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Posts published in “African-American Firsts”

Black History Heroes: Annie Turnbo Malone: a Philanthropist and Entrepreneur

By goodblacknews on April 17, 2016

Annie Turbo Malone (photo via blackhistoryheroes.com)

Before Oprah Winfrey and Madame C.J. Walker, there was Annie Turnbo Malone (aka Annie Minerva Turnbo Pope Malone and Annie Minerva Turnbo Malone), an African American entrepreneur and philanthropist during the early 20th century.
Malone is recorded as the U.S.’s first Black woman millionaire based on reports of $14 million in assets held in 1920 from her beauty and cosmetic enterprises, headquartered in St. Louis and Chicago.
On August 9, 1869, Robert Turnbo and Isabella Cook became parents to Annie in Metropolis, Illinois. Annie attended school in Illinois where she apprentenced with her sister as a hairdresser. By 1889, Malone had developed her own scalp and hair products that she demonstrated and sold from a buggy throughout Illinois.
By 1902, Malone’s business growth led her to St. Louis, Missouri, which at the time held the fourth largest population of African Americans. In St. Louis she copyrighted her Poro brand beauty products. In 1914, in a St. Louis wedding, Malone married the school principal Aaron Eugene Malon.
By 1917, Malone opened the doors of Poro College, a beauty college which was later attended by Madam C.J. Walker. The school reportedly graduated about 75,000 agents world-wide, including the Caribbean. By 1930, the first full year of the Great Depression, Malone had moved from Missouri after divorcing her second husband and settled on Chicago’s South Side.
To read more, go to: Black History Heroes: Annie Turnbo Malone: A Black Philanthropist and Entrepreneur

Kanye West Becomes The 1st Artist to Reach No.1 On Billboard Albums Chart From Streaming Only

By goodblacknews on April 10, 2016
kanye-west-the-life-of-pablo-640x427
Kanye West (CREDIT: Getty Images)
article by Richy Rosario via vibe.com
Kanye West is reportedly the first artist in history to have an album at No. 1 solely on music streams from major outlets. His latest project The Life of Pablo, was distributed and consumed by the masses through some paid downloads from his personal G.O.O.D / Def Jam page, but most of the revenue (a nice 90k), came from music streaming services like Apple Music and Tidal, according to HITS Daily Double. 
Reports state that this strategy was created by Ye’s new management team: Scooter Braun, Steve Bartels and Def Jam. You can also catch Kanye at the top of the iTunes chart along with Drake in their collaboration on “Pop Style.”
This comes as no surprise to us as it was reported last month that TLOP was streamed over 250 million times since its release.

Oberlin College Acquires a Collection of Papers of Early Civil Rights Activist Mary Church Terrell

By goodblacknews on April 1, 2016
Mary Church Terrell
Mary Church Terrell

article via jbhe.com

Oberlin College in Ohio has received an archive of documents relating to Mary Church Terrell.

The papers were donated by Raymond and Jean Langston, the current occupant of the home in Highland Beach, Maryland, where Terrell died. The collection includes documents, letters, diaries, photographs and other artifacts, some dating to the 1890s and earlier.

Mary Church Terrell was the daughter of former slaves. She was a 1884 graduate of Oberlin College and went on to become a teacher and principal of M Street Colored High School, now known as Dunbar High School.

Terrell was the founding president of the National Association of Colored Women and was a charter member of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.

Terrell was the first African American woman to serve on the Washington, D.C. Board of Education.

In 1949, Terrell, then in her 80s, was refused service at a Washington, D.C., restaurant. She filed suit and in a case eventually decided by the Supreme Court, racial segregation of restaurants in the nation’s capital was ruled unconstitutional.

Mary Church Terrell died on July 24, 1954 at the age of 90.

