* Today in Black History - April 29 *
1854 - Ashmun lnstitute, later Lincoln University, is founded in
Oxford, Pennsylvania. It will be "the first institution
founded anywhere in the world to provide a higher
education in the arts and sciences for youth of African
descent." (This applies to the modern era).
1881 - Julian Francis Abele is born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
He will become an architect and designed Philadelphia's
Museum of Art and the Free Library, as well as major
buildings on the Duke University campus. He will join the
ancestors on April 23, 1950.
1899 - Edward "Duke" Kennedy Ellington is born in Washington, DC.
He will form his first band in 1919, and move to New York
City in 1922. His five-year tenure at the famed Cotton
Club will garner him wide acclaim. Scoring both his first
musical and making his recording debut in 1924, Ellington
will be known as the first conventional jazz composer,
although he will also become renowned for his Sacred
Concerts in the mid-1960's. His most notable works
include "Take the A Train," "Mood Indigo," "Sophisticated
Ladies," and "I Got It Bad and That Ain't Good." He will
join the ancestors on May 24, 1974.
1915 - Donald Mills is born in Piqua, Ohio. With his brothers,
Herbert, Harry and John, the Mills Brothers will begin
performing in 1922 in their hometown and over time will
sell an estimated 50 million records. The group will break
racial barriers in the era of Jim Crow and sing before
royalty in London. From the early 1930s onward, the Mills
Brothers will be a nationwide hit on radio and in record
sales. In 1931, the song "Tiger Rag" will sell 1 million
copies. Some of their other hit songs will include "You
Always Hurt the One You Love," "Glow Worm," "Yellow Bird,"
and "Paper Doll." The brothers will also appear in several
movies, including "The Big Broadcast" in 1932, and "Twenty
Million Sweethearts" in 1934. Donald will be the last
surviving member of the group and will tour in his later
years with his youngest son, John, after his brothers
retire in 1982. He will accept a Grammy Award for Life
Achievement for the Mills Brothers in 1998. He will join
the ancestors in 1999.
1922 - Parren James Mitchell is born in Baltimore, Maryland. In
1971, he will become the first African American elected to
Congress from the State of Maryland. During his 16 year
congressional career, he fought for affirmative action
legislation. As Chairman of the Small Business Committee,
Mitchell attached an amendment to a $4 billion public works
bill that compelled state and local governments, seeking
federal grants, to set aside 10% of the funds to retain
minority firms as contractors and subcontractors. He
initiated a congressional investigation into Wedtech where
bribes were alleged to have been offered in return for no
bid military contracts. His nephews State Senators Clarence
Mitchell III and Michael Mitchell ended up serving time in
Federal prison for their parts in the scandal. In 1986
he will retire from Congress and run unsuccessfully for
Lt. Governor of Maryland. He will join the ancestors on
May 28, 2007.
1928 - Carl Edward Gardner is born in Tyler, Texas. He will become
the first original Coaster in late September or early
October 1955 and will stay with the group and be the
Coasters´ spokesman for over fifty years. He will lead such
Coasters classics as "Down In Mexico", "One Kiss Led To
Another", "Young Blood", "Idol With The Golden Head",
"Dance!", "Three Cool Cats", "Sexy", "That Is Rock & Roll",
"Bad Blood", "Love Potion Number Nine" and "Cool Jerk"
among others. His happy clear tenor also played the most
important role in the Coasters´ famous unison sung hits
"Yakety Yak", "Charlie Brown", "Along Came Jones", "Poison
Ivy", "I´m A Hog For You", and "What About Us". He will
move with the Coasters to New York in 1958. He will finally
settle in Port St. Lucie, Florida in 1990.
1934 - Otis Rush is born in Philadelphia, Mississippi. He will
become a blues musician and will help to shape Chicago's
West Side blues sound.
1948 - Willi Smith is born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. A noted
designer, he will take his first job with Arnold Scaasi in
New York City and form his own fashion label, Willi Wear
Ltd., in 1976. He will be a Coty Award winner in 1983 and
will lead his company until he joins the ancestors in 1987.
1967 - Mrs. Robert W. Clayton is elected president of the YWCA, the
first African American president of the organization.
1983 - Harold Washington is sworn in as the first African American
mayor of Chicago.
1992 - Rioting erupts in Los Angeles after a jury acquits four
white policemen of charges related to the videotaped
beating of African American motorist Rodney King. The
National Guard and federal troops are mobilized to deal
with the civil disturbance, which will last several days
and cost the lives of 58 persons. There are demonstrations
and riots in other American cities.
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