March 12, 1936 Virginia Hamilton, children’s books author, was born in Yellow Springs, Ohio. Hamilton earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from Ohio State University in 1958 and published her first book, “Zeely,” in 1967.
Tag Archives | National Book Award
June 14th in African American History – John Edgar Wideman
June 14, 1941 John Edgar Wideman, author and educator, was born in Washington, D. C. but grew up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Wideman earned his Bachelor of Arts degree, Phi Beta Kappa, from the University of Pennsylvania, where he was also an All-Ivy League basketball player, in 1963. He was the second African American to win […]
April 16th in African American History – Ralph Waldo Ellison
April 16, 1994 Ralph Waldo Ellison, novelist, literary critic and scholar, died. Ellison was born March 1, 1914 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. In 1933, Ellison entered Tuskegee Institute on a music scholarship but after his third year he moved to New York City where he met Richard Wright who encouraged him to pursue a career […]
March 1st in African American History – Ralph Waldo Ellison
March 1, 1914 Ralph Waldo Ellison, novelist, literary critic and scholar, was born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. In 1933, Ellison entered Tuskegee Institute on a music scholarship but after his third year he moved to New York City where he met Richard Wright who encouraged him to pursue a career in writing.
February 19th in African American History – Virginia Hamilton
February 19, 2002 Virginia Hamilton, children’s book author, died. Hamilton was born March 12, 1936 in Yellow Springs, Ohio. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from Ohio State University in 1958 and published her first book, “Zeely,” in 1967. Over her career, she wrote 35 books, including “M. C. Higgins, the Great” which won […]
Claudette Colvin – September 5th in African American History
September 5, 1939 Claudette Colvin, civil rights pioneer, was born in Montgomery, Alabama. On March 2, 1955 while returning from high school on the bus, Colvin refused to give up her seat to a White person, in violation of local law. As a result, she was removed from the bus by two police officers and […]