* Today in Black History - May 27 *
1863 - Captain Andre' Callioux and his Native Guard Regiment,
which had once fought for the Confederacy, charge Port
Hudson, Louisiana. The Union Army Guard, intent on
disproving white contentions that "Negroes" lacked the
intelligence for combat, will make six different
assaults on the stronghold.
1917 - One African American is killed and hundreds are left
homeless in race riots in East St. Louis, Illinois.
1935 - Ramsey Lewis is born in Chicago, Illinois. While
attending Chicago Musical College, he will form the
Gentlemen of Swing (later called The Ramsey Lewis Trio)
with The Cleff's old rhythm section, Eldee Young (bass)
and Redd Holt (drums). Their weekend gig will catch
the attention of an influential deejay (Daddio-O-Dayle),
who convinces blues record company owner Phil Chess to
expand into jazz and sign the trio. From the start
(1958) their records were popular, although in the early
days they had a strong jazz content. In 1958 Lewis will
also record with Max Roach and Lem Winchester. On the
1965 albums "The In Crowd" and "Hang On Sloopy," Ramsey
will make the piano into a major attraction and from that
point on, his records will become much more predictable
and pop-oriented. In 1966, his trio's personnel will
change with bassist Cleveland Eaton and drummer Maurice
White (later the founder of Earth, Wind and Fire) joining
Lewis. In the 1970s Lewis will often play electric piano,
although by later in the decade, he was sticking to
acoustic and hiring an additional keyboardist. He plays
melodic jazz when he wants to, but will stick to easy-
listening pop music during the his career.
1936 - Louis Gossett, Jr. is born in Brooklyn, New York. He
will make his acting debut at 17 in "Take a Giant Step"
and act in numerous stage, film and television roles
including Fiddler in "Roots," for which he will win an
Emmy. His portrayal of the tough drill instructor in "An
Officer and a Gentleman" will win him an Academy Award as
best supporting actor in 1982, the third African-American
to win an Oscar for acting.
1941 - A race riot begins in East St. Louis, Illinois. After
four days of rioting, one African American will be killed.
1942 - Dorie Miller, a messman from Waco, Texas, is awarded the
Navy cross for his heroic deeds at Pearl Harbor. The
Cross is pinned on his chest by Admiral Chester W. Nimitz.
1958 - Ernest Green graduates from Little Rock's Central High
School with six hundred white classmates, becoming the
first of the "little Rock Nine" to graduate from high
school.
1961 - Ralph Boston of the United States, sets the long jump
record.
1963 - Jomo Kenyatta is elected first prime minister of self-
governing Kenya. In the early 1950s, Kenyatta was
sentenced to seven years of hard labor for alleged links
to the Mau Mau, a clandestine anti-British organization.
In 1964, Kenyatta will become the first president of
Kenya, remaining in that position until 1978.
1965 - Todd Bridges is born in San Francisco, California. He
will become a child actor and is best known for his
roles in the TV series "Diff'rent Strokes," and "Fish."
1968 - The Supreme Court orders schools to present a realistic
desegregation plan immediately. The ruling comes almost
13 years to the day after the Court's "all deliberate
speed" desegregation order in 1955.
1975 - Ezzard Charles, former heavyweight boxing champion,
joins the ancestors in Chicago at the age of 53.
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