MASTERBAKER's African American History

[MASTERBAKER]

Black History Fact: Bessie Coleman was the first African American Woman to earn her Pilot's license in 1921...She had to travel to France to get her license, but as a black woman in America she was not allowed to fly...#KRNB #BlackHistoryMonth #Livelifesmooth

 

[yureeka9]

And she was a cutey too!

 

[MASTERBAKER]

Hired in 1955 as a human computer, mathematician Annie Easley led a 34-year NASA career developing software code for numerous programs. Her work on the Centaur rocket booster project framed the technical foundation for launching future satellites: https://go.nasa.gov/3uySNwW

 

[MASTERBAKER]

 

[MASTERBAKER]

Black Film History

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Here is a list of the black-themed horror films we have presented for October. Unfortunately, there were several films we didn't cover this year because time didn't permit it, but we remembered and will present them next time. Let us know if you have any questions. There were great discussions, responses, and reactions to the movies we introduced.

Based on reactions, likes, and comments, here are the top 10 most popular posts from the list in order:
1. The People Under the Stairs (1991)
2. Beloved (1998)
3. Tales from the Hood (1995)
4. The House of Dies Drear (1984)
5. Sugar Hill (1974)
6. Black Devil Doll from Hell (1984)
7. J.D.'s Revenge (1976)
8. The Serpent and the Rainbow (1988)
9. Blacula (1972)
10. Abby (1974)
You can find these movies on DVD/Blu-ray and streaming services without issue.

 

[Heavenlywings77]

Tales from the Hood is the

G.O.A.T.

 

[Tessa21]

Is this limited to only Black American films?

There are some great afro-brazilian movies that need more of a spotlight.

 

[MASTERBAKER]

The Legend Of Eric Monte: The Genius Behind The Renaissance Of Black Television
The reality is that a Black man named Eric Monte is the genius behind the renaissance of Black television In the 1970s.
Written By davontah
Posted November 3, 2022

Source: CBS Photo Archive / Getty
‘Good Times,’ ‘The Jeffersons,’ ‘What’s Happening!!’ When you hear the names of these shows, you immediately think about the pantheon of Black television. In the 1970s, these sitcoms provided audiences with countless memorable moments and paved the way for a lot of the shows that we currently watch.

MORE: Daughter Of ‘Good Times’ Co-Creator Secures Rights To Show, Talks Importance Of The Black Family On Screen
We all know how important these shows were and still are to our culture. We all know that seeing Black people’s everyday lives being depicted on screen was something that we had never seen up until that point. What most people don’t know though, is the history of these shows and the controversy that surrounds them.

For the longest, television screenwriter, film, and television producer Norman Lear was credited with creating these groundbreaking shows. The reality is that a Black man named Eric Monte is the genius behind the renaissance of Black television. In a tweet posted by @hwd_sports we learn more.

Eric Monte was born Kenneth Williams in Chicago, Illinois. After dropping out of Cooley Vocational High School in his junior year, he enlisted in the United States Army. Upon returning from his stint in the Army, Monte made his move to Los Angeles, California. He got his first break with a script written for and accepted by ‘All in the Family,’ which eventually contributed to the spawning of ‘The Jeffersons.’ After that, he produced ‘Good Times’ (which he co-created with ‘The Jeffersons’ star Mike Evans) and ‘What’s Happening!!’ (which was based on his screenplay for the motion picture ‘Cooley High’).
The conundrum came when Monte accused Norman Lear of stealing his ideas for his shows and claimed them as his own. He claims that he was cheated out of creative credits and millions of dollars. The claims obviously had some validity to them because Monte filed a lawsuit against Norman Lear, CBS, Tandem Productions, and Harry Perenchio and received a $1-million settlement and a small percentage of the residuals from Good Times.

