*              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
        died on March 28, 1958 in New York City, the same year "The
        St. Louis Blues", an biographical movie of his life debuted.

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 Olympics 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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