January 18, 1967 Reece “Goose” Tatum, Hall of Fame basketball player, died. Tatum was born May 31, 1921 in El Dorado, Arkansas. In high school, he played baseball, football, and basketball. He played Negro league baseball from 1937 to 1949 and was a co-owner of the Detroit Clowns baseball team in the late 1950s.
Tag Archives | World War II
Percy Ellis Sutton – December 26th in African American History
December 26, 2009 Percy Ellis Sutton, lawyer, civil rights activist and political and business leader, died. Sutton was born November 24, 1920 in San Antonio, Texas. During World War II, Sutton served as an intelligence officer with the Tuskegee Airmen. He attended Prairie View University, Tuskegee Institute, and Hampton Institute before earning his law degree […]
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Rayford Whittingham Logan – January 7th in African American History
January 7, 1897 Rayford Whittingham Logan, historian and Pan-African activist, was born in Washington, D. C. Logan earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from Williams College in 1917 and enlisted in the United States Army. In 1919, he requested and was granted a discharge because of his dissatisfaction with the treatment of African Americans. For […]
December 18th in African American History – Benjamin Oliver Davis, Jr.
December 18, 1912 Benjamin Oliver Davis, Jr., commander of the World War II Tuskegee Airman, was born in Washington, D.C. After attending the University of Chicago, Davis entered the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1932. Despite shunning by his classmates, never having a roommate, and being forced to eat alone, he earned […]
March 9th in African American History – Floyd Bixler McKissick
March 9, 1922 Floyd Bixler McKissick, lawyer and civil rights leader, was born in Asheville, North Carolina. McKissick earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from North Carolina College and in 1951 became the first African American to earn his Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s Law School.
February 25th in African American History – Daniel “Chappie” James, Jr.
February 25, 1978 Daniel “Chappie” James, Jr., the first African American to achieve the rank of general, died. James was born February 11, 1920 in Pensacola, Florida. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree from Tuskegee Institute in 1942.
January 30th in African American History – Edward Allen Carter, Jr.
January 30, 1963 Edward Allen Carter, Jr., Medal of Honor recipient, died. Carter was born May 26, 1916 in Los Angeles, California, but because his parents were missionaries, he grew up in India and Shanghai, China. While in Shanghai, Carter joined the Chinese National Army fighting against the Japanese.