Source: CBS Photo Archive / Getty

Source: CBS Photo Archive / Getty
After the settlement, Monte’s opportunities dried up drastically. He went on to suffer from alcoholism, drug addiction, and homelessness before turning things around and maintaining sobriety. He currently lives in Portland, Oregon. Although his tale didn’t have the storybook ending that most might have hoped, his legacy will forever live on. Without him, the characters, and stories he told through his shows, we might not have ever seen a complete Black family on television. He is now commonly recognized for depicting African American culture on TV screens across America. Regardless if he gets his proper recognition or not, we would like to give him his flowers and thank him for his contributions.

 

[MASTERBAKER]

Black Film History
1h ·

"The Black King" (1932) is a comedy-drama loosely based on the life of Marcus Garvey. In 1940, the film got re-released as "Harlem Big Shot." White filmmakers produced several movies during the Race film era (movies made for Black audiences), so stereotypical conducts weren't uncommon, but to make a satirical film about Marcus Garvey's movement is a different tier of audacity. Nevertheless, the movie had its moments led by veteran actor A.B. DeComathiere. He began his career in 1920 with Oscar Micheaux, where he starred in several silent films throughout the 1920s.

The acting isn't half-bad. Mr. DeComatheire has a decent supporting cast with Lorenzo Tucker (another Micheaux favorite) and Vivian Barber, which was her only film. I recommend this movie for its historical purpose of seeing Black actors and actresses in the early days of filmmaking.

Director: Bud Pollard
Writers: Morris M. Levinson (story and adaptation), Donald Heywood (dialogue)

Storyline
Crooked minister "Charcoal Johnson" outs a kindly old reverend from his Logan, Mississippi church and takes it over. Johnson plans to get the church members to give him money for a "Back to Africa" movement and to proclaim himself King of the United States of Africa.
https://www.daarac.ngo
https://www.daaracarchive.org/.../the-black-king-1932.html

This movie is readily available on DVD and streaming services. The picture quality will vary.
https://www.amazon.com/Junction-Black-King.../dp/B000HIVISS
See less

 

[wwetv100]

Lear has uploaded this classic today on his official youtube channel.
George attends a KKK meeting unknowingly.



The irony of this episode with this topic.

 

[hog fat]

 

[MASTERBAKER]

 

[MASTERBAKER]

Birmingham Black Barons with 17 year old Willie Mays in the center celebrate winning the 1948 Negro League World Series

 

[mozartte]

I want their merchandise badly. Salute to them!!!!!

 

[MASTERBAKER]

Kenneth Monts
November 26 at 2:20 AM ·

November 26, 1878
On This Day In OUR HISTORY, Marshall Walter “Major” Taylor, hall of fame bicyclist, was born in rural Indiana. At thirteen, Taylor was hired to perform cycling stunts outside a bicycle shop while wearing a soldier’s uniform, hence the nickname” Major.” Taylor was banned from bicycle racing in Indiana because of his race and therefore moved to the East Coast. In 1896, he entered his first professional race in Madison Square Garden and won. Over his career, he raced in the United States, Australia, and Europe, including winning the world one mile track cycling championship in 1899 and becoming known as “The Black Cyclone.” Although he was celebrated in Europe, Taylor’s career was held back in the United States and he retired in 1910, saying he was tired of the racism. Although he was reported to earn between $25,000 and $30,000 a week while racing, Taylor died a pauper June 21, 1932. Taylor was posthumously inducted into the United States Bicycling Hall of Fame in 1989. A statue to memorialize Taylor was unveiled May 21, 2008 in Worcester, Massachusetts and Indianapolis, Indiana named the city’s bicycle track the Major Taylor Velodrome in 1982, the first building in Indianapolis built with public funds to be named after a Black person. Nike markets a sports shoe called the Major Taylor. Taylor published his autobiography, “Autobiography: The Fastest Bicycle Rider in the World,” in 1929. Other biographies of Taylor include “Major Taylor: The Extraordinary Career of a Champion Bicycle Racer” (1988) and the television miniseries “Tracks of Glory: The Major Taylor Story.
Source: African American Registry

 

[MASTERBAKER]

Black Film History
3h ·

"She's Gotta Have It" (1986) is Spike Lee's first major motion picture film introducing the world to his artistic abilities and his favorite city, Brooklyn. This movie consists primarily of amateur actors, but they did a fantastic job delivering a classic film. In addition, Lee's emphatic statement about black sexuality was a new look into a new generation of African Americans' societal impacts and cultural perspectives.

