CECILY TYSON GETS A HAND

When Cicely Tyson was reading for her first play, The Dark of the Moon, she was sitting next to the actor, Roscoe Lee Brown, who was at the head of the table. She said later, "I was so shy and nervous, I sat there with the script covering my face." Brown noticed that and would take his hand and remove the script. He took and held her hand throughout the reading. Tyson recalled the words of encouragement he said to her: "You are going to be wonderful. You are going to be glorious."

RIGHTING WRONGS IN THE ARMY

When Clifford Alexander, the first black Secretary of the Army , was presented with his first general officers list (a roster of colonels to be promoted to one-star general) he was dissatisfied with it. Only white males were listed. Noticing that, he rejected it. He wanted the list expanded to include deserving candidates who were non-white or female. Among those who were on the revised list was Col. Colin Powell, later the first black chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the first black Secretary of  State of the United States.

THE STORY OF WILMA RUDOLPH   - CLICK HERE

MAHALIA JACKSON AT THE “I HAVE A DREAM” SPEECH

When Martin Luther King Jr presented his now famous “I have a Dream” on the steps of  the Lincoln Memorial in Washington on August 28, 1963, Mahalia Jackson was there. She had heard him speak about his special dream before, and it was on her mind.

Martin was about to sit down after his rather short prepared address about the sufferings of African Americans when Mahalia urged him "Tell them about your dream, Martin! Tell them about the dream!" Others echoed encouragement. He then continued drawing upon some of his past talks, and the result became the powerful speech we know and love today.