January - March 2017 | Issue 5
Magazine
Art
Displayed artwork from De’ Vonte’ G. Rhea, an artist from New Orleans, Louisiana.
ACCEPTING THE CHALLENGE THE NATE LIVINGS FOUNDATION
Like Us On Facebook @Natelivingsfoundation Find Us Easily Online By Searching The #Acceptthechallenge 501(C)(3) Non-Profit Organization
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ANNOUNCEMENTS SWBY Why dating a big mayne might actually be alright
The Hotlist Lake Charles, La. native moved to Nashville, Tennessee and makes a name for herself. Her new release “Eff Love� has a great sound and visual to go along with it.
The Quadroholics Billboardgang sits down with the talented group called the Quadroholics and talk about their present, past, and future as a performing group.
Fashion Male Model Eric Gradnigo teams up with Faces of Fantasy Photography to show a taste casual fashion
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DID YOU KNOW? Nate Livings is a retired NFL offensive lineman from Lake Charles, La.. Nate went to school at Washington Marion High School and was a part of the 2003 NCAA Championship at Louisiana State University.
Get Healthy Rick Guillory tells about his personal journey to physical fitness and overall health. Rick fond himself out of shape with high cholesterol and made a complete turnaround to put himself in the best shape of his life.
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FACTS
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Reading Is Fun 4
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#SWBY What it do mayne? Since the winter season is upon us and big men tend to become extremely popular during this time of year, I thought I would give you ladies a few reasons why dating the big mayne might be alright. When I was growing up the big man was ridiculed and not really as appealing as he is this day and age. And that is alright with me(laughs). I promise you can get the same enjoyment from a big mayne that you seek in the little fellas. Check it out, get you a big mayne like myself and enjoy. #SWBY
WHY DATING A BIG MAYNE MIGHT ACTUALLY BE ALRIGHT 1. HIS COMFORT LEVEL IS A 10 OR BETTER
It will be some of the most relaxing cuddling, sleep, and love you will experience ever. The warmth he provides for the winter is unmatched.
2. HIS CONFIDENCE LEVEL TURNS YOU ON
Knowing that he is confident in himself and does not have self pity parties will send your arousal levels through the roof.
3. HE CARRIES HIMSELF WELL
Finding you a big mayne that has style and dresses well adds fuel to your attraction to him.
4. EMOTIONS….HE GENUINELY UNDERSTANDS
Most men use the emotions of women to get what they want, but not to say the big man won’t either. Nine times out of ten the big man was teased all his life so he knows how it feels to be hurt.
5. EAT HOW YOU LIKE TO EAT
The big mayne most times did not get big by eating air and drinking diet water. He is not judgmental with how you eat. Unless he is on the journey of weight loss he will encourage you to eat what you like. He will eat it with you.
6. THE BEARD
Ladies love a well-groomed big mayne with a full beard and a nice hair style. It gives them the feel of a real life teddy bear of some sort. Big mayne if ya beard is trimmed just right and has a nice fullness
to it and the ladies touch it…..waterfalls.
7. LADIES DON’T HAVE TO BE SHY ABOUT WHAT THEY LOOK LIKE NAKED A big mayne will make you feel like you have the best body in the world. He does not see flaws in your bod y because apparently you don’t flaws in his.
8. MAKING YOU JEALOUS IS RARE
It takes a special lady to love on a big mayne so making you jealous is not on their agenda. It’s not like it’s an whole island of women wanting the big mayne daily so you become his number one when you all get together.
9. YOU HAVE A SENSE OF SECURITY & SAFETY
Even though men of all shapes and sizes can be tough, the big mayne gives you a great sense of safety and security when you are with them. Them being big and maybe even strong will have you feeling like you can take on the world.
10. THEIR HUGS
When you hug a big mayne you feel like you are secured in the arms of a fluffy, stuffed animal.
11. YOU WILL FIND THAT THEIR SEX IS NOT BAD AT ALL
The idea and myth that big men do not know how to have sex and that they don’t live up to the expectations of “size” is just a tall-tale. Big men and their sex are the same as little guys and their sex. It can be
just as bad or just as enjoyable. Look at it like this 150 lbs of pressure versus 400 lbs of pressure when you getting pounded. More cushion for the pushing.
