The 45 King, whose real name is Mark James, is an influential American hip-hop producer and DJ. In the 1980s and 1990s, he gained prominence for his innovative production techniques and signature drum breaks, which became essential elements of classic hip-hop tracks. The 45 King’s work has left a lasting impact on the genre and has cemented his status as a pioneer in hip-hop production. Continue reading Profile: The 45 King(1961-2023)
Following the momentum of student-led sit-ins in Greensboro, North Carolina and Nashville, Tennesssee in early 1960, an interracial group of activists, led by Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) Executive Director James Farmer, decided to continue to challenge Jim Crow segregation in the South by organizing “freedom rides” through the region. They used as their model CORE’s 1946 “Journey of Reconciliation” where an interracial group rode interstate buses to test the enforcement of the … Continue reading FREEDOM RIDES (1961)
It is ironic that the 1803 Louisiana Purchase from France was instigated by one of the few successful slave rebellions. Toussaint L’Overture on St. Dominique (now Haiti and the Dominican Republic) so bedeviled the French that Napoleon decided to sell the Louisiana Territory to the US. This doubled the size of the infant United States and has been heralded as crucial to the American path to becoming the world superpower. It also had profound … Continue reading LOUISIANA PURCHASE AND AFRICAN AMERICANS (1803)
On August 4, 1865, the Loyal Creek Council formally declared that African Creeks would be considered full citizens of the Creek Nation. African Creeks soon designated August 4th “Emancipation Day” and organized celebrations, including picnics, parades and speakers beginning as early as 1867, which continued through the Territorial days and early years of Oklahoma statehood. The celebration fell into disuse as the African Creeks and … Continue reading EMANCIPATION DAY (AUGUST 4TH)
Black Art Story 