SPORTS: Meet Tia Norfleet, the 1st Black Female NASCAR Driver

By goodblacknews on March 21, 2016

Tia-Norfleet
article by Da’ryl Victoria via thesource.com
When we think of women in NASCAR we often think of internationally celebrated Danica Patrick, however there’s one woman in particular we should be paying more attention to. Meet Tia Norfleet, the first African-American female NASCAR driver and daughter of legendary NASCAR driver Bobby Norfleet.
The adrenaline and skill of driving at high speeds resides in the bloodline of the Norfleet family, and the love and passion for the sport has been held by Tia since age seven. Having a Hot Wheels Barbie car was a top priority for millions of young girls in the early 90s, but Norfleet’s car would trump others when Mr. Norfleet doubled the battery power of her Barbie Corvette.
Barely a teen, and roughly 10 years removed from the legal age to drive, Bobby Norfleet handed his pre-teen daughter the keys to their family mini-van, knowing she could handle the road alone. At nine years old Tia, now a semi-pro behind the wheel, embarked on daily trips to karate practice, convenient stores, and traveling around her neighborhood in preparation of becoming one out of a handful of women in a high speed and dangerous male dominated sport.
At age 14, Norfleet began competing on a local and regional level in kart racing, leading into a successful drag racing career resulting in top rank stats: winning 37 out of 52 events. In 2000, she switched her focus, setting her sights on dominating the track in entry level spec racing, competing in Bandolero cars. Eventually in 2004, Norfleet would move on to late model stock car racing on short tracks, later becoming the first African-American to obtain a NASCAR late model series racing license.

Bradley Gayton Named General Counsel of Ford Motor Company

By goodblacknews on March 18, 2016

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Bradley Gayton, general counsel, Ford Motor Company (Photo via twitter.com)

article by Porsha Monique via rollingout.com
General counsel is a highly revered post that comes with an immense amount of prestige, respect and great responsibility. For Ford Motor Company, Bradley Gayton is the accomplished man who holds this distinguished position.
On Jan. 1, 2016, Gayton was named general counsel and vice president of Ford Motor Company and it’s definitely a position Gayton earned as he worked his way up the corporate ladder. He started his career at Ford as a law clerk during his second and third year of law school at the State University of New York at Buffalo and is now a Ford Motor Company officer who reports directly to Ford’s president and CEO, Mark Fields.
Gayton invited rolling out inside his executive level office in Dearborn, Michigan, for an exclusive interview. The view from his office was spectacular, even on a cloudy day. He mentioned that on a clear day, one could see miles and miles away, as far as downtown Detroit. The impeccably groomed Gayton wore a perfectly tailored suit with a red tie, along with a custom-made, monogrammed, button-down shirt that displayed his signature. He definitely looked ready for his interview as he graciously welcomed us in and made us feel like we were at home.
Check out the inspiring interview below:
You are the general counsel and vice president for Ford Motor Company. You’ve been with Ford since 1991. You’ve held many roles during your tenure at Ford. Tell us about your journey to becoming the general counsel and vice president at Ford Motor Company.
It started in the summer of 1990 when I came here as a law clerk. In the fall of 1989, I interviewed for a summer job. I came here in the summer of 1990 in between my second year and third year of law school at the University of Buffalo. I spent time in taking assignments in the different departments in the legal office over the summer. Then in the fall of 1990 when I got back to law school, I was given an offer to join the company’s legal department after I graduated. Aug. 5, 1991, I joined the legal office. I started off in the tax office, and I spent a fair amount of my career in different jobs within the tax office. At one point in my career I had the opportunity to manage legal affairs for Canada, Mexico and Latin America. Then later on became assistant secretary, and then became the company’s sixth corporate secretary. And then in October, we announced that I was going to be our general counsel, effective Jan. 1. So, that’s a nutshell of the journey.

