September 4, 1908 Richard Nathaniel Wright, author, was born in Roxie, Mississippi. At the age of 15, Wright penned his first story, “The Voodoo of Hell’s Half-Acre” which was published in the local Black paper. In 1937, Wright won first prize from Story Magazine for his short story “Fire and Cloud” and in 1938 gained […]
Archive | September 4, 2010
Lewis Howard Latimer – September 4th in African American History
September 4, 1848 Lewis Howard Latimer, inventor and draftsman, was born in Chelsea, Massachusetts. Latimer joined the U. S. Navy at the age of 15 and after receiving an honorable discharge joined a patent law firm as a draftsman at the age of 17. In 1874, Latimer co-patented an improved toilet system for railroad cars […]