African American Heritage Society

10/19/2018

Denzel Hayes Washington Jr. was born December 28, 1954 in Mount Vernon, New York. His parents were named Lennis Lynne who owned a beauty parlor and his father was named Denzel Sr. who was a Pentecostal preacher. They divorced when he was 14. His mother sent him to a private school called Oakland Military Academy in New York. After the military academy he went to Fordham University where he earned a bachelor’s degree in Drama and Journalism. In college his GPA got to 1.5. He was on Academic Probation and he thought about dropping out. After going home to his mom’s beauty parlor. A woman looked at him and said your going to be great. At the time he didn’t believe that statement though. He decided to pursue an acting career and has been acting since 1975. Denzel met his future wife on the set of Wilma and they now have 4 children together. In 1994 he was voted sexiest man alive making him the first person of color voted to that title. In 1995 he donated 2.5 million dollars to the new West Angeles Church of God in Christ. To this day he still believes maybe he should have been a preacher like his dad. Since starting his acting career his most notable for his character roles as Civil Rights Activist leader “Malcolm X” and Coach Boone from “Remembering the Titans”. He now has 3 Golden Globes. In 2016 he was awarded the Cecile B. Demille Lifetime Achievement award. The same year he directed the critically acclaimed movie Fences. He is also the director of the “Great Debaters” He is not one of the best black actors, he is one of the best actor’s period. When he takes on a role you can feel him embody that role like Frank Lucas in “American Gangster” On average he makes a whopping 60- 80 million dollars a year. His net worth is $220 million dollar. Fordham University awarded him an Honorary Doctorate degree. Over the years he has been quite the philanthropist and because of his generosity there is now a school named after him. He donated $2,250,000 part of that money was to start a scholarship for drama. Unlike many actors he doesn’t seem to get into trouble and be in the magazines for cheating or what have you. He is just a good role model.

10/06/2018

Jesse Jackson is a civil rights activist who worked under Martin Luther King Jr. His life wasn’t always the best. Jesse Louis Jackson Sr. was born October 8, 1941 to Helen Burns a 16-year-old girl and his father was a professional boxer named Noah Luis Robinson. Jesse’s father was 33 years old and was already married with other children. The children in his neighborhood would make fun of him because he was a child out of wedlock. After his birth his mother married a post man named Charles Henry Jackson who adopted Jackson. As a kid still under Jim Crow laws on more than one occasion was told about the colored fountains and he belongs in the back of the bus. This ignited his fire for change. When he graduated high school in 1959 a minor league coach wanted to recruit him, but he turned him down. He opted instead to attend the University of Illinois to play football, but he eventually transferred to North Carolina A&T. In December of 1962 he married his wife Jacqueline. They have five children together. However, Jesse Jackson had an affair with one of staff members and had one child. In 1965 he participated in the walk on Selma. In 1971 he founded the People United to Serve Humanity. He went to Syria to reals the captured navy Lt. Robert Goodman. In 1991 Mr. Jackson went to Iraq to plead with Saddam Hussein for the reals of the captives. Jesse Jackson ran for president twice. In 2002 Jesse Jackson was included on the top 100 Greatest African Americans. Last year Mr. Jackson was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. He is currently 76 years old well for two more days.

09/21/2018

John Lewis has a seat in Congress. He is a Democrat serving in the House of Representatives in the State of Georgia. A lot of people know him because of his seat in Congress however his life is way more than that. He was born February 21, 1940 in Troy, Alabama. His parents were sharecroppers. He himself helped his parents on the farm. When he was a young child he went to get a library book when the librarian said the libraries are for whites only. His family supported the “Montgomery Bus Boycott” He met Rosa Parks in 1957. When he was 18 he wrote a letter for the injustices he faced in Alabama to a man named Martin Luther King Jr. Martin Luther King read his letter and sent him a bus ticket to meet him. Once he met Martin he became one of the six Civil Rights Leader. He helped organized the legendary “March on Washington”. He spoke before Martin Luther King Jr’s “I have a Dream Speech” During one of the Freedom Rides his bus was attacked by the Ku Klux Klan in Montgomery where he was beaten along with the others. He fought to get black people the chance to vote in Selma, Alabama. He is the last of the Civil Rights Leader left. He was given the Presidential Medal of Freedom which is the highest honor given to any civilian. On top of that he has been given a plethora of honorary degrees. He is currently 78 years old. He in my opinion is the definition of the American Dream. He was born poor then rose to prominence in his youth and helped start a movement to revolutionize the way black people are treated today. He is the very definition of the American Dream. Mr Lewis took action when many others sat back because they were terrified for their lives. Not him though we need more people like Mr. John Lewis. Thank You Sir!

09/21/2018

Have you ever wanted to find out where you come from? Maybe theirs a certain relative you want to find out more about. Perhaps you have done a lot of research but have hit a brick wall on a certain relative.Then come and we can help you with your family research. Tea & Genealogy is every Saturday from 2-4.

09/15/2018

Who is the "King of Calypso"? None other than great Harry Belefonte. Harold George Bellanfanti Jr was born March 1, 1927. He was born in New York City. Harry started singing in night clubs in 1949 and was discovered by 1956. He is best known for the Banana Boat song and the Ballad of John Henry.Some of his songs ere in Tim Burton's Beetlejuice. He was an early advocate for the Civil rights and one of Martin Luther King Jr's confidants. He has won a total of three Grammy Awards which includes the Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2014 Berkeley College awarded him an Honorary Doctorate.To this day he continues advocating and speaking out on political issues. He is currently 91 years young.

08/24/2018

With a somber heart the African American Heritage Society is heart broken to say that the great Mrs Aretha Franklin has passed. This legendary woman who dominated the musical charts in the late sixties and up until her death.Some of her classics such as "Respect" and a "Natural Woman" are still sung today by millions of people. She received 18 Grammy Awards and over 26 Grammy Nominations over her long illustrious career. She performed at the 2009 inauguration welcoming Barack Obama as the First black President. Aretha Franklin had suffered from pancreatic cancer and died in her home last week at the age of 76 years old surrounded by family. Her funeral will be held in Detroit on August 31,2018.Former President Bill Clinton is set to speak as well as Smokey Robinson.Their will be a tribute concert the day before honoring her. Stevie Wonder and Fantasia is just some of the talent who will be performing for her tribute. Aretha Louise Franklin will be forever missed

06/03/2018

A huge thank you to Caress Hudson for supplying these custom made desserts for our open house! We look forward to booking you for our next event!

Special Item: African American Heritage Society! Just for you! This Saturday as welcome in the community we pray for amazing things!

06/01/2018

OPEN HOUSE TOMORROW FROM 10AM-4PM!

05/31/2018

Historic Pensacola Village
OPEN HOUSE!
Saturday June 2 10a-4p
Visit us at 200 E Church St.

05/25/2018

Due to inclement weather and the holiday weekend the AAHS office will be closed this Saturday May 26. We will reopen Tuesday as scheduled at 10 am. Tea and Geneaology will also resume in 2 weeks, Saturday June 9th.

05/19/2018

Happy Birthday to our shining black prince, Malcolm X, a revolutionary mind who advocated for freedom for his people at home and oppressed people abroad. We continue your work in your memory Brother Malcolm ✊🏼✊🏽✊🏾✊🏿

05/04/2018

Support local artists at this celebration of culture !!!