How Drew Hawkins Went From Intern to 1st Black Managing Director in Morgan Stanley’s Wealth Management Business

By goodblacknews on March 16, 2016

Drew Hawkins
Morgan Stanley executive Drew Hawkins (photo via black enterprise.com)

article by Courtney Connley via blackenterprise.com
As a University of Delaware finance major, Drew Hawkins recognized his love for stock markets and investing early.
After stumbling into the university’s career planning office, Hawkins was informed of a two-year unpaid internship with Morgan Stanley, then known as Dean Witter. He came on board as an intern in 1989 and as the cliché saying goes, ‘the rest is history.’
“I can remember my first couple of weeks where I saw things that intrigued me and some I found disappointing,” said Hawkins. “Number one, I didn’t see many African American financial advisors and I didn’t see that many African American clients.”
In an effort to change that dynamic, Hawkins worked his way up from intern, to financial advisor to eventually being named the first African American managing director in Morgan Stanley’s Wealth Management business in 2008. Now, as head of the company’s global sports and entertainment division, which has approximately $37 billion in assets, Hawkins opens up to BlackEnterprise.com about his journey to climbing the corporate ladder.
BlackEnterprise.com: Talk about your journey to climbing the ranks at Morgan Stanley.
Hawkins: My career started out as a financial advisor. I received a call from my regional director one day who said I want you to come into my office and take the assessment exam to consider going into management. While the thought of going into a management role where I give up my entrepreneurial hustle was not compelling, it was coming from someone I respected a lot and being in management gave me the opportunity to lead and bring others into the industry.
Are there any specific challenges you faced as an African American?
There are things that are unique with being a person of color in this industry. There were some [people] I could connect with from a management perspective and get sound advice, but still they could not speak to my experiences because they hadn’t walked in my shoes. I had the experience of being the first black managing director in Morgan Stanley’s Wealth Management business, and while I was excited to attain that title it was still a bit startling that in 2008 I was the first for that to occur. Fortunately, we’ve had a lot of others come in since then.
To read full article, go to: http://www.blackenterprise.com/career/drew-hawkins-intern-managing-director-morgan-stanley/
 

Virginia Commonwealth University Acquires Rare Copy of "All-Negro Comics No. 1"

By goodblacknews on March 10, 2016

all_negro_comics_coverarticle via jbhe.com
Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond has more than 175,000 volumes in its Comic Arts Collection, including more than 125,000 comic books. The university recently acquired a rare copy of All-Negro Comics No. 1, the first comic book written and drawn solely by African American writers and artists.
The 48-page comic book was published in 1947 and features characters such as police detective Ace Harlem and Lion Man, a college-educated scientist and superhero. All-Negro Comics No. 1 was published by Philadelphia newspaperman Orrin C. Evans.
A letter from the publisher in All-Negro Comics No. 1 reads: “Dear Readers: This is the first issue of All-Negro Comics, jam-packed with fast action, African adventure, good clean humor and fantasy. Every brush stroke and pen line in the drawings on these pages are by Negro artists. And each drawing is an original: that is, none has been published ANYWHERE before. This publication is another milestone in the splendid history of Negro journalism. All-Negro Comics will not only give Negro artists an opportunity gainfully to use their talents, but it will glorify Negro historical achievements.”
It was the first and only published comic in the series.

Q-Tip Named Kennedy Center's 1st Artistic Director of Hip-Hop

By goodblacknews on March 8, 2016

Q-Tip (photo via eurweb.com)
Q-Tip (photo via eurweb.com)

article by Maeve McDermott via usatoday.com
Before last year, Kennedy Center hosting hip hop shows seemed like an unlikely prospect.
But after hosting Kendrick Lamar’s sold-out performance with the National Symphony Orchestra last year, the center’s 2016 season includes its first hip hop culture series, bringing on rapper and producer Q-Tip as their first artistic director of hip hop.
The social justice-oriented rapper is best known as a founding member of the seminal hip hop group A Tribe Called Quest, and has worked with many of music’s biggest names, including Kanye West, Kendrick Lamar, the Beastie Boys, Janet Jackson, Mary J. Blige and Pharrell Williams.
The Kennedy Center, which celebrates John F. Kennedy’s 100th birthday this year, announced details of six events celebrating different facets of hip hop culture, including a poetry slam, a teach-in and a dance competition. Cellist Yo-Yo Ma and soprano Renee Fleming were also appointed at-large artistic advisers for the 2016-2017 season, according to the AP.
“This new programmatic platform recognizes Hip Hop’s contributions to global culture and its role in promoting values such as courage, freedom, justice, and service,” the center announced in a release.
To read more, go to: http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/music/2016/03/08/q-tip-named-kennedy-center-first-hip-hop-director/81485882/

President Obama Nominates Dr. Carla D. Hayden for Librarian of Congress

By goodblacknews on February 25, 2016
Dr. Carla Hayden Librarian Congress
Dr. Carla Hayden (PHOTO CREDIT: YouTube)

article by Lori Lakin Hutcherson (@lakinhutcherson)

According to whitehouse.gov, President Barack Obama has nominated Dr. Carla D. Hayden as the 14th Librarian of Congress— which would make her the first woman and African-American to hold this prestigious position in the library’s 214-year history.

