April 7, 1945 Willy F. James, Jr., Medal of Honor recipient, was killed in action. James was born March 18, 1920 in Kansas City, Missouri. He enlisted in the United States Army in 1942 and by April 7, 1945 was an infantry scout assigned to Company G, 413th Infantry Regiment, 104th Infantry Division. His actions […]
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Colin Luther Powell – April 5th in African American History
April 5, 1937 Colin Luther Powell, the first African American United States Secretary of State, was born in Harlem, New York. Powell earned a Bachelor of Science degree in geology from the City College of New York in 1958 and a Master of Business Administration degree from George Washington University in 1971. While at City […]
Julius Arthur Hemphill – April 2nd in African American History
April 2, 1995 Julius Arthur Hemphill, jazz composer and saxophone player, died. Hemphill was born January 24, 1938 in Fort Worth, Texas. He joined the United States Army in 1964 and served for several years. In 1968, Hemphill moved to St. Louis, Missouri and co-founded the Black Artists’ Group, a multi-disciplinary arts collective. He moved […]
Wilson Camanza Riles – April 1st in African American History
April 1, 1999 Wilson Camanza Riles, the first African American to be elected to statewide office in California, died. Riles was born June 27, 1917 near Alexandria, Louisiana. He graduated from Northern Arizona State University in 1940 and served in the United States Army Air Force during World War II. In 1971, Riles was elected […]
March 29th in African American History – John Aaron Lewis
March 29, 2001 John Aaron Lewis, jazz pianist, composer and the musical director of the Modern Jazz Quartet, died. Lewis was born May 3, 1920 in LaGrange, Illinois but raised in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He began to learn the piano and classical music at the age of seven. In 1942, he graduated from the University […]
March 24th in African American History – William Maud Bryant
March 24, 1969 William Maud Bryant, Medal of Honor recipient, was killed in action. Bryant was born February 16, 1933 in Cochran, Georgia. By March 24, 1969, he was serving as a sergeant first class in Company A of the 5th Special Forces Group, 1st Special Forces. On that day, during a battle in Long […]
March 21st in African American History – John William “Johnny” Bristol
March 21, 2004 John William “Johnny” Bristol, musician, songwriter and record producer, died. Bristol was born February 3, 1939 in Morganton, North Carolina. After serving in the United States Air Force, Bristol recorded several singles before his label was absorbed by Motown Records in the mid-1960s. At Motown, he teamed with Harvey Fuqua to write […]