Black History Untold

This isn’t just a piece of clothing—it’s a tribute to the relentless spirit and extraordinary achievements of Black women everywhere.
Wearing this shirt is a declaration of unity, strength, and pride. It’s a testament to the indomitable spirit of Black women who continue to shape history and inspire future generations.

Embrace your role in this lineage of greatness. You are the continuation of this legacy, powerful and capable of making a difference.
Wearing this shirt means standing with these incredible women and acknowledging your own strength and potential. It’s a reminder that you, too, are a force to be reckoned with.
Be the Legacy. Be Proud. Be Powerful. Be You.

Larry Wedgewood is a singer, songwriter, producer and session musician from New York, he only recorded one single under that name, on the Massachusetts based label Groovehall Records, he also recorded one single for Atlantic Records under the name of Larry Wu, "Let Me Show You" in 1984. He formed the group Modernique in 1985 and had several dance hits in the UK & USA.
He wrote and recorded this absolute gem together with the backing group Clique, as the "Official Fight Song" of the Boston Celtics basketball team, from 1980 "No More Games".

Eight-year-old Gladys Knight
won the Ted Mack's Amateur Hour in 1952.
"She won $2000 and a 4-foot-high trophy. At the time she was in 3rd grade and wanted to be a concert singer!"

Simone Biles is in a league of her own. 🐐

Melanie Thornton...May 13, 1967 – November 24, 2001
She was the lead singer of the Eurodance group La Bouche from 1994 to 2000, alongside American rapper Lane McCray. Their two most successful singles, "Sweet Dreams" and "Be My Lover", were released in 1994 and 1995 respectively. After leaving the group, Thornton began a solo career and found success primarily in European countries before her death in 2001. Her solo songs include "Love How You Love Me", "Heartbeat", "Makin' Oooh Oooh (Talking About Love)" and "Wonderful Dream (Holidays are Coming)".
On the night of November 24, 2001, shortly after the final performance in Leipzig, Thornton was among the 24 people that were killed in the crash of Swiss airline's Crossair Flight 3597 in Bassersdorf, Switzerland

The Supremes, 1965: Poised for a Spectacular Performance!

Clarence Williams III best known for playing the character "Linc Hayes" in the ABC television series The Mod Squad (1968 - 1973), and in films like Prince's Purple Rain (1984), Tales from the Hood (1995), Hoodlum (1997), I'm Gonna Git You Sucka (1988), American Gangster (2007), and The Butler (2013).

LITTLE KNOWN FACTS ABOUT EARTHA KITT
Here are a few lesser-known facts about Eartha Kitt:
Multilingual Skills: Eartha Kitt was fluent in several languages, including French, Spanish, and Italian, which she often showcased in her music and performances.
Activism: She was a vocal activist for civil rights and openly criticized the Vietnam War during a White House luncheon with Lady Bird Johnson, which led to a backlash against her career in the United States for a period.
Childhood: Eartha Kitt was born on a cotton plantation in South Carolina and faced significant hardships in her early years. She later moved to Harlem, New York, where she honed her talents and began her journey in show business.
Catwoman Role: She portrayed Catwoman in the third and final season of the 1960s Batman television series, replacing Julie Newmar in the role.
Music Career: Apart from her acting, Kitt was also a successful singer and performer, known for her distinctive voice and style. She had hits with songs like "C'est si bon" and "Santa Baby."
These facts highlight Eartha Kitt's multifaceted career and her significant contributions to both entertainment and activism.