Among her many accomplishments, Dr. Hayden became the first African-American to receive Library Journal’s Librarian of the Year Award, and also holds an M.A. and a Ph.D from the Graduate Library School of the University of Chicago.

Obama’s own praise for Dr. Hayden and an accompanying video follow:

Today, I’m nominating someone to be our new Librarian of Congress — the leader of one of our nation’s oldest federal institutions — and I want to introduce you to her.
Meet Dr. Carla Hayden.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RnlZjccjNqE&w=560&h=315]
Michelle and I have known Dr. Hayden for a long time since her days working at the Chicago Public Library, and her dedication to learning and education is unparalleled.
More recently, she’s devoted her career to modernizing libraries so that everyone can participate in today’s digital culture. She’s been hard at work revitalizing Baltimore’s library system as the CEO of Enoch Pratt Free Library, updating its technology and raising money to fund essential improvements. Under her leadership, the Pratt library has become the largest provider of public-access computers in Maryland.
As Librarian of Congress, she’ll work in close partnership with Congress, support the copyright office that serves our nation’s creative communities, and explore new ways to share the information housed within  our library through innovative technologies.
And I know she’ll be a good steward for the important role that libraries play in our communities. Last year, during the unrest in Baltimore, Dr. Hayden and the library’s staff kept the doors of the Pratt open as a beacon for the community.
Finally, she’d be the first woman and the first African American to hold the position – both of which are long overdue.
So I hope you’ll take a couple minutes to watch this video and meet Carla for yourself. I have no doubt she’ll make a fantastic Librarian of Congress.
President Barack Obama

Michelle A. Williams to Head Harvard’s School of Public Health, Becomes University's 1st Black Faculty Dean

By goodblacknews on February 19, 2016

Michelle Williams
Michelle Williams (photo via Harvard Gazette)

article by Courtney Connley via blackenterprise.com
Harvard University announced Friday that Michelle A. Williams will become dean of its School of Public Health, making her the first black person to head a faculty at the university and the first female dean of the school.
Currently an epidemiologist and professor in the School of Public Health, Williams will start her new position in July, following David A. Hunter who has served as interim dean for the past six months after Julio Frenk stepped down to become president at the University of Miami.
“She is a skilled builder of bridges—between the theoretical and the practical, the domestic and the international, the different disciplines that drive the School’s academic endeavors, and the different communities that shape its identity and aspirations,” University President Drew G. Faust said in a statement. “I know she will approach her new role with the intelligence, dedication, integrity, and humane spirit that she brings to all she does.”
Williams’s appointment comes at a time when Harvard students have been more outspoken about the lack of diversity in leadership at the institution. Recently, students from the university’s medical school delivered a petition to Massachusetts Hall, calling on Faust to prioritize the school’s need for more diversity as they search for their own new dean.
“As an alumna and faculty member, I have witnessed the transformative impact that this institution can have in education, research, and discovery related to the health of communities in need,” Williams said. “We have an imperative to lead and to serve, and I am looking forward to working even more closely with the School’s faculty, students, staff, and alumni to build on the school’s achievements.”
After earning a bachelor’s degree from Princeton University and a master’s from Tufts University, Williams attended Harvard’s School of Public Health before joining the faculty at the University of Washington. In 2011, she came back to the Harvard family as chair of the epidemiology department in the School of Public Health. That same year, she was also presented the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics, and Engineering Mentoring by President Barack Obama.
To read more, go to: http://www.blackenterprise.com/education/michelle-williams-harvard-first-black-faculty-dean/