* Today in Black History - May 27 * 1863 - Captain Andre' Callioux and his Native Guard Regiment, which had once fought for the Confederacy, charge Port Hudson, Louisiana. The Union Army Guard, intent on disproving white contentions that "Negroes" lacked the intelligence for combat, will make six different assaults on the stronghold. 1917 - One African American is killed and hundreds are left homeless in race riots in East St. Louis, Illinois. 1935 - Ramsey Lewis is born in Chicago, Illinois. While attending Chicago Musical College, he will form the Gentlemen of Swing (later called The Ramsey Lewis Trio) with The Cleff's old rhythm section, Eldee Young (bass) and Redd Holt (drums). Their weekend gig will catch the attention of an influential deejay (Daddio-O-Dayle), who convinces blues record company owner Phil Chess to expand into jazz and sign the trio. From the start (1958) their records were popular, although in the early days they had a strong jazz content. In 1958 Lewis will also record with Max Roach and Lem Winchester. On the 1965 albums "The In Crowd" and "Hang On Sloopy," Ramsey will make the piano into a major attraction and from that point on, his records will become much more predictable and pop-oriented. In 1966, his trio's personnel will change with bassist Cleveland Eaton and drummer Maurice White (later the founder of Earth, Wind and Fire) joining Lewis. In the 1970s Lewis will often play electric piano, although by later in the decade, he was sticking to acoustic and hiring an additional keyboardist. He plays melodic jazz when he wants to, but will stick to easy-listening pop music during the his career. 1936 - Louis Gossett, Jr. is born in Brooklyn, New York. He will make his acting debut at 17 in "Take a Giant Step" and act in numerous stage, film and television roles including Fiddler in "Roots," for which he will win an Emmy. His portrayal of the tough drill instructor in "An Officer and a Gentleman" will win him an Academy Award as best supporting actor in 1982, the third African-American to win an Oscar for acting. 1941 - A race riot begins in East St. Louis, Illinois. After four days of rioting, one African American will be killed. 1942 - Dorie Miller, a messman from Waco, Texas, is awarded the Navy cross for his heroic deeds at Pearl Harbor. The Cross is pinned on his chest by Admiral Chester W. Nimitz. 1958 - Ernest Green graduates from Little Rock's Central High School with six hundred white classmates, becoming the first of the "little Rock Nine" to graduate from high school. 1961 - Ralph Boston of the United States, sets the long jump record. 1963 - Jomo Kenyatta is elected first prime minister of self-governing Kenya. In the early 1950s, Kenyatta was sentenced to seven years of hard labor for alleged links to the Mau Mau, a clandestine anti- British organization. In 1964, Kenyatta will become the first president of Kenya, remaining in that position until 1978. 1965 - Todd Bridges is born in San Francisco, California. He will become a child actor and is best known for his roles in the TV series "Diff'rent Strokes," and "Fish." 1968 - The Supreme Court orders schools to present a realistic desegregation plan immediately. The ruling comes almost 13 years to the day after the Court's "all deliberate speed" desegregation order in 1955. 1975 - Ezzard Charles, former heavyweight boxing champion, joins the ancestors in Chicago at the age of 53. ______________________________________________________________ Munirah Chronicle is edited by Brother Mosi Hoj "The TRUTH shall make you free" E-mail: <[log in to unmask]> Archives: <http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/Munirah.html> _____________________________________________________________ To SUBSCRIBE send E-mail to: <[log in to unmask]> In the E-mail body place: Subscribe Munirah Your FULL Name ______________________________________________________________ Munirah(TM) is a trademark of Information Man. Copyright 2003, All Rights Reserved by the Information Man in association with CODE One Communications.