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Feb. 17, 1942: Huey P. Newton Is Born
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“We’ve never advocated violence, violence is inflicted upon us,” Newtontold theNew York Timesin 1970. “But we do believe in self-defense for ourselves and for Black people.”
02of 07Feb. 18, 1931: Toni Morrison Is BornDeborah Feingold/Corbis via GettyThe Nobel laureate and author of treasured novels such asBeloved,The Bluest EyeandSong of Solomon,was born Chloe Ardelia Wofford in Lorain, Ohio, in 1931. “Toni” was a nickname that came from her Catholic name Anthony, after St. Anthony of Padua, and “Morrison” came from her ex-husband, Harold Morrison, whom she married in 1958, then divorced in 1964.The beloved author died at 88 and was the only African American woman to earn the Nobel Prize for literature, according toThe Guardian. She was also awarded the Pulitzer Prize for fiction in 1988.
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Feb. 18, 1931: Toni Morrison Is Born
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The Nobel laureate and author of treasured novels such asBeloved,The Bluest EyeandSong of Solomon,was born Chloe Ardelia Wofford in Lorain, Ohio, in 1931. “Toni” was a nickname that came from her Catholic name Anthony, after St. Anthony of Padua, and “Morrison” came from her ex-husband, Harold Morrison, whom she married in 1958, then divorced in 1964.
The beloved author died at 88 and was the only African American woman to earn the Nobel Prize for literature, according toThe Guardian. She was also awarded the Pulitzer Prize for fiction in 1988.
03of 07Feb. 19, 2002: Vonetta Flowers Becomes First Black Athlete to Win Gold at Winter OlympicsJim Spellman/WireImageAfter graduating from P.D. Jackson Olin high school in 1992, Flowers became the first person in her family to attend college. She accepted a Track and Field scholarship to the University of Alabama at Birmingham, where she would become the school’s first seven-time All-American, according to herwebsite. She then went on to try and qualify for the 2000 Olympic track team, but didn’t make it. However, a twist of fate put her on the path to bobsledding.Two years later, Flowers and teammate Jill Bakken beat out two front-runner German teams to win gold at the 2002 Olympics. They became the first American women to win, and Flowers became the first Black athlete ever to win a gold medal in the winter Olympics.‘‘I didn’t know I was the first,’’ she toldtheNew York Timesafter her win. ‘‘I hope this won’t be the end of it. I hope you’ll see other African American girls and boys who want to give winter sports a try because there are not a lot out there.‘‘Through tears, she added: ‘‘I’m sorry. I’m so happy right now.’’
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Feb. 19, 2002: Vonetta Flowers Becomes First Black Athlete to Win Gold at Winter Olympics
Jim Spellman/WireImage
After graduating from P.D. Jackson Olin high school in 1992, Flowers became the first person in her family to attend college. She accepted a Track and Field scholarship to the University of Alabama at Birmingham, where she would become the school’s first seven-time All-American, according to herwebsite. She then went on to try and qualify for the 2000 Olympic track team, but didn’t make it. However, a twist of fate put her on the path to bobsledding.
Two years later, Flowers and teammate Jill Bakken beat out two front-runner German teams to win gold at the 2002 Olympics. They became the first American women to win, and Flowers became the first Black athlete ever to win a gold medal in the winter Olympics.
‘‘I didn’t know I was the first,’’ she toldtheNew York Timesafter her win. ‘‘I hope this won’t be the end of it. I hope you’ll see other African American girls and boys who want to give winter sports a try because there are not a lot out there.’’
Through tears, she added: ‘‘I’m sorry. I’m so happy right now.’’
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Feb. 20, 1929: Wallace Thurman’s Broadway Play Harlem Opens in N.Y.C.
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He became the circulation manager of a White-run magazine,The World Tomorrow, a rare position for someone of color at the time, and also founded two magazines (Fire!!andHarlem) before one of his short stories was adapted for Broadway.
Cordelia the Crude: A Harlem Sketchopened as the playHarlemon his day in history and went on to have 93 performances before it went on tour, according to theKennedy Center.
His most notable books includeNegro Life in New York’s Harlem, The Blacker the BerryandInfants of the Spring.
