People, Locations, Episodes

Marion Barry, Activist, and Politician born

*Marion Barry was born on this date in 1936. He was a Black activist and politician.   Marion Shepilov Barry Jr. was born in rural Itta Bena, Mississippi, the third child of Mattie Cummings and Marion Barry. His father died when he was four years old, and a year later, his mother moved the family to Memphis, Tennessee, where her employment prospects were […]

Willie Stargell, Baseball Player born

*On this date in 1941, Willie Stargell was born. He was an African American professional baseball player.

He was born Wilver Dornel Stargell in Earlsboro, Oklahoma, with ancestry of African and Seminole Indian decent.

Eric Gravatt, Jazz Musician born

*Eric Gravatt was born on this date in 1947. He is an African American musician, educator and world-renowned drummer and percussionist..

From Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Eric Kamau Gravatt is the only child of Clifford and Margo Gravatt. He graduated from Germantown H.S. in 1965 and has attended Cheyney State College, Temple University, Howard University and the University of Minnesota.

Ghana Gains Independence From Britain

*On this date in 1957, Ghana became the first African nation to achieve freedom from colonial rule.

British Parliament, in January 1957, passed the Ghana Independence Act, and the first week of March that year, the National Assembly of Ghana issued an independence proclamation, then joining the United Nations. The dominant political party of the new nation was the Convention People’s party (CPP), headed by Kwame Nkrumah, who was the country’s first prime minister. On February 24, 1966, Nkrumah, who was on a state visit to China, was overthrown in a military coup.

James ‘Chip’ Thomas, Doctor and Artist born

*This date in 1957 is celebrated as the birth date of James “Chip” Thomas, a Black doctor and mural artist. Dr. Thomas graduated from the Meharry Medical College School of Medicine, Meharry Medical College School of Medicine in 1983. He works in TONALEA, AZ, and two other locations and specializes in Family Medicine. Dr. Thomas is […]

Maurice Ashley, Chess Grand Master born

*Maurice Ashley was born on this date in 1966. He is an African American chess player, educator and Grand Master.

From St. Andrew, Jamaica he moved to Brooklyn, NY with his family at age 12. His brother was the source of his learning the game of Chess. Ashley also got a great amount of inspiration from writings of former World Champion Paul Morphy. While attending Brooklyn Tech High School he gained proficiency in local tournaments. Ashley also sharpened his Chess competition with the Black Bear Chess Club.

Awadagin Pratt, Classical Pianist born

*Awadagin Pratt was born on this date in 1966. He is a Black classical concert artist and pianist. Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Awadagin Pratt began studying piano at six. Three years after moving to Normal, Illinois, he began studying violin. At 16, he entered the University of Illinois, studying piano, violin, and conducting. He subsequently […]

Shaquille O’Neal, Basketball Player and Businessman born

*Shaquille O’Neal was born on this date in 1972. He was an African American professional basketball player.

Supreme Court Judge’s Visit is Challenged

*On this date in 2002, five Black professors boycotted a daylong visit to the University of North Carolina Law School by Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas.

A Racial Protest Takes Place in Benton Harbor, Michigan

On this date in 2003, a racial disturbance occurred in Benton Harbor, Michigan.

Benton Harbor is a city of 12,000, of which 92% were Black, and plagued for years by poverty, high unemployment, and racial tensions. The riot began after the death of Terrance Shurn, 28, of Benton Harbor. His speeding motorcycle crashed into a building as Benton Township police chased him. Shurn was Black and the officers who chased him into the city were White. No serious injuries were reported in Monday’s violence, but late Tuesday, bottle-throwing residents overpowered the small police force.

The Supreme Court Reaffirms Affirmative Action

On this date in 2003, the U. S. Supreme Court upheld affirmative action.

A divided Supreme Court reaffirmed colleges’ right to give an edge to minority applicants to attain campus diversity, but raised the threshold in hopes of ending affirmative action within 25 years. While the 5-4 decision found that the University of Michigan law school’s race-based admissions system meets “a compelling government interest,” the court gave a separate victory to opponents of affirmative action.

Grutter v. Bollinger is Decided

*Grutter v. Bollinger was decided on this date in 2003.  This was a landmark case of the United States Supreme Court concerning affirmative action in student admissions. The Court held that a student admissions process that favors “underrepresented minority groups” does not violate the Fourteenth Amendment’s Equal Protection Clause so long as it considers other […]