Category: Whats Buzzing in the Streets

While Rosa Parks made history for all the right reasons, Claudette Colvin refused to give up her bus seat for a white person months before Parks did, per NPR. She was only 15 years old at the time. So, why isn’t her name mentioned as frequently as Parks is? “My mother told me to be quiet about what I did,” Colvin told the New York Times in 2009. “She told me: ‘Let Rosa be the one. White people aren’t going to bother Rosa — her skin is lighter than yours and they like her.’” She told the publication that in her heart, she knows that Parks was the right person.Claudette Colvin (born September 5, 1939) is a retired American nurse aide who was a pioneer of the 1950s civil rights movement. On March 2, 1955, she was arrested at the age of 15 in Montgomery, Alabama, for refusing to give up her seat to a white woman on a crowded, segregated bus. This occurred some nine months before the more widely known incident in which Rosa Parks, secretary of the local chapter of the NAACP, helped spark the 1955 Montgomery bus boycott.Colvin was one of five plaintiffs in the first federal court case filed by civil rights attorney Fred Gray on February 1, 1956, as Browder v. Gayle, to challenge bus segregation in the city. She testified before the three-judge panel that heard the case in a United States district court. On June 13, 1956, the judges determined that the state and local laws requiring bus segregation in Alabama were unconstitutional. The case went to the United States Supreme Court on appeal by the state, and it upheld the district court’s ruling on December 17, 1956. Three days later, the Supreme Court affirmed the order to Montgomery and the state of Alabama to end bus segregation – the Montgomery bus boycott was then called off.For many years, Montgomery’s black leaders did not publicize Colvin’s pioneering effort. She was an unmarried teenager at the time, and was reportedly impregnated by a married man. Colvin has said, “Young people think Rosa Parks just sat down on a bus and ended segregation, but that wasn’t the case at all.” It is widely accepted that Colvin was not accredited by the civil rights campaigners at the time due to her pregnancy shortly after the incident, with even Rosa Parks saying “If the white press got ahold of that information, they would have [had] a field day. They’d call her a bad girl, and her case wouldn’t have a chance.”

Written by Dianne Washington

Billy Preston was born on this date in 1946. He was an African American musician and singer.From Houston, Texas, and raised mostly in Los Angeles, California. William Everett Preston in addition to his successful, Grammy-winning career as a solo artist, Preston collaborated with some of the greatest names in the music industry, including the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Little Richard, Ray Charles, George Harrison, Elton John, Eric Clapton, Bob Dylan, Sam Cooke, Sammy Davis Jr., Sly Stone, Aretha Franklin, the Jackson 5, Quincy Jones, and Red Hot Chili Peppers.He played the electric piano on the Get Back Sessions in 1969 and is one of several people sometimes credited as the “Fifth Beatle”. He is, in fact, the only person to receive label performance credit on any Beatles record. It’s advantageous to get an early start on your chosen career, but Billy Preston took the concept to extremes. By age ten he was playing keyboards with gospel diva Mahalia Jackson, and two years later, in 1958, he was featured in Hollywood’s film bio of W.C. Handy, St. Louis Blues, as young Handy himself. Preston was a prodigy on organ and piano, recording during the early ’60s for Vee-Jay and touring with Little Richard. He was a loose-limbed regular on the mid-’60s ABC TV series Shindig, proving his talent as both vocalist and pianist, and he built an enviable reputation as a session musician, even backing the Beatles on their Let It Be album.That impressive Beatles connection led to Preston’s big break as a solo artist with his own Apple album, but it was his early-’70s soul smashes “Outa-Space” and the high-flying vocal “Will It Go Round in Circles” for A&M that put Preston on the permanent musical map. Sporting a humongous Afro and an omnipresent gap-toothed grin, Preston showed that his enduring gospel roots were never far removed from his joyous approach.He continued to perform and record throughout the ’80s, ’90s, and 2000s, until he fell into a coma caused by pericarditis late in 2005; sadly, he never regained consciousness and died on June 6, 2006.

Written by Dianne Washington

Ron O’Neal was born on this date in 1937. He was an African American actor.From Utica, NY he got his big break when he was cast in Charles Gordone’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play No Place to Be Somebody, which began at Off-Broadway’s Public Theater and later went to Broadway in 1969. The producers of “Superfly,” urban crime film were impressed with his work. They cast him as the movie’s lead character, a cool cocaine dealer named Youngblood Priest. “Superfly” became an unexpected hit, one of the defining films of the twentieth century Blaxploitation genre.Ironically, it was also the best known movie of O’Neal’s career, which included many low-budget productions. O’Neal also won an Obie Award, Clarence Derwent Award and a Theatre World Award for his work. He returned to Broadway in 1975, replacing Cleavon Little in All Over Town, which was directed by Dustin Hoffman.Ron O’Neal died of cancer in Los Angeles on Jan. 14, 2004. He was 66 and is survived by his wife.

