* 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 she 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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