February 23, 1969 Oscar Palmer Austin, Medal of Honor recipient, was killed in action. Austin was born January 15, 1949 in Nacogdoches, Texas and joined the United States Marine Corps in April, 1968. He was promoted to private first class in October, 1968 and deployed to the Republic of Vietnam where he served as ammunitions […]
February 22nd in African American History – Julius Winfield “Dr. J” Erving, Jr.
February 22, 1950 Julius Winfield “Dr. J” Erving, Jr., hall of fame basketball player, was born in Roosevelt, New York. Erving played college basketball at the University of Massachusetts and is one of only five players to average more than 20 points and 20 rebounds in NCAA Men’s Basketball. In 1971, he began his professional […]
February 22nd in African American History – Dennis Wayne Johnson
February 22, 2007 Dennis Wayne Johnson, hall of fame basketball player, died. Johnson was born September 18, 1954 in Los Angeles, California. Johnson played college basketball at Los Angeles Harbor College and Pepperdine University. He was selected by the Seattle Supersonics in the 1976 NBA Draft and over his 15 season professional career was a […]
February 21st in African American History – Clifford Chester Sims
February 21, 1968 Clifford Chester Sims, Medal of Honor recipient, was killed in action. Sims was born June 18, 1942 in Port St. Joe, Florida. By February 21, 1968, he was serving in the United States Army as a staff sergeant in Company D, 2nd Battalion (Airborne), 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division.
February 21st in African American History – Eva Jessye
February 21, 1992 Eva Jessye, the first black woman to receive international distinction as a professional choral conductor, died. Jessye was born January 20, 1895 in Coffeyville, Kansas. She studied choral music and music theory at Western University, a now defunct historically Black college, and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Langston University in […]
February 20th in African American History – Charles Wade Barkley
February 20, 1963 Charles Wade Barkley, hall of fame basketball player, was born in Leeds, Alabama. Barkley played college basketball at Auburn University where he was a three-time All-SEC selection and Conference Player of the Year in 1984. Barkley was selected by the Philadelphia 76ers in the 1984 NBA Draft and over his 16 year […]
February 20th in African American History – Jaramogi Abebe Agyeman (Albert Cleage)
February 20, 2000 Jaramogi Abebe Agyeman (Albert Cleage), religious leader, died. Cleage was born June 13, 1911 in Indianapolis, Indiana and grew up in Detroit, Michigan. Cleage earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from Wayne State University in 1942 and his Bachelor of Divinity from Oberlin Graduate School of Theology in 1943 and was ordained […]