Written by Dianne Washington

Robin Harris was born on this date in 1953. He was an African American comedian and actor.He was born in Chicago, where his father was a welder and his mother a factory seamstress. In 1961, the family moved to Los Angeles where he attended Manual Arts High School. A track star, Harris got a scholarship and attended Ottawa University in Kansas. It was during this time that Harris began to hone his craft of comedy. He worked for Hughes Aircraft, a rental car company, and Security Pacific Bank to pay his bills. In 1980, he debuted at Los Angeles’ Comedy Store with little response.1985 was his year. As the master of ceremonies at the Comedy Act Theater, his “old school” brand of humor began to gain him a mainstream following. A large-eyed stand-up churlish brand of humor and quick put-downs were his trademark. Harris made a promising feature debut playing a smart-ass bartender in “I’m Gonna Get You Sucka” (1988). A very sensitive man and a professional, Harris continued with Spike Lee’s “Do The Right Thing” (1989), where he really stood out. As Sweet Dick Willie, Harris served as part of the neighborhood “Greek chorus” that commented on the events of an increasingly tense day.From there, Harris had a perfect platform as Pop, the no-nonsense, quick-witted father of Kid in “House Party” (1990). He followed up later that year with a small turn as a jazz club MC in “Mo’ Better Blues.”Early in 1990, Harris was keeping a very tight schedule, which demanded much travel and long hours. He had respiratory problems and often nodded off during the day.Arriving in his hometown for an appearance at the Chicago’s Regal Theater, he failed to meet friends the day after. His mother found him dead at his hotel on March 18, 1990

Written by Dianne Washington

On this date in 1917 Isabel Sanford was born. She is an African American actress.From New York City, Sanford’s life story is the type that those in show business enjoy because it gives the struggling artist hope. After education in New York, she joined the Star Players (later the American Negro Theater) in the 1930s. Sanford worked with them until World War II started and the theater temporarily split up. After the war, Sanford had home obligations that put her career on hold. But her husband’s death was inspiration for Sanford’s dream.With three children to support, she worked as a data processor by day and acted as she could in the evening and developed a life-long frugality about which she joked about. Sanford made it to the Broadway stage in James Baldwin’s The Amen Corner, and, in 1967 was given her film debut by producer-director Stanley Kramer in Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner? In it, Sanford was the ever-loyal housekeeper of Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy. Her role of the maid was in stark contrast to the supposed liberalism of Hepburn and Tracy characters in the film, here Sanford offered a grand performance in what might be the last of the great strong, humorless Black domestics, a practice in American films and TV until the Civil Rights era. Sanford appeared in the feature Pendulum (1969) as well as making appearances on The Carol Burnett Show from 1967-69 as a stock player in some skits.She also appeared on episodes of Julia as a woman who berated Dihann Carroll to make sure the widowed nurse wasn’t turning her son Corey into an “Oreo.” In 1971 came All in the Family. Sanford’s role was, at first, recurring, but as the producers could use her as a friend to Edith, it increased. The Jeffersons followed, with Sanford winning an Emmy in 1981 for Best Actress in a Comedy Series, the first African-American woman to win in that category in the history of the awards. Sanford made guest appearances on other shows and specials and appeared in the 1979 film Love at First Bite. Other film roles include Lady Sings the Blues (1972) and Original Gangstas (1996).Isabel Sanford will always be known as Louise Jefferson, yet throughout her career, Sanford said more with her eyes and with her impeccable comic timing than others did with words. Isabelle Sanford died on July 12, 2004.

