January 1959

Berry Gordy founded Tamla Records (soon renamed Motown) in Detroit in 1959 with an $800 family loan, building it into the most successful Black-owned record label in history. Motown's assembly-line approach to pop music produced dozens of chart-topping acts and became a cornerstone of American cultural life, making Gordy the first Black American to build a major entertainment corporation.

At age 29, Hansberry won the New York Drama Critics Circle Award for Best Play for A Raisin in the Sun, becoming the first Black playwright and the youngest person to receive the honor. The milestone confirmed her place in the American theatrical canon and opened doors for generations of Black playwrights.

Berry Gordy Jr. founded Tamla Records (later Motown) in Detroit and released its first record, Come to Me by Marv Johnson. Gordy had borrowed $800 from his family to launch what would become the most successful Black-owned business in American history and the label that would define American pop music in the 1960s.

The Flamingos released their ethereal recording of I Only Have Eyes for You, featuring a hypnotic bass vocal introduction and lush harmonies that transformed the pop standard into a doo-wop masterpiece. The record reached the top ten on the pop chart and became one of the most celebrated vocal group recordings in American music.

Dinah Washington's What a Difference a Day Makes became her biggest pop crossover hit, reaching number four on the Billboard Hot 100. Known as the Queen of the Blues, Washington's versatility across jazz, blues, gospel, and pop made her one of the most influential vocalists of her era.

Ernie Banks won his second consecutive National League MVP Award, the first player in NL history to achieve this. Despite playing for a losing Cubs team, his offensive production as a shortstop was so dominant that voters could not overlook him.

The Drifters' There Goes My Baby was the first rock and roll record to use a string arrangement prominently, crossing the genre into lush pop territory. It reached number two on the pop charts and number one on the R&B charts, ushering in the orchestrated soul sound.

By 1959, Black college students at HBCUs including North Carolina A&T, Fisk, and Howard were organizing informal study groups on nonviolent resistance and planning direct action campaigns. This network would crystallize into the sit-in movement of February 1960 and the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee.

The Coasters' Charlie Brown reached number two on the pop chart, making it one of their biggest hits. The comic narrative style of their records, produced by Leiber and Stoller, influenced countless later artists and made The Coasters among the most successful Black vocal groups in crossover appeal.

Berry Gordy launches the label that will define the "Sound of Young America."