TJMS
Eleanor Williams was the first black female air traffic controller in the country. The Texas native and mother of seven began working for the FAA in 1963 as a janitor. Three months after working on the cleaning crew, williams took another job working at a cafeteria hospital before attending free classes at a local community […]
It could be a scene lifted out of a Hollywood movie, but one so cheesy, you might not believe it. A car washer auditions in public for the first time and blows away seasoned judges with his unexpected talent. Not only does he ace his audition, he beats out everyone else to ascend to the […]
In April 2010, Lieutenant (Junior Grade) La’Shanda Holmes became the first African-American female helicopter pilot in the U.S. Coast Guard. Holmes is a pilot of the MH-65 Dolphins. She joins the 85 female pilots of the 1,200 currently serving in the U.S. Coast Guard. A North Carolina native, Holmes and her brother were raised […]
Tyler Perry’s third TV show, “For Better or Worse,” heads to the network with the continuing saga of Angela and Marcus Williams, the battlin’ couple who nevertheless can’t seem to ever break up. It stars Michael Jai White and Tasha Smith as the crazy couple, who debut on TBS on Friday, Nov. 25 at 10 […]
Keith Sweat, a monster hitmaker in the late 1980s into the ’90s, released five straight number-one albums and selling over 25 million records during his heyday. The crooner is practically the poster boy for new jack swing, the hip-hop-inflected brand of R&B popularized by Sweat and groups like Guy and Wreckx-n-Effect under the guidance of […]
In the history of black hair, there have undoubtedly been some standout moments. Think of the Black Power movement’s majestic Afros and Ron O’Neal’s pimp perm in “Superfly.” There was Janet Jackson’s “Poetic Justice” braids and Queen Latifah’s cornrows in “Set It Off.” And we may never know of a haircut and a woman who’ve […]
This week, the U.S. Navy dedicated a new ship to honor Medgar Evers, the famed NAACP leader who was murdered in 1963. His widow, Myrlie Evers, was on-board to christen the navy ship now known as the USNS Medgar Evers. The Navy honor was a result of demand by Navy Secretary and former Mississippi […]
There are now so many singing competitions on television, it’s easy to get them confused. While “American Idol” is still the ratings and visibility juggernaut, other shows have made their claim to producing superstars as well. With popular “Idol” judges Simon Cowell and Paula Abdul decamping to yet another show, it’s getting hard to figure […]
Twelve-year-old African-American student and Bronx native Justus Williams was named the youngest black national chess masters champion in the country. Nicknamed the “Lebron James of chess,” Williams’ chess-playing skills have taken him to Brazil and Canada. He is not alone in his victories, however. Two other black 12-year-olds – Joshua Colas and James Black Jr. […]
Even unmarried, Kandi Burruss may be the most stable of the “wives” in the “Real Housewives of Atlanta” franchise. She’s usually not the one in the middle of the weave-pulling catfights the show has become known for; instead, as part of the chart-topping group Xscape, she’s one of the few who’s actually had a viable […]
U.S. Air Force Captain Christina “Thumper” Hopper is the first and only black female F-16 Fighting Falcon instructor pilot at Luke Air Force Base in Arizona. She’s also the first black female F-16 pilot to fight in a major war. Hopper is an Air Force legacy, born to Susan and Melvin Allick, both former […]
Charlie Wilson is already an award-winning singer and a passionate advocate for prostate cancer prevention since he overcame the disease some years ago. But Wilson has been supporting another great cause: Rocking the military by performing overseas. Wilson is set to make his fourth trip to Kuwait in three years to put on a show […]