12. HE’S AS REAL AS IT GETS
What you see is what you get. He can not wear waist trainers or fake ab t-shirts to appeal more to the ladies. He can not hide the fact that his belly may hang over his belt. He can not front like he gone turn you 58 different ways in bed when having sex(although he will have some tricks up his sleeve). All he does is try his best to appeal to the ladies the best way he knows how.
13. HE LOVES TO EAT
Having said that understand that that can be beneficial to you in more ways than one.
14. HE CAN LOSE WEIGHT AT ANYTIME
Even if you decide that one day you want ya big mayne to dump it down a little on the size, all he needs is your encouragement and support. And just like that you got him right where you want him and he becomes your ideal man.
15. PERSONALITY & SENSE OF HUMOR
Majority of the time every big mayne you come across has both. They are use to people wanting to talk about them and make fun of them. They take everything with a smile and you will find they can hold their own with humor. Their personalities can brighten up a depressed room.
www.swangingwitbigyum.com
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SHAE WILLIAMS has really outdone herself with her new single “Eff Love”. Shae Williams is a rising star and is preparing to unveil her full album to the world. This song details the passion that many have dealt with throughout life when dealing with love by asking the question “Why can’t love just be easy?”. The video will not disappoint either putting all of the words into a 3 minute movie trailer available now on here veto channel under Shae Williams.
www.theofficialshae.com Billboardgang // Magazine
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S C I L O H O R D A U Q E TH BBG: How about you guys start off by introducing yourselves. QH: We are The Quadroholics, born and raised in Lake Charles, La. We have been at it for a little over a year now, at least at this magnitude. We make rap music and its pretty fun, it’s dope. My name is Austin Fults, i just recently joined the Quadroholics, like a year ago. But, we’ve all known each other since middle school. I’m Billy Kurth. Me and Austin handle the production together. I do some of the rapping along with Hayden who is also next to me. I’m Hayden Stelly, born and raised in Lake Charles ya know, great place, that’s all i have to say really. Hahaha, that’s my name and where we’re from right? i also rap and its the best part of the job really. BBG: What’s your Instagram?
QH: @THEQUADROHOLICS, make sure Quadroholics has that “O” in it. BBG: Tell me what got you guys started.
QH: Honestly, I think it was the name, “The Quadroholics”. It was honestly just a joke in high school, at one point like freshman year. We came up with the name before we came up with anything else. The name happened and we were like, “That sounds like a dope name” but it required 4 people because it was ya know, “quad”. We never got a fourth person. Ya know, it started with three and then the other guy kinda dropped out over time and then we added him (Austin). So, we’re back to three but never had four. Our sound pretty much just evolved as it went on. The stuff we made in high school started as a joke and we really started taking this seriously about a year, year and a half ago.
BBG: So, tell me about the show at LUNA LIVE, that’s what you mentioned as one of your first shows?
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QH: Yea, it was the Birthday show, “Monster Mash” for Hayden’s 22nd birthday. Now its become a bit of an annual thing, where we’re gonna try to do it for Hayden’s birthday every year. But, yea that’s actually what got us back together. We were broken up, well not really broken up. We weren’t doing anything, not serious about it. It was just a thing. About 2 months before the show, Hayden asked me (Billy) if i’d want to perform at the show, but we didn’t have anything to perform. So, we decided to do a little mixtape so that we had music to perform. And that ended up turning into our mixtape Happy Birthday and from there we liked the response we got from the show. We had fun doing it, so we decided to keep making music. From there we made Spring Break Forever and we’ve had more shows. It’s been about 10 shows over the last year.
We had never been in that situation yet. Having the live shows forced us to have a deadline and that definitely helped, because otherwise we would just sit on it and we would have a verse that needs to be recorded and we would never get around to recording it. But, as far as changing how it actually sounds, uhmm, I don’t know, I feel like we’ve just evolved as time went on. I think we’ve learned a lot more. We started to actually learn to properly mix and master all of our stuff. I mean, it’s basically like a D.I.Y. project, just do it yourself, we’re just learning as we go and hopefully the sound just keeps sounding better and better as each release happens. I feel like the albums we are making right now are the albums that I’ve always wanted to be able to make and I never knew how to before. And now that I know how to, i’m actually able to do it.
