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- In 1936, Orson Welles directed an all black cast to perform the Shakespearian play Macbeth. The play was performed at the Lafayette Theater in Harlem, New York City.
- The US President who formed the “so-called” Black Cabinet in 1933 was Franklin Delano Roosevelt. He appointed several prominent African Americans to key advisory positions.
- In 1958, Ernie Banks, nicknamed “Mr. Cub”, set a new record for the most homers by a shortstop with 47 in total. He played for Chicago for 13 years and in that time hit a total of 512 home runs.
- Elijah Muhammad‘s birth name is Elijah Poole. He replaced Wali Farad in 1934 when he assumed leadership of the Nation Of Islam.
- The river that is often referred to as “The Mother Of Civilization” is the Nile River. It is the longest river, winding 4,160 miles through the northeast.
- The 1976 novel which traced the history of a black American family to its early African origins is titled Roots. The author, Alex Haley, won a Pulitzer Prize AND the Spingarn Medal for the novel.
- The holiday that is celebrated from December 26 through January 1 is Kwanzaa. It is a celebration of African American culture and unity.
- George R. Carruthers won a NASA award for his work on a highly sensitive recording device which was used on the moon.
- Lake Assal is the lowest point in Africa and is connected to the country of Djibouti. It is 436 feet below sea level.
- The FIRST artist to receive a Spingarn Medal was Jacob Lawrence in 1970 for an art piece named “Eminence Among American Painters”.
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