December 2, 1969 The family of Eugene Ashley, Jr. was presented with the Medal of Honor, America’s highest military decoration, for his actions during the Vietnam War. Ashley was born October 12, 1931 in Wilmington, North Carolina, but raised in New York City. He joined the United States Army in 1950 and served in Korea […]
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November 29th in African American History – Coleman Alexander Young
November 29, 1997 Coleman Alexander Young, Detroit’s first African American Mayor, died. Young was born May 24, 1918 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. He moved to Detroit in 1923 and graduated from Eastern High School. During World War II, he served in the 477th Medium-Bomber Group, Tuskegee Airmen, as a bombardier and navigator and played a role […]
November 28th in African American History – Elbert Frank Cox
November 28, 1969 Elbert Frank Cox, the first black person in the United States to receive a Ph.D. in mathematics, died. Cox was born December 5, 1895 in Evansville, Indiana. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree in mathematics from the University of Indiana in 1917. After serving in the United States Army in France […]
November 26th in African American History – Ed Wilson
November 26, 1996 Ed Wilson, sculptor, died. Wilson was born March 28, 1925 in Baltimore, Maryland. After serving in the United States Army from 1943 to 1946, Wilson earned his Master of Arts degree from the University of Iowa in 1953. Wilson’s involvement in the Civil Rights Movement is apparent in his works like “Minority […]
November 25th in African American History – Bill “Bojangles” Robinson
November 25, 1949 Bill “Bojangles” Robinson, tap dancer and stage and film actor, died. Robinson was born May 25, 1878 in Richmond, Virginia. He began to dance for a living at the age of six. Robinson served in the United States Army from 1898 to 1900. He gained success and fame on the black theater […]
November 24th in African American History – Webster Anderson
November 24, 1969 Webster Anderson received the Medal of Honor, America’s highest military decoration, from President Richard M. Nixon. Anderson was born July 15, 1933 in Winnsboro, South Carolina. He joined the United States Army in 1953 and served during the Korean War. By October 15, 1967, he was serving as a staff sergeant in […]
November 22nd in African American History – Guion “Guy” Bluford, Jr.
November 22, 1942 Guion “Guy” Bluford, Jr., engineer, Air Force colonel and astronaut, was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Bluford earned his Bachelor of Science degree from Pennsylvania State University in 1964, his Master of Science degree and Ph.D. from the Air Force Institute of Technology in 1974 and 1978, respectively and his Master of Business […]