July 17, 1991 Harold Robert Perry, the first African American to serve as a Catholic bishop in the 20th century, died. Perry was born October 9, 1916 in Lake Charles, Louisiana. At the age of 13, he entered the seminary of the Society of the Divine Word and in 1938 he took his vows as […]
Archive | July 17, 2011
July 17th in African American History – John William Coltrane
July 17, 1967 John William Coltrane, jazz saxophonist and composer, died. Coltrane was born September 23, 1926 in Hamlet, North Carolina. In 1945, he enlisted in the United States Navy and played in the Navy jazz band. After returning to civilian life, Coltrane began freelancing around Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. From October, 1955 to April, 1957, Coltrane […]