Written by Dianne Washington

Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, actor, and dancer. Called the King of Pop, his contributions to music, dance, and fashion, along with his publicized personal life, made him a global figure in popular culture for over four decades.The eighth child of the Jackson family, he debuted on the professional music scene along with his brothers as a member of The Jackson 5 in 1964, and began his solo career in 1971. In the early 1980s, Jackson became a dominant figure in popular music. The music videos for his songs, including those of “Beat It”, “Billie Jean”, and “Thriller”, were credited with breaking down racial barriers and with transforming the medium into an art form and promotional tool. The popularity of these videos helped to bring the then-relatively-new television channel MTV to fame. With videos such as “Black or White” and “Scream”, he continued to innovate the medium throughout the 1990s, as well as forging a reputation as a touring solo artist. Through stage and video performances, Jackson popularized a number of complicated dance techniques, such as the robot and the moonwalk, to which he gave the name. His distinctive sound and style has influenced numerous hip hop, post-disco, contemporary R&B, pop, and rock artists.Jackson’s 1982 album Thriller is the best-selling album of all time. His other albums, including Off the Wall (1979), Bad (1987), Dangerous (1991), and HIStory (1995), also rank among the world’s best-selling. Jackson is one of the few artists to have been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice. He was also inducted into the Dance Hall of Fame as the first and only dancer from pop and rock music. Some of his other achievements include multiple Guinness World Records; 13 Grammy Awards as well as the Grammy Legend Award and the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award; 26 American Music Awards, more than any other artist, including the “Artist of the Century” and “Artist of the 1980s”; 13 number-one singles in the United States in his solo career, more than any other male artist in the Hot 100 era; and the estimated sale of over 400 million records worldwide. Jackson has won hundreds of awards, making him the most-awarded recording artist in the history of popular music. In what would have been Jackson’s 52nd birthday on August 29, 2010, he became the most downloaded artist of all time in Nokia Music Store. Jackson became the first artist in history to have a top ten single in the Billboard Hot 100 in five different decades when “Love Never Felt So Good” reached number nine on May 21, 2014.Jackson traveled the world attending events honoring his humanitarianism and in 2000, the Guinness Book of Records recognized him for supporting 39 charities, more than any other artist or entertainer.Aspects of Jackson’s personal life, including his changing appearance, personal relationships, and behavior, generated controversy. In the mid-1990s, he was accused of child sexual abuse, but the case was settled out of court for about $25 million and no formal charges were brought. In 2005, he was tried and acquitted of further child sexual abuse allegations and several other charges after the jury found him not guilty on all counts. While preparing for his comeback concert series titled This Is It, Jackson died of acute propofol and benzodiazepine intoxication on June 25, 2009, after suffering from cardiac arrest. The Los Angeles County Coroner ruled his death a homicide, and his personal physician Conrad Murray was convicted of involuntary manslaughter. Jackson’s death triggered a global outpouring of grief and a live broadcast of his public memorial service was viewed around the world.

Written by Dianne Washington

Aaliyah Dana Haughton (January 16, 1979 – August 25, 2001) was an American singer, actress, and model. Born in Brooklyn, New York, and raised in Detroit, Michigan, she first gained recognition at the age of 10, when she appeared on the television show Star Search and performed in concert alongside Gladys Knight. At the age of 12, Aaliyah signed with Jive Records and her uncle Barry Hankerson’s Blackground Records. Hankerson introduced her to R. Kelly, who became her mentor, as well as lead songwriter and producer of her debut album, Age Ain’t Nothing but a Number. The album sold three million copies in the United States and was certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). After facing allegations of an illegal marriage with Kelly, Aaliyah ended her contract with Jive and signed with Atlantic Records.Aaliyah worked with record producers Timbaland and Missy Elliott for her second album, One in a Million, which sold 3 million copies in the United States and over eight million copies worldwide. In 2000, Aaliyah appeared in her first film, Romeo Must Die. She contributed to the film’s soundtrack, which spawned the single “Try Again”. The song topped the Billboard Hot 100 solely on airplay, making Aaliyah the first artist in Billboard history to achieve this goal. “Try Again” also earned Aaliyah a Grammy Award nomination for Best Female R&B Vocalist. After completing Romeo Must Die, Aaliyah filmed her role in Queen of the Damned, and released her self-titled third and final studio album in 2001.On August 25, 2001, Aaliyah and eight others were killed in a plane crash in the Bahamas after filming the music video for the single “Rock the Boat”. The pilot, Luis Morales III, was unlicensed at the time of the accident and toxicology tests revealed that he had traces of cocaine and alcohol in his system. Aaliyah’s family later filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Blackhawk International Airways, which was settled out of court. Aaliyah’s music continued to achieve commercial success with several posthumous releases, and has sold an estimated 24 to 32 million albums worldwide. She has been credited for helping redefine contemporary R&B, pop and hip hop, earning her the nicknames “Princess of R&B” and “Queen of Urban Pop”. Billboard lists her as the tenth most successful female R&B artist of the past 25 years, and the 27th most successful in history.

Written by Dianne Washington