Heroes
Bass Reeves
During the Old West, many African-Americans distinguished themselves as brave and resourceful lawmen. The most prominent was Bass Reeves, who rose from ex-slave to U.S. Marshall. Reeves taught himself to be fast with a revolver,...
Crispus Attucks
The first person to die for the cause of American independence was a runaway slave who became a sailor and ropemaker. On March 5, 1770, British soldiers show and killed Attucks along with four other...
Alexander Hamilton
Yes, he’s the guy on the ten-dollar bill (during the Civil War, he was also on the $2, $5, $10, and $50 bills). And to many school children he may be more famous for being...
Harriet Tubman
Harriet Tubman was one of the most courageous people in history. Most people know that she was a prominent figure in the Underground Railroad, helping dozens of runaway slaves to escape into Canada. But what...
Dizzy Gillespie
OO-BOP-SH-BAMThis light-hearted Dizzy Gillespie song is the epitome of both the man and the Bebop movement that he helped popularize. At first, the jazz traditionalists were put off by Bebop because of its fast tempos,...
Charlie Parker
ConfirmationThis classic 1953 Charlie Parker work is a lively blend of Parker’s alto sax with accompanying piano, bass, and drums. It’s clear to see why the “Bird,” along with Dizzy Gillespie and Thelonious Monk, were...
Imhotep
Imhotep was a Renaissance man long before the rest of the world knew what a renaissance was. While Europeans were scratching themselves where the sun don’t shine, this adviser to the pharaoh was busy exploring...
