December 31, 1930 Odetta Holmes, singer, actress, songwriter, and human rights activist, was born in Birmingham, Alabama. Odetta’s first professional experience was in musical theater in 1944 and in 1949 she joined the “Finian’s Rainbow” touring company. She began her solo career in 1956 with “Odetta Sings Ballads and Blues” and followed with “At the [...]
Archive | December 31, 2011
December 31st in African American History – Roberto Clemente Walker
December 31, 1972 Roberto Clemente Walker, hall of fame baseball player and humanitarian, died in an airplane crash while delivering aid to earthquake victims in Nicaragua. Clemente was born August 18, 1934 in Carolina, Puerto Rico. He was drafted by the Pittsburg Pirates in 1954 and played 18 seasons with the team. During his career, [...]