* Today in Black History - March 1 * 1780 - Pennsylvania becomes the first state to abolish slavery. 1841 - Blanche Kelso Bruce, the first African American to serve a full term in the United States Senate, is born a slave in Prince Edward County, Virginia. 1864 - Rebecca Lee graduates from the New England Female Medical College. She, along with Rebecca Cole and Susan McKinney, is one of the first African American female physicians. 1871 - James Milton Turner is named minister to Liberia and becomes the first African American diplomat accredited to an African country. James W. Mason was named minister in March, 1870, but never took his post. 1875 - The Civil Rights Bill is passed by Congress. The bill, which gives African Americans equal rights in inns, theaters, public transportation, and other public amusements, will be overturned by the Supreme Court in 1883. 1914 - Ralph Waldo Ellison, who will become the author of "Invisible Man" (winner of the 1952 National Book Award), is born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. 1927 - Harry Belafonte is born in New York City. He will become a successful folk singer, actor, and winner of the first Emmy awarded to an African American. His commitment to civil and human rights will lead him to march with Martin Luther King, Jr. in Montgomery, Selma, and Washington, DC. Among his achievements will be Kennedy Center Honors in 1989. 1933 - Merlie Evers-Williams is born. She will become the wife of Medgar Evers, who will be murdered by Byron de la Beckwith. She will later become a civil rights activist and the first woman to head the NAACP. 1949 - Joe Louis retires as heavyweight boxing champion after holding the title for a record eleven years and eight months. 1960 - Four national chain stores announce on October 17 that counters in about 150 stores in 112 cities in North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, Kentucky, Texas, Tennessee, Missouri, Maryland, Florida and Oklahoma have been integrated. The Alabama State Board of Education expells nine Alabama State students for participating in sit-in demonstrations. Montgomery, Alabama, police break up a protest demonstration on the Alabama State University campus and arrest thirty-five students, a teacher and her husband. San Antonio, Texas, becomes the first major Southern city to integrate lunch counters. Pope John elevates Bishop Laurian Rugambwa of Tanganyika to the College of Cardinals, the first cardinal of African descent in the modern era. 1963 - Carl T. Rowan is named United States ambassador to Finland. 1967 - The House of Representatives votes to expel Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. from the 90th Congress. ******************************************************** The source for these facts are "Encyclopedia Britannica, "InfoBeat," "I, Too, Sing America - The African American Book of Days," and independent research by the Information Man. ******************************************************** ______________________________________________________________ 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 1998, All Rights Reserved by the Information Man in association with CODE One Communications.