Soweto Uprising June 16, 1976 On the morning of June 16, 1976, between 10,000 and 20,000 black students walked from their schools to Orlando Stadium for a rally to protest against having to learn through Afrikaans in school. Many students who later participated in the protest arrived at school that morning without prior knowledge of […]
Category Archives: Roots
Roots | Clement ‘Sir Coxsone’ Dodd May 5, 2004 Photography By: UrbanImage.TV Clement Seymour ‘Sir Coxsone’ Dodd CD (January 26, 1932 – May 5, 2004) was a Jamaican record producer who was influential in the development of ska and reggae in the 1950s, 1960s and beyond. Born in Kingston, Jamaica, he was nicknamed ‘Coxsone’ at […]
Sly Dunbar May 10, 1952 Lowell ‘Sly’ Fillmore Dunbar, born May 10, 1952, in Kingston, Jamaica, is a drummer, best known as one half of the prolific Jamaican rhythm section and reggae production duo Sly & Robbie. Dunbar began playing at the age of 15 in a band called The Yardbrooms. His first appearance on a recording was on the […]
Roots | Hemp Farming Act of 2018 April 12, 2018 The Hemp Farming Act of 2018 is a proposed law to remove hemp (defined as cannabis with less than 0.3% THC) from Schedule I controlled substances and making it an ordinary agricultural commodity. In late March 2018, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell announced he would […]
Kaya March 23, 1978 40 years ago, the roots reggae album, KAYA, was released by Bob Marley and the Wailers in 1978. The album consisted of tracks recorded alongside those present on the Exodus album in 1977. The album’s release coincided with the One Love Peace Concert at the National Stadium in Kingston, heralding Marley’s […]
Roots | Women’s History Month March 1-31, 2018 Women’s History Month is an annual declared month that highlights the contributions of women to events in history and contemporary society. It is celebrated during March in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia, corresponding with International Women’s Day on March 8, and during October in […]
#IWD2018 March 8, 2018 Celebrated on March 8 every year, International Women’s Day (IWD) is a focal point in the movement for women’s rights. After the Socialist Party of America organized a Women’s Day on February 28, 1909 in New York, the 1910 International Socialist Woman’s Conference suggested a Women’s Day be held annually. After […]
W. E. B. Du Bois February 23, 1868 William Edward Burghardt “W. E. B.” Du Bois (February 23, 1868 – August 27, 1963) was an American sociologist, historian, civil rights activist, Pan-Africanist, author, writer and editor. Born in Great Barrington, Massachusetts, Du Bois grew up in a relatively tolerant and integrated community. After completing graduate […]
William ‘Bunny Rugs’ Clarke Chronicle: February 6, 1948 “I’m very happy where I am right now. It’s a great ‘TIME’ for me.” William ‘Bunny Rugs’ Clarke, February 6, 1948 – February 2, 2014 Blessed with one of the richest, most expressive talents in contemporary music, the vocals of William ‘Bunny Rugs’ Clarke are an essential […]
#ThankYouMLK50 January 15, 2018 Martin Luther King Jr. (born Michael King Jr., January 15, 1929 – April 4, 1968) was an American Baptist minister and activist who became the most visible spokesperson and leader in the civil rights movement from 1954 through 1968. He is best known for his role in the advancement of civil […]
Alpha Blondy Chronicle: January 1, 1953 Alpha Blondy is among the world’s most popular reggae artists. With his 12-piece band “Solar System”, Blondy offers a reggae beat with a distinctive African cast. Some of his best known songs include Cocody Rock, Jerusalem and Apartheid Is Nazism. Over the years, the man who put Ivory Coast […]
Rosa Parks Chronicle: December 1, 1955 Rosa Louise McCauley Parks (February 4, 1913 – October 24, 2005) was an activist in the Civil Rights Movement, whom the United States Congress called ‘the first lady of civil rights’ and ‘the mother of the freedom movement’. On December 1, 1955, in Montgomery, Alabama, Parks refused to obey […]