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Posts tagged as “Texas”

70 Years Ago Today: Etta Moten Barnett Becomes 1st African-American to Sing at the White House

By goodblacknews on January 31, 2013
Etta Moten Barnett (Photo: Chicago Library)

Broadway star and film actress Etta Moten Barnett sang at the birthday party for President Franklin D. Roosevelt on Jan. 31, 1943, becoming the first African-American to perform at the White House.
She performed “Remember My Forgotten Man,” which she also sang in the movie Gold Diggers of 1933 (1933), although she was not listed in the credits. A conaltro vocalist, she was best known for her starring role in the 1942 revival of Porgy and Bess on Broadway. 
Barnett was born November 5, 1901, in Weimar, Texas. She married Claude Barnett, founder of the Associated Negro Press, in 1934. In her later years, Barnett was active in many community organizations including the National Council of Negro Women, the National Conference of Christians and Jews and the African American Institute. She passed away from pancreatic cancer on January 5, 2004, at age 102.
article by Britt Middleton via bet.com

Documentary “The Forgotten Cowboys” Explores Lives and History of America’s Black Cowboys

By goodblacknews on November 21, 2012
Jason Griffin (center) is one of the stars of "The Forgotten Cowboys," a documentary film by John Ferguson and Gregg MacDonald which follows the lives of black cowboys in the U.S.Jason Griffin (center) is one of the stars of “The Forgotten Cowboys,” a documentary film by John Ferguson and Gregg MacDonald which follows the lives of black cowboys in the U.S.

(CNN) — Jason Griffin straps his right arm in bandages, preparing himself to grip the reins a wildly bucking bronco. Tall, broad-shouldered, with a rough beard, he steps into his cowboy boots, fits a Stetson hat and heads out to meet his mount in the rodeo arena.  Griffin is a four-time world champion bareback bucking horse rider — competing in a sport that began in the 19th century heyday of the Wild West.  With each victory — he has also won three all-round rodeo championships — the Texan raises awareness of a strong tradition which is rarely seen in the many novels, films and television series dedicated to the tales of the old West: The historic story of America’s black cowboys.

On cinema screens and paperback covers, the cowboys of old were heroic, hard-bitten and — almost always — white. In reality, the American West of the 1800s was traversed by an assortment of black, white, Mexican and Native American cattle hands. Contemporary records are rare but historians now estimate that up to one in four Texan cowboys was African American, while the number of Mexican cowboys was even greater.

John Ferguson and Gregg MacDonald’s documentary film — and multimedia project — “The Forgotten Cowboys” follows Griffin and other contemporary black cowboys as they gain a following competing at rodeos and go about their working lives.

Watch online: the video trailer for the documentary “The Forgotten Cowboys”

United States Education Department Awards HBCUs $228 Million

By goodblacknews on September 30, 2012


Prairie View A&M University and Texas Southern University are among the 97 Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) that collectively received $227.9 million in funding from the U.S. Department of Education.
The grant will help HBCUs strengthen their academic resources, financial management systems, endowment-building capacity and physical plants. PV and TSU each received more than $4 million. Seven other Texas HBCUs received between $250,000 and $5.4 million.

Three Black Former Workers Win $200,000 From AA Foundries Inc. In Racial Harassment Judgment

By goodblacknews on September 29, 2012

A San Antonio company has been ordered to pay $200,000 to three black ex-workers who say they were racially harassed by derogatory comments and a noose at the office.
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission on Thursday announced a federal jury’s punitive damages against AA Foundries Inc. The company makes components for water wells.
The EEOC says a company superintendent called adult African-American males “boys.” A noose was found at the workplace after several employees filed harassment charges. Authorities say the superintendent said the noose was “no big deal” and the workers were “too sensitive.”  The three men later left the company. The EEOC sued last year.
AA Foundries lawyer Stephen White says the company will appeal.

Austin’s Rich African-American History On Display

By goodblacknews on September 25, 2012

The Austin History Center has a story tell you — it’s tales of the African-American community during Travis County’s first 100 years.  It’s called “Building a Community: The First Century of African-American Life in Travis County.”  The exhibit begins in 1839 when the county was found, followed by the end of slavery in 1865, and follows all the way through 1940. Many freed slaves opened up businesses around town.

Thirteen Year-Old Texan Madu Eneli Pens Middle School Success Guide

By goodblacknews on September 24, 2012
Madu Eneli

Madu Eneli, an eighth grader from Texas, wrote a guide to academic and personal success for other middle schoolers. (Source: Aya Eneli International)

Students can sometimes find the transition into middle school stressful and challenging, so one eighth grader used his experience to create a road map for success.  Madu Eneli, of Harker Heights, Texas, published a book titled, “Am I Ready for Middle School?” Its chapters are dedicated to topics like handling a heavier workload, reaching out for academic help, and navigating the social aspects of lunch and recess.
“I started thinking about writing the book last year after I started seventh grade,” Eneli told Harker Heights Herald. “I don’t think there’s another book like this that speaks to middle school kids.”

R.I.P. Sherman Hemsley: "The Jeffersons" Star Dies at 74

By goodblacknews on July 24, 2012

Hemsley was discovered by producer Norman Lear on stage in New York. He first played George Jefferson on ‘All in the Family.’ ‘The Jeffersons’ ran for 11 seasons. Sherman Hemsley, who was rooted in the minds of millions of television viewers as Archie Bunker’s bombastic black neighbor, George Jefferson, in“All in the Family” and later as the star of his own long-running sitcom, “The Jeffersons,” has died. He was 74.

R.I.P. Sherman Hemsley: “The Jeffersons” Star Dies at 74

By goodblacknews on July 24, 2012

Hemsley was discovered by producer Norman Lear on stage in New York. He first played George Jefferson on ‘All in the Family.’ ‘The Jeffersons’ ran for 11 seasons. Sherman Hemsley, who was rooted in the minds of millions of television viewers as Archie Bunker’s bombastic black neighbor, George Jefferson, in“All in the Family” and later as the star of his own long-running sitcom, “The Jeffersons,” has died. He was 74.

Texas Twins Top Class!

By goodblacknews on May 27, 2010
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They look alike, talk alike, dress alike…and they’re best friends.

But that’s not all twins LaTonya and LaToya Harris have in common. They’re also the top two graduates of South Garland High School class of 2010.  And they’ll even give their graduation speech together as valedictorian and salutatorian.
Although their parents say they’ve been baffled by the girls since birth, they can’t help but be proud of their twin prodigies.  So what’s the plan for next year?
The girls will begin their college careers (rooming together, of course) at The University of Texas – both on full scholarships.
article via www.thegrio.com