July 3, 1940 Fontella Bass, soul singer, was born in St. Louis, Missouri. Bass showed great musical talent at an early age. At the age of five, she was providing piano accompaniment for her grandmother’s singing and by the time she was nine she was accompanying her mother on gospel tours throughout the South. At [...]
Archive | July 3, 2011
July 3rd in African American History – Ruth Jean Simmons
July 3, 1945 Ruth Jean Simmons, the first black president of an Ivy League institution, was born in Grapeland, Texas. Simmons earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from Dillard University in 1967 and her Master of Arts and doctorate in Romance Literature from Harvard University in 1970 and 1973, respectively. Simmons served in various capacities [...]