Lena Horne and Pearl Bailey❤️

Remembering comedy legend, Whitman Mayo who in the 1970s played the "Grady" on "Sandford & Son” a role that popularized the expression "Good Goobily Goop!" Born in Harlem, New York on November 15, 1930, Mayo at the age of 17 moved to Southern California with his family. He served in the army from 1951-53, then studied at Chaffey College, Los Angeles City College, and UCLA. He began doing a little acting during this time and in the late 1960s he joined the New Lafayette Theater repertory company in New York City which started he acting training.
Because of his unique sense of comedy timing Norman Lear offered Mayo the role of Grady Wilson on Sanford and Son. The character's name was based on Demond Wilson, the actor who played Lamont Sanford and whose real first name is Grady. During a period where Redd Foxx did not appear on the show due to a contract dispute, Grady moved into the Sanford house and effectively starred in the show for six episodes.
Mayo later starred in Grady, an unsuccessful spin-off in which his character moved in with his daughter and her husband in Beverly Hills. After its cancellation in 1976, Mayo's Grady character returned to Sanford and Son. Mayo reprised the role in the unsuccessful 1977 NBC-TV spinoff series Sanford Arms with actor Theodore Wilson, and for two episodes of Sanford, another spinoff of Sanford and Son, this time with Redd Foxx and actor Dennis Burkley, in 1981.
Mayo also played a role in The Cape as Sweets, the owner of Moonshot Bar and Grill. Mayo made several film appearances, including The Main Event with Barbra Streisand, D.C. Cab, Boyz n the Hood, and Waterproof with Burt Reynolds. Mayo also appeared as Reverend Banyon on the BET TV Movie Boycott in 2001 and in an episode of Martin.
Whitman Mayo died of a heart attack on May 22, 2001, at Atlanta's Grady Memorial Hospital. His son Rahn Mayo became a member of the Georgia House of Representatives in 2009.

Fats Domino and Nat King Cole

Acclaimed writer and poet Maya Angelou (1928–2014), born Margurite Annie Johnson had another noteworthy distinction: In 1944 at age 16, she became the first female Black cable car conductor in San Francisco.

Congratulations!

Minnie Ripperton and her daughter the now famous Maya Rudolph
Minnie Julia Riperton Rudolph (November 8, 1947 – July 12, 1979), known professionally as Minnie Riperton, was an American singer-songwriter best known for her 1975 single "Lovin' You". She was married to songwriter and music producer Richard Rudolph from 1972 until her death in 1979.
Maya Khabira Rudolph (born July 27, 1972) is an American actress and comedian. She rose to prominence on the NBC television show Saturday Night Live, where she was a cast member from 2000 to 2007. She has also starred in films such as Idiocracy (2006), Away We Go (2009), Grown Ups (2010), Bridesmaids (2011), and Grown Ups 2 (2013). She starred as Ava Alexander in the NBC sitcom Up All Night from 2011 to 2013. The Maya Rudolph Show, a variety show television pilot, aired on May 19, 2014.

The Photographs of William Bullard" opens at Worcester Art Museum Saturday,..Between 1897 and 1918, photographer William Bullard took over 5400 photographs, leaving behind a trove of glass negatives, many of which remained untouched for nearly a hundred years.

Gladys Knight & The Pips - I Heard It Through the Grapevine
"I Heard It Through the Grapevine" is a song written by Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong for Motown Records in 1966. The first released recording was produced by Whitfield for Gladys Knight & the Pips and came out as a single in September 1967. It reached number one on the Billboard R&B Singles chart and number two on the Billboard Pop Singles chart, quickly becoming Motown's biggest-selling single up to that point.

Regina King 💫💛
Regina Rene King is an American actress and director. She has received various accolades, including an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, and four Primetime Emmy Awards. In 2019, Time magazine named her one of the 100 most influential people in the world.
King first gained attention for starring in the television sitcom 227 (1985–1990). Her subsequent roles included the film Friday (1995), the animated series The Boondocks (2005–2014), and the crime television series Southland (2009–2013).
She received four Primetime Emmy Awards for her roles in the ABC anthology series American Crime (2015–2017), the Netflix miniseries Seven Seconds, and the HBO limited series Watchmen (2019).
Her other television roles include the drama series The Leftovers (2015–2017) and the sitcom The Big Bang Theory (2013–2019).

Celebrate the milestones of the civil rights movement with our 'Civil Rights Journey'. Featuring iconic quotes and dates, this is a tribute to the heroes and pivotal events that shaped the quest for equality.
Perfect for anyone passionate about history and social justice.
Carry the Legacy Forward.

Love Unlimited was a female vocal trio that backed Barry White and achieved their own success. Formed in 1969, the group included Glodean James, her sister Linda, and their cousin Diane Taylor.💃🎶📀🖤
Their first hit, "Walkin' in the Rain with the One I Love" (1972), peaked at number 14 on the Billboard Hot 100 and sold over a million copies, earning a gold disc. Their 1973 album, Under the Influence of... Love Unlimited, peaked at number 3 on the Billboard Pop Albums chart. The single "It May Be Winter Outside (But in My Heart It's Spring)" reached number 11 on the UK Singles Chart in 1975.
Their 1975 song "I Belong to You" topped the Best Selling Soul Singles Chart. They released two more albums on White's label before disbanding in 1981. Diane Taylor died in 1985.

