Charles “Teenie” Harris (1908-1998) was a photographer who captured the full-spectrum of African American life for over forty years, primarily as one of the principal photographers for the Pittsburgh Courier newspaper. Few photographers anywhere captured us so well: from family life to beauty contests to sporting events, social life, civil rights demonstrations and visiting celebrities, Mr. Harris was there with the Speed Graphic camera that he would use well into the 1970s.
Teenie Harris, Photographer: An American Story is an exhibition of this icon’s work hosted by the Carnegie Museum of Art until April 7, 2012. If you don’t think you’ll make it to Pittsburgh in time, you can see some images from the exhibition here.
#APhiA105 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. receiving a $1,000 check from Alpha Phi Alpha Gen. Secretary James E. Huger on March 20, 1956. Today is Founder’s Day for the 105-year-old fraternity which was founded in 1906 at Cornell University.
Photo via Bettman/Corbis. Original caption: 3/20/1956. Montgomery, AL: James E. Huger (center), Gen. Secretary of Alphi Phi Alpha fraternity, presents a check for $1,000 to Rev. Martin Luther King as they arrived for the second day in court. King is charged with leading a 15-week racial boycott against the city’s segregated buses. Huger and Louis C. Swingler (l), Southern Regional Vice-President of the fraternity, said the organization hopes to raise $5,000 “to help the situation here.” King was found guilty and fined $500.
Author Jean Toomer, best known as the author of “Cane,” in 1934.
Boxing legend Joe Frazier with the gold medal he earned at the Olympic Games in Tokyo in October 1964. Rest in peace Mr. Frazier.
What are Harry Belafonte and Martin Luther King, Jr., laughing about? Mr. Belafonte’s new memoir, My Song, was released today by aaknopf.
Chatting about Sammy Davis Jr. on VBG’s Facebook page put me in a Sammy kind of mood tonight. Here he is on the September 1967 cover of GQ. He was the first Black man to appear on the cover.
Being a star made it possible for me to get insulted in places where the average Negro could never hope to go and get insulted. ~ Sammy Davis Jr.
(Source: vintageblackglamour)
Sammy Davis Jr.
Sammy Davis Jr, circa 1950s. By the way, he was an accomplished photographer himself.
(via blackculture)
The Four Tunes: Jimmy Nabbie, Danny Owens (my uncle), Jimmy Gordon and William “Pat” Best in the 1950s.
The Four Tunes, a 1950s singing group that featured my great uncle, Danny Owens. The song is “I Understand Just How You Feel.” The other members (at this time) were Jimmy Nabbie, Jimmy Gordon and William “Pat” Best. Gordon and Best would go on to stay with the group until the 1990s.
Ernie Barnes, Chicago Cub shortstop in 1960 surrounded by textbooks as he attends class at the University of Chicago. Mr. Banks, who would go on to spend his entire 18-year career with the Cubs, took night courses in English and Sociology at the school.
Photo via Bettman/Corbis
