily into Pan-Africanism where he organized congresses that would bring liberation to African colonies that were under European power.
Passing
W. E. B. Du Bois died on August 27, 1963, in Accra, Ghana where he was working on an encyclopedia of the African Diaspora. He died at the age of 95.
Queen Nefertari
Married Young
Nefertari Merytmut was born in 1292. There is very little known information regarding her childhood. Around 1279 B.C., thirteen-year-old Nefertari married fifteen-year-old Ramses II. Their early marriage was the result of a feud between two kingdoms.
Nefertari’s father/ruler--who some scholars believe is Ay, while others believe that perhaps she is the great-granddaughter of Ay or that Nefertari was merely a noblewoman because she was never referred to as the king’s daughter--gave Ramses II her hand in marriage signifying the end of the feud between the two royal families.
Their Marriage
It is suggested that Queen Nefertari was wed to Ramses II prior to his coronation as the king due to the fact that her name appears in all of the earliest records of Ramses II’s rule. Their marriage was strictly political in the beginning, but Ramses II fell madly in love with Nefertari. He had statues built and poems written in her honor.
One of the most renowned statues depicts a large Ramses II, dressed in royal garb, standing firm while Nefertari (also dressed in royal garb) stands on his feet and is taking a step forward. Nefertari was even referred to as ‘Sweet of Love’, ‘Bride of God’, and ‘Lady of the Two Lands’ by her endearing husband.
Value
Queen Nefertari was so loved and so valued by King Ramses II that she would sometimes accompany Ramses on military campaigns. Early on in his reign, Ramses II was at war with the Hittites. A peace treaty was established, however, and Queen Nefertari often sent letters to the king and queen. This suggests that she may have maintained the peace with them.
Within Nefertari’s tomb are great hieroglyphics that depict moments in her life. Many of the images show her leading rituals and festivals, as well as honoring the gods along with her husband. Other images show her wearing a crown associated with goddesses like Isis and Hathor. Nefertari was an active queen whose influence affected Ramses Greatly.
Twenty-four Years Later
In the year 1225 B.C., Queen Nefertari died. She had been married to King Ramses II for twenty-four years and bore at least six children. Their four sons were Amun-herkhepeshef, Pareherwenemef, Meryatum, and Merye. Their two daughters were Meritamen and Henwttawy. Her legacy lives on as tourists visit her tomb regularly.
Langston Hughes
James Mercer
James Mercer Langston Hughes was born February 1, 1902. He was born in Joplin, Missouri to James Hughes and Carrie Langston. Shortly after his birth, his parents divorced leaving young Langston to be raised by his grandmother. His grandmother died while Langston was a young teenager.
After his grandmother’s death, Langston lived with his mother and her new husband. They moved around quite a bit prior to settling down in Columbus, Ohio. While in high school, some of his teachers introduced him to Carl Sandburg and Walt Whitman. Hughes then began writing poetry and frequently contributed to the school’s literary magazine.
Education
Hughes graduated high school in 1920. He spent the following year in Mexico with his father. His poem, ‘The Negro Speaks of Rivers’ was published in The Crisis magazine which earned him a significant amount of praise. In 1921, Hughes returned to the U.S. and enrolled in Columbia University in New York City.
Hughes became a part of the blossoming cultural movement, the Harlem Renaissance. He dropped out of college in 1922, however, and began working a number of odd jobs. He later went on to finish his education on a scholarship to Lincoln University, in Pennsylvania.
Writing
By 1925, Hughes’ poem, ‘The Weary Blues’, was published by ‘Opportunity’ magazine and won the literary competition. This publication awarded Hughes his scholarship to Lincoln. The next year, Hughes’ first book of poetry, also named ‘The Weary Blues’, was published. This book introduced readers to Hughes’ style but also his use of allusions to Black heritage.
In being part of the Harlem Renaissance, Hughes heavily interacted with a number of musicians. In fact, Hughes was most notable for the Jazz and Blues influence that he implemented into his writing.
Legacy
Hughes went on to write a number of books, poems, and plays until the day he died. James Mercer Langston Hughes died on May 22, 1967, due to complications of prostate cancer. His ashes were interred beneath the Arthur Schomburg Center for Research in Black culture in Harlem. His home on East 127th Street has been deemed a landmark in his honor.
Kathleen Cleaver
Neal
Kathleen Neal was born on May 13, 1945, in Dallas, Texas. She was born into a well-educated family; her father was a sociology professor and her mother had earned her Master’s degree in mathematics. Shortly after Kathleen was born, her father began working with the Foreign Service affording them the opportunity to live in India and Sierra Leone.
Education
By 1963, Kathleen had finished high school at the Georgia School in Philadelphia. After graduating from high school, she attended Barnard College but dropped out during her Sophomore year (1966) in order to work with the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) full-time.
After fighting for civil rights Kathleen returned to school. In 1984, she graduated summa cum laude from Yale College with a Bachelor’s degree in History. Five years later, in 1989, she received her Juris Doctorate degree from Yale as well.
Career
Upon dropping out of Barnard College, Kathleen began working with the Campus Program of the SNCC. Following that, she served as the communications secretary of the Black Panther Party and was the first woman to become a member of their central committee. She met and married Black Panther Party member, Eldridge Cleaver in 1967.
She spent years in exile with her former husband for his involvement in a 1968 shootout with the police prior to returning to the U.S. in 1975. During their exile, Eldridge had a disagreement with Huey P. Newton resulting in his expulsion from the International Branch of the Black Panther Party.
The Cleavers then founded the Revolutionary People’s Communication Network. Kathleen returned to New York with their children in order to promote their new organization while attempting to assist Eldridge in his return to the states.
Later Years
In 1987, Kathleen divorced Eldridge whose political views had shifted to the right. Upon graduating from Yale in 1989 with her J.D., Cleaver began an impressive career working to free wrongfully convicted freedom fighters, like Geronimo Pratt ji Jaga and Mumia Abu-Jamal.
Cleaver has contributed to a number of newspapers, magazines, and books that keep the topic of racial injustice in contemporary conversation, and she co-founded the International Black Panther Film Festival.
Today
Kathleen Cleaver taught various classes at Emory College, including pre-trial litigation, professional ethics, and legal history. As a result of her teaching background, Cleaver continues to teach a plentitude of subjects pertaining to civil rights as a visiting scholar to various campuses and across other platforms.
Booker T. Washington
Booker
Young Booker was born into slavery, to a woman named Jane. His father was a white man--whose name was unbeknownst to him--in Franklin County, Virginia. The exact date of his birth is unknown, but it is commonly believed to be April 5, 1856. By the time Booker was nine (ca. 1864), he was freed from bondage and was then moved to West Virginia.
Education
After moving to West Virginia, Booker’s mother married a freedman named, Washington Ferguson. Booker took on his stepfather’s first name as his last. Because the family was impoverished, Washington began working in a salt furnace at the age of ten. Following that, he worked as a servant for a white family.
Washington was dedicated to learning, however, and his mother was aware of this. She purchased lesson books that Washington would study every morning before work. By the age of sixteen, Washington attended Hampton Normal Agricultural Institute in Virginia. He graduated in 1875 and attended Wayland Seminary from 1878-1879 while teaching.
Career & Politics
After receiving mentorship from General Samuel G. Armstrong, the founder and headmaster of Washington’s alma mater, he adopted Armstrong’s values: hard work and strong morals. He carried these values with him into his position as the principal of Tuskegee and Normal Industrial Institute; a position that he held until his death.
Atlanta Compromise
In 1895, Washington rose to prominence after giving his speech, the “Atlanta Compromise,” at the Cotton States and International Exposition in Atlanta, Georgia. Washington denounced civil rights and racial equality, emphasizing the cruciality of learning a trade. He placed little importance in political gains. Washington gained both Black and white supporters, but his conciliatory views also received heavy criticism from opposers, like W. E. B. Du Bois.
Washington believed that if Black folk embraced their subservience in society and built their communities upon a financially stable foundation, then white people would accept and respect the Black community. He also made it excruciatingly clear that his efforts to improve upon the Black community would not challenge nor disrupt “white supremacy.”
Both Sides
Although he felt that Black folk should remain submissive to whites, it has been stated that Washington surreptitiously funded court cases that challenged segregation. Members of the Black community began to disagree with his views. As a result, Booker T. Washington had lost much of his prominence by 1913 and died two years later on November 14, 1915, of congestive heart failure. He was fifty-nine years old.
Assata Shakur
Bryon
Assata Shakur was born JoAnne Deborah Bryon in Queens, New York. There is not a lot of readily available information on Shakur pertaining to her early life. According to FBI records, aside from going by various aliases, Shakur also declares July 16, 1947, and August 19, 1952, as her date of birth.
Early Years
For much of JoAnne’s childhood, she lived with her grandparents in Wilmington, North Carolina until she moved back to New York with her mother. She dropped out of high school at the age of seventeen but decided to continue her education in her early twenties. She attended Manhattan Community College and City College in New York.
Shakur was married for a year while in college and kept her married name, Chesimard. She delved heavily into activism and her African heritage. The 1968 assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. inspired her to renounce the practice of nonviolence. She then moved to Oakland, California and joined the Black Panther Party (BPP).
Assata Shakur
By 1972, JoAnne Deborah Chesimard had embraced a new African name and denounced her slave name, becoming Assata Shakur (Assata meaning, ‘She who struggles’ and Shakur meaning, ‘The thankful’). Assata Shakur returned to New York where she was a puissant member of the BPP’s Harlem chapter.
After facing grave disappointment from the direction that the BPP was moving in, Shakur left the organization and joined the Black Liberation Movement (BLA).
May 2, 1973
As a result of her activism, Assata Shakur was falsely accused of a plethora of crimes. From April 5, 1971, to May 2, of 1973, Shakur was erroneously but intentionally charged with a number of crimes, including the charge for which she was sentenced to life in prison: the murder of state troopers on the New Jersey Turnpike.