'Lisa Raye' is trending because men are upset that she’s 56-years-old and refuses to be with a man that doesn’t pay her bills.
Men are upset with how she decides to live her life. They want her to stop feeling like she's valuable.
And the rest believe a woman this famous, rich and gorgeous, can't get a man.
LisaRaye McCoy is an American actress, director, and producer. She is known for her roles as Diana "Diamond" Armstrong in The Players Club (1998) and Neesee James on the sitcom All of Us. She also appeared in The Wood (1999) and Civil Brand (2002).

Eva Jessye was a pioneer in the world of African American music and is recognized as the first black woman to receive international distinction as a choral director. She was born in Coffeyville, Kansas on January 20, 1895.
Jessye graduated in 1914 and then earned a second bachelor’s degree and a teaching certificate at Langston University in Oklahoma. She began her career as a music teacher in Oklahoma public schools, working in them for five years. In 1919 she became the head of the Music Department at Morgan State College in Baltimore, Maryland.

Delloreese Patricia Early (July 6, 1931 – November 19, 2017), known professionally as Della Reese, was an American jazz and gospel singer, actress, and ordained minister whose career spanned seven decades.
Her long career began as a singer, scoring a hit with her 1959 single "Don't You Know?". In the late 1960s she hosted her own talk show, Della, which ran for 197 episodes. From 1975 she also starred in films, playing opposite Redd Foxx in Harlem Nights (1989), Martin Lawrence in A Thin Line Between Love and Hate (1996) and Elliott Gould in Expecting Mary (2010). Reese achieved continued success in the religious television drama Touched by an Angel (1994–2003), in which she played the leading role of Tess.

Beyoncé Knowles-Carter (born September 4, 1981).
Born and raised in Houston, Texas, Beyoncé performed in various singing and dancing competitions as a child. She rose to fame in the late 1990s as the lead singer of Destiny's Child, one of the best-selling girl groups of all time.
During Destiny's Child's hiatus, Beyoncé made her theatrical film debut with a role in the US box-office number-one Austin Powers in Goldmember (2002) and began her solo music career.
She became the first music act to debut at number one with their first six solo studio albums on the Billboard 200. Her debut album Dangerously in Love (2003) featured four Billboard Hot 100 top five songs, including the number-one singles "Crazy in Love" featuring rapper Jay-Z and "Baby Boy" featuring singer-rapper Sean Paul.
Following the disbandment of Destiny's Child in 2006, she released her second solo album, B'Day, which contained her first US number-one solo single "Irreplaceable", and "Beautiful Liar", which topped the charts in most countries. Beyoncé continued her acting career with starring roles in The Pink Panther (2006), Dreamgirls (2006), and Obsessed (2009).
Her marriage to Jay-Z and her portrayal of Etta James in Cadillac Records (2008) influenced her third album, I Am... Sasha Fierce (2008), which earned a record-setting six Grammy Awards in 2010. It spawned the UK number-one single "If I Were a Boy", the US number-one single "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)" and the top five single "Halo".

Pioneering educator Nannie Helen Burroughs (1879-1961) sometime in the 1910s. Born in Orange, Virginia, Ms. Burroughs graduated with honors from the Colored High School, which would later become M Street School and then Dunbar High School. Best know as the founder of the National Trade and Professional School for Women and Girls, Ms. Burroughs was an early advocate for teaching African American History and students had to pass a course in black history in order to graduate. A member of the National Association of Colored Women among other civic and religious advocacy groups, Ms. Burroughs was appointed to a special committee on African Americans and housing by President Herbert Hoover. Also a leader in religion, she helped found the Women’s Auxiliary of the National Baptist Convention.
Ms. Burroughs also had a special connection to Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. A longtime friend of his parents, Ms. Burroughs wrote a letter to Dr. King’s mother, Mrs. Alberta King on February 4, 1956 during the course of the Montgomery Bus Boycott and told her how impressed she was with the “calm, sure way that Junior is standing up for right and righteousness.” Photo: The Library of Congressman Jared Polis

