* Today in Black History - November 8 *
1878 - Marshall Walter "Major" Taylor is born in Indianapolis,
Indiana. He will become the world's fastest bicycle
racer for 12 years,
1920 - Esther Rolle is born in Pompano Beach, Florida. She will
become an actress, primarily on television. She will win an
Emmy Award for her role in "Summer of My German Soldier".
She will be best-known, however, for her role as Florida,
in the television sit-com, "Good Times." Even though Ms.
Rolle played characters who worked as maids, off-stage, she
will be a tireless crusader against black stereotypes in
Hollywood. She will join the ancestors in 1998 at the age
of 78. Note: At the time of her death, her manager will
give her date of birth as November 8, 1920, though some
references list the year as 1922.
1932 - The NAACP's Spingarn Medal is awarded to Robert R. Moton,
president of Tuskegee Institute, for his "thoughtful
leadership in conservative opinion and action."
1938 - Crystal Bird Fauset of Philadelphia, is elected to the
Pennsylvania House of Representatives. She is the first
African American woman elected to a state legislature.
1947 - Minnie Ripperton is born in Chicago, Illinois. She will
study opera under Marion Jeffrey. She will spend months
and months learning how to breathe and listening to and
holding vowels. Eventually, she will begin singing operas
and operettas with a show tune every so often. Despite her
natural talent (a pure five to six octave soprano) for opera,
Minnie will be more attracted to "Rock N Roll" and the
promise of a touring career. She will eventually
discontinue her classical training to follow her dream of
becoming a famous songstress. It would, however, be her
classical training which brought her the success she sought.
She will be best known for her recording of "Loving You."
She will join the ancestors in July, 1979 at the age of 31
from breast cancer.
1953 - Alfre Woodard is born in Tulsa, Oklahoma. She will become
an actress after her education at Boston University, School
of Fine Arts. She will receive a Golden Globe Award for
Best Actress in a Television Miniseries/Movie, an Emmy Award
for Best Actress, as well as ACE and Screen Actors Guild
Awards for Best Actress for her performance in the 1997 HBO
original movie, "Miss Evers' Boys." Woodard's many feature
film credits include "Star Trek: First Contact," "Heart and
Souls," "Primal Fear" opposite Richard Gere, the ensemble
film "How to Make An American Quilt," Spike Lee's family
drama, Crooklyn," Dr. Maya Angelou's "Down in the Delta"
starring Wesley Snipes, and "Passionfish," for which she
will receive a 1998 Golden Globe Nomination for Best Actress.
In 1984, she will receive an Academy Award nomination for her
performance in Martin Ritt's "Cross Creek."
1959 - The 'Big E', Elgin Baylor of the Minneapolis Lakers, scores
64 points and sets a National Basketball Association scoring
record.
1960 - Otis M. Smith is elected auditor general of Michigan and
becomes the first African American chosen in a statewide
election since Reconstruction.
1966 - Edward W. Brooke (Republican, Massachusetts), is elected to
the U.S. Senate and becomes the first African American senator
since Reconstruction and the first African American senator
elected by popular vote.
1966 - Frank Robinson of the Baltimore Orioles, the American League's
batting and home-run champion, is named the league's Most
Valuable Player.
1966 - John H. Johnson, publisher of Ebony and Jet magazines, is
awarded the NAACP's Spingarn Medal "for his productive
imagination...in the perilous field of publishing" and "for
his contributions to the enhancement of the Negro's self-image
through his publications."
1983 - W. Wilson Goode of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Harvey Gantt
of Charlotte, North Carolina, and James A. Sharp, Jr. of
Flint, Michigan, are the first African Americans elected
mayor of their respective cities.
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