Moments to Remember

Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates, Jr., narrates this month-long series of compelling interstitials celebrating the lives, careers and accomplishments of African Americans who have left their mark on American history. From the famous -- talk show host Oprah Winfrey and former Secretary of State Colin Powell -- to lesser known contributors to the arts, music, politics and civil rights movement, the profiles offer revealing and inspiring glimpses into some of the most influential leaders from the mid-1800s to present day.

Weekdays, January 31 to February 25 during Day to Day at 1 p.m. and News & Notes with Ed Gordon at 9 p.m.

This Week:

Monday, February 21

Octavia Butler (1947-)

First black woman to publish science fiction novels, 1975.

Tuesday, February 22

Josephine Baker (1906-1975)

International star, known as "Black Venus," 1924.

Wednesday, February 23

Katherine Dunham (1909-)

Founded the first black modern dance company, 1940.

Thursday, February 24

Dorothy Dandridge (1922-1965)

First black to receive an Oscar nomination for best actress, 1954.

Friday, February 25

Sammy Davis, Jr. (1925-1990)

Hollywood actor, comedian, singer and dancer, through 1989.

Black History Month on 91FM

In celebration of Black History Month, 91FM continues its series of documentary specials on Fridays at noon and 11 p.m.

Friday, February 25

Thurgood Marshall Before the Court

In 1967, after years of work as a civil rights lawyer and activist, Thurgood Marshall became the first African American appointed to the United States Supreme Court. But this great accomplishment seems almost secondary in comparison to his legal victory more than a decade earlier in the landmark Brown v. Board of Education case, which outlawed racial segregation in America's schools. The decades leading up to the historical Brown ruling are the focus of this American Public Radio Works documentary, with host Stephen Smith looking at the defining moments in Marshall's life and career before he became a Supreme Court justice. From an in-depth look at the prejudiced climate he was born into in 1908 to his journey through the ranks of higher education and later involvement with the NAACP, the program celebrates the continuing legacy of a man many called "Mister Civil Rights."