February 12, 1934 William Felton “Bill” Russell, hall of fame basketball player and author, was born West Monroe, Louisiana, but raised in Oakland, California. Russell led the University of San Francisco to consecutive NCAA championships in 1955 and 1956 and also earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in 1956.
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February 11th in African American History – Jerena Lee
February 11, 1783 Jerena Lee, considered the first female preacher in the African Methodist Episcopal Church, was born in Cape May, New Jersey. In her early 20’s, Lee was converted, sanctified and called to preach, but her first request for approval was denied. A few years later, Bishop Richard Allen granted her official church approval […]
February 10th in African American History – Grace Towns Hamilton
February 10, 1907 Grace Towns Hamilton, the first African American woman elected to the Georgia General Assembly, was born in Atlanta, Georgia. Hamilton earned her bachelor’s degree in 1927 from Atlanta University and her master’s degree in psychology from Ohio State University in 1929.
February 10th in African American History – Roberta Flack
February 10, 1937 Roberta Flack, singer, songwriter and musician, was born in Black Mountain, North Carolina. During her early teens, Flack so excelled at classical piano that Howard University awarded her a full music scholarship at the age of 15 and she graduated at the age of 19.
February 9th in African American History – Paul Laurence Dunbar
February 9, 1906 Paul Laurence Dunbar, poet, died. Dunbar was born June 27, 1872 in Dayton, Ohio. He wrote his first poem at the age of six and gave his first public recital at nine.
February 9th in African American History – Alice Malsenior Walker
February 9, 1944 Alice Malsenior Walker, author, was born in Eatonton, Georgia. Walker earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from Sarah Lawrence College in 1965 and returned to the South where she became involved with voter registration drives, campaigns for welfare rights, and children’s programs in Mississippi.
February 8th in African American History – Rebecca Davis Lee Crumpler
February 8, 1831 Rebecca Davis Lee Crumpler, the first African American woman to become a physician in the United States, was born in Delaware. In 1852, Crumpler moved to Charleston, Massachusetts where she worked as a nurse for eight years. In 1864, she earned a medical degree from the New England Female Medical College, making […]