Originally begun as Negro History Week in 1926, Black History Month is a time to recognize the achievements and contributions of African-Americans once ignored by our nation’s historians.

Ma Rainey's home at 805 5th Ave
in Columbus.

Ma Rainey, Eugene Jacques Bullard, Alma Thomas, Robert Cray and Harvey Glance are a few notable black figures hailing from the Chattahoochee Valley. Take some time to discuss the successes of these important locals with your children. And for more information visit your local library branch and the Internet at www.georgiaencyclopedia.org and www.reference.com.

Ma Rainey
Ma Rainey (1886-1939) was born in Columbus and went on to become the “Mother of Blues.” Her career began on the stage of the Springer Opera House where she performed in
a talent contest. She toured with minstrel and vaudeville shows, singing with other greats like Bessie Smith and Louis Armstrong. She is credited as a major force in the shaping of the blues genre. Her house at 805 5th Avenue is now a museum.

Eugene Bullard
Eugene Jacques Bullard (1894-1961), a Columbus native, was born to William Bullard, a former slave who later worked at W.C. Bradley. Eager to escape the rampant racism in America, a young Eugene stowed away on a steamer to Europe. He had been told that France was a place where merit rather than race was the measure of a man. He joined and fought in the French army, later becoming the first black fighter pilot in the world. Held in high esteem, he married a countess and was revered as a French hero for his service in battle.

Alma Thomas
Alma Thomas (1891-1978), a renowned artist, also hailed from Columbus. She was the first black woman to earn a bachelor’s degree in fine arts from Howard University in 1924 and may have been the first black woman anywhere to earn that degree. The Columbus Museum boasts a collection of her nationally recognized paintings and other works of art, and the Smithsonian American Art Museum holds an archive of her paintings.

Blues musician Robert Cray,
winner of 5 Grammy Awards

Robert Cray
Robert Cray (b. 1953) was born into a military family in Columbus, moving around the country and even the globe as a child. He started his own band at 20 and signed on with Mercury Records less than a decade later in 1982. By the late 80s, he enjoyed regular radio and MTV airplay. He opened for rock legends such as Eric Clapton and won a Grammy for his third release, “Strong Persuader.” Known for his soothing voice and skilled guitar work, Cray has so far received 13 Grammy nominations and won five times. He is still performing, currently across the pond with Eric Clapton and continues to explore blues and soul.

Harvey Glance
Harvey Glance (b. 1957), a Phenix City native, ran with the track team for Auburn University, winning the NCAA 100m (twice) and 200m championships and twice matching the 100m world record. He went on to win Olympic gold with the American team in the 100m relay. Upon retiring from running, he took a position as head coach of track at his alma mater, Auburn University, and currently serves as head track coach at the University of Alabama.