Today In Black History - The Tuskegee Airmen Was Activated [VIDEO]

107 Jamz honors those African Americans who made a difference in the lives of others through acts of art, music, inventions and heroic actions this Black History Month.

(Photo by A724/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images )

It's not possible to go about your daily life without using an invention by an African American. We honor the black trailblazers of yesterday and today.

Speaking of which, it was on this day in Black History.....

2002- Vonetta Flowers becomes the first African American athlete to win a gold medal at the Winter Olympics.

http://youtu.be/O0ASZYvkjBE

Photo by David Livingston/Getty Images

1992- Movie director John Singleton becomes the first African American Director nominated for an Academy Award.

John Singleton became the first African American director to be nominated for a Academy Award in the Best Director and Best Screenplay for his first film Boyz N the Hood.

1942- Tuskegee Airmen is initiated.

The Army Air Corps' all African American 100th Pursuit Squadron was activated at Tuskegee Institute. Later designated a fighter squadron, the Tuskegee Airmen served America honorably in England and in other regions of the European continent during World War II.

http://youtu.be/H8ZScRrewMk

1940- Smokey Robinson is born.

Motown legend William "Smokey" Robinson was born on this day in Detroit, Michigan. His first singing group was the Miracles, which he formed in 1955 while still in high school. The group's first successful single was their 1960 hit, "Shop Around."

(Photo by C M Battey/Getty Images)

1919- The Pan-African Congress Meeting is held.

Pan-African Congress was organized by W.E.B. Du Bois and was a series of seven meetings, with the 1st held in 1919 in Paris. The meetings were intended to address the issues facing Africa as a result of European colonization of most of the continent.

The Pan-African Congress made significant headway and formed the reputation as a peace maker for decolonization in Africa and in the West Indies. One of the demands was to end colonial rule, end racial discrimination, and it demanded human rights and equality of economic opportunity.

http://youtu.be/_SXxCN3vFV8

Today In Black History – The Tuskegee Airmen Was Activated [VIDEO]