QH: I would say actually having a deadline or just being serious about it. We were never in a situation where were like “Alright, what are we going to do about it?, What are we going to make?, When are we going to perform this?”
QH: With the masks? (they chuckle) Well the last album was called, Spring Break Forever and it was heavily influenced by the movie Spring Breakers with James Franco. Pretty much everything- the theme of the movie, the
BBG: What helped to evolve your sound?
BBG: So, tell me what’s up with the masks?
music in the movie, things like that; the visuals of the movie, we all kind of were influenced by for the last album Spring Break Forever and we wanted to when we performed kind of reflect that album and reflect the movie as well. In the movie they use these masks; so that’s where the masks really come from. We’ve talked about possibly retiring them when our next album comes out. But, I don’t know if we will. I kinda like the masks. It’s almost like becoming an icon really. People really recognize us from the masks now; it’s kind of our trade mark at this point. I think the only thing we would do is probably change the colors from pink to something else; just mix it up a little bit. Only time will tell really.
So, the next album is called “Bring Your Friends”, it will be out early 2017. We’re not sure exactly when yet. It will be our first album where we really collaborate with other people. We’re going to have a lot of features on this one and we’re going to get some outside production as well. So, it’s got its own vibe. It’s kind of like Spring Break Forever but different. It has a more psychedelic vibe, it’s got a different atmosphere to it. We are trying a bunch of different recording techniques as well. We ant to wait until
it’s absolutely perfect before we release it. We’re not in any sort of rush for it. That’s why we don’t have a set release date yet. We’ve got a lot of songs that are finished for it that we haven’t released as singles yet because, we’re waiting to release them until we know that they are actually 100% perfect to be finished. BBG: How many tracks are you expecting to be on the next album?
QH: We normally aim somewhere
BBG: Alright, tell me about a Quadroholics show.
QH: A Quadroholics show? Uhmmmm, three words. TITTIES, BITCHES & HOES. Literally, an abundance; full of them. I mean it’s kind of like a lifestyle honestly what we live by. It’s what, really like, kind of started us really. We wrote the song “Titties, Bitches & Hoes” and they answered. I think “Titties, Bitches & Hoes” was the first song we recorded since we’ve gotten back together and yea, I would say that’s pretty much our milestone song, for sure. If i’m walking on the street, that’s what someone will scream at me is, “Titties, Bitches & Hoes”; and i’m like, “Hey, thanks man.” That’s the one. BBG: So, what’s your favorite song to perform?
QH: “That’s What’s Up”. It’s not even out yet, but when it comes out it’s gonna be a smash. We’ve performed it two times now, maybe three. Once with live drums, that was awesome. I mean when it drops, it’s probably going to be a Billboard Top 30, at least. It’s breaking the Top 30. BBG: Who produced that one (“That’s What’s up”)?
QH: That one is one of the only songs that wasn’t produced by us. That one was produced by MJ Nichols. Random guy on Soundcloud. I haven’t spoken to him. Just paid him and got the beat. So, that’s one of the only songs that we have not produced ourselves. He’ll probably regret selling it to us for only thirty dollars. Lol Billboardgang // Magazine
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between nine and twelve. We really have a lot more just like, in our head than we normally do this early, so I mean, who really knows. We aim for ten, but it could be more than that. BBG: Any features that you all know of right now that we would be excited about?
QH: Nothing concrete yet. Yea, we don’t want to give out any information that’s not one hundred percent because things might not work out; but we are working on some good collabs right now. There are some people that are down and want to do it, its just a matter of getting them recorded. There are some local names that are pretty big that I think are gonna be on our album. BBG: So, album release between January to March? QH: Yea, January to March, I’d say.
BBG: What’s the largest crowd that you all have performed for?
