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History Calendar Ryan Gomes, born September 1, 1982, of Cape Verdean descent, in Waterbury Connecticut, becomes a professional basketball player for the Boston Celtics and Minnesota Timber Wolves. Gomes hustles relentlessly, and Celtics television color commentary man Tommy Heinsohn described Gomes as the best offensive rebounder on the Celtics' roster. Despite his relatively small size, Gomes positions himself well on the court to rebound, and uses his hands well for easy put-back buckets and lay-ups. On January 21, 2008 Gomes scored a career high 35 points against the Golden State Warriors in a 109-108 win. Gomes played in all 82 Timberwolves games, starting 74 of them, and he averaged 12.6 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game. From: www.wikipedia.com Clinton Portis, born September 1, 1981, in Laurel, Mississippi, becomes a professional football player for the Denver Broncos and Washington Redskins, who attended Gainesville High School, in Gainesville, Florida, where he became a USA Today “Honorable Mention All-American.” In his senior year Portis became the Gainesville Sun newspaper’s Player of the Year, setting the schools record rushing of 2, 036 yards. In his senior year he scored 26 touchdowns. He became a standout in track and field athlete as well, clocking 10.6 in the 100 meters and participating on a state-record 4x100-meter relay team (40.8) and state champion 4x400-meter relay team. Portis broke his right hand during a game. The Redskins agreed to guarantee Portis' 2008-2009 a large portion of his 2010 base salaries in March. This will equal up to $15 million dollars in guarantees. Portis, also got a $9.32 million "signing bonus" upon restructuring. From: www.wikipedia.com Sammy Adjei, born September 1, 1980, in Accra, Ghana, becomes a Ghanaian international footballer who plays for Moadon Sport Ashdod in Israel. He is the current number one goalkeeper for the national side. Transferred from Accra-based Ghanaian club Hearts of Oak for a reported $150,000 on September 15, 2005. He became the football national hero after having saved a penalty by the Danish champion Rene Nygaard Jensen. Adjei received an injury in a game played in March 2007, and decided to retire from international football. From: www.wikipedia.com Jerry Azumah, born September 1, 1977, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, becomes a professional football player for the Chicago Bears. Selected as the 14th pick of the fifth round of the 1999 NFL Draft out of the University of New Hampshire, Azumah won the Walter Payton Award as the best offensive player in Division I-AA football. He attended Saint Peter-Marian High School in Worcester, Massachusetts. His best season came in 2003, when he led the league in kickoff returns with a twenty-nine-yard average and two touchdowns. From: www.wikipedia.com Cuttino Rashawn Mobley, born September 1, 1975, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, becomes a professional basketball player for the Houston Rockets, Orlando Magic, Sacramento Kings, and the Los Angeles Clippers. Cuttino, also known as the "Cat," attended Incarnation of Our Lord grade school in the Olney section of Philadelphia. After graduating from grade school, Mobley attended Cardinal Dougherty High School and Maine Central Institute. After high school, he attended the University of Rhode Island, where he helped lead the Rams to an Elite Eight appearance in the 1998 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament. Mobley is known for his three-point shooting, running the Clutch City shootout contest in Houston during his Rockets years. Mobley, along with Sam Cassell and Elton Brand, led the Clippers to the 2006 NBA playoffs. Mobley's half-brother, Daniel Smith, becomes a professional football player for the NFL Carolina Panthers, and his cousin John Mobley, also became a professional football player for the Denver Broncos. From: www.wikipedia.com Jason Taylor, born September 1, 1974, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, becomes a professional football player for the Miami Dolphins and Washington Redskins. He has won numerous awards in his career which include the 2006 AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year, and the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award in 2007. Taylor, one of People magazine's 2008 100 Most Beautiful People, becamea leading contender on the sixth season of the ABC reality competition program, Dancing with the Stars. In addition to his dancing prowess, his role in Dancing earned him a spot in Us Weekly's "TV's New Top 10 Dream Men." Taylor was also featured in a pictorial, "Ten Sexiest Athletes", in 2001 by Sports Illustrated and was ranked by a panel of Sports Illustrated swimsuit models as one of the Top 20 Best Looking Male Athletes. Despite being homeschooled from 10th to 12th grade, Taylor participated in athletics at Woodland Hills High School in Churchill, Pennsylvania, where he was a three -sport star in football and basketball. As a senior, he won Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League honors by Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and Gateway Newspapers at both tight end and free safety. From: www.wikipedia.com Tim Hardaway, born September 1, 1966, in Chicago, Illinois, becomes a professional basketball player for the Golden State Warriors and the Miami Heat. "Tim Bug, “is his nickname. As a member of the Warriors, he became the team’s all-time three-point leader He became he Miami Heats' all-time leader in assists in the franchise history. Hardaway became the 7th player in NBA history to average 20 points, and 10 assists in a season, accomplishing it again in 1992-93. He received the inaugural Jack McMahon award from his teammates as the most inspirational Warriors player during the 1989-90 seasons. Hardaway donates $20 per assist to the American Cancer Society and the Cancer Caring Center. His father Donald is a playground basketball legend in Chicago. Hardaway wears the initials "M.E.E." on the back of his shoes in memory of his grandmother, Minny E. Eubanks, who passed away during the summer of 1990. Billy Blanks, born the fourth of fifteen children, September 1, 1955, in Erie, Pennsylvania, becomes a professional karate expert, actor, fitness trainer, and inventor of the Tae Bo exercise program. He began his study of martial arts at the age of eleven. He quickly excelled, winning several local, state, and national championships.