April 9, 2001 Wilver Dornell “Willie” Stargell, hall of fame baseball player, died. Stargell was born March 6, 1940 in Earlsboro, Oklahoma. Stargell was signed by the Pittsburg Pirates at the age of 18 and made his Major League debut in 1962. Over his 21 year career with the Pirates, Stargell was the 1979 National […]
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The Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) – April 8th in African American History
April 8, 1960 The Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), one of the principal organizations of the Civil Rights Movement, was founded after a series of student meetings led by Ella Baker at Shaw University in Raleigh, North Carolina. Future leaders attending those meetings included Stokely Carmichael, Julian Bond, Diane Nash, John Lewis, James Bevel, and […]
Marian Anderson – April 8th in African American History
April 8, 1993 Marian Anderson, contralto, died. Anderson was born February 27, 1897 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. At the age of six, she began singing at local functions for small change. She got her first big break in 1925 when she won a singing competition sponsored by the New York Philharmonic. In 1939, the Daughters of the […]
Rodney Maxwell Davis – April 7th in African American History
April 7, 1942 Rodney Maxwell Davis, Medal of Honor recipient, was born in Macon, Georgia. Davis enlisted in the United States Marine Corps in 1961 and by 1966 had been promoted to sergeant. By September 6, 1967, he was serving as a platoon guide with Company B, First Battalion, Fifth Marines, First Marine Division in […]
Willy F. James, Jr. – April 7th in African American History
April 7, 1945 Willy F. James, Jr., Medal of Honor recipient, was killed in action. James was born March 18, 1920 in Kansas City, Missouri. He enlisted in the United States Army in 1942 and by April 7, 1945 was an infantry scout assigned to Company G, 413th Infantry Regiment, 104th Infantry Division. His actions […]
William December “Billy Dee” Williams, Jr. – April 6th in African American History
April 6, 1937 William December “Billy Dee” Williams, Jr., actor and artist, was born in New York City. Williams graduated from Manhattan’s School of Performing Arts and first appeared on Broadway in 1945 in “The Firebrand of Florence.” Other Broadway appearances include “A Taste of Honey” (1961), “I Have a Dream” (1976), and “Fences” (1988). […]
Maurice Stokes – April 6th in African American History
April 6, 1970 Maurice Stokes, hall of fame basketball player, died. Stokes was born June 17, 1933 in Rankin, Pennsylvania. He played basketball for Saint Francis University and graduated in 1955. He was named the Most Valuable Player of the 1955 National Invitational Basketball Tournament. In the 1955 NBA Draft, he was selected by the […]