Elisabeth Welch, the American singer who introduced the “Charleston” on Broadway before becoming a superstar in England, in 1935. Born in Manhattan in 1904 to a Scottish-Irish mother and African American father, Ms. Welch was a favorite of iconic composers Noël Coward and Cole Porter. She was the first singer to popularize the classic Porter tune, “Love for Sale” and it would become a signature song in her career. She also introduced “Stormy Weather” to British audiences and would be so beloved there, she remained for the rest of her life. Ms. Welch, among other career highlights in her 70-year career, was nominated for a Tony award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical in 1986 at age 82, for her role in “Jerome Kern Goes to Hollywood.” Ms. Welch also starred in two films with Paul Robeson, “Song of Freedom” in 1936 and “Big Fella” in 1937. In the comment section, I am linking a fantastic short video (1:56) of Ms. Welch singing “Harlem in my Heart” from “Big Fella” and Mr. Robeson can be seen in the clip. Photo: National Portrait Gallery, London.

Frederick Patterson Standing Beside a Patterson-Greenfield Automobile Chassis, ca. 1915 The First and only African American automobile company
Frederick Douglas Patterson (born 1871- died 1932) was an American entrepreneur, the first African American to manufacture cars, and known for the Greenfield-Patterson automobile of 1915, built in Ohio. He later converted his business to the Greenfield Bus Body Company.
While in college at Ohio State University, he was the first African American to play on its football team. He returned to Greenfield to join his father in his carriage business, which became C.R. Patterson and Sons. The younger man saw opportunity in the new horseless carriages, and converted the company in the early 1900s to manufacture automobiles, making 150 of them. Later he shifted to making buses and trucks, and renamed his company as Greenfield Bus Body Company. After Patterson's death in 1932, his son kept the business going through much of the Great Depression, finally closing it in 1939.

Calvin Littlejohn was an African American photographer in Fort Worth, Texas, who documented the black community for more than forty years, between the 1940s and the early 1990s. Through his photographs he celebrated the richness and complexity of black culture in segregated Fort Worth. Calvin Littlejohn was born in rural Arkansas on August 1, 1909, and was reared by his grandparents, Decatur and Nellie Davis. Littlejohn’s first job was in domestic service with a local white family who paid him enough to cover tuition at Philander Smith College in Little Rock, Arkansas, where he enrolled in 1931 and studied commercial art. Littlejohn's natural aptitude for drawing was perfected by correspondence courses in graphic design and a stint in a photo shop where he learned about the camera, lighting, and the use of shadows. Littlejohn left Philander Smith College after one academic year (1931-32) of college, and moved to Fort Worth when his employers decided to relocate to Texas in 1934 and continued to work in domestic service positions until he accepted a job with the Fort Worth Independent School District, teaching in the Industrial Arts Department. He soon became the first photographer for I. M. Terrell High School, the only black high school in town. Littlejohn shot images for the school newspaper and yearbook, and he quickly opened his own studio in his home and helped to establish a black community newspaper, the Lake Como Weekly, also known as the Como Monitor. During the Jim Crow era, when mainstream newspapers would not publish photographs of black citizens and white photographers would not photograph blacks unless a crime had been committed, Littlejohn provided the African American community’s photographic record. World War II interrupted Littlejohn’s photographic work when he enlisted in the US Army on July 3, 1942. He served as an Army private at Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri. Upon his return from service in 1945, Littlejohn began expanding his scope to include photographing recreation hall parties, speaking engagements, visiting celebrities, church events, school activities, and other everyday events, which produced more candid images than his studio portrait work. To keep up with the demands of his schedule, he invented the Plantation Printer, which allowed him to expose 46-millimeter film, five frames at a time. The demands of his successful photography studio, as well as occasional freelance photography for newspapers like the Fort Worth Mind, Lake Como Monitor, La Vida News, the Fort Worth Press, and the Fort Worth Star-Telegram occupied much of his time. Littlejohn's work provides a comprehensive portrait of the African-American experience in Fort Worth and Tarrant County, Texas for over five decades. On September 6, 1993, Littlejohn died at his home in Fort Worth. He was 84 years old. His legacy is preserved in the Calvin Littlejohn Photographic Archives housed at the Dolph Briscoe Center for American History at the University of Texas at Austin.

Toni Braxton (born October 7, 1967).
Braxton has sold over 67 million records worldwide, including 41 million albums. She is one of the highest-selling female R&B artists in history.
Braxton has won seven Grammy Awards, nine Billboard Music Awards, seven American Music Awards, and numerous other accolades. In 2011, Braxton was inducted into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame.

Malcolm X and Maya Angelou Ghana, West Africa (1964)