January 19, 1918 John Harold Johnson, publisher and businessman, was born in Arkansas City, Arkansas. In 1933, Johnson and his family moved to Chicago, Illinois. After graduating from high school, he took a job as an office boy at Supreme Life Insurance Company and within two years had moved up to assistant to the president. […]
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Jester Joseph Hairston – January 18th in African American History
January 18, 2000 Jester Joseph Hairston, songwriter, choral conductor, and film and television actor, died. Hairston was born July 9, 1901 in Belews Creek, North Carolina. He graduated cum laude from Tufts University in 1928 and studied music at the Juilliard School. In the early stages of his career, he worked as a choir conductor. […]
Cassius Marcellus Clay, Jr. (Muhammad Ali) – January 17th in African American History
January 17, 1942 Cassius Marcellus Clay, Jr. (Muhammad Ali), hall of fame boxer, was born in Louisville, Kentucky. Ali began boxing at the age of 12 and went on to win six Kentucky Golden Gloves titles, two national Golden Gloves titles, and the Light Heavyweight Gold medal at the 1960 Rome Summer Olympic Games. Ali […]
Archibald John Motley, Jr. – January 16th in African American History
January 16, 1981 Archibald John Motley, Jr., African-American painter, ceramist, and sculptor, died. Motley was born October 7, 1891 in New Orleans, Louisiana. He studied painting at the School of Art Institute of Chicago and graduated in 1918. His painting “Mending Socks” was voted the most popular work in a 1927 exhibit of works by […]
Oscar Palmer Austin – January 15th in African American History
January 15, 1949 Oscar Palmer Austin, Medal of Honor recipient, was born in Nacogdoches, Texas. Austin joined the United States Marine Corps in April, 1968. He was promoted to private first class in October, 1968 and deployed to the Republic of Vietnam where he served as ammunitions man with Company E, 2nd Battalion 7th Marines, […]
Horace Julian Bond – January 14th in African American History
January 14, 1940 Horace Julian Bond, social activist, politician, professor, and writer, was born in Nashville, Tennessee. In 1960, Bond was a founding member of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee and served as communications director from 1961 to 1966. In 1965, Bond was elected to the Georgia House of Representatives where he served four terms […]
Sterling Allen Brown – January 13th in African American History
January 13, 1989 Sterling Allen Brown, professor, poet, and literary critic, died. Brown was born May 1, 1901 in Washington D.C. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree, Phi Beta Kappa, from Williams College in 1922 and his Master of Arts degree from Harvard University in 1923. Brown began his teaching career at several universities […]