* Today in Black History - December 26 *
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* The Nguzo Saba - The seven principles of Kwanzaa - Principle for *
* Day #1 - Umoja (oo-MOE-jah) Unity: To strive for and maintain unity *
* in the family, community, nation and race. *
* http://www.endarkenment.com/kwanzaa/ *
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1848 - William & Ellen Craft escape from slavery in Georgia. Mrs. Craft
impersonates a slave holder and her husband, William, assumes
the role of her servant, in one of the most dramatic of the slave
escapes.
1849 - David Ruggles joins the ancestors in Northampton, Massachusetts.
Often called the first African American bookseller (for his
bookstore established in 1834), Ruggles was an early abolitionist,
speaker, and writer as well as a "conductor" on the Underground
Railroad. He published the first African American magazine, the
"Mirror of Liberty in August of 1838. He was a noted hydropathist,
erecting the first building constructed for hydropathic treatments
in the United States and was known as the "water cure doctor."
1894 - Jean Toomer is born in Washington, DC. The grandson of P.B.S.
Pinchback, Toomer will become the author of the influential
"Cane."
1908 - Jack Johnson wins the heavyweight title in Australia, defeating
Tommy Burns. After avoiding fighting Johnson for over a year,
Burns will say of his loss, "Race prejudice was rampant in my
mind. The idea of a black man challenging me was beyond enduring.
Hatred made me tense."
1924 - DeFord Bailey, Sr., a harmonica player, becomes the first African
American to perform on the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tennessee.
1931 - Lonnie Elder is born in Americus, Georgia. He will be known as
an author, playwright ("Ceremonies in Dark Old Men"), and
screenwriter ("Sounder," "A Woman Called Moses").
1937 - La Julia Rhea becomes the first African American to sing with the
Chicago Civic Opera Company during the regular season. She opens
in the title role of Verdi's "Aida."
1956 - African Americans in Birmingham, Alabama begin mass defiance of
Jim Crow bus laws.
1966 - Kwanzaa, originated by Dr. Maulana Karenga, is first celebrated
by a small number of African American families in Los Angeles,
California, to "restore and reaffirm our African heritage and
culture." Kwanzaa, a Kiswahili word meaning first or first
fruit, will celebrate over the next seven days the Nguzo Saba,
or seven principles, of Umoja(Unity), Kujichagulia(self-
determination), Ujima(Collective Work and Responsibility),
Ujamaa(Cooperative Economics), Nia (Purpose), Kuumba(Creativity),
and Imani(Faith).
1999 - Prolific singer, songwriter & producer Curtis Mayfield joins
the ancestors at the age of 57 in North Fulton Regional Hospital
near Atlanta, Georgia. Mayfield introduced social conscienceness
into African American music and continued to record for a decade
after an accident left him paralyzed. His many hits included
"People Get Ready," "I’m So Proud," and "Keep On Pushing." His
soundtrack for the 1972 movie "Superfly" sold over 4 million
copies and produced two classic hit singles, the title track and
"Freddie's Dead." In addition to his wife, he leaves behind his
mother, 10 children, a brother, two sisters and seven
grandchildren to celebrate his life.
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