* Today in Black History - October 22 * 1854 - James Bland is born in Flushing, New York. He will write over 700 songs including "Oh, Dem Golden Slippers" and "Carry Me Back to Old Virginny." The latter song will be selected in 1940 as the state song of Virginia, the state's legislators little knowing the identity and race of its composer. Virginia will decide to change their state song in the late 1990s due to protest from civil rights activists who say that the song glorifies slavery and is inappropriate. He will join the ancestors on May 5, 1911 after succumbing to tuberculosis. 1906 - Three thousand African Americans demonstrated and rioted in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to protest a theatrical presentation of Thomas Dixon's "The Clansman". 1936 - Robert George "Bobby" Seale is born in Dallas, Texas. He will become a Black political activist and co-founder, with Huey Newton, of the Black Panther Party. 1950 - Charles Cooper and Nat "Sweetwater" Clifton become two of the first three African Americans to play in an NBA game. Cooper had been drafted by the Boston Celtics on April 25, 1950, becoming the first African American ever drafted by a NBA team. 1952 - Frank E. Peterson, Jr. is commissioned as the first African American marine aviation officer. 1963 - 225,000 students boycott Chicago public schools in a Freedom Day protest against de facto segregation. 1986 - In an interview with the Washington Post, Spike Lee says, "Movies are the most powerful medium in the world and we just can't sit back and let other people define our existence, especially when they're putting lies out there on the screens." 1990 - President Bush vetos major civil rights legislation, arguing that the measure would force employers to adopt hiring quotas. The veto is later upheld. 1991 - Thirty African American delegates conclude a three-day visit to the Republic of South Africa at the invitation of the African National Congress. While there, TransAfrica's Randall Robinson charges President Bush with failing to exert his influence to end Black township strife and Congresswoman Maxine Waters vows to press United States' cities and states to maintain sanctions against the republic. ______________________________________________________________ Munirah Chronicle is edited by Rene' A. Perry "The TRUTH shall make you free" E-mail: <[log in to unmask]> Archives: http://listserv.icors.org/archives/Munirah.html http://blackagenda.com/cybercolonies/index.htm _____________________________________________________________ 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 1997 - 2010, All Rights Reserved by the Information Man in association with The Black Agenda.