February 27, 1911 Ed Davis, the first African American to win a franchise to sell new cars, was born in Shreveport, Louisiana. As a teenager, Davis moved to Detroit, Michigan to attend integrated public schools.
Tag Archives | February 27
Charlayne Hunter-Gault – February 27th in African American History
February 27, 1942 Charlayne Hunter-Gault, journalist and foreign correspondent, was born in Due West, South Carolina. Hunter-Gault attended Wayne State University from 1959 to 1961, the year that she and Hamilton Holmes became the first African Americans to attend the University of Georgia. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in journalism from the university […]
Dexter Keith Gordon – April 25th in African American History
April 25, 1990 Dexter Keith Gordon, jazz tenor saxophonist and actor, died. Gordon was born February 27, 1923 in Los Angeles, California. He played the clarinet from the age of 13 before switching to the saxophone at 15. Between 1940 and 1943, Gordon was a member of the Lionel Hampton Band and in 1943 he […]
Marian Anderson – April 8th in African American History
April 8, 1993 Marian Anderson, contralto, died. Anderson was born February 27, 1897 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. At the age of six, she began singing at local functions for small change. She got her first big break in 1925 when she won a singing competition sponsored by the New York Philharmonic. In 1939, the Daughters of the […]