September 20, 1885 Ferdinand Joseph LaMothe (Jelly Roll Morton), ragtime and jazz pianist, bandleader and composer, was born in New Orleans, Louisiana. The date of his birth is not confirmed because no birth certificate has ever been found, but it is generally believed to be this date. At the age of 14, Morton began playing […]
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September 20th in African American History – Ursula M. Burns
September 20, 1958 Ursula M. Burns, the first African American woman to Chief Executive Officer of an S&P 100 company, was born in a city housing project in New York City. Burns earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from Polytechnic Institute of New York University in 1980 and a Master of Science […]
September 19th in African American History – Earl Cyril Palmer
September 19, 2008 Earl Cyril Palmer, hall of fame drummer, died. Palmer was born October 25, 1924 in New Orleans, Louisiana. He started his entertainment career at the age of five as a tap dancer on the black vaudeville circuit. He toured the country extensively with the Darktown Scandals Review. Palmer served in Europe for […]
September 19th in African American History – William Marcel “Buddy” Collette
September 19, 2010 William Marcel “Buddy” Collette, jazz tenor saxophonist, flautist, and clarinetist, died. Collette was born August 6, 1921 in Los Angeles, California. He began playing the alto saxophone at the age of 12 and at 17 started playing professionally. In the early 1950s, he worked as a studio musician and performed on the […]
September 18th in African American History – Booker T. Washington
September 18, 1895 Booker T. Washington delivered his famous “Atlanta Compromise” speech at the Cotton States and International Exposition in Atlanta, Georgia. Considered the definitive statement of Washington’s accommodationist strategy, it is regarded as one of the most significant speeches in American history. In the speech, Washington responded to the “Negro problem,” what to do […]
September 18th in African American History – Robert Lee “Bullet Bob” Hayes
September 18, 2002 Robert Lee “Bullet Bob” Hayes, Olympic Gold medal sprinter and hall of fame football player, died. Hayes was born December 20, 1942 in Jacksonville, Florida. While a student at Florida A&M University, Hayes was the AAU 100 yard dash champion from 1962 to 1964 and in 1964 was the NCAA champion in […]
September 17th in African American History – The Flip Wilson Show
September 17, 1970 “The Flip Wilson Show,” a variety show, premiered on NBC. It was the first prime time variety show starring an African American male since the “Nat King Cole Show” in 1957. It was also the first television program starring a Black person to become highly successful with a White audience.