This is Woni Spotts, a native California and a child of Hollywood entertainers. In 2018, Woni Spotts became the first Black woman to visit every country in the world. She completed her goal of visiting all seven continents and the 195 countries recognized by the United Nations. Much of Spotts travel occurred during the 1970s and 1980s before the era of social media, and so her proof comes in the form of airline records, passport stamps, and US State Department documents. She has also written a book Letters from Everywhere: The First Black Woman To Travel to Every Country and Continent. THIS IS MODERN DAY HISTORY! Sounds oxymoronic when you say it out loud, but nonetheless, super dope! She is on Instagram too!
Black History 365 | # 183 Marshall Major Taylor
Marshall Major Taylor is the first African American to win a World Championship title in cycling. A hundred years ago, when bicycle races drew crowds that filled Madison Square Garden, the biggest draw of all was Major Taylor. One of Taylor’s early breakthroughs came in 1896 when, at the age of 18, he won his first major race—the 1-mile sprint at the prestigious International Cycling Association (ICA) meet in Massachusetts. This victory marked the beginning of his ascent to becoming one of the most prominent cyclists of his time. Taylor’s success, however, was accompanied by the harsh realities of racism, as he faced hostility from both competitors and spectators. Taylor often endured discrimination, including incidents where competitors purposefully tried to injure him during races. In 1901, he won 42 of the 57 European races he entered. In 1902 he won 40 of the 57 races he entered. Taylor would end up making a fortune in the early 1900s, in prize money and appearance fees, earning about 35,000 a year which is equivalent to a million a year today. Major however spent the later years of his life struggling financially. After writing and publishing his own book he would sell his book door to door in Chicago. He would die of a heart attack in 1932 at the age of 52, buried in an unmarked grave. Former bicycle stars they persuaded Frank Schwinn of the Schwinn bicycle company to pay to have Taylor’s remains transferred to a more fitting location. Thank you for your hard work, dedication, and your contributions.
Black History 365 | # 182 Max Robinson
Max Robinson was an American television journalist and the first African American man to anchor a nightly network newscast. Robinson’s first journalism job began and ended in 1959, when he was hired to read news at a Portsmouth, Va., television station. Although the station selected him over an otherwise all-white group of applicants, it still enforced a colour barrier by projecting an image of the station’s logo to conceal Robinson as he read the news. He was fired the day after he presented the news without the logo obscuring his face. In 1965 he joined WTOP-TV in Washington, D.C., as a correspondent and camera operator, but he moved quickly to nearby WRC-TV, where he won awards for coverage of race riots and a documentary on life in poor urban neighbourhoods. He was hired back by WTOP as its first African American news anchor in 1969 and stayed there until 1978. Robinson moved to Chicago when ABC News chose him as one of three coanchors for ABC’s World News Tonight. The anchor arrangement ended with the death of coanchor Frank Reynolds in 1983. Robinson left ABC News shortly thereafter and joined Chicago’s WMAQ-TV as a news anchor (1984–87). Robinson passed away on Dec. 20, 1988, silently struggling with AIDS. A battle he kept private up until his death. His friends and family knew, he believed making it public would’ve stressed him out more sending him to an earlier grave. His friends believe maintaining his privacy was the best thing to do. Thank you for breaking color barriers in the broadcasting space. Thank you for your contributions.
Black History 365 | # 181 Ishakamusa Barashango
Rev. Dr. Barashango received his Bachelor of Arts degree in religion from Oakwood College in Huntsville, Alabama. He studied for his Master’s degree at Northeastern Seminary in Takoma Park, Maryland. The New Afrikan University Network System of Washington, D.C. saluted him with an honorary Doctor of Philosophy Degree in 1979. Rev. Barashango founded the Temple of the Black Messiah, School of History and Religion and co-founded Fourth Dynasty Publishing Company of Silver Spring. He also taught history and religion at several colleges and universities. Most notably his name is referenced in Ras Kass’ Nature of the Threat — '“I paraphrase historian Ishakamusa Barashango ‘Understand that, regardless of the lofty ideas engraved on paper in such documents as the Constitution or Declaration The basic nature of the European American white man remains virtually unchanged.’” He was a dynamic minister, author, historian, educator and motivational speaker was born April 27, 1938 in Philadelphia, PA. Dr. Barashango, affectionately known as Baba. He passed away January 14, 2004. To a heart attack during his morning walk. Thank you for your contributions.
Black History 365 | # 180 Sadie Tanner Mossell Alexander
Sadie Tanner Mossell Alexander was the first African American to earn a Ph.D. in economics in the United States, in 1921, from the University of Pennsylvania. Because of her race she was not granted a job at the school after graduating. Even during her first year in college she was told that she could not check out books in the school library. Yikes, imagine that. In 1927, she pivoted to law and became the first woman to earn a law degree from the University of Pennsylvania Law School. At law school, the dean attempted to deny her participation in the law review, but her fellow students insisted that she be given the honor that she had earned. She joined her husband’s practice, specializing in estate and family law. She was appointed Assistant City Solicitor for the City of Philadelphia and held that position from 1928 to 1930 and from 1934 to 1938. From that time forward, she served on numerous boards, committees, and commissions and held office in many local and national organizations. Most notably, Harry Truman appointed her to his Civil Rights committee. In November 1989, Dr. Sadie Tanner Mossell Alexander died of complications from pneumonia and Alzheimer’s Disease. Thank you for your contributions.