VocalEssence is celebrating 28 Days of Black Excellence this February. VocalEssence will showcase Black achievement in the arts and beyond each day of Black History Month as part of its daily pandemic show, Take 5 with GPS.
Sponsor Black Excellence
Each episode and blog post take $250 to create and produce. Consider sponsoring a day or even a week of these amazing entrepreneurs. Episodes will be included in the FREE online WITNESS Portal for teachers around the world. Sponsors will be named in the blog posts on the VocalEssence website. You are encouraged to sponsor in honor of a loved one or a beloved organization. Just add their name in the Dedication section of the donation form.
On today’s episode of 28 Days of Black Excellence we feature American folk artist and quilter, Harriet Powers, who weaved stories into her art to pass stories to future generations. Our musical pairing is “We are Climbing Jacob’s Ladder,” a traditional Negro Spiritual by a hidden figure. Harriet Powers (1837-1910) Notable Achievements: Although not recognized during… Read More →
On today’s episode of 28 Days of Black Excellence we feature famous mathematician Katherine Johnson, whose mathematical calculations helped send Apollo 11 to the moon. Our musical pairing is “I Got a Robe,” a traditional Negro Spiritual. Katherine Johnson (1918-2020) Notable Achievements: Presidential Medal of Freedom, Silver Snoopy award, NASA Group Achievement Award, Congressional… Read More →
On today’s episode of 28 Days of Black Excellence we feature Dr. Percy Lavon Julian. Despite considerable persecution due to segregation and racism throughout his life, Percy Julian became a steroid chemist and an entrepreneur who ingeniously figured out how to synthesize important medicinal compounds from abundant plant sources, making them more affordable to… Read More →
On today’s episode of 28 Days of Black Excellence we feature local Minnesotan, Frederick McKinley Jones, an inventor best known for the development of refrigeration equipment used to transport food and blood during World War II. His invention radically altered American consumer’s eating habits; now people could eat eat fresh produce across the United States during… Read More →
On this Valentine’s Day, GPS highlights the outstanding accomplishments of Dr. Charles Drew, who is responsible for the creation of what we’ve come to know as “blood banks.” We turn to Aretha Franklin for our musical inspiration which melds our faith in the Creator and love for each other in one classic song that… Read More →
Join GPS for the 13th installment in our series highlighting Black excellence. Today we honor the work of Lloyd Augustus Hall, a pioneer in the food preservation industry. The perfect musical pairing on this Valentine’s weekend–how about a little Four Tops and “Sugar Pie Honey Bunch (I can’t help myself)“? Join us! Lloyd Augustus Hall… Read More →
Happy Friday! Today marks the twelfth day of 28 Days of Black Excellence created by VocalEssence Associate Conductor G. Phillip Shoultz, III. Phillip highlights the work of Mark E. Dean, computer scientist and engineer, who helped develop a number of landmark technologies for IBM, including the color PC monitor and the first gigahertz chip. He… Read More →
Today marks the eleventh day of 28 Days of Black Excellence created by VocalEssence Associate Conductor G. Phillip Shoultz, III. Phillip highlights the work of James Edward Maceo West, a research professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering and Mechanical Engineering at the Johns Hopkins University and member of the National Inventors Hall of Fame. West… Read More →
Today marks the tenth day of 28 Days of Black Excellence created by VocalEssence Associate Conductor G. Phillip Shoultz, III. Phillip highlights the work of poet Gwendolyn Brooks, “one of the most highly regarded, influential, and widely read poets of 20th-century American poetry. She was a much-honored poet, even in her lifetime, with the distinction… Read More →
Today marks the ninth day of 28 Days of Black Excellence created by VocalEssence Associate Conductor G. Phillip Shoultz, III. Phillip highlights the work of Madam C.J. Walker, who created specialized hair products for African American hair care and was one of the first American women to become a self-made millionaire. Our musical pairing is… Read More →
Today marks the eighth day of 28 Days of Black Excellence created by VocalEssence Associate Conductor G. Phillip Shoultz, III. Phillip highlights the work of Lewis Howard Latimer, who was responsible for many inventions, including the carbon filament in light bulbs which made electricity more efficient and cost effective. Stevie Wonder’s effervescent “You are the… Read More →
Today marks the seventh day of 28 Days of Black Excellence created by VocalEssence Associate Conductor G. Phillip Shoultz, III. Phillip highlights the work of Joseph Lee, a caterer, baker, and restauranteur who invented two things that revolutionized the food industry and still impact our favorite party foods today. His musical inspiration comes from the… Read More →
Today marks the sixth day of 28 Days of Black Excellence created by VocalEssence Associate Conductor G. Phillip Shoultz, III. Phillip highlights the work of Granville T. Woods, a Black inventor who dedicated his life’s work to developing a variety of inventions, many relating to the railroad industry. His musical inspiration comes from the song… Read More →
Today marks the fifth day of 28 Days of Black Excellence created by VocalEssence Associate Conductor G. Phillip Shoultz, III. Phillip highlights the work of Dr. Henry T. Sampson, whose “gamma electrical cell” invention paved the way for the create of the cellphone, a device that connects us together each and every day. His musical… Read More →
Today marks the fourth day of 28 Days of Black Excellence created by VocalEssence Associate Conductor G. Phillip Shoultz, III. Phillip highlights the work of Dr. Valerie L. Thomas, inventor of the illusion transmitter and retired associate chief of the Space Science Data Operations Office (SSDOO) at NASA. His musical inspiration comes from the song… Read More →
