Wendell Scott - Black History

Wendell Scott (August 29, 1921 – December 23, 1990) was an American stock car racer.  Scott was a pioneer in the sport of auto racing as the first Black full-time driver on the NASCAR circuit. Acting as a driver and his own mechanic he gained the admiration of fans and fellow drivers through his grit and determination to be successful in a sport deeply-entrenched in the Jim Crow south.  Wendell had a very light complexion and blue eyes and as such many white people did not realize that he was Black. He was not immune to the ill effects of racism, however. Despite his enthusiasm and skill, racing was not easy for Scott as he faced numerous obstacles. Fans derided him on almost every lap and white drivers often did everything they could to wreck him, knowing that in the era of Jim Crow, he wouldn’t dare retaliate. Many other drivers, however, came to respect Scott. They saw his skills as a mechanic and driver, and they liked his quiet, uncomplaining manner. They saw him as someone similar to themselves, another hard-working blue-collar guy swept up in the adrenalin rush of racing, not somebody trying to make a racial point. "He was a racer -- you could look at somebody and tell whether they were a racer or not," said driver Rodney Ligon. "Didn't nobody send him [to the track] to represent his race -- he come down because he wanted to drive a damn racecar." Some white drivers became his close friends and also occasionally acted as his bodyguards.

In April 2012, Scott was nominated for inclusion in the NASCAR Hall of Fame, and was selected for induction in the 2015 class, in May 2014. In January 2013, Scott was awarded his own historical marker in Danville, Virginia. The marker's statement reads “Persevering over prejudice and discrimination, Scott broke racial barriers in NASCAR, with a 13-year career that included 20 top five and 147 top ten finishes.”

A 1962 Chevrolet built by Scott for the movie Greased Lightning on display at the NASCAR Hall of Fame.  Greased Lighting was loosely based on Wendell Scott's life. Richard Pryor played Scott in the film.

Wendell was Inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame on January 30, 2015.

Comic Book Hero: Lobo - Black History

Lobo, a western hero (he did not possess superpowers), is a former Union soldier who heads west after the Civil War. Upon being wrongfully accused of murder, Lobo sets out on a mission to fight injustice and to clear his name.

Lobo’s importance to comic history stems not only from being the first black comic hero to star in his own series, but also in that he is free from the racist stereotypes that plague other early black comic book characters. In fact, the comic doesn’t even make reference to the fact that Lobo is black.

Unfortunately, racist attitudes would ensure that Lobo would  be a very short-lived series. Although 200,000 copies of the first issue were printed, only about 10,000 – 15,000 copies were sold. This was largely due to many retailers refusing to carry a comic book about a black hero. What’s more, many of these retailers not only returned Lobo, but also every other comic shipped with it. The return of so many unopened shipments was a huge loss for Dell Comics and caused Lobo to be canceled after only two issues.

Although the brief series was a financial disaster, a comic starring a non-stereotypical black hero was a huge milestone for people of color in comics.








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Civil Rights Act of 1964 - #BlackHistoryFact

In this short video from the History Channel, the significance of this legislation is discussed. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 outlawed discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex or national origin.

Vivien Thomas

Vivien Theodore Thomas was an African American surgical technician who developed the techniques used to treat blue baby syndrome. He served as supervisor of the surgical laboratories at John Hopkins University in Baltimore, MD for 35 years.  First, Thomas tested the techniques that would be used to treat blue baby syndrome on animals to make sure it would work.  In 1944, Dr. Alan Blalock performed the first successful "blue baby" operation.  Thomas advised Blalock through the operation. 

In 1976, Johns Hopkins University presented Thomas with an honorary doctorate.[2] Because of certain restrictions, he received an Honorary Doctor of Laws, rather than a medical doctorate, but it did allow the staff and students of Johns Hopkins Hospital and Johns Hopkins School of Medicine to call him doctor. After having worked there for 37 years, Thomas was also finally appointed to the faculty of the School of Medicine as Instructor of Surgery.

Without any education past high school, Dr. Thomas rose above poverty and racism to become a cardiac surgery pioneer and a teacher of operative techniques to many of the country's most prominent surgeons. He was the first African American without a doctorate to perform open heart surgery on a white patient in the United States.

Cabell "Cab" Calloway III - Black History

Cabell "Cab" Calloway III was an African American entertainer.  In 1930, Calloway got a gig at Harlem's famed Cotton Club and became a regular performed at the popular nightspot.  Calloway made it big with his 1931 hit "Minnie the Moocher".  The song's famous call-and-response "hi-de-hi-de-ho" became Calloway's signature phrase for the rest of his career. Calloway's song went to sell over 1 million copies. The song would later be inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999.  In 1993, President Bill Clinton presented Calloway with the National Medal of the Arts. 

Below is a video of Cab performing his hit song.

Harlem Renaissance - Black History

artwork from the period of the Harlem Renaissance

The Harlem Renaissance was the name given to the time period between the end of World War I and the mid 1930's in Harlem.  This period was a cultural, social and artistic explosion of African American works. Harlem became the go to place for writers, musicians, artists, photographers, poets and scholars during this era.  During the time it was known as the "New Negro Movement" and the "Negro Renaissance".  This era was looked at as a cultural awakening.  Participants sought to re-conceptualize "the Negro" apart from white stereotypes that influenced African American relationships to their heritage and each other.   Among those artists whose works achieved recognition were Langston Hughes and Claude McKay, Countee Cullen and Arna Bontemps, Zora Neale Hurston and Jean Toomer,  Walter White and James Weldon Johnson.


Jazz Musicians of Harlem Renaissance

While the renaissance did not achieve the sociopolitical transformation for which some had hoped, today it is clear that this movement marked a turning point in black cultural history; it helped to establish the authority of black writers and artists over the representation of black culture and experience, and it help those writers and artists carve their niche in western culture.

Ernest "Ernie" Davis - #BlackHistoryFact

Davis with Heisman Trophy

Ernest "Ernie" Davis (December 14, 1939 - May 18, 1963) was an American football player.  He was the first African American athlete to win the Heisman Trophy.  Davis played college football for Syracuse University.  When Davis won his award, President John F. Kennedy was quoted as to saying "seldom has an athlete more deserving of such a tribute.  Your high standards of performance on the field and off the field, reflect the finest qualities of competition, sportsmanship and citizenship.  The nation has bestowed upon you its highest awards for your athletic achievements.  It's a privilege for me to address you tonight as an outstanding American, and as a worthy example of our youth.  I salute you." 

Ernie Davis in his Cleveland Browns Uniform

Davis was the number-one draft pick in 1962 NFL Draft.  He was selected by the Washington Redskins and was immediately traded to the Cleveland Browns.  Davis never actually played a game for the NFL.  After being drafted, he was diagnosed with acute monocytic leukemia.  His only appearance for the Cleveland Browns was during a 1962 pre-season game.  Davis ran onto the field and was followed by spotlight.  Following his death, the Cleveland Browns retired his jersey.