QH: I’d probably say Chuckfest or the Spring Break Forever release. I think Chuckfest might have had more just because it was outside. We had never performed outside before and it just filled the street. It was just awesome. Yea, that was probably the biggest. One of the two.
BBG: What was the crowd like for the Spring Break Forever release? QH: It was in the front room at Luna Live, and it really filled up. It was actually the first show we did with the ski masks as well. So, nobody knew us as the ski mask people yet. It was packed from front to back; till the sweat dropped down their balls, it was crazy. Hahaha. BBG: How can listeners find you on Social Media and for Booking requests?
QH: So, we have @TheQuadroholics on Twitter, Facebook just search The Quadroholics, and Instagram @TheQuadroholics For Booking Requests, you can contact us at: TheQuadroholics@gmail.com
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DRESS IT UP
C
lothing comes to life when you’re able to pile pieces together for warmth, but more-so for a stylish look. Living in the south, winters are thin, not as cold as we often hope for, and short-lived. My love for leather won in this look. I paired my black pencil skirt and classic button down shirt with a leather trench coat. This coat was snagged from a thrift shop last summer for only $50. I had the opportunity to wear this coat once last winter. I am hopeful the warm winter weather patterns will be short lived this year. I went with a fishnet stocking, for a little warmth on the legs, not to cloud the black on the pencil skirt with dark paired stockings. I finished this look with fuschia colored booties; simply to add a pop of color. When dressing yourself, choose one piece to be your focal point and dress around it. I chose the shirt as a focal point in this look. Good luck shopping your closet to create great looks that’ll work for you. Tameka D Monroe TamekaMonroe@hotmail.com 832-541-9992
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Model : Eric Gradnigo
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“THE CASUAL LOOK� is one that is easy to put together,
comfortable, and able to be paired with a few small accessories to acquire a unique look. This fashion layout can be paired with the shirt of your choice, such as a solid color v-neck, a collared button-up (tucked or untucked), or a light sweater, and be ready for any occasion.
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w w w. B i l l b o a r d g a n g . c o m
Model : Eric Gradnigo
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Y H T L A
E H ET
G I
began working in the refinery as a plant operator shortly after finishing up with school. I made no effort to work out or eat healthy, whatsoever. One day I walked in front of a mirror and saw a stomach that I had never noticed before. I weighed the most I have weighed in my life, almost 200 pounds. At the same time I had an appointment to see my doctor. All of the test results came back good except for my cholesterol. The doctor advised me that I should start working out, eating better, and become health conscious moving forward. I was advised not to take the cholesterol readings too lightly, as cholesterol can be a silent killer. At that moment I made my mind up to begin eating right, working out, and getting healthy again. I started my transition to a healthier me by changing the meals I ate at work. Me and a couple of friends decided to eat chicken and brussel sprouts every day. I started weight and cardio training 4-5 days a week. I cut all sugars, including sodas, consuming only lean chicken, fish, veggies, and water only. I started off weighing 193 pounds. After 5-6 months I began to cut all excess weight. I dropped down to 162 pounds, losing around 30 pounds of fat. When I went back to the doctor’s office for a checkup, my cholesterol was down to under 200 for the first time since my initial visit to the doctor. I continued to workout until it became a lifestyle. I began to enjoy my new lifestyle until I found myself loving it! One thing that really helped stay motivated and kept me on the right track, was eating with coworkers. After about a year of working out on my own I wanted something different incorporated in my workout. I started feeling myself come to a stand still just by doing the “gym thing”. My wife, Toya Guillory, and friends had been working out with Bolo Fitness. I watched them get in shape, eat right, and lose
the weight in a short amount of time. I decided to join Bolo Fitness with her to get myself in better shape. It was time to shred more body fat, and the gym just wasn’t doing it for me in that area. My wife and I started a couples tournament, one month of compound exercises and circuit training that I had never done before. These women were working circles around me. I used to be the guy in the gym working out while listening to music, doing my sets when I wanted to, and taking too many breaks in between sets, but not anymore. Everything I learned throughout my experience I share because I love to help others. There are a lot of men eager to get in shape. I enjoy seeing them start there fitness journey and get in the best shape of their lives just like I did. I find my self sounding like a trainer sometimes by encouraging and helping friends get trained up. Maybe someday I can start a training class for men, but for now since my schedule is so crazy I can recommend many of the sources that I took advantage of. I tell guys all the time that eating clean is by the far best thing I’ve added to my workout plan, along with really good cardio and very effective workouts. If you are not going to change your eating your body won’t change either. If you want good results you’ll need to eat good.
