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Nelson Mandela, leader of the movement to end South African apartheid, is released from prison after 27 years on February 11, 1990. In 1961, he was arrested for treason, and although acquitted he was arrested again in 1962 for illegally leaving the country. Convicted and sentenced to five years at Robben Island Prison, he was put on trial again in 1964 on charges of sabotage. In June 1964, he was convicted along with several other ANC leaders and sentenced to life in prison. In 1989, F.W. de Klerk became South African president and set about dismantling apartheid. De Klerk lifted the ban on the ANC, suspended executions, and in February 1990 ordered the release of Nelson Mandela.

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“Buffalo Soldiers” is more than just a Bob Marley song. It goes all the way back to 1866 & refers to the all-black regiments of the U.S. Army.The name was name given to these soldiers by the Native American Kiowa tribe & was considered a term of respect. Even though the Buffalo Soldiers were treated poorly & often received the worst military assignments, they had the lowest desertion rate compared to other soldiers. In recognition of their contributions, more than 20 Buffalo Soldiers received the highest Medal of Honor—which was the highest recorded number of any military unit.

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The best-known Tuskegee Airmen were the fighter pilots of the 332nd Pursuit Group known as the "Red Tails." Pictured here in this digitally colorized photo. Their primary missions were to escort bombers striking targets in Southern Europe. Eventually, they would fly as far as Berlin. They knew if they performed well in battle, the decision to accept them in a role from which they had previously been excluded would be vindicated. They believed that an excellent combat performance also would contribute to expanding opportunities for African-Americans, not only in the military, but in American society.

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Alice Walker was born on this day in 1944. She is a Pulitzer Prize-winning, African-American novelist and poet most famous for authoring 'The Color Purple.' Walker worked as a social worker, teacher and lecturer and was active in the Civil Rights Movement, fighting for equality for all African Americans. 

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John Stewart Rock was the first Black person to be admitted to the bar of the Supreme Court of the United States. Rock was an eloquent African American activist and master of several professions. He was a teacher, doctor, dentist, lawyer and abolitionist. A gifted orator, he lectured on behalf of the abolitionist cause, voting rights for free African Americans, and the newly formed Republican Party. 

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Stokely Carmichael was a U.S. civil-rights activist who in the 1960s originated the black nationalism rallying slogan, “black power.” Born in Trinidad, he immigrated to New York City in 1952. While attending Howard University, he joined the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee and was jailed for his work with Freedom Riders. He moved away from MLK Jr’s nonviolence approach to self-defense.

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On this day in 1974 the Caribbean island of Grenada received its independence from Great Britain and Eric Gairy became the islands first Prime Minister. He was overthrown in a bloodless coup in 1979 by Maurice Bishop. Happy Independence Grenada!!

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Carter G. Woodson was an African-American writer and historian known as the 'Father of Black History.' Woodson lobbied schools and organizations to participate in a special program to encourage the study of African-American history, which began in February 1926 with Negro History Week. The program was later expanded and renamed Black History Month. 

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Happy Born day, Blessed earthstrong to a man whose influence upon various populations remains unparalleled, irrespective of race, color or creed. "Bob Marley’s revolutionary yet unifying music, challenging colonialism, racism, “fighting against ism and scism” as he sang in “One Drop”, has had profound effects even in country’s where English isn’t widely spoken."

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On February 6, 1993, tennis champion Arthur Ashe, the only African-American man to win Wimbledon and the U.S. and Australian Opens, dies of complications from AIDS, at age 49 in New York City. Off the court, Ashe was known for his commitment to charitable causes and humanitarian work. He established tennis programs for inner-city children and campaigned against apartheid in South Africa. 

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Trayvon Martin would've turned 23 today....

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Medgar Wiley Evers was born July 2, 1925, near Decatur, Mississippi, and served in the U.S. Army during World War II. After fighting for his country, he returned home to experience discrimination in the racially divided South. Evers graduated from Alcorn College in 1952 and began organizing local chapters of the NAACP. In 1962, he helped James Meredith become the first African American to attend the University of Mississippi. Evers received numerous threats and several attempts were made on his life before he was murdered in 1963 at the age of 37.

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Mrs. Parks was born Rosa Louise McCauley, February 4, 1913 in Tuskegee, Alabama. Rosa Louise Parks was nationally recognized as the “mother of the modern day civil rights movement” in America. Her refusal to surrender her seat to a white male passenger on a Montgomery, Alabama bus, December 1, 1955, triggered a wave of protest December 5, 1955 that reverberated throughout the United States. Her quiet courageous act changed America, its view of black people and redirected the course of history.

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Fritz Pollard (picture 1) and Bobby Marshall (picture 2) were the first two African-American players that played in the NFL’s inaugural season in 1920. In 1933 the NFL owners imposed a “gentleman’s agreement” preventing the signing of more black players. Kenny Washington (picture 3) a collegiate teammate of Jackie Robinson who broke the colour barrier in baseball a year later was one of two black athletes to reintegrate the NFL in 1946 when he signed with the L.A. Rams.

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When war was declared in 1914, a Jamaican, David Louis Clemetson, was among the first to volunteer. Today it's taken for granted that people of all ethnic groups should be treated equally in the armed forces and elsewhere. But the 1914 Manual of Military Law effectively barred what it called "any negro or person of colour" from holding rank above sergeant. Nevertheless, Clemetson became a 2nd lieutenant in the Pembroke Yeomanry on 27 October 1915. Lt. David Louis Clemetson was killed in action in Perrone, France 52 days before World War I ended.

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Idris Elba sporting a shirt that says it all!!

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Iris Elba sporting a shirt that speaks volumes!!