* Today in Black History - June 15 *
1864 - Congress passes a bill equalizing pay, arms, equipment and medical
services of African American troops.
1877 - Henry Ossian Flipper, born a slave in Thomasville, Georgia, in 1856,
is the first African American cadet to graduate from the United
States Military Academy at West Point, New York. Flipper, who was
never spoken to by a white cadet during his four years at West
Point, was appointed a second lieutenant in the all-African
American 10th Cavalry, stationed at Fort Sill in Indian Territory.
1921 - Bessie Coleman, a 28-year-old native of Amarillo, Texas, who learned
French in order to communicate with instructors, receives a pilot's
certificate from the Federation Aeronautique Internationale in
France. She is the first African American woman to become a
licensed pilot.
1921 - Erroll Garner is born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He will become
an accomplished pianist who will play by ear. Much of his early
work will be lost because it will not be written down. His best
known composition will be "Misty." He will be an ASCAP Award-
winning jazz pianist. Some of his other hits will be "Dreamy,"
"That's My Kick," "Moment's Delight," and "Solitaire." He will be
honored on a stamp by the U.S. Postal Service.
1951 - Joe Louis knocks out Lee Savold in a closed-circuit TV fight seen by
fight fans in movie theatres in six cities.
1969 - O'Shea Jackson is born in Los Angeles, California. Known later as
"Ice Cube," he will be the first member of the seminal Californian
rap group N.W.A. to leave, and he will quickly establish himself as
one of hip-hop's best and most controversial artists. From the
outset of his career, he will court controversy, since his rhymes
were profane and political. As a solo artist, his politics and
social commentary will sharpen substantially, and his first two
records, "AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted" and "Death Certificate," will be
equally praised and reviled for their lyrical stance, which happens
to be considerably more articulate than many of his gangsta peers.
As his career progresses, Ice Cube's influence begins to decline,
particularly as he tries to incorporate elements of contemporary
groups like Cypress Hill into his sound, but his stature never
diminished, and he will remain one of the biggest rap stars
throughout the '90s. He will also become an actor and will have his
acting debut in John Singleton's "Boyz N the Hood."
1971 - The U.S. Supreme Court upholds the constitutionality of closing
Jackson, Mississippi, swimming pools rather than integrating them.
The ruling is considered by many to indicate the Court's resistance
to increased integration.
1971 - Vernon E. Jordan Jr., former executive director of the United Negro
College Fund, is appointed executive director of the National Urban
League.
1987 - Michael Spinks defeats Gerry Cooney in round five of their
heavyweight boxing match in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
1990 - St. Clair Drake joins the ancestors after succumbing to a heart
attack in Palo Alto, California. The noted sociologist and
anthropologist was the author of numerous books, including the
important 'Black Metropolis' which he co-authored with Horace
Cayton. In 1969, he established and served as Director of the
African and Afro-American Studies Program at Stanford University, a
program often imitated by other colleges and universities.
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