May 28, 1981 Mary Lou Williams, jazz pianist, composer, and arranger, died. Born Mary Elfrieda Scruggs on May 8, 1910 in Atlanta, Georgia, Williams taught herself to play the piano at a young age and became a professional musician in her teens. In 1925, she played with Duke Ellington and his band the Washingtonians. In […]
Archive | May 28, 2011
May 28th in African American History – Parren James Mitchell
May 28, 2007 Parren James Mitchell, the first African American elected to Congress from Maryland, died. Mitchell was born April 29, 1922 in Baltimore, Maryland. He served as an officer in the 92nd Infantry Division during World War II, earning a Purple Heart. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Morgan State University in 1950 and […]