February 5, 1934 Henry Louis “Hank” Aaron, hall of fame baseball player, was born in Mobile, Alabama. Aaron started his professional baseball career in 1951 with the Indianapolis Clowns of the Negro American League. In 1952, he signed a contract with the Boston (later to be the Atlanta) Braves and made his Major League Baseball […]
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September 19th in African American History – Joe Leonard Morgan
September 19, 1943 Joe Leonard Morgan, hall of fame baseball player, was born in Bonham, Texas and raised in Oakland, California. Morgan was signed by the Houston Colt .45’s as an amateur free agent in 1962 and made his Major League debut with them in September, 1963. Morgan was traded to the Cincinnati Reds in […]
Earl Manigault – September 7th in African American History
September 7, 1944 Earl Manigault, street basketball player known as “The Goat”, was born in Charleston, South Carolina and raised in Harlem, New York. Manigault grew up playing basketball and set the New York City junior high school record by scoring 57 points in a game in the late 1950s. Manigault was famous on the […]
John R. Thompson, Jr. – September 2nd in African American History
September 2, 1941, John R. Thompson, Jr., the first African American head coach to win a NCAA Division I championship, was born in Washington, D. C. Thompson played college basketball at Providence College, where he led them to the 1963 NIT Championship and was a 1964 All-American. At the time of his graduation, he was […]
Edwin Corley Moses – August 31st in African American History
August 31, 1955 Edwin Corley Moses, former track and field athlete, was born in Dayton, Ohio. Moses attended Morehouse College on an academic scholarship and earned his B. S. degree in 1976. While at Morehouse, Moses essentially trained himself. Between 1977 and 1987, Moses won 122 consecutive 400 meter hurdles races. He won Gold Medals […]
Frank Robinson – August 31st in African American History
August 31, 1935 Frank Robinson, Hall of Fame baseball player, was born in Beaumont, Texas. In his rookie year, 1956, he tied the record of 38 home runs by a rookie and was named the National League Rookie of the Year. Over his 21 season career, Robinson was a 14-time All-Star, a 1958 Gold Glove […]