August 31, 1955 Edwin Corley Moses, former track and field athlete, was born in Dayton, Ohio. Moses attended Morehouse College on an academic scholarship and earned his B. S. degree in 1976. While at Morehouse, Moses essentially trained himself. Between 1977 and 1987, Moses won 122 consecutive 400 meter hurdles races. He won Gold Medals […]
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Frank Robinson – August 31st in African American History
August 31, 1935 Frank Robinson, Hall of Fame baseball player, was born in Beaumont, Texas. In his rookie year, 1956, he tied the record of 38 home runs by a rookie and was named the National League Rookie of the Year. Over his 21 season career, Robinson was a 14-time All-Star, a 1958 Gold Glove […]
Roy Wilkins – August 30th in African American History
August 30, 1901 Roy Wilkins, prominent civil rights activist from the 1930s to the 1970s, was born in St. Louis, Missouri. Wilkins earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Minnesota in 1923. In 1931, he became Assistant Executive Secretary of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. From 1934 to […]
Guion “Guy” Bluford, Jr. – August 30th in African American History
August 30, 1983 Guion “Guy” Bluford, Jr. became the first African American in space aboard the space shuttle Challenger. Bluford was born November 22, 1942 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Pennsylvania State University in 1964. Bluford then joined the U. S. Air Force and during the Vietnam War flew 144 combat […]
Fred Hampton, Sr – August 30th in African American History
August 30, 1948 Fred Hampton, Sr., activist and assassinated Black Panther leader, was born in Chicago, Illinois. He grew up in Maywood, a suburb of Chicago. At an early age, Hampton became active in the NAACP Youth Council, assuming leadership and growing the organization to 500 members. He worked to get more and better recreational […]
Vivian Theodore Thomas – August 29th in African American HIstory
August 29, 1910 Vivian Theodore Thomas, surgical technician and animal surgeon, was born in New Iberia, Louisiana. After graduating from high school, Thomas had hoped to go to college and become a doctor. However, the Great Depression derailed his plans. In 1930, he secured a job with Dr. Alfred Blalock at Vanderbilt University. Although doing […]
Charles “Bird” Parker, Jr – August 29th in African American History
August 29, 1920 Charles “Bird” Parker, Jr., jazz saxophonist and composer, was born in Kansas City, Kansas. Parker began playing the saxophone at age 11 and by 1938 was touring nightclubs and other venues in the southwest. In 1939, Parker moved to New York City where on November 26, 1945 he led a recording session […]