March 14, 1935 Richard Berry Harrison, actor, teacher, and lecturer, died. Harrison was born September 28, 1864 in London, Ontario, Canada, the son of formerly enslaved parents who had escaped to Canada via the Underground Railroad. As a young man, Harrison moved to Detroit, Michigan and began dramatic studies at the Detroit Training School of […]
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March 14th in African American History – Kirby Puckett
March 14, 1960 Kirby Puckett, hall of fame baseball player, was born in Chicago, Illinois. Puckett earned All-American honors for baseball in high school. He was drafted by the Minnesota Twins in 1982 and made his major league debut in 1984. Over his 12-season professional career, Puckett was a ten-time All-Star, six-time Gold Glove Award […]
March 13th in African American History – James Theodore Holly
March 13, 1911 James Theodore Holly, missionary and the first African American Bishop in the Episcopal Church, died. Holly was born October 3, 1829 in Washington, D.C. He joined the Protestant Episcopal Church and became a deacon in 1855 and a priest in 1856. Holly believed that African Americans had no future in the United […]
March 13th in African American History – Roy Owen Haynes
March 13, 1925 Roy Owen Haynes, jazz drummer and bandleader, was born in Boston, Massachusetts. Haynes made his professional debut in 1944 and from 1947 to 1949 worked with saxophonist Lester Young. From 1949 to 1952, Haynes was a member of Charlie Parker’s quintet and from 1953 to 1958 he toured with Sarah Vaughn. In […]
March 12th in African American History – Andrew Jackson Young
March 12, 1932 Andrew Jackson Young, pastor, politician, diplomat and civil rights leader, was born in New Orleans, Louisiana. Young earned his Bachelor of Science Degree in Pre-Dentistry at Howard University in 1951 and a Bachelor of Divinity degree from Hartford Seminary in 1955. In 1960, he joined the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and in […]
March 12th in African American History – Virginia Hamilton
March 12, 1936 Virginia Hamilton, children’s books author, was born in Yellow Springs, Ohio. Hamilton earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from Ohio State University in 1958 and published her first book, “Zeely,” in 1967.
March 11th in African American History – Sonny Terry
March 11, 1986 Sonny Terry, blues musician, died. Terry was born Saunders Terrell on October 24, 1911 in Greensboro, North Carolina.