*           Today in Black History - November 16            *

 

1873 - William Christopher Handy is born in Florence, Alabama. 

            He will be best known as a composer and blues musician

            and earn the nickname "Father of the Blues."  Among 

            his most noteworthy compositions will be "Memphis 

            Blues," "St. Louis Blues," and "Beale Street Blues."  

            He will also form a music publishing company with 

            Harry Pace and become one of the most important

            influences in African-American music.  His 1941 

            autobiography, "Father of the Blues," will be a 

            sourcebook and reference on this uniquely African 

            American musical style.  W.C. Handy will join the 

            ancestors on March 28, 1958 in New York City, the same 

            year "The St. Louis Blues", an biographical movie of 

            his life debuts.

 

1873 - Richard T. Greener, who was the first African American 

            graduate of Harvard University, is named professor of 

            metaphysics at the University of South Carolina.

 

1873 - African Americans win three state offices in the 

            Mississippi election: Alexander K. Davis, Lieutenant 

            governor; James Hill, secretary of state; T.W. Cardozo, 

            superintendent of education. African Americans win 55 

            of the 115 seats in the house and 9 out of 37 seats in 

            the senate, 42 per cent of the total number.

 

1930 - Chinua Achebe is born in Ogidi, Nigeria.  He will become 

            the internationally acclaimed author of the novel 

            "Things Fall Apart," among others.  

 

1931 - Hubert Sumlin is born on a farm near Greenwood, 

            Mississippi. Sumlin will leave home at seventeen to 

            tour clubs and taverns throughout the South with his 

            childhood friend James Cotton. The Jimmy Cotton band 

            will record for the Sun label in Memphis from 1950 to 

            1953. In 1954, Sumlin will join the Howlin' Wolf band 

            and move to Chicago. It will be Howlin' Wolf who 

            mentors Sumlin, prodding and encouraging him to find 

            his own style and develop as a performer. He will 

            perform with Howlin' Wolf for twenty five years.

 

1962 - Wilt Chamberlain of the NBA San Francisco Warriors 

            scores 73 points against the New York Knicks.

 

1963 - Zina Garrison, professional tennis player (1988 Olympic 

            Gold, Bronze), is born in Houston, Texas.

 

1964 - Dwight Gooden, professional baseball pitcher (New York 

            Mets), is born.  "The Doctor" will set the record for 

            most strikeouts in a rookie season and become Rookie 

            of the Year in 1984.  He also will become the youngest 

            to achieve that award.  He will receive the Cy Young 

            Award in 1985. 

 

1967 - A one-man showing of 48 paintings by Henry O. Tanner is 

            presented at the Grand Central Galleries in New York 

            City.  The presentation of the canvases, not in the 

            best of condition, is criticized by The New York Times 

            as an "injustice to a proud man." 

 

1967 - Lisa Bonet, actress ("The Cosby Show", "A Different 

            World", "Angel Heart", Bank Robber", "New Eden", "Dead

            Connection") is born in San Francisco, California.

 

1972 - The Louisiana National Guard mobilizes after police 

            officers kill two students during demonstrations at 

            Southern University.

 

1975 - Walter Payton of the Chicago Bears rushes for 105 yards 

            in a game against the San Francisco '49ers.  It will 

            be Payton's first game of 100 plus yards. He will 

            repeat this feat over 50 times throughout his career 

            and add two 200-yard games.

 

1989 - South African President F.W. de Klerk announces the 

            scrapping of the Separate Amenities Act, opening up 

            the country's beaches to all races.

 

1996 - Texaco agrees to pay $176.9 million dollars to settle 

            a two-year old race discrimination class action suit.

 

1998 - The Supreme Court rules that union members can file 

            discrimination lawsuits against employers even when 

            labor contracts require arbitration.


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