March 17, 1933 Myrlie Beasley (Myrlie Evers-Williams), civil rights activist, was born in Vicksburg, Mississippi. While attending Alcorn A&M College, she met Medgar Evers and they were married in 1951. Evers was murdered in 1963 because of his civil rights activities. Evers-Williams graduated from Pomona College in 1968, with a degree in sociology and served […]
Tag Archives | Spingarn Medal
March 7th in African American History – Gordon Roger Alexander Buchanan Parks
March 7, 2006 Gordon Roger Alexander Buchanan Parks, photographer, musician, poet, film director, and activist, died. Parks was born November 30, 1912 in Fort Scott, Kansas. He bought his first camera at the age of 25 and began to work as a freelance portrait and fashion photographer. In 1941, an exhibition of his photographs of […]
February 10th in African American History – Alexander Murray Palmer Haley
February 10, 1992 Alexander Murray Palmer Haley, author of “Roots: The Saga of an American Family,” died. Haley was born August 11, 1921 in Ithaca, New York. In 1939, he enlisted in the military and began a 20 year career with the Coast Guard where he rose to the rank of Chief Petty Officer. After […]
February 5th in African American History – Henry Louis “Hank” Aaron
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 […]
February 1st in African American History – James Mercer Langston Hughes
February 1, 1902 James Mercer Langston Hughes, poet, novelist and playwright, was born in Joplin, Missouri. Hughes began writing in high school where he wrote for the school newspaper, edited the yearbook, and wrote short stories, poetry, and dramatic plays. Hughes earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Langston University in 1929. Hughes signature poem, […]
January 29th in African American History – Oprah Gail Winfrey
January 29, 1954 Oprah Gail Winfrey, television host, producer, businesswoman and philanthropist, was born in Kosciusko, Mississippi. At the age of 17, Winfrey won an oratorical contest which secured her a full scholarship to Tennessee State University where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1976. In 1983, she moved to Chicago to host […]
November 5th in African American History – Channing Heggie Tobias
November 5, 1961 Channing Heggie Tobias, civil rights activist, died. Tobias was born February 1, 1882 in Augusta, Georgia. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from Paine College in 1902 and a Bachelor of Divinity degree from Drew Theological Seminary in 1905. For the next six years he taught bible literature at Paine College.