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Shindana Toys
Shindana Toys, a division of Operation Bootstrap, Inc., was a South Central Los Angeles, California cooperative toy cooperative, company in business from 1968 to 1983. It was launched as a black empowerment and community rejuvenation effort following the Watts riots. Company proceeds supported businesses in the Watts area. Named after the Swahili language, Swahili word roughly meaning "to compete," Shindana Toys was community-owned and founded by Louis S. Smith, II and Robert Hall (activist), Robert Hall. The latter was the company's first CEO and President; though he was succeeded in both posts by Smith. The Chase Manhattan Bank, the Mattel Toy Company, Sears Roebuck & Co., and AXA Equitable Life Insurance Company, Equitable Life Assurance helped finance portions of the Shindana Toys operations. Shindana Toys was historically significant for being one of the first toy companies to market ethnically correct black dolls. A goal of the company was to raise black consciousness and im ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] [Amazon] |
Chatty Cathy
Chatty Cathy is a pull-string "talking" doll originally created by Ruth and Elliot Handler and manufactured by the Mattel toy company from 1959 to 1965. The doll was first released in stores and appeared in television commercials beginning in 1960, with a suggested retail price of $18.00, though usually priced under $10.00 in catalog advertisements. Chatty Cathy was on the market for six years and was the second most popular doll of the 1960s after Barbie (also made by Mattel). After the success of Chatty Cathy, Mattel introduced "Chatty Baby" in 1962 and "Tiny Chatty Baby", "Tiny Chatty Brother", and " Charmin' Chatty" in 1963. The last doll to have the word "chatty" in its name in the 1960s was "Singin' Chatty" in 1965. Mattel trademarked the name "chatty" in the 1960s, and the boxes for Mattel talking dolls such as Drowsy, Baby Cheryl, and Tatters each had the tag-line "A Chatty Doll by Mattel". Physical look Like Barbie, Chatty Cathy was a fanciful depiction of a human, in ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] [Amazon] |
Diana Ross
Diana Ross (born Diane Ernestine Earle Ross March 26, 1944) is an American singer and actress. Known as the "Queen of Motown Records", she was the lead singer of the vocal group the Supremes, who became Motown#Major divisions, Motown's most successful act during the 1960s and one of the world's List of best-selling girl groups, best-selling girl groups of all time. They remain the best-charting female group in history, with a total of 12 number-one pop singles on the Billboard Hot 100, U.S. ''Billboard'' Hot 100. Following her departure from the Supremes in 1970, Ross embarked on a successful solo music career with the release of her Diana Ross (1970 album), eponymous debut solo album. She went on to release 26 studio albums, including ''Touch Me in the Morning (album), Touch Me in the Morning'' (1973), ''Diana Ross (1976 album), Diana Ross'' (1976), ''Diana (album), Diana'' (1980), ''Why Do Fools Fall in Love (album), Why Do Fools Fall in Love'' (1981) and ''Swept Away (Diana R ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] [Amazon] |
Redd Foxx
John Elroy Sanford (December 9, 1922 – October 11, 1991), better known by his stage name Redd Foxx, was an American stand-up comedian and actor. Foxx gained success with his raunchy nightclub act before and during the civil rights movement. Known as the "King of the Party Records", he performed on more than 50 records in his lifetime. He portrayed Fred G. Sanford on the television show '' Sanford and Son'' and starred in '' The Redd Foxx Show'' and '' The Royal Family'', where he played the husband of Della Reese and grandfather of Larenz Tate. His film projects included '' All the Fine Young Cannibals'' (1960), '' Cotton Comes to Harlem'' (1970), '' Norman... Is That You?'' (1976), and '' Harlem Nights'' (1989). In 2004, Foxx ranked 24th in ''Comedy Central Presents: 100 Greatest Stand-ups of All Time''. Foxx not only influenced many comedians but was often portrayed in popular culture as well, mainly as a result of his catchphrases, body language and facial express ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] [Amazon] |
Marla Gibbs
Marla Gibbs (born Margaret Theresa Bradley; June 14, 1931) is an American actress, singer, comedian, writer, and television producer whose career spans seven decades. She is known for her role as George Jefferson's maid, Florence Johnston, on the CBS sitcom ''The Jeffersons'' (1975–1985), for which she received five nominations for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series. Gibbs also starred on the show's spin-off ''Checking In'' (1981) and the NBC sitcom ''227 (TV series), 227'' (1985–1990); she co-produced the latter series, played the lead role of Mary Jenkins, and sang the theme song. Gibbs has won seven NAACP Image Awards. In later years, Gibbs played supporting roles in films ''The Meteor Man (film), The Meteor Man'' (1993), ''Lost & Found (1999 film), Lost & Found'' (1999), ''The Visit (2000 film), The Visit'' (2000), ''The Brothers (2001 film), The Brothers'' (2001), ''Madea's Witness Protection'' (2012), ''Grantham & Rose'' (2015 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] [Amazon] |
Julius Erving
Julius Winfield Erving II (born February 22, 1950), commonly known by the nickname Dr. J, is an American former professional basketball player. Erving helped legitimize the American Basketball Association (ABA), and he was the best-known player in that league when it merged into the National Basketball Association (NBA) after the 1975–1976 season. Erving won three championships, four Most Valuable Player awards and three scoring titles with the ABA's Virginia Squires and New York Nets (now the NBA's Brooklyn Nets) and the NBA's Philadelphia 76ers. During his 16 seasons as a player, none of his teams ever missed the postseason. He is the eighth-highest scorer in ABA/NBA history with 30,026 points (NBA and ABA combined). He was well known for slam dunking from the free-throw line in Slam Dunk Contests and was the only player voted Most Valuable Player in both the ABA and the NBA. The basketball slang of being posterized was first coined to describe his moves. In 1980, Erving ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] [Amazon] |