One thing that really helped stay motivated and kept me on the right track, was eating with coworkers. After about a year of working out on my own I wanted something different incorporated in my workout. I started feeling myself come to a stand still just by doing the “gym thing”. My wife, Toya Guillory, and friends had been working out with Bolo Fitness
Results will take you some time. Your body might hurt sometimes. A healthy life will require dedication. We have to make healthy decisions and sacrifice in different areas to push your body to its full potential. There will be temptation along the way, but when you reach your goal, it will all be worth it!
RICK GUILLORY LAKE CHARLES, LA.
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“Dedication Beyond Measure” Adult & Elderly Sitter Service Companionship Service Qualified Caregivers Caregiver Drug Screens and Background Checks LLC
337.965.7775 Serving Lake Charles and all of SWLA 24 hrs/day 7 days/week
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3 Reasons
Why You Can’t Afford to Feel Bad Charging What You’re Worth 1. Understand that you can never get your time back. Charge based on what I feel my time is worth, along with the next point below -- knowing what kind of value I bring to the table. 2. Think of how much more money you will be responsible for generating. If you don’t respect your worth how can you expect anyone else to? 3. Higher prices often equate higher value. People automatically associate higher prices with higher value. Never sell yourself short -- and never feel bad about charging what you’re worth.
Contributor: JONATHAN LONG
Founder and CEO, Market Domination Media www.marketdominationmedia.com Via: www.entrepreneur.com
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I
am De’ Vonte’ G. Rhea, an artist from New Orleans, Louisiana. I was raised primarily in Richland, Washington and started doing art when I was around 6 years old. At that point I was only working with colored pencils and water color paint. My mom would do amazing drawings and sketches and so I would always try to imitate what she was doing.
When I got older I really didn’t utilize my talents. I would sketch or paint every now and then but no one really knew I had any artistic abilities when I was in school. I was more focused on sports and extra curricular activities so I didn’t make art a priority. I graduated from high school in 2010 and moved back to New Orleans to attend Xavier University of Louisiana to pursue a career in the medical field. When I moved into my first apartment junior year I picked up some paint and canvasses to create some art for my walls. When I posted the finished pieces the response was overwhelming and I found myself painting every single day thereafter.
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Over the past year and a half I’ve honed my skills and developed my own unique style. I solely use Q-tips, my fingers, and an ink pen to create my pieces and I love working with colors and creating dope and captivating pieces that provoke thought with each layer of dripping color. There are many layers to an individual and I wanted the dripping effect to represent that level of depth. The multicolor effect I add to each of my paintings is meant to express diversity without creating division. I don’t want people to look at my work and see flesh tones. . It doesn’t matter who I put on the canvas because people are forced to disregard skin color, ethnicity, and nationality. My ultimate goal as an artist is to open up the world to my version of Abstract Realism and the vision of an abstract mind while also creating enough depth and detail in my work to leave a message.
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Jayon Martin Lake Charles, La.
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READING IS FUN “Books are the quietest and most constant of friends; they are the most accessible and wisest of counselors, and the most patient of teachers.” -Charles W. Elio
Reading is essential for a child’s success.
Learning to read is a sequential process; each new skill builds on the mastery of previously learned skills. Early on, children learn to break down words into their most basic sounds.
Reading is important because it develops the mind. The mind is a muscle. It needs exercise. Understanding the written word is one way the mind grows in its ability. Teaching young children to read helps them develop their language skills. As students learn to sound out letters and words, spelling comes easier.
Expose yourself to new things Expose yourself to new things, new information, new ways to solve a problem, and new ways to achieve one thing.