The emergence of Lee as a filmmaker was right on time. After the end of the notable Blaxploitation era in the 70s, black filmmaking significantly declined between 1980 and 1986. As a result, most of the actors from the 70s era weren't appearing in major motion pictures as often, and Hollywood got what it needed from their success. Eddie Murphy was the new guy, and he was a sensation.

Trivia Question: Can you name any black films made between 1980 and 1986?

 

[MASTERBAKER]

Black Film History
Yesterday at 9:40 AM ·

No other era featured a Black woman fighting back the way the 70s did.

#blackisbeautiful

https://www.daarac.ngo
https://www.daaracarchive.org

 

[destiny924]

Black Film History
Yesterday at 9:40 AM ·

No other era featured a Black woman fighting back the way the 70s did.

#blackisbeautiful

https://www.daarac.ngo
https://www.daaracarchive.org

I agree.

 

[MASTERBAKER]

Black Film History
7h ·

Here is a 1936 advertisement for a skin-lightening ointment. As you can see, the idea of people lightening their skin has been going on for DECADES. People are still having this conservation today. Please take a look at the language used in the advertisement. This was taken from The Pittsburgh Courier, an African-American weekly newspaper.

https://www.daarac.ngo
https://www.daaracarchive.org

 

[MASTERBAKER]

JESSIE MAE HEMPHILL (1934-2006) playing her National Bolero guitar. She was a great original blues artist from Senatobia, Mississippi, the heart of the Hill Country. She played her own deep hypnotic style shared by her neighbors Fred MacDowell, R.L. Burnside, and Othar Turner. In the 1980s and early 1990s she toured the world extensively and enjoyed success until she was debilitated by a stroke in 1993. I got to know her and share some festival bills with her in this period, …​

 

[MASTERBAKER]

 

[MASTERBAKER]

February 7 at 10:32 AM ·

Marie Van Brittan Brown, born on January 7, 1922, was an African-American nurse and inventor from Queens, New York City. In 1966, at the age of 44, she came up with the brilliant idea to create a unique home surveillance device with a closed circuit television security system.

She and her husband, Albert L. Brown, applied for the patent and invented a system with a motorized camera that could show images on a monitor. That patent (#3,482,037) was eventually granted, and her invention went on to become a technological precursor to how modern day home security systems would be designed.

Brown's invention had very unique features for the time; The motorized camera at the door could slide up and down to look out of four peepholes. Anything the camera captured would be displayed on a monitor. Her system also included a radio-controlled lock that would allow the front door to remotely unlocked, and an audio-video alarm system that could be used to see and communicate with whoever was at the door.

For her genius invention, which obviously contributed to the future of home security systems, Brown was given a prestigious award by the National Scientists Committee (NSC). But for the most part, her invention has gone unnoticed and undocumented by the mainstream media and literature.

Sadly, Marie Van Brittan Brown died on February 2, 1999 at the age of 77-years old.

 

[MASTERBAKER]

The Truth About New York's Hart Island Cemetery | Real Stories Full-Length Documentary​

419,822 views Dec 4, 2021
Hart Island: New York's Mass Graveyard | Real Stories “If you can make it there, you’ll make it anywhere” is the confident declaration in one of the world’s most famous anthems, New York / New York. It’s the ultimate measure of success in the world’s most iconic city. But behind the grandeur and magnificence of the Big Apple are just as many stories of those who didn’t make it, those who got caught between the cracks of the American Dream. This film is about them. Less than 16 miles from central Manhattan lies Hart Island, a 101-acre cemetery that is the final resting place of over one million New Yorkers. This is no ordinary cemetery, however, but the last stop on the often-tragic journey of the city’s unclaimed dead. Narrated by Sam Rockwell, 'One Million American Dreams' (2018) takes a look behind the curtain of one of the world’s most iconic cities and in doing so explores the underbelly of the American dream.