Jimmie Walker
James Carter Walker Jr. (born June 25, 1947) is an American actor and comedian. He portrayed James ("J.J.") Evans Jr., the older son of James Evans Sr. and Florida Evans, on the CBS television comedy series ''Good Times''. The show ran from 1974 to 1979, and Walker was nominated for a Golden Globe Award in 1975 and 1976 for his role as J.J. On ''Good Times'', Walker's character was known for his catchphrase "Dyn-o-mite!", and the actor later used it in his mid-1970s TV commercials for Panasonic Compact Cassette, cassette and 8-track tape players and in a 2021–2023 public announcement for Medicare. Walker also starred in ''Let's Do It Again (1975 film), Let's Do It Again'' (1975) with John Amos, and ''The Greatest Thing That Almost Happened'' (1977) with James Earl Jones. Walker continues to tour the country with his stand-up comedy routine. Early life Walker was born in Brooklyn, New York, and raised in the Bronx. He attended Theodore Roosevelt High School (New York City) ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] [Amazon] |
Rodney Allen Rippy
Rodney Allen Rippy (born July 29, 1968) is an American former child actor, television personality, marketing director, producer, and politician. He appeared in TV commercials for the fast-food chain Jack in the Box in the early 1970s, as well as in numerous roles in television and movies. Early career In the Jack in the Box advertisements, Rippy was seen trying to wrap his mouth around the super-sized Jumbo Jack hamburger. The tag line "It's too big to eat!" (pronounced "It's too big-a-eat!") became a catchphrase. Another spot showed Rippy giggling while singing the song "Take Life a Little Easier," which was released as a single by Bell Records in the fall of 1973 in the wake of the commercial's popularity. The single (b/w "World of Love") appeared on the ''Billboard'' magazine "Bubbling Under" chart in October 1973, peaking at #112. An LP, also titled ''Take Life a Little Easier'' (Bell 1311), was released in 1974. Rippy subsequently had guest roles in many popular televisi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] [Amazon] |
Flip Wilson
Clerow "Flip" Wilson Jr. (December 8, 1933 – November 25, 1998) was an American comedian and actor best known for his television appearances during the late 1960s and 1970s. From 1970 to 1974, Wilson hosted his own weekly variety series '' The Flip Wilson Show'', and introduced viewers to his recurring character Geraldine. The series earned Wilson a Golden Globe and two Emmy Awards, and it was the second highest-rated show on network television for a time. Wilson was the first African American to host a successful TV variety show.Nat King Cole was the first African American entertainer to host a television variety show, in 1956. Sammy Davis Jr. hosted a short-lived variety show in 1966. In January 1972, ''Time'' magazine featured Wilson's image on its cover and named him "TV's first black superstar". He released a number of comedy albums in the 1960s and 1970s and won a Grammy Award for his 1970 album '' The Devil Made Me Buy This Dress''.Some sources, including Wilson's ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] [Amazon] |
Sidewalk Chalk
Sidewalk chalk is typically large and thick sticks of chalk (calcium sulfate, gypsum, rather than calcium carbonate, rock chalk) that come in multiple colors and are mostly used for drawing on pavement or concrete sidewalks, frequently four square courts or hopscotch boards. Blackboard chalk, typically used in educational settings, is shorter and thinner than sidewalk chalk. There are several different types of sidewalk chalk, typically coming in solid-colored sticks. 3-D sidewalk chalk sets, in which each stick of chalk is created with two particular colors that appear 3-dimensional when viewed through the 3-D glasses that come with the chalk, also exist.3-D sidewalk chalk. (2008). Scholastic Parent & Child, 16(2), 14. Sidewalk chalk can be cheaply homemade from water, paint and plaster of Paris.Make your own sidewalk chalk. (1998, July 21). Christian Science Monitor. 13. Use Sidewalk chalk is used at some universities to advertise for events, especially where there is mu ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] [Amazon] |
Jenga
''Jenga'' is a Game of skill, game of physical skill created by British board game designer and author Leslie Scott (game designer), Leslie Scott and marketed by Hasbro. The name comes from the Swahili language, Swahili word "" which means 'to build or construct'. Players take turns removing one block at a time from a tower constructed of 54 blocks. Each block removed is then placed on top of the tower, creating a progressively more unstable structure. The game ends when the tower falls over. Rules ''Jenga'' is played with 54 wooden blocks. Each block is three times as long as it is wide, and one fifth as thick as its length – . Blocks have small, random variations from these dimensions so as to create imperfections in the stacking process and make the game more challenging. To begin the game, the blocks are stacked into a solid rectangular tower of 18 layers, with three blocks per layer. The blocks within each layer are oriented in the same direction, with their long sides tou ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] [Amazon] |
National Toy Hall Of Fame
The National Toy Hall of Fame is a U.S. hall of fame that recognizes the contributions of toys and games that have sustained their popularity for many years. Criteria for induction include: icon status (the toy is widely recognized, respected, and remembered); longevity (more than a passing fad); discovery (fosters learning, creativity, or discovery); and innovation (profoundly changed play or toy design). Established in 1998 under the direction of Ed Sobey, it was originally housed at A. C. Gilbert's Discovery Village in Salem, Oregon, United States, but was moved to the Strong National Museum of Play (now The Strong) in Rochester, New York, in 2002 after it outgrew its original home. As of 2024, eighty-eight (88) toys have been enshrined in the National Toy Hall of Fame: Original inductees (1998-99) The original inductees to the National Toy Hall of Fame were announced in November 1999. Students from nearby Willamette University protested (good-naturedly) when they learned ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] [Amazon] |
