*           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 will play 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 
	will, however, be her classical training which will 
	bring her recording success. She will be best known for 
	her recording of "Loving You." She will join the 
	ancestors in July, 1979 at the age of 31 after 
	succumbing to 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 - 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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