 

[MASTERBAKER]

Black History Untold ·
Follow​

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https://www.facebook.com/#
Paula Kelly was an American actress that began her acting career in 1968. She appeared in her first theatrical movie in 1969 called "Sweet Charity" and in 1971, she landed a significant role in "The Andromeda Strain." During the early 1970s, Kelly starred in several movies in the famed Blaxploitation era. In 1972, she appeared in "Cool Breeze," Top of the Heap," and "Trouble Man." While most of her roles were minor, she still had a strong presence on screen, earning some more substantial parts later.
She starred in "Soylent Green" and "The Spook Who Sat by the Door" in 1973, and in 1974, she starred in "Lost in the Stars," where she displayed her singing and dancing talents, some of her greatest attributes. However, her part in "Uptown Saturday Night" was one of her most memorable roles as the fierce and charismatic "Leggy Peggy." Kelly continued acting in film and T.V. throughout the mid to late 70s, appearing in "Drum," "Good Times," and "Kojak."
During the 80s, Kelly's career flourished. She appeared in several T.V. shows with reoccurring roles such as "Nights Court" and "Santa Barbra." She also had excellent parts in "Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life is Calling" (1986) and "The Women of Brewster's Place" (1989). She earned a Primetime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series in "Night Court" and Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or a Special for "The Women of Brewster Place." In the 1990s, Kelly continued her acting career in T.V. shows and films until 1999, when her acting credits stopped. She finished her career with 51 total acting credits. She passed away on Feburary 8th, 2020.
Paula Kelly was a phenomenal actress that was a joy to see on the screen. In addition, she was an excellent singer, dancer, and very charismatic. You knew you'd get someone who took her craft seriously when you saw her on screen.

 

[MASTERBAKER]

 

[MASTERBAKER]

 

[MASTERBAKER]

The Six-Triple Eight - “No Mail, Low Morale”

The 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion was a unique U.S. Army unit and it had the distinction of being the only all-African American, all-female unit sent overseas during World War II.

Their mission was to clear several years of backlogged mail in the European Theater of Operations. They worked in cold, dirty, dark rat-infested aircraft hangars with broken windows.

The women kept mail flowing to nearly seven million soldiers.

 

[MASTERBAKER]

Friends of the National World War II Memorial​

Suggested for you · ·

https://www.facebook.com/#
Edward Greer, of El Paso, TX, a retired major general, veteran of three wars, celebrated his 100th birthday on Friday.
Born on March 8, 1924, in West Virginia's coal country, Greer excelled both academically and in leadership throughout his youth. He joined the Army Reserve at the age of 18 and began studying at West Virginia State College. After only one year, he was called to serve during World War II. Despite navigating the challenges of a segregated military, Greer's talent and dedication shone through. He rose to the rank of master sergeant by the age of 21, leading nearly 150 Soldiers in his artillery unit with distinction.
Following the war, Greer was discharged and went on to complete his college education while participating in the Reserve Officer Training Corps. Upon graduating in 1948, he was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Regular Army, continuing a distinguished career that spanned decades.
Throughout his service, Greer held numerous leadership positions, including assignments in Korea, Vietnam, and Washington, D.C. His exceptional leadership and valor were recognized with a Silver Star for gallantry in Korea and a Legion of Merit for his actions in Vietnam. He eventually became one of the first Black general officers in the Army.
#WeRememberThem
#BlackVetsCount

 

[MASTERBAKER]

