Tag: Black History

Posted on

The Black Eagles

At the 1936 Olympics, 18 black athletes went to Berlin as part of the U.S. team. Pictured here are (left to right rear) Dave Albritton, and Cornelius Johnson, high jumpers; Tidye Pickett, a hurdler; Ralph Metcalfe, a sprinter; Jim Clark, a boxer, and Mack Robinson, a sprinter. In front are John Terry, (left) a weight lifter and John Brooks, a long jumper. Bettmann Archive/Getty Images

There were eighteen African-American athletes on the U.S. Team in the 1936 Olympic Games held in Berlin, Germany. They won 14 medals — eight of them gold: a quarter of the 56 medals won by the entire U.S. team. Most of them have been all but forgotten.

“It was easier to tell the story of one African-American Continue reading “The Black Eagles”

Posted on

Selma, Selma, Selma: Three Facts I Betcha Didn’t Know

The film Selma stars David Oyelowo (center) as Martin Luther King, Jr., and focuses on several unsung activists in civil rights history. But critics say it distorts the role of President Lyndon B. Johnson and others. Paramount Pictures

I really don’t care much for movies based on historical events, save perhaps for their entertainment value. And, just so we’re clear, I care even less when the history being presented is preceded by the monikers U.S. or American. Both tend to contain just a tad bit of jaundice to this discerning eye.

I’m not saying I dislike history. Mel Brooks’ History of the World is one of my personal faves and should go down in history as one of the all time best.

Continue reading “Selma, Selma, Selma: Three Facts I Betcha Didn’t Know”

%d bloggers like this: