November 13, 1942 Leonard Roy Harmon, the first African American to have a Navy ship named in his honor, died. Harmon was born January 21, 1917 in Cuero, Texas. He enlisted in the Navy in June, 1939 and in October of that year was assigned to the USS San Francisco. By 1942, Harmon had advanced […]
November 13th in African American History – Caryn Elaine Johnson (Whoopi Goldberg)
November 13, 1955 Caryn Elaine Johnson (Whoopi Goldberg), actress, comedienne and activist, was born in New York City. In 1983, Goldberg created “The Spook Show”, a one woman show which ran on Broadway for 156 sold out performances and won her the 1985 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding One Person Show. In 1985, she made […]
November 12th in African American History – Eugene Antonio Marino
November 12, 2000 Eugene Antonio Marino, the first African American archbishop in the United States, died. Marino was born May 29, 1934 in Biloxi, Mississippi. He was ordained as a priest at St. Joseph’s Seminary in 1962 and in 1967 graduated from Fordham University. Following his graduation, he was spiritual director at St. Joseph’s Seminary […]
November 12th in African American History – Wilma Glodean Rudolph
November 12, 1994 Wilma Glodean Rudolph, the first American woman to win three gold medals in track and field during a single Olympic Games, died. Rudolph was born prematurely on June 23, 1940 in Clarksville, Tennessee. Despite a childhood filled with medical problems, she became an accomplished athlete by high school. In high school, she […]
November 11th in African American History – Channing E. Phillips
November 11, 1987 Channing E. Phillips, minister, social activist and the first African American placed in nomination for President of the United States by a major party, died. Phillips was born March 23, 1928 in Brooklyn, New York. He was a founding member of the Coalition of Conscience, a conglomeration of local organizations working to […]
November 11th in African American History – Delores LaVern Baker
November 11, 1929 Delores LaVern Baker, rhythm and blues singer, was born in Chicago, Illinois. Baker began performing around Chicago under various names before settling on LaVern Baker in 1952. Her first hit recording came in 1955 with “Tweedlee Dee”, which reached number 4 on the R&B charts.
November 10th in African American History – Miriam Makeba
November 10, 2008 Miriam Makeba, singer and civil rights activist, died. Makeba was born on March 4, 1932 in Johannesburg, South Africa. She began her professional singing career in the 1950s with the Manhattan Brothers before she formed her own group, The Skylarks, singing a blend of jazz and traditional South African melodies.