This Week In Black History May 22-28, 2024

PAMELA SUZETTE GRIER MAY 22 1863—The War Department es­tablishes the Bureau of Colored Troops and began to aggres­sively recruit Blacks for the Civil War. The Black troops would play a major role in turning the tide of battle against the rebellious Southern slave states. 1959—Benjamin O. Davis Jr. becomes the first African Ameri­can general in the U.S. Air Force. His father, Benjamin O. Davis Sr., had been the first Black general in the U.S. Army. MAY 23 1921—“Shuffle Along”—the first of a succession of widely popu­lar Black musicals performed for White audiences—opened at the 63rd Street Theatre in New York City, becoming the first African American Broadway musical. The musical comedy combined the talents of the legendary team of Eubie Blake and Noble Sis­sle. “Shuffle Along” produced a long list of hits including “Shuffle Along,” “I’m Just Wild about Har­ry,” “Gypsy Blues” and “Love Will Find A Way.” 1981—Legendary Reggae artist Bob Marley is given an official state funeral in his homeland of Jamaica. He had died of cancer on May 11 in Miami. Marley and his band “The Wailers” had made Reggae popular worldwide with such hits as “Stir It Up” and “No Woman, No Cry.” He was consid­ered...