05of 07Feb. 21, 1965: Malcolm X Is AssassinatedMichael Ochs Archives/GettyBorn Malcolm Little in Omaha, Nebraska, in 1925, the human rights activist became one of the most popular figures during the civil rights movement. He was killed while standing at a podium about to give a speech inside the Audubon Ballroom in N.Y.C. Three men were convicted of the crime: Mujahid Abdul Halim (known as Talmadge Hayer and Thomas Hagan), Muhammad Abdul Aziz (known as Norman 3X Butler) and Khalil Islam (known as Thomas 15X Johnson). All were sentenced to life in prison.However, prosecutors announced in February 2020 that they wouldreopen the investigation into his assassinationfollowing the release of a docuseries about the 1965 killing. The six-partWho Killed Malcolm X?first aired on Fusion but began streaming on Netflix, and proposed that two of the three men convicted of the crime were innocent, and were not even present when Malcolm X was killed.
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Feb. 21, 1965: Malcolm X Is Assassinated
Michael Ochs Archives/Getty
Born Malcolm Little in Omaha, Nebraska, in 1925, the human rights activist became one of the most popular figures during the civil rights movement. He was killed while standing at a podium about to give a speech inside the Audubon Ballroom in N.Y.C. Three men were convicted of the crime: Mujahid Abdul Halim (known as Talmadge Hayer and Thomas Hagan), Muhammad Abdul Aziz (known as Norman 3X Butler) and Khalil Islam (known as Thomas 15X Johnson). All were sentenced to life in prison.
However, prosecutors announced in February 2020 that they wouldreopen the investigation into his assassinationfollowing the release of a docuseries about the 1965 killing. The six-partWho Killed Malcolm X?first aired on Fusion but began streaming on Netflix, and proposed that two of the three men convicted of the crime were innocent, and were not even present when Malcolm X was killed.
06of 07Feb. 22, 1989: DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince Win First Best Rap Performance GrammyMichael Ochs Archives/GettyThe hip-hop duo’s “Parents Just Don’t Understand” was the first hip-hop song to ever get nominated for a Grammy. DJ Jazzy Jeff and The Fresh Prince, a.k.a. Jeff Townes andWill Smith, made history as the first-ever best rap performance Grammy winners, but declined to pick up their award when they won.“We chose to boycott,” Smith toldtheNew York Timesat the time, as a response to the Grammys choosing to not televise the inaugural category and their win.“You go to school for 12 years, they give you your diploma, and they deny you that walk down the aisle,” he added.
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Feb. 22, 1989: DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince Win First Best Rap Performance Grammy
The hip-hop duo’s “Parents Just Don’t Understand” was the first hip-hop song to ever get nominated for a Grammy. DJ Jazzy Jeff and The Fresh Prince, a.k.a. Jeff Townes andWill Smith, made history as the first-ever best rap performance Grammy winners, but declined to pick up their award when they won.
“We chose to boycott,” Smith toldtheNew York Timesat the time, as a response to the Grammys choosing to not televise the inaugural category and their win.
“You go to school for 12 years, they give you your diploma, and they deny you that walk down the aisle,” he added.
07of 07Feb. 23, 1965: Constance Baker Motley Becomes First Black Manhattan Borough PresidentGetty ImagesFrom law clerk to Federal Court judge, Motley had an incredible career that set the path for many to follow. Born in 1921, the famed civil rights lawyer started as a law clerk at the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People Legal Defense and Education Fund, where she clerked for Thurgood Marshall, according to theNational Women’s Hall of Fame. She rose up in the ranks and became the first Black woman to serve in the New York State Senate, and the first woman and Black person to serve as Manhattan Borough President. Then in 1966, President Lyndon Johnson named her a Federal Court judge and she became the first Black woman to serve in that position, as well.“As the first Black and first woman, I am proving in everything I do that Blacks and women are as capable as anyone,” theorganization reportedher saying.Motley died in 2005 from congestive heart failure at 84 years old.
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Feb. 23, 1965: Constance Baker Motley Becomes First Black Manhattan Borough President
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From law clerk to Federal Court judge, Motley had an incredible career that set the path for many to follow. Born in 1921, the famed civil rights lawyer started as a law clerk at the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People Legal Defense and Education Fund, where she clerked for Thurgood Marshall, according to theNational Women’s Hall of Fame. She rose up in the ranks and became the first Black woman to serve in the New York State Senate, and the first woman and Black person to serve as Manhattan Borough President. Then in 1966, President Lyndon Johnson named her a Federal Court judge and she became the first Black woman to serve in that position, as well.
“As the first Black and first woman, I am proving in everything I do that Blacks and women are as capable as anyone,” theorganization reportedher saying.
Motley died in 2005 from congestive heart failure at 84 years old.
source: people.com
