September 4, 1848 Lewis Howard Latimer, inventor and draftsman, was born in Chelsea, Massachusetts. Latimer joined the U. S. Navy at the age of 15 and after receiving an honorable discharge joined a patent law firm as a draftsman at the age of 17. In 1874, Latimer co-patented an improved toilet system for railroad cars […]
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Levy Patrick Mwanawasa – September 3rd in African American History
September 3, 1948 Levy Patrick Mwanawasa, the third President of Zambia, was born in Mufulira, North Rhodesia. After earning his law degree from the University of Zambia, he worked in private law firms. In 1991, Mwanawasa was elected to Parliament and from that year to 1994 served as Vice President of Zambia. In 2001, Mwanawasa […]
Charles Hamilton Houston – September 3rd in African American History
September 3, 1895 Charles Hamilton Houston, former Dean of Howard University Law School and NACCP Litigation Director, was born in Washington, D. C. Houston graduated from Amherst College in 1915, where he was valedictorian. In 1917, he enlisted in the U. S. Army and served in Europe during World War I until 1919. He earned […]
John R. Thompson, Jr. – September 2nd in African American History
September 2, 1941, John R. Thompson, Jr., the first African American head coach to win a NCAA Division I championship, was born in Washington, D. C. Thompson played college basketball at Providence College, where he led them to the 1963 NIT Championship and was a 1964 All-American. At the time of his graduation, he was […]
William Everett “Billy” Preston – September 2nd in African American History
September 2, 1946 William Everett “Billy” Preston, rhythm and blues singer and musician, was born in Houston, Texas. Preston began playing the piano at age three and by the age of ten was performing in the bands of gospel greats Mahalia Jackson, James Cleveland, and Andrae Crouch. At the age of 12, he appeared in […]
Samuel Coleridge-Taylor – September 1st in African American History
September 1, 1912 Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, composer and musician, died. Coleridge-Taylor was born August 15, 1875 in Holborn, London. He studied violin at the Royal College of Music and by 1896 had earned a reputation as a composer. In 1898, he completed his most well known piece, the cantata “Hiawatha’s Wedding-feast”. Coleridge-Taylor was greatly appreciated by […]
Ethel Waters – September 1st in African American History
a href=”http://todayinafricanamericanhistory.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/Ethel-Waters.jpg” target=”_blank”> September 1, 1977 Ethel Waters, blues and jazz vocalist and actress, died. Waters was born on October 31, 1896 in Chester, Pennsylvania. She began to sing professionally in 1913 in Baltimore, Maryland. For several years she toured on the Black vaudeville circuit. In 1921, Waters became the fifth Black woman to make […]