November 17, 2006 Ruth Brown, R&B singer and actress, died. Brown was born Ruth Alston Weston on January 30, 1928 in Portsmouth, Virginia. She recorded her first hit, “So Long” in 1949 and from that time to 1955 she was on the R&B charts for 149 weeks with 16 top 10 blues records, including 5 […]
November 16th in African American History – Zina Lynna Garrison
November 16, 1963 Zina Lynna Garrison, professional tennis player, was born in Houston, Texas. Garrison started playing tennis at the age of 10 and entered her first tournament at the age of 12. In 1981, she won the Wimbledon and US Open Junior titles and was ranked the World Number 1 junior player. Garrison turned […]
November 16th in African American History – Dwight Eugene Gooden
November 16, 1964 Dwight Eugene Gooden, former Major League baseball player, was born in Tampa, Florida. Gooden made his major league debut in April, 1984 with the New York Mets and that year was selected the National League Rookie of the Year. In 1985, he had one of the most dominating single seasons in base […]
November 15th in African American History – William Edward John (Little Willie John)
November 15, 1937 William Edward John (Little Willie John), rhythm and blues singer, was born in Cullendale, Arkansas but raised in Detroit, Michigan. In 1955, John recorded his debut single “All Around the World”. This was followed by such hits as “Fever” (1956), “Talk To Me” (1958), and “Sleep” (1960). Over his career John made […]
November 15th in African American History – Kwame Ture (Stokely Carmichael)
November 15, 1998 Kwame Ture (Stokely Carmichael), political activist and one of the first users of the term “Black Power”, died. Carmichael was born June 29, 1941 in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago. He earned a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from Howard University in 1964. While at Howard, Carmichael became involved with the Nonviolent […]
November 14th in African American History – Cornelius E. Gunter
November 14, 1936 Cornelius E. Gunter, rhythm and blues singer, was born in Coffeyville, Kansas. He began recording in 1953 singing backup on Big Jay McNeely’s “Nervous Man Nervous.” In 1957, he sang the title song for the movie “The Green Eyed Blonde.” From 1958 to 1961, Gunter performed as a member of the Coasters […]
November 14th in African American History – Condoleeza Rice
November 14, 1954 Condoleeza Rice, professor, diplomat and national security expert, was born in Birmingham, Alabama. In 1974, at the age of 19, Rice earned her Bachelor’s Degree in political science, Phi Beta Kappa, from the University of Denver. In 1975 she earned her master’s degree from the University of Notre Dame and in 1981 […]