"Happy Birthday, Phylicia Rashad!"

Born, June 19, 1948,  to dentist Andrew Arthur Allen and poet Vivian Ayers in Harris County, TX. As a child, Phylicia, her older brother Andrew (called Tex), and younger sister, Debbie Allen, lived in Mexico to escape US racism. She also has another brother, Hugh Allen (a real estate banker in North Carolina).

Their mother, Vivian Ayers, decided to live in Mexico to give the Allen children a brief experience of not having to endure the chronic racism and segregation that was typical of Texas during the 1950s. From this, Phylicia and Debbie are fluent in Spanish.

Phylicia graduated from Howard University and later taught drama there.

With younger sister Debbie Allen, she has a production company, D.A.D., which stood for Doctor Allen's Daughters. Her Pulitzer-nominated poet mother Vivian is the artistic and free spirit that has influenced and encouraged the remarkable creativity that so marks Rashad as a performer.

Phylicia Rashad's "The Cosby Show" (1984) matriarch character, Claire Huxtable, was voted "TV mom closest to your own mom in spirit" by the survey participants in an April 2004 poll conducted by Opinion Research Corporation.

This Sunday (June 23), Oprah Winfrey’sOWN presents a one-two punch on the topic of African American women.

It all begins at 9 p.m. with an episode of “Oprah’s Next Chapter: African American Women in Hollywood,” featuring Alfre Woodard, Viola Davis, Phylicia Rashad and Gabrielle Union. Immediately following at 10 is the world television premiere of “Dark Girls,” a two-hour documentary from Bill Duke and D. Channsin Berry that explores the prejudices that dark-skinned women face throughout the world.

For “Oprah’s Next Chapter,” Winfrey sits down with the actresses at the Bacara Resport & Spa in Santa Barbara. The four women talk about the challenges, criticism and competition they face as African-American women in Hollywood – topics not often discussed in the entertainment industry.

All men are created equal.

Juneteenth is an annual observance on June 19 to remember when Union soldiers enforced the Emancipation Proclamation and freed all remaining slaves in Texas on June 19, 1865. This day is an opportunity for people to celebrate freedom and equal rights in the United States.

What do people do?

A range of public, community and private events are held to celebrate Juneteenth, often on a weekend close to June 19. These include:

• Baseball games.
• Pot luck outdoor cookouts, barbecues or picnics.
• Workplace lunches.
• Rodeos.
• Neighborhood or block parties.
• Community flag raising ceremonies.
• Juneteenth displays in city halls, libraries, schools and post offices.
• Essay or artwork competitions for young people.
• Presentations of community service awards.
• The distribution of Juneteenth buttons, t-shirts, mugs and bags.

Some people also decorate conference rooms or corridors at their workplace, their neighborhood and yards with Juneteenth banners, yard signs and flags to raise awareness of the event.

Even bikers want to be blessed.  Watch this video of Pope Francis blessing Harley Davidson Bikers at the Vatician on Father's Day.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-22928511

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Mrs. Coretta Scott King on their "special day" June 18, 1953.

How Martin and Coretta Met:

Wedding Date:

Tennis Champion Venus Williams celebrates her birthday today, June 17, 2013.  Williams is the 1st Black Woman to become World no. 1.  Hats off to Venus on her 33rd birthday!!!