Janet Collins (March 7, 1917 – May 28, 2003) was a ballet dancer, choreographer, and teacher. She performed on Broadway, in films, and appeared frequently on television. She was among the pioneers of black ballet dancing, one of the few classically trained Black dancers of her generation. Collins was 10 when she started taking private lessons at a Catholic Community Center. … [Read more...] about Friday Open Thread: African-American Ballet Dancers
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Friday Open Thread: Black Music Composers
Margaret Allison Bonds (March 3, 1913 – April 26, 1972) was an American composer and pianist. One of the first black composers and performers to gain recognition in the United States, she is best remembered today for her frequent collaborations with Langston Hughes. … [Read more...] about Friday Open Thread: Black Music Composers
Friday Open Thread: Black Romance Authors
Kimberla Lawson Roby (born May 3, 1965 in Rockford, Illinois) is an American novelist. She is best known for her depiction of real-life social issues written in a fictional format. Roby is best known for her Reverend Curtis Black series', and it was only after the urging of readers that her sixth novel and second title in the series was written. This title, Too Much of a … [Read more...] about Friday Open Thread: Black Romance Authors
Friday Open Thread: More African-American Firsts
Alice Allison Dunnigan (1906–1983) was an African-American journalist, civil rights activist and author. Dunnigan was the first African-American female correspondent to receive White House credentials, and the first black female member of the Senate and House of Representatives press galleries. She has written an autobiography entitled Alice A. Dunnigan: A Black Woman's … [Read more...] about Friday Open Thread: More African-American Firsts
Friday Open Thread: More African-Americans in Aviation
Frank Emmanuel Petersen Jr. (USMC) (March 2, 1932 – August 25, 2015) was a United States Marine Corps lieutenant general. He was the first African-American Marine Corps aviator and the first African-American Marine Corps general. … [Read more...] about Friday Open Thread: More African-Americans in Aviation