[BalaGire]

I apologise for not being knowledgable with African-American history. When I went to school, there was little about the subject. But here are some that are my favs even if they are the mainstays.

FREDERICK DOUGLAS ; I read his book, he would trick the white kids into teaching him, (blacks could not be educated by law), to read and spell by saying "I know how to spell this _ _ _"(word he wanted)and write a bunch of letters in the dirt with a stick. "No it ain't how you spell it" they would reply, grab the stick away from him and write it in the dirt. BAM, into Fredericks memory bank.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frederick_Douglass


MARTIN LUTHER KING, Jr ; I like him because he wanted equality, but he wanted to do it peacefully. I also like him because in his "Dream" speach he tells how his dream had all peoples together, not the atrocities as they were before. I remember when he was shot. I couldn't believe that some people where I worked would rather not have another paid holliday than to have MLK day. (stupid)



SCOTT JOPLIN Scott Joplin was the first AA in the US to get a music contract at the turn of the 19th/20th centuries. He was raised in an area and time that did not allow music education. He was taught by a German in private. He is sometimes refered to the king of RAG TIME music.
He wrote "Maple Leaf Rag", The Entertainer", "Weeping Willow" and many other tunes that are still played and played to this day.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scott_Joplin



ELIZABETH COTTON ; This is where the expression "Cotton Pickin'" comes from, not the cotton fields. This woman taught herslf to play guitar UPSIDE DOWN and bass ackwards!!! She's a south paw and flip a RH guitar. This song has been stolen in the US from almost every major performer there is, including Elvis. At 92, she ain't the girl she was but she's still in there.