*      Today in Black History - July 1                     *

1863 - The Dutch West Indies abolishes slavery.

1870 - James W. Smith is the first African American to enter the U.S.
        Military Academy (West Point).

1873 - Henry O. Flipper of Georgia is the second African American to enter
        West Point .

1889 - Frederick Douglass is named minister to Haiti.

1898 - The African American 10th Calvary charges Spanish Forces at El Caney,
        Cuba, and relieves Teddy Roosevelt's "Rough Riders."

1899 - Rev. Thomas Andrew Dorsey, "Father of Gospel Music" is born in Villa
        Rica, Georgia.  Although he will begin touring with Ma Rainey, he
        will leave the blues in 1932 to work as a choir director for Pilgrim
        Baptist Church.  A gospel legend, among his most popular songs will
        be "A Little Talk with Jesus."

1915 - Willie Dixon, bassist ("Walkin' the Blues") is born in Vickburg,
        Mississippi.

1917 - A three day race riot starts in East St. Louis, Illinois. Estimates
        of the number killed ranges from forty to two hundred.  There had
        been an earlier race riot that occurred on May 27, 1917.  Martial
        law is declared.  A congressional investigating committee will say,
        "It is not possible to give accurately the number of dead.  At least
        thirty-nine Negroes and eight white people were killed outright, and
        hundreds of Negroes were wounded and maimed.  'The bodies of the dead
        Negroes,' testified an eye witness, 'were thrown into a morgue like
        so many dead hogs.'  There were three hundred and twelve buildings
        and forty-four railroad freight cars and their contents destroyed by
        fire."

1942 - Andrae Crouch, African American sacred music artist, is born. His most
        enduring gospel songs will be 'Soon and Very Soon,' 'My Tribute',
        'The Blood' and 'Through It All.'

1960 - Ghana becomes a republic.  Italian Somalia gains independence,
        and unites with the Somali Republic.

1960 - Evelyn "Champagne" King, singer ('Shame,' 'I'm In Love') , is born in
        the Bronx, New York City, New York.

1961 - Carl Lewis, track & field athlete who will win eight Olympic gold
        medals and eight world championships, is born.

1962 - Burundi & Rwanda gain independence from Belgium (National Days).

1976 - Newark mayor Kenneth Gibson is elected as the first African American
        president of the U.S. Conference of Mayors.

1991 - Former chairman of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and
        judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals, Clarence Thomas is nominated by
        President George Bush as associate justice of the Supreme Court to
        replace retiring justice Thurgood Marshall.  Thomas' Senate
        confirmation hearings will be the most controversial in history and
        will include charges of sexual harassment by a former employee,
        Professor Anita Hill.

1997 - Audrey F. Manley begins her appointment as president of Spelman
        College.  She is the first alumna of Spelman to be named president
        in the college's 116-year history.  Formerly acting surgeon general
        of the United States, Manley has served in key leadership positions
        in the U.S. Public Health Service for the last 20 years.

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