October 16, 1990 Arthur “Art” Blakey, jazz drummer and bandleader, died. Blakey was born October 11, 1919 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. By the time he was a teenager he was playing the piano full-time and leading a commercial band. Shortly afterwards, he taught himself to play the drums. In 1947, Blakey recorded with a group led […]
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October 15th in African American History – The Black Panther Party for Self-Defense
October 15, 1966 The Black Panther Party for Self-Defense was founded in Oakland, California by Bobby Seale and Huey P. Newton. In 1967, the organization marched on the California State Capitol to protest a selective ban on weapons and they published their official newspaper “The Black Panther.” By 1968, the party had expanded into many […]
October 15th in African American History – Ernest C. Withers
October 15, 2007 Ernest C. Withers, photojournalist, died. Withers was born August 7, 1922 in Memphis, Tennessee. He worked as a photographer in the United States Army during World War II and opened a studio in Memphis when he returned. He also worked for three years as one of the first African American police officers […]
October 14th in African American History – Oscar McKinley Charleston
October 14, 1896 Oscar McKinley Charleston, Negro League baseball player and manager, was born in Indianapolis, Indiana. Charleston joined the U. S. Army at the age of 15 and served in the Philippines. He began his professional baseball career in 1915 with the Indianapolis ABC’s and over his career he had a .348 batting average […]
October 14th in African American History – Julius Kambarage Nyerere
October 14, 1999 Julius Kambarage Nyerere, first President of Tanganyika (now known as Tanzania), died. Nyerere was born April 13, 1922 and received a scholarship to attend Makerere University in Kampala, Uganda where he earned a teaching diploma. He taught biology and English for three years before getting a scholarship to attend the University of […]
October 13th in African American History – Raymond Mathew Brown
October 13, 1926 Raymond Mathew Brown, jazz double bassist, was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. At the age of eight, Brown started piano lessons but switched to the bass in high school. After graduating from high school he moved to New York City and in 1946 joined Dizzy Gillespie’s band. He played with Gillespie until 1951 […]
October 13th in African American History – Jerry Lee Rice
October 13, 1962 Jerry Lee Rice, hall of fame football player, was born in Starkville, Mississippi. Rice played football for Mississippi Valley State University and in 1984 was named to every All-American team. He was selected by the San Francisco 49ers in the 1985 NFL Draft and in his first year was named Offensive Rookie […]