March 12, 1955 Charles “Bird” Parker, Jr., jazz saxophonist and composer, died. Parker was born August 29, 1920 in Kansas City, Kansas. He began playing the saxophone at age 11 and by 1938 was touring nightclubs and other venues in the southwest. In 1939, he moved to New York City where on November 26, 1945, […]
March 12th in African American History – Romare Bearden
March 12, 1988 Romare Bearden, artist and writer, died. Bearden was born September 2, 1911 in Charlotte, North Carolina. In 1935, he earned his Bachelor of Science degree in science and education from New York University. He went on to study at the Arts Student League from 1936 to 1937. From 1942 to 1945, Bearden […]
March 11th in African American History – Ralph David Abernathy
March 11, 1926 Ralph David Abernathy, minister and civil rights leader, was born in Linden, Alabama. After serving in the United States Army during World War II, Abernathy graduated with honors and a Bachelor of Science Degree in Mathematics from Alabama State University in 1950 and in 1951 earned a Master of Science degree in […]
March 11th in African American History – Whitney Moore Young, Jr.
March 11, 1971 Whitney Moore Young, Jr., civil rights leader, drowned while swimming in Lagos, Nigeria. Young was born July 31, 1921 in Lincoln Ridge, Kentucky. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Kentucky State University in 1941 and a master’s degree in social work from the University of Minnesota in 1947. Young served […]
March 10th in African American History – Daisy Elizabeth Adams Lampkin
March 10, 1965 Daisy Elizabeth Adams Lampkin, suffragette and civil rights activist, died. Lampkin was born August 9, 1883 in Washington, D. C. After moving to Pittsburgh, she joined the New Negro Women’s Equal Franchise Federation which was later renamed the Lucy Stone League. In 1915, she became president of the league, a position she […]
March 10th in African American History – LaVern Baker
March 10, 1997 LaVern Baker, rhythm and blues singer, died. Born Delores LaVern Baker on November 11, 1929 in Chicago, Illinois. She began singing in Chicago clubs under various names around 1946 before settling on LaVern Baker in 1952. Baker had her first hit, “Tweedlee Dee,” in 1955 and had a succession of hits over […]
March 9th in African American History – Matthew Alexander Henson
March 9th, 1955 Matthew Alexander Henson, explorer, died. Henson was born August 8, 1866 in Charles County, Maryland. At the age of 12, he went to sea as a cabin boy and sailed around the world over the next several years. In 1887, he met Commander Robert Peary who recruited him as a colleague and they […]