WYBC celebrates Black History EVERYDAY!
Facts from www.blackfacts.com
April 1
1989 – Bill White, former St. Louis Cadinal first baseman, is named president of the National Baseball League.
1966 – Through the 24th, First world festival of Black art held in Dakar, Senegal.
April 2
1984 – John Thompson became the first Black coach to win the NCAA basketball tournament.
1939 – Marvin Gaye was born today in Washington D.C.
April 3
1961 – Comedian Eddie Murphy was born on this day in Brooklyn, NY.
1968 – Dr. Martin Luther King delievered his final address, entitled “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop” at Bishop Charles Mason Temple.
April 4
1928 – Poet Maya Angelou was born on this day in St. Louis Missouri.
1967 – Dr. Martin Luther King declares his opposition to the Vietnam War.
April 5
1956 – Constance Rise, nonprofit chief executive and civil rights lawyer, was born today in Washington, D.C.
1951 – Segregation in Washington, D.C. restaurants outlawed segregated restaurants today.
April 6
1927 – Surgeon Dr. Mildred Jefferson was born today in Pittsburgh, Texas.
1947 – Journalist and editor Monroe Anderson was born today in Gary, Indiana.
April 7
1915 – Jazz singer Billie Holiday (aka Eleanor Fagan) was born today.
1940 – Booker T. Washington appears on postage stamps. This is the first stamp to honor an African American.
April 8
1974 – Hank Aaron sets home run record by hitting his 715th home run at Atlanta Stadium. He broke Babe Ruth’s record. His record of 755 career home runs still constitutes the most in Major League Baseball.
1946 – BET founder Robert Johnson was born today.
April 9
1939 – Marian Anderson performs for an audience of 65,000 on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. This is after she is refused admission for the Daughters of American Revolution’s Constitutional Hall.
1933 – Psychologist and African American studies professor Nathan Hare was born today in Slick, Oklahoma.
April 10
1916 – Richard Allen made Bishop of the AME Church.
1954 – Newspaper columnist, radio personality and television commentator Juan Williams was born today in Santa Marta, Colombia.
April 11
1966 – Emmett Ashford became this first African American major league umpire.
1968 – President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act of 1968 on this date in Washington D.C. It is also known as the Housing Rights Act of1968.
April 12
1975 – Opera singer Leotyne Price was awarded the Order of Merit in the Italian Republic.
1983 – Harold Washington was elected Mayor of Chicago after a racially tense campaign.
April 13
1946 – Grammy-winning soul, pop and Gospel singer Al Green was born today in Forest City, Arkansas.
1669 – An African American man named Emmanuel was baptized today in a Lutheran congregation in New York.
April 14
1938 – College president Gloria Scott was born today in Houston.
1873 – U.S. Supreme Decision in Slaughterhouse cases began the process of diluting the 14th amendment.
April 15
1915 – Attorney and politician Walter Edward Washington was born today in Dawson, Georgia.
1974 – U.S. Departments of Labor and Justice and the Equal Employment Opportunities Commission announce that nine major steel manufactures have agreed to a five-year plan to redress discriminatory practices against minorities and women.
April 16
1947 – Basketball player Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was born today in New York.
1973 – Lelia Smith Foley becomes the first African American to be elected mayor of a U.S. City.
April 17
1941 – Mathematician James Donaldson was born today in Madison County, Florida.
1990 – Playwright August Wilson wins his second Pulitzer Prize for the play, “The Piano Lesson.”
April 18
1919 – University president and education advisor Samuel Myers was born today in Baltimore, Maryland.
1944 – Newspaper reporter Karen DeWitt was born today in Washington, Pennsylvania.
April 19
1866 – The African American citizens of Washington D.C. celebrated the abolition of slavery.
1972 – Major General Frederic E. Davidson became the first African American to assume command of an Army Division today.
April 20
1944 – Film hairstylist Robert Louis Stevenson was born today.
1990 – The first Bay Area “Black Filmworks Festival” was held today in Oakland, California.
April 21
1947 – Magazine editor and author Audrey Edwards was born today in Tacoma, Washington.
1966 – Milton Olive Jr. was awarded a Congressional Medal of Honor for bravery in Vietnam.
April 22
1964 – James Baldwin’s Blues for Mister Charlie opened on Broadway on this day.
1947 – Broadcast chief executive Cathy Hughes was born today in Omaha, Nebraska.
April 23
1872 – Charlotte E. Ray became the first African American lawyer. She graduated from Howard Law School.
1913 – The National Urban League was found today.
April 24
1950 – The United Negro College Fund was founded today.
1947 – Television sports host Glenn Harris was born today in New York.
April 25
1960 – The federal court finally ended restrictions against black voting in Fayette County, Tennessee.
1950 – Charles “Chuck” Copper became the first African American ever drafted by an NBA team. He was drafted by the Boston Celtics.
1917 – Singer Ella Fitzgerald was born today.
April 26
1970 – Publisher Donna Byrd was born today in Norfolk, Virginia.
1949 – Newspaper columnist Joe Davidson was born today.
April 27
1903 – W.E.B. DuBois’ highly influential collection of essays, The Souls of Black Folk, was published today.
1929 – Television reporter Barbara Boyd was born today.
April 28
1967 – Robert Claytor was elected president of the YWCA – the first African American president of the organization.
1941 – The Supreme Court declares that ‘separate but equal” requires equality.
April 29
1899 – Edward Kennedy – known as Duke Ellington – was born today in Washington D.C.
1922 – Municipal court chief justice, the Honorable Harry Elam was born today in Boston.
April 30
1961 – NBA All-Star Isiah Thomas was born today in Chicago, Illinois.
1863 – Sarah Thompson Garnet becomes the first African American female principal in the New York City Public School system.
Facts from www.blackfacts.com
