* Today in Black History - June 15 * 1864 - Congress passes a bill equalizing pay, arms, equipment and medical services of African American troops. 1877 - Henry Ossian Flipper, born a slave in Thomasville, Georgia, in 1856, is the first African American cadet to graduate from the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York. Flipper, who was never spoken to by a white cadet during his four years at West Point, was appointed a second lieutenant in the all-African American 10th Cavalry, stationed at Fort Sill in Indian Territory. 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. 1938 - Billie Lee Williams, baseball player (Rookie of the Year 1961), and Chicago Cubs outfielder, is born. 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 joins the ancestors after succumbing to 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. 1996 - Ella Jane Fitzgerald joins the ancestors. Dubbed the 'First Lady of Song,' she was the most popular female jazz singer in the United States for more than half a century. During her lifetime, she sold over 40 million albums and won 13 Grammy awards. Born in Newport News, Virginia, Fitzgerald began singing after impressing the audience at the Apollo Theater’s Amateur Night in 1934. She could imitate every instrument in an orchestra and worked with all the jazz greats, from Duke Ellington, Count Basie, and Nat King Cole to Frank Sinatra, Dizzy Gillespie, and Benny Goodman. She performed at top venues all over the world, and her audiences were as diverse as her vocal range. She received the National Medal of Arts, France’s Commander of Arts and Letters Award, Kennedy Center Honors, and numerous honorary doctorates for her continuing contributions to the arts. ______________________________________________________________ Munirah Chronicle is edited by Rene' A. 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