Simone at Fillmore East,1970, public domain, Wikimedia Commons Nina Simone (1933-2003) sang a mix of Soul, Jazz, Blues and Folk in the 1950s and 1960s, and although she never went away, recording and giving concerts for decades, she had a resurgence of popularity in the 1980s … [Read more...]
#BlackHistoryMonth: ”Always Be Smarter Than the People Who Hire You.” – Lena Horne
Lena Mary Calhoun Horne (1917-2010) is my father's favorite movie star. He has a story of filling her automobile's tank at the gas station where he worked on La Cienega Boulevard in 1944-46. Horne had a primary occupation as a nightclub entertainer, a profession she pursued … [Read more...]
#BlackHistoryMonth: Remembering Singer Marian Anderson
By the late 1930s, Marian Anderson's (1897- 1993) voice had made her famous around the world. She was invited by President Franklin D. Roosevelt and First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt to perform at the White House, the first Black person ever to receive this honor. Much of Anderson's … [Read more...]
#BornThisDay: Opera Singer, Leontyne Price
February 10, 1927 - Leontyne Price : "I am here and you will know that I am the best and you will hear me." Opera is so gay. And, for someone who is not big on opera, I am still gay and I have have seen a bunch of opera productions, many in the very best opera houses on the … [Read more...]
#BlackHistoryMonth: That Time That James Baldwin Trolled J. Edgar Hoover
James Baldwin (C) with Charleton Heston (L), and Marlon Brando (R) in 1963 In an issue of Playbill in 1964, iconic gay writer James Baldwin included a little mention about some future projects he was … [Read more...]
#BornThisDay: Actor, Niecy Nash
February 23, 1970 - Carol Denise "Niecy" Ensley Nash: "I understand being in a place where people's idea of you is a little limiting and narrow." Nash has become slowly ubiquitous in television projects in the past decade, but the TNT series Claws brought her the role she had … [Read more...]
#BlackHistoryMonth: February 12, 1946 – U.S. Army Sergeant Isaac Woodard Jr. is Beaten and Blinded
Trigger warning: violence February 12, 1946- Isaac Woodard Jr. is beaten and blinded At 23 years old, he enlisted in the United States Army and became one of the million African-Americans who served during World War II. As a soldier, he reached the rank of sergeant … [Read more...]
#QueerQuote: “I Don’t Want to Survive. I Want to Live.” – Solomon Northup, “12 Years A Slave”
The quote comes right from Solomon Northup's 1853 book, 12 Years A Slave. Screenwriter John Ridley said he tried to remain true to the original: To modify the man, no matter how sincere the desire, would have ultimately been dishonest. Solomon's story begs for honesty. … [Read more...]
#BornThisDay: Filmmaker, Marlon Riggs
February 3, 1957 - Marlon Riggs Riggs was a filmmaker who won Emmy and Peabody Awards for his documentaries on gay black men. He began making films in 1982 after receiving his master's degree from Harvard University, and quickly gained national recognition. Several … [Read more...]
#OnThisDay: 50 Years Ago, The Orangeburg Massacre
February 8, 1968- The Orangeburg Massacre This is not an Alternative Fact or Fake News. In the fall of 1967, black leaders in Orangeburg tried to convince Harry K. Floyd, the owner of the All Star Bowling Lane, to allow African-Americans as customers. Floyd refused. … [Read more...]