African-American History​

Yesterday at 8:00 AM ·

Photo of an 18-Years-old Tina Turner ("Little Ann") in a Nightclub next to a Microphone in 1958.
Tina Turner (born Anna Mae Bullock; November 26, 1939) is an American-born Swiss[a] singer and actress. Widely referred to as the "Queen of Rock 'n' Roll", she rose to prominence as the lead singer of the Ike and Tina Turner Revue before launching a successful career as a solo performer.
Tina Turner was born in Brownsville, Tennessee. Her family lived in the nearby rural unincorporated community of Nutbush, Tennessee, where her father worked as an overseer of the sharecroppers at Poindexter Farm on Highway 180; she later recalled picking cotton with her family at an early age.
As a young girl, Bullock sang in the church choir at Nutbush's Spring Hill Baptist Church. When she was 11, her mother Zelma ran off without warning. Bullock and her sisters were sent to live with their maternal grandmother, Georgeanna Currie in Brownsville, Tennessee.
As a teenager, Bullock joined both the cheerleading squad and the female basketball team at Carver High School in Brownsville, and "socialized every chance she got". When Bullock was 16, her grandmother died, so she went to live with her mother in St. Louis. She graduated from Sumner High School in 1958.
Turner began her career with Ike Turner's Kings of Rhythm in 1957. Under the name Little Ann, she appeared on her first record, "Boxtop", in 1958. In 1960, she was introduced as Tina Turner with the hit duet single "A Fool in Love". The duo Ike & Tina Turner became "one of the most formidable live acts in history". They released hits such as "It's Gonna Work Out Fine", "River Deep – Mountain High", "Proud Mary", and "Nutbush City Limits" before disbanding in 1976.
In 1976 and 1977, Turner earned income by appearing on TV shows such as The Hollywood Squares, Donny & Marie, The Sonny & Cher Show and The Brady Bunch Hour.
In October 1981, Rod Stewart attended Turner's show at the Ritz in New York City and invited her to perform "Hot Legs" with him on Saturday Night Live. In November, Turner opened for the Rolling Stones during their 1981 American Tour. Turner's recording of the Temptations' "Ball of Confusion" for the UK production team BEF became a hit in European dance clubs in 1982.
During her second stint at the Ritz, she signed with Capitol Records in 1983. In November 1983, she released her cover of Al Green's "Let's Stay Together" which was produced by B.E.F. It reached several European charts, including No. 6 in the UK. In the US, the song peaked at No. 26 on the Billboard Hot 100, No. 1 on the Hot Dance Club Songs, and No. 3 Hot Black Singles.
Following the single's surprise success, Capitol Records greenlit a studio album. Turner had two weeks to record her Private Dancer album, which was released in May 1984. It reached No. 3 on the Billboard 200 and No. 2 in the United Kingdom. Private Dancer was certified 5× Platinum in the United States, and sold 10 million copies worldwide, becoming her most successful album.
Also in May 1984, Capitol issued the album's second single, "What's Love Got to Do with It"; the song had previously been recorded by the pop group Bucks Fizz. Following the album's release, Turner joined Lionel Richie as the opening act on his tour.
On September 1, 1984, Turner achieved her first and only No.1 on the Billboard Hot 100 with "What's Love Got to Do with It". The follow-up singles "Better Be Good to Me" and "Private Dancer" were both U.S. top 10 hits. Turner culminated her comeback when she won three Grammys at the 27th Annual Grammy Awards, including the Grammy Award for Record of the Year for "What's Love Got to Do with It". In February 1985, she embarked on her second world tour to support the Private Dancer album. Two nights were filmed at Birmingham, England's NEC Arena and later released as a concert on home video. During this time, she also contributed vocals to the USA for Africa benefit song "We Are the World".
Turner's success continued when she traveled to Australia to star opposite Mel Gibson in the 1985 post-apocalyptic film Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome. The movie provided her with her first acting role in ten years; she portrayed the glamorous Aunty Entity, the ruler of Bartertown. Upon release, critical response to her performance was generally positive. The film was a global success, grossing more than $36 million in the United States.Turner later received the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress for her role in the film. She recorded two songs for the film, "We Don't Need Another Hero (Thunderdome)" and "One of the Living"; both became hits with the latter winning her a Grammy Award for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance.
In 1993, the semi-autobiographical film What's Love Got to Do with It was released. The film starred Angela Bassett as Tina Turner and Laurence Fishburne as Ike Turner. Turner contributed to the soundtrack for What's Love Got to Do with It, re-recording old songs and several new songs. The single "I Don't Wanna Fight" from the soundtrack was a top 10 hit in the U.S. and UK.

 

[MASTERBAKER]