NaturallyFree

“Be a fool. For love. For yourself. What you think might possibly make you happy - even for a little while - whatever the cost or good sense might dictate.”

💁🏾‍♀️ Jill Scott

🎶 A Long Walk

💿 Who is Jill Scott?-2000

Miriam Makeba, 1957

Today In History

Nat King Cole, legendary singer, pianist, and entertainer, was born in Montgomery, AL, on this date March 17, 1919.

By the 1950s, Cole emerged as a popular solo performer. He scored numerous hits, with such songs as “Nature Boy,” “Mona Lisa,” “Too Young” and “Unforgettable.” In the studio, Cole got to work with some of the country’s top talent, including Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald, and famous arrangers such as Nelson Riddle.

Cole made television history in 1956 when he became the first African American performer to host a variety TV series. The Nat King Cole Show featured many of the leading performers of the day, including Count Basie, Peggy Lee, Sammy Davis Jr. and Tony Bennett.

His daughter Natalie Cole included a cover of the song Unforgettable on her album Unforgettable… with Love. It was certified 7× platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), and won the Grammy Award for Album of the Year, for which Cole became the first African-American woman to win the award.

Today We Honor Dr.Josephine English

Dr. Josephine English was an American gynecologist who was the first black woman to open a private practice in New York. She was also known for her work in real estate and health care, in addition to her philanthropy towards the arts.

English was born on December 17, 1920 to Jennie English and Whittie Sr. in Ontario, Virginia. She moved to Englewood, New Jersey in 1939. Her family was one of the first black families in Englewood. She attended Hunter College for her bachelor’s degree until 1949, and earned her Master’s in Psychology at New York University. She initially wanted to become a psychiatrist, but ended up choosing gynecology after discovering her interest at Meharry Medical College where she earned her medical degree in gynecology.

Dr.Josephine English opened her practice at Harlem Hospital. Once in Brooklyn, she opened up a women’s health clinic in Bushwick in 1956, as well as another in Fort Greene two decades later. During her career, English helped deliver 6,000 babies, including the children of Malcolm X, Betty Shabazz, and Lynn Nottage.

English’s interest in health care lead her establish the Adelphi Medical Center and child care programs, such as Up the Ladder Day Care and After School Program. Her passion for theater led her to establish the Paul Robeson Theater from a dilapidated church. She helped actors create performances to educate the populace on health and nutrition.