Going to make a #BlackHistoryMonth thread of all my personal favorite moments of Black History!

The gwurls forgot Black Americans created rock music by way of Southern blues.

The Time’s October 1987 live performances of “777-9311” with Jesse Johnson freaking KILLING the guitar solo! Do you hear that?!

Prince’s influence all up & through the cut. & s/o to Morris Day

The genius, the queen, the legend Nina Simone performing “I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To Be Free” in New York in 1968.

The raw emotions. You can see her catching the spirit as well.

“Maybe God Is Trying To Tell You Something” scene from the 1985 movie “The Color Purple” based off Alice Walker’s book.

Scene gives me chills. Margaret Avery who played Shug Avery went from the juke joint to the church house & had the nerve to be out singing the choir soloist

Great Dismal Swamp Maroons

Groups of slaves who escaped from slavery & formed their own maroon colonies in the swamp land areas of North Carolina & Virginia from the 1700’s to the 1860’s.

We don’t often hear about the slaves who not only escaped but even thrived on their own.

Igbo Landing

I’m so fascinated by this. An 1803 mass suicide by captured Igbo peoples (ethnic group from present day Nigeria) who refused to be slaves & drowned themselves. Happened on the coast of Georgia. Beyoncé even payed homage to them in her 2016 project “Lemonade”.

I just LOVE me some Ida B Wells. She was a founder of the NAACP & was a journalist who chronicled & exposed lynchings via her gift of writing. She lived & died in Chicago (originally from Mississippi) & we even have a street named after her.

Speaking of Chicago, did u know Soul Train started here by Don Cornelius in the 60’s before it moved to L.A. in the 70’s?

Loved watching this in the 00’s but the 70’s-80’s eras are even more ! “I Love Music” by the O’Jays is hands down one of my favorite old school songs too!

On the subject of dancing, let’s talk pop locking! It came out of the west coast (Oakland) in the 60’s/70’s & was one of the parents to b-boying in hip hop.

This is the group The Lockers & even included Rerun (Fred Berry aka Mr Penguin) from the 70’s show “What’s Happenin’”

The Black American Heritage flag

Created in 1967 by Melvin Charles & Gleason T. Jackson. Ain’t this bad boy cold?! Whew!

The good sis @jadathegiraffe has a YT video discussing more of the history behind it

We MUST wave this flag!

The Juneteenth Flag was created by Ben Haith in 1997. He was apart of the National Juneteenth Celebration Foundation (NJCF)

Now that Juneteenth is becoming more mainstream, let’s represent the appropriate flag & colors & not allow the Texas originated holiday to be co-opted.

Let’s take it back to Ancient KMT (Kemet aka Egypt). One of favorite rulers Hatshepsut, a woman who was a pharaoh (ruler/king). Everyone thinks she was the first but actually the second. She even wore a false beard & headdress like the male pharaohs.

Gordon Parks was a phenomenal photographer (& wore many other hats) who captured Black life and experiences throughout the U.S. He was the first Black staff photographer for Life magazine.

One of my favorite authors: Toni Morrison. I read her books “Sula” & “The Bluest Eye” in high school & was sold. Like most Black American authors, her stories captured BA culture, history, & identity in a fictional way. Her book “Beloved” even got its own movie in 1988.

This one is phenomenal. That time in 1983 when James Brown brought Michael Jackson and Prince out at one of his concerts! The teacher embracing the students! Pop, funk, & rock n roll!

I know that stage smelled like Blue Magic hair grease, sweat, & fresh leather that night.