James Van Der Zee's Life And Accomplishments

Ives, a concert pianist. His mother was the child of a wealthy family. She had

He was born in Washington, D.C. and that is where his musical foundation was laid. It was there in 1919 were he formed a band. He organized a group by the name of “The Duke’s Serenaders. ” He advertised for his band in the telephone book. His musical career blossomed and in 1923 he moved from Washington to New York. (Tirro 1993) After moving to New York, he formed an orchestra in which he was with for the following fifty years. He was the pianist and

Langston Hughes was born on February 2, 1902 in Joplin Missouri, and died on May 22, 1967 in New York, New York. Hughes' African American themes helped to contribute to the Harlem Renaissance in the 1920s, where he was a leader. He attended Columbia University and Lincoln University, published his first poem in 1921 and his first book in 1926. Hughes was a poet, playwright, novelist, and more.

In 1912, he was sent to Colored Waif's Home for Boys. There, he was educated on the cornet and grew his love for music. He was released in 1914 and worked odd jobs and dreamed about a life filled with music. His reputation grew as a blues player. Joe "King" Oliver (influential cornet player), began acting as a mentor to the Armstrong. (Biography.com)

Roy Wilkins was born in St. Louis, Missouri. He was born on August 30, 1901. Wilkins and his two siblings lived with their aunt because their mother died when he was four years old. Wilkins’s aunt lived in St. Paul, Minnesota. He attended Mechanic Arts High. He graduated high school in 1909. Wilkins graduated college in 1923. He attended the University of Minnesota. Wilkins married Aminda Badeau six years later. Roy Wilkins moved to Kansas City before he met his spouse. In Kansas City of 1923, Roy became the editor of the Kansas City Call newspaper. He would confront racist politicians. In 1931, he moved to New York City. He was the assistant of the head of the NAACP (Nation Association of the Advancement of Colored People), Walter White.

     While he was there he met a lot of black people that didn’t seem like an Uncle Tom, and they didn’t try to act white. When he got back his attitude toward white people had totally changed. Everyone swore that there was something wrong with him. He ended up then moving to Boston to live with his sister Ella. He started hanging out in the ghetto area, and started smoking marijuana and drinking alcohol. One of his best friends there was named Shorty. He became a big fan of Swing, and he started learning ebonics.

On Wikipedia He grew up living in poverty and was excluded from recreational events as a child because of that. He was great at sports as he was a baseball and basketball player, track runner, and a football player. He was drafted into the military in 1942, where he was racially profiled frequently and soon he was discharged in 1944. As a result, baseball was the career he started to pursue.

Louis Armstrong was born in New Orleans, Louisiana on August 4, 1901 to Mayanne and William Armstrong. His father abandoned his family during Louis' infancy. Louis spent the first years of his life with his grandmother, Josephine Armstrong. After age five, Louis moved back with his mother and his sister, "Mama Lucy." The family was forced to live in stark poverty. Louis got into some trouble when he was just 12 years old and was placed in the Waif's Home for Boys. It was there that he first received musical instruction and learned to play the coronet. He was released from the Waif's Home in June of 1914. He worked selling papers, unloading boats, and selling coal from a cart. Joe Oliver, one of the finest

Born on Nov. 25, 1835 in Dunfermline, Scotland to Wil and Margaret Carnegie/moved to America in 1848 - find better jobs/settled in Allegheny City (now Pittsburg, PA)

On April 13th, 1946 Albert Greene was born to Robert and Cora Greene in Dansby, Arkansas(Biography.com). At the age of nine, Greene launched his music career by

“James Mercer Langston Hughes, known as Langston Hughes was born February 2, 1902 in Missouri, to Carrie Hughes and James Hughes.” Years later his parents separated. Langston’s father moved to Mexico and became very successful, as his for mother, she moved frequently to find better jobs. As a child growing up Langston spent most of his childhood living with his grandmother named Mary Langston in Lawrence, Kansas. Mary Langston was a learned women and a participant in the civil rights Movement. When Langston Hughes was 12 years old his grandmother passed away. Langston then moved in with his mother and stepfather Homer Clark. A few months later, Langston’s mother sent him to live with her mother’s friend “Auntie” and Mr. Reed. In 1915

James Joseph Brown, Jr., a.k.a. James Brown was born in Barnwell, State of South Carolina May 3, 1933. At his age of four, he moved to Georgia to live with his Aunt. At his young age, Brown was in the time of the Great Depression so he took whatever job that he could find just to make some money. In 1944, Brown showed his talent for the first time and won first place for an open music convention in Lenox Theater. Later on, Brown got kicked out of school at the age of twelve for not having proper clothing. Now that Brown does not need to go to school, he worked full-time with the low paying jobs. Because of his harsh life growing up in the racism society, Brown had hold on to music

‘The avant-garde understands itself as invading unknown territory, exposing itself to the dangers of sudden, shocking encounters, conquering an as yet unoccupied future ... The avant-garde must find a direction in a landscape into which no one seems to have yet ventured.’

Edward Curtis was born in 1868 in Whitewater, Wisconsin. His nationality is Caucasian American and his occupation a Photographer. Growing up as a kid Curtis would accompany his father (a preacher) on long journeys to visit members of his congregation.

was the child of African American migrants, and he grew up during the 1930s in