The New York Times has uncovered hundreds of archived photos from pivotal moments in Black history andwill release at least one of these imagesevery day during Black History Month. From an endearing profile of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. from his appearance on NBC News, to a simple image of a white child sharing the same blackboard with his Black classmate after Princeton school integration, these images capture the hardships of the Civil Rights era.
During this series the Times will feature a number of beloved icons from the sports and entertainment world, such as Jackie Robinson and hip-hop group Run DMC. Much of the backstories to these photos are unknown. For example, on Feb. 14, 1949, just before Robinson became the first Black player to receive the National League’s Most Valuable Player Award, he was invited to speak to the Sociology Society at City College in New York. The only information known is from the original caption of the photo, “his work with the Harlem boys’ groups,” leading us to believe his talks were about inspiring inner city youth.
In 1965, the nation was introduced to a 7-foot-tall, 17-year-old student athlete by the name of Lew Alcindor. Pictured here rooting his team on during a high school championship game, Alcindor was heavily recruited, even harassed, over his talent. He played basketball and got his education at UCLA and eventually entered a successful NBA career. In 1971, the day after he led the Milwaukee Bucks to a championship, Alcindor changed his name to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. He may be best remembered for his role as Captain Roger Murdock in the 1980 film “Airplane!”
