* Today in Black History - June 15 *
1864 - Congress passes a bill equalizing pay, arms, equipment and medical
services of African American troops.
1877 - Henry O. Flipper, born into slavery in Thomasville, Georgia, becomes
the first African American to graduate from West Point.
1921 - Bessie Coleman, a 28-year-old native of Amarillo, Texas, who learned
French in order to communicate with instructors, receives a pilot's
certificate from the Federation Aeronautique Internationale in
France. She is the first African American woman to become a licensed
pilot.
1921 - Erroll Garner is born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He will become
an accomplished pianist who will play by ear. Much of his early work
will be lost because it will not be written down. His best known
composition will be "Misty." He will be an ASCAP Award-winning jazz
pianist. Some of his other hits will be "Dreamy," "That's My Kick,"
"Moment's Delight," and "Solitaire." He will be honored on a stamp
by the U.S. Postal Service.
1951 - Joe Louis knocks out Lee Savold in a closed-circuit TV fight seen by
fight fans in movie theatres in six cities.
1969 - O'Shea Jackson is born in Los Angeles, California. Known later as
"Ice Cube," he will be the first member of the seminal Californian
rap group N.W.A. to leave, and he will quickly establish himself as
one of hip-hop's best and most controversial artists. From the outset
of his career, he will court controversy, since his rhymes were
profane and political. As a solo artist, his politics and social
commentary will sharpen substantially, and his first two records,
"AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted" and "Death Certificate," will be equally
praised and reviled for their lyrical stance, which happens to be
considerably more articulate than many of his gangsta peers. As his
career progresses, Ice Cube's influence begins to decline, particularly
as he tries to incorporate elements of contemporary groups like Cypress
Hill into his sound, but his stature never diminished, and he will
remain one of the biggest rap stars throughout the '90s. He will also
become an actor and will have his acting debut in John Singleton's
"Boyz N the Hood."
1971 - The U.S. Supreme Court upholds the constitutionality of closing
Jackson, Mississippi, swimming pools rather than integrating them.
The ruling is considered by many to indicate the Court's resistance
to increased integration.
1971 - Vernon E. Jordan Jr., former executive director of the United Negro
College Fund, is appointed executive director of the National Urban
League.
1987 - Michael Spinks defeats Gerry Cooney in round five of their heavyweight
boxing match in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
1990 - St. Clair Drake dies of a heart attack in Palo Alto, California.
The noted sociologist and anthropologist was the author of
numerous books, including the important 'Black Metropolis'
which he co-authored with Horace Cayton. In 1969, he established
and served as Director of the African and Afro-American Studies
Program at Stanford University, a program often imitated by other
colleges and universities.
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