November 10, 2006 Gerald Edward Levert, singer, songwriter and producer, died. Levert was born July 13, 1966 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania but raised in Cleveland, Ohio. While in high school, he formed the group LeVert in 1984. Four of the group’s seven albums, “I Get Her” (1985), “Bloodline” (1986), “The Big Throwdown” (1987), and “Just Coolin’” […]
Archive | November, 2011
November 9th in African American History – Edward Randolph Bradley, Jr.
November 9, 2006 Edward Randolph Bradley, Jr., award winning journalist, died.Bradley was born June 22, 1941 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in education from Cheyney State College in 1964. Bradley started reporting the news at WDAS-FM during the 1960s in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and in 1967 moved to the CBS owned […]
November 9th in African American History – The Little Rock Nine
November 9, 1999 The Little Rock Nine received the Congressional Gold Medal which, along with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, is the highest civilian award in the United States. The medal is bestowed by the United States Congress on individuals who perform outstanding deeds or acts of service to the security, prosperity, and national interest […]
November 8th in African American History – Minnie Julia Riperton
November 8, 1947 Minnie Julia Riperton, singer and songwriter, was born in Chicago, Illinois. As a teenager, Riperton received operatic vocal training and was urged to study the classics. However, she became interested in rhythm and blues. Riperton’s first solo album, “Come to My Garden,” was released in 1970 and, although commercially unsuccessful, it is […]
November 8th in African American History – Lester Bowie
November 8, 1999 Lester Bowie, jazz trumpeter and composer, died. Bowie was born October 11, 1941 in Frederick, Maryland but raised in St. Louis, Missouri. At the age of five, he began studying the trumpet with his father who was a professional musician. In 1966, he moved to Chicago, Illinois where he worked as a […]
November 7th in African American History – Vertner Woodson Tandy
November 7, 1949 Vertner Woodson Tandy, architect and one of the founders of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, died. Tandy was born May 17, 1885 in Lexington, Kentucky. While attending Cornell University, in 1906 Tandy was one of the seven founders of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, the first African American Greek letter fraternity. Tandy earned his […]
November 7th in African American History – Alexa Canady
November 7, 1950 Alexa Canady, the first African American female neurosurgeon, was born in Lansing, Michigan. Canady earned her Bachelor of Science degree in 1971 and her medical degree cum laude in 1975 from the University of Michigan. In 1976, she became the first black female to enter the field of neurosurgery as a physician […]