Self improvement
Through reading, you begin understand the world more. Through reading, you begin to have a greater understanding on a topic that interest you;
Improve Understanding To play well in a game, you first need to understand the rules well.
Preparation to Action
In today’s world, getting reviews and feedback from other people can make a big impact on your next decision, and the pros and cons of each choice.
Gain Experience from Other People
It’s like a mountain of gems for you to discover in books, which contain people’s successes, failures and advice.
Tools of Communicating
Through reading, you build a more solid foundation for communication.
Connecting Your Brain
When reading, you’re in full silence because reading connects directly to your brain.
Boost Imagination and Creativity
Reading exposes you to a world of imagination, showing you nothing is impossible in this world.
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THE MANHATTAN CLUB A residence-style Boutique Hotel, the Manhattan Club provides endless possibilities for the enjoyment of its guests. The Manhattan Club introduces a unique experience; blending a vacation ownership retreat with a luxury suite hotel. Centrally located in midtown Manhattan, it is convenient to many of New York City’s extraordinary and exciting attractions, encouraging you to
200 West 56th Street New York, New York 10019 USA 12/25/2016 - 1/1/2017 1BD Sleeps 4 Christmas, New Year’s Eve
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experience the pace of the City by day and feel the pulse of the City by night.
Relax in the comfort of one of the spacious hotel suites, or have a quiet breakfast in the private club lounge, where the windows provide an outstanding view of the many architectural styles of the City. Return to the lounge for evening cocktails, and enjoy an amazing view of the City lights.
Black History honors the contributions of African Americans to United States history. Did you know that Madam CJ Walker was America’s first self-made woman to become a millionaire or that George Washington Carver was able to derive nearly 300 products from peanuts? Get the story of the creation of the NAACP, famous firsts in African American history and other black history facts. Black History began as “Negro History Week,” which was created in 1926 by Carter G. Woodson, a noted African American historian, scholar, educator, and publisher. It became a month-long celebration in 1976. The month of February was chosen to coincide with the birthdays of Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln. On February 12, 2009, the NAACP marked its 100th anniversary. Spurred by growing racial violence in the early twentieth century, and particularly by race riots in Springfield Illinois in 1908, a group of African American leaders joined together to form a new permanent civil rights organization, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). February 12, 1909 was chosen because it was the centennial anniversary of the birth of Abraham Lincoln.
Jack Johnson became the first AfricanAmerican man to hold the World Heavyweight Champion boxing title in 1908. He held on to the belt until 1915. John Mercer Langston was the first black man to become a lawyer in Ohio when he passed the Bar in 1854. When he was elected to the post of Town Clerk for Brownhelm, Ohio in 1855 Langston became one of the first African Americans ever elected to public office in America. John Mercer Langston was also the greatuncle of Langston Hughes, famed poet of the Harlem Renaissance. Thurgood Marshall was the first African American ever appointed to the United States Supreme Court. He was appointed by President Lyndon B. Johnson, and served on the Supreme Court from 1967 to 1991.
George Washington Carver developed 300 derivative products from peanuts among them cheese, milk, coffee, flour, ink, dyes, plastics, wood stains, soap, linoleum, medicinal oils and cosmetics.
Hiram Rhodes Revels was the first African American ever elected to the United States Senate. He represented the state of Mississippi from February
1870 to March 1871.
Shirley Chisholm was the first African American woman elected to the House of Representatives. She was elected in 1968 and represented the state of New York. She broke ground again four years later in 1972 when she was the first major party AfricanAmerican candidate and the first female candidate for president of the United States.
The black population of the United States in 1870 was 4.8 million; in 2007, the number of black residents of the United States, including those of
more than one race, was 40.7 million.
In 1940, Hattie McDaniel was the first African-American performer to win an Academy Award (the film industry`s highest honor) for her portrayal of a loyal slave governess in Gone With the Wind.
In 1992, Dr. Mae Jemison became the first African American woman to go into space aboard the space shuttle Endeavor. During her 8-day mission she worked with U.S. and Japanese researchers, and was a co-investigator on a bone cell experiment. www.History.com Billboardgang // Magazine
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