This week in African-American History: Birthday: January 5, 1864 - George Washington Carver (1864-1943), was born into slavery in Missouri. Carver was truly a Renaissance man who worked as a farmer, inventor, botanist, and educator. He dedicated himself to making life better for poor farmers by promoting alternatives to cotton such as peanuts, soybeans, and sweet potatoes. He felt that these alternatives would not only improve the nutritional intake of farmers, but would also give them additional sources of income. He invented over 100 products made from peanuts ranging from cosmetics and paints, among others. Birthday: January 7, 1931 – Alvin Ailey (1931-1988), was born. Ailey was a choreographer who founded the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in New York. Ailey is credited with popularizing modern dance in America. His company gained the title “cultural ambassador to the world” because of their extensive domestic and international touring schedule. One of Ailey’s best known works is a entitled Revelations (link below): https://youtube/watch?v=LZuBFz6WYfs in 2014 Ailey was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama.
Posted on: Mon, 05 Jan 2015 05:04:01 +0000
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