* Today in Black History - June 20 *
1858 - Charles W. Chestnutt is born in Cleveland, Ohio. He will at one
time maintain four careers simultaneously - stenographer, lawyer,
author, and lecturer. His most famous literary works will be a
biography of Frederick Douglass and the short story collection
"The Conjure Woman". In 1928, he will receive the NAACP's
Spingarn Medal for his literacy accomplishments.
1871 - Ku Klux Klan trials begin in federal court in Oxford, Mississippi.
Many whites, including doctors, lawyers, ministers and college
professors, are arrested and jailed in the anti-Klan campaign.
Of the 930 indicted in Mississippi, 243 will be tried and found
guilty. Some 1180 are indicted in South Carolina and 1849 are
indicted in North Carolina.
1911 - The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People is
incorporated in New York City. It had been founded on February 12,
1909.
1926 - Mordecai W. Johnson becomes the first African American president of
Howard University.
1929 - "Hot Chocolates" premieres at the Hudson Theatre in New York City.
With music by Fats Waller and lyrics by Andy Razaf, the musical
will introduce the songs "Ain't Misbehaving" and "Black and Blue".
1936 - Jesse Owens of the U.S. sets the 100 meter record at 10.2 seconds.
1943 - Thirty-four persons are killed in race riots in Detroit, Michigan.
Federal troops are called in to control the violence, which stems
from African Americans' frustration over exclusion from civilian
defense jobs.
1946 - Andre' Watts is born in Nuremburg, Germany. He will make his debut
as a concert pianist at age nine, have his New York Philharmonic
debut in 1963, and become a world-famous classical pianist.
1949 - Lionel Ritchie is born in Tuskegee, Alabama. He will be one of the
most successful singers/songwriters in contemporary popular music,
known for his efforts in pop, Rhythm & Blues, and country music.
Once a member of the Commodores, Richie will establish a solo
career, win Grammys in 1982 and 1984, and be a featured performer
at the closing ceremonies of the 1984 Summer Olympic Games in Los
Angeles.
1950 - Willie Mays graduates from high school and immediately signs with
the New York Giants for a $6,000 bonus. 'The Say Hey Kid' would
play most of his career for the Giants -- in both New York and
San Francisco -- becoming a baseball legend. As his career comes
to a close, Mays will be traded to the New York Mets. Mays, an
all-star center fielder will be enshrined in the Baseball Hall
of Fame.
1960 - Harry Belafonte wins an Emmy for his variety special "Tonight with
Harry Belafonte". It is the first Emmy awarded to an African
American.
1960 - Floyd Patterson wins back the world heavyweight title by knocking
out Ingemar Johanson of Sweden in round five of a title bout at
the Polo Grounds in New York City.
1967 - Muhammad Ali is convicted in Houston, Texas, in federal court for
violating the Selective Service Act by refusing induction into the
armed services. He is fined $10,000 and sentenced to five years in
prison. Ali, an opponent of the Vietnam War, had refused to report
for service on grounds that he was a Muslim minister. The U.S.
Supreme Court will later overturn his conviction.
1969 - 150,000 people attend the Newport Jazz Festival. Jimi Hendrix
gets $125,000 to appear on the program. This is the largest
paycheck for a single concert appearance at the time.
1988 - The Supreme Court upholds a law that made it illegal for private
clubs to discriminate against women and minorities.
1987 - Whitney Houston's album, "Whitney", debuts on "Billboard" magazine's
album charts at number one. Houston becomes the first female to
have a LP debut at the top.
1990 - South African Black nationalist Nelson Mandela and his wife, Winnie,
arrive in New York City for a ticker-tape parade in their honor as
they begin an eight-city United States tour.
1997 - Lawrence Payton, occasional songwriter and member of the "Four Tops,"
joins the ancestors after succumbing to liver cancer at his
Southfield, Michigan home at the age of 59. In 1953, he joined the
Four Aims, which consisted of him, Levi Stubbs, Renaldo "Obie"
Benson and Abdul "Duke" Fakir. They changed their name to the Four
Tops in order to avoid confusion with the Ames Brothers. In 1956,
they signed to Chess Records and subsequently moved on to the Red
Top, Riverside and Columbia labels. They were part of Billy
Eckstine's Las Vegas Revue in 1960 and in 1963 were signed to
Motown Records where they were teamed with the production team of
Holland, Dozier & Holland. Their last label signing was to Arista
in 1988. In 1990, they were inducted into the Rock 'n" Roll of Fame.
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