Later Years
Following her conviction and life sentence in 1977, Shakur escaped from prison with the aid of BLA members. Like many other Black activists, Shakur fled to Cuba where she was granted political asylum by Fidel Castro in 1984. In May of 2013, Shakur became the first woman on the FBI’s Most Wanted Terrorists list.
Politicians Chris Christie and Donald Trump have recently called for Shakur’s extradition but the Cuban government has refused to comply. It is believed that Assata Shakur still resides in Cuba, continuing to influence Black culture and politics.
A. Philip Randolph
Asa
Asa Philip Randolph was born on April 15, 1889, to parents James and Elizabeth Randolph in Crescent City, Florida. His father was a Methodist minister who--along with his wife--supported equal rights for Black people in America which laid the foundation for Randolph’s political career.
Education
Randolph attended the Cookman Institute and In 1911, he moved to Harlem where he attended City College and worked a number of jobs. Working as a waiter on a steamship set his political career into motion.
Political Career
Randolph and Columbia University law student, Chandler Owen, created the Brotherhood of Labor. The Brotherhood of Labor was an employment agency with a mission to organize Black workers against poor living conditions.
By 1917, during WWI, Randolph and Owen had founded ‘The Messenger.’ ‘The Messenger’ was a political magazine that advocated for the inclusion of Black people in the armed forces and higher wages.
Randolph gained immense notoriety in 1925 when he founded the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters. He fought for the union’s inclusion in the American Federation of Labor (AFL). The Pullman Company (the largest employers of Blacks at the time) diligently combatted Randolph’s efforts to no avail. In 1937, The Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters became the first Black work union in the U.S.
March On Washington
In the 1940s, Randolph called for a “thundering march on Washington [that would] shake up white America,” in an effort to protest discrimination in the military. As the U.S. entered WWII, Randolph lied to then president, Franklin Roosevelt, stating that he had amassed some 300,000 protesters who were ready to march.
Roosevelt issued Executive Order 8802 which banned discrimination in the defense industries. Upon the issuance of the order, Randolph called off the march on Washington. This left some of Randolph’s backers displeased. Randolph frustrated more of his supporters later when he used similar tactics to desegregate the army after the war had ended.
Life of Activism
From the 1920s onward, Randolph created a number of organizations, helped organize the 1963 March on Washington, received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and founded the A. Philip Randolph Institute.
Randolph retired from public life due to heart complications in 1968. He then moved out of Harlem after being mugged by three criminals. As his health declined, he worked on his autobiography until he could no longer write. Asa Philip Randolph died on May 19, 1970, at the age of 90.
Sojourner Truth
Bondage
Sojourner Truth’s birthday is inconclusive. Many sources, however, place Truth’s birth year ca. 1791-1799. Truth, whose slave name was Isabella Bomefree (Baumfree) was born into bondage to two slaves: James and Betsey Bomefree in Ulster County, New York.
Emancipation
On July 4, 1827, New York State legislature passed, emancipating Bomefree. Her former owners, the Dumonts, refused to abide by the legislature and kept her in bondage. After being sold several times throughout her life, frustrated and newly emancipated Bomefree fled the plantation with her baby in-hand and took refuge with an abolitionist family.
Religious Crusade
Following emancipation, Bomefree became devoutly religious. She decided to travel and preach the word of Jesus Christ. In 1843, at the proposed age of 52, Bomefree adopted the name Sojourner Truth as she embarked on her religious crusade. As she traveled about the country, Truth found herself living in the Northampton Association for Education and Industry.
The utopian community (devoted to transcending all forms of discrimination) lasted fewer than five years. In its short existence, however, leading abolitionists, Frederick Douglass and William Lloyd Garrison, visited the camp. Truth befriended both abolitionists and her career changed thereafter.
Activism
Being a former slave, it was illegal for Truth to obtain an education. But being educated does not make you intelligent, and visa versa. Truth was a well-spoken individual who--after meeting Douglass and Garrison--began speaking publicly about the abolition of slavery, as well as, women’s rights.
In 1851, Truth gave her famous speech, “Ain’t I A Woman?” Some scholars, like historian Nell Irvin Painter, argue that the way “Ain’t I A Woman?” was written is nothing more than fiction. However, the fact that she did give a speech regarding women’s suffrage is not disputed.
Battle
During the Civil War, Truth volunteered to provide food and clothing for Black Union soldiers. And following the Emancipation Proclamation, Truth amassed signatures for a petition, asking for a plot of land where she could build a camp to teach newly freed Black folk how to be self-sufficient. Then-president, Ulysses S. Grant, rejected her petition.
Despite losing the battle to convince the U.S. government to provide land for her camp, she never gave up. When new freedmen trekked west in 1879, Truth journeyed to Kansas in an attempt to help them settle. Sojourner Truth died in Battle Creek Michigan on November 26, 1883. Truth was said to have died somewhere between the ages of 84 to 105.