[citation needed] He emerged as a seven-time world Karate champion, and holds a seventh-degree black belt in tae kwon do.[citation needed] In the 1980s Blanks was a member of the United States MNAAU karate team.[2] Blanks became "athlete of the year" in the USA Karate Hall of Fame.[3] Blanks began his acting career in the 1980s where he starred in several action-adventure feature films. In the late 1980s, Blanks invented the Tae Bo workout, while running a karate studio in Quincy, Massachusetts. He used components of his martial arts and boxing training. The name is a portmanteau of tae kwon do and boxing. Blanks opened a fitness center in Los Angeles to teach his new workout. He later attracted some celebrity clients such as Paula Abdul and the popularity of the workout quickly grew, becoming a pop culture phenomenon after Blanks began releasing mass-marketed videos. The popularity of the workout later waned, but Blanks still attracts many celebrity clients and Tae Bo videos and DVDs have continued to sell well. As a child he suffered from undiagnosed dyslexia. Blanks is a Christian and released a special line of Tae Bo workouts called the "Believer's" series that includes motivational prayers and other Christian components. He has appeared on Christian television network TBN.[6] From: www.wikipedia.com Archie Bell, born September, 1, 1944, in Henderson, Texas, becomes lead singer of the group known as Archie Bell and the Drell’s, most remembered for the song and dance called “The Tighten Up.” He is the older brother of World Karate Champion and Lead Vocalist of Motown's Dazz Band Jerry Bell, and NFL player Ricky Bell (April 8, 1955-November 28, 1984). Ricky Bell died of heart failure caused by dermatomyositis. Mario Van Peebles portrayed the player in the made for television movie, "A Triumph of the Heart: The Ricky Bell Story," which was based on Bell's illness. Louis Delsarte, born Sept. 1, 1944, in Brooklyn, New York, becomes a gifted modern artist, a painter, muralist, printmaker, and illustrator. While growing up, music surrounded young Delsarte that included jazz, opera, musicals, and the blues. From this experience, as well as from his knowledge of African history and culture, he drew much of the inspiration for his art. Delsarte served as a professor of Fine Arts at Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia. He became an adjunct Professor at Spelman College. For 13 years his work has been exhibited around the United States. From: Contemporary Black Biography, Vol. 34, page 44 and www.wikipedia.com Webster Lewis, born September 1, 1943-November 20, 2002, in Baltimore, Maryland, became an R&B singer, musician, composer and arranger whose career in music consisted of conducting and arranging for many musicians including Michael Jackson, The Jackson’s, Barry White, Tom Jones, Lola Falana and Thelma Houston. From: African American Registry an Internet source Ron O’Neal, born September 1, 1937-January 14, 1974, in Utica, New York, becomes an actor, director and screenwriter. As an actor his most famous for his role became that of the character Youngblood Priest in “SuperFly,” which became one of the defining films of the twentieth century Blaxploitation genre. O'Neal also won an Obie Award, Clarence Derwent Award and a Theatre World Award for his work. He also appeared in a wide variety of film and TV shows and movies throughout the 1990s. From: African American Registry an Internet source and www.wikipedia.com Rosa Cuthbert Guy, born September 1, 1925 or 1928, in Trinidad, becomes an internationally acclaimed writer of adult and young people's fiction centering on the African diaspora and cofounder of the Harlem Writers Guild. Rosa Cuthbert Guy is of dual heritage—born in Trinidad, she grew up in Harlem, where events in her own life shaped her creative outlook, forming her unforgettable themes and characters. Rosa and her sister Ameze were left with relatives when their parents Audrey and Henry Cuthbert imigrated to the United States in 1927. The girls joined their parents in 1932, and briefly the family was united; however, in 1933, Rosa's mother became ill and the children were sent to Brooklyn to live with a cousin. Her cousin Garveyite’s politics of Black Nationalism profoundly affected young Rosa. In 1934, Rosa's mother died and she and her sister returned to Harlem to live with their father who remarried. The girls lived briefly with a stepmother until 1937, when their father died. She married at age sixteen, and while her husband served in World War II, Guy worked in the factory but sought creative ways to express herself. A coworker introduced her to the American Negro Theater (ANT). ANT, established in 1940, proved a launching pad for such actors as Sidney Poitier and Ruby Dee. Guy did not perform in any of the theater productions but studied acting there. From: www.wikipedia.com Louis W. Roberts, born September 1, 1913-November 3, 1995, in Jamestown, New York, becomes a scientist and educator whose research involved microwave development. He became manager of the tube division of Sylvania Electric and was the founder and president of Microwave Associates, now known as M-A Com. He became instrumental in the founding and developing of three other microwave companies in the 1950s and 1960s, Bomac Labs in Beverly, Metcom in Salem and Elcon Labs in Peabody. An accomplished author of numerous technical papers and journals on microwave theory, he held patents and rights on several technological innovations. [Louis] Roberts became chief of the microwave lab of NASA's electronics research center in Cambridge in the 1960s and was a pivotal member of the Apollo program as head of optics, photography and microwave electronics. From 1970 to his retirement in 1989, he held various senior positions with the Department of Transportation System Center in Cambridge, becoming its director in 1985. Among his many accomplishments at DOT were his works on the national airspace system plan and air traffic system controls worldwide." During Robert's career he served as chief of the Optics and Microwave Laboratory in the Electronics Research Center of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Louis Roberts founded and became president of a microwave company. His research interests focus on microwave and optical techniques and components, plasma research, solid state component and circuit development. From: http://www.math.buffalo.edu/mad/physics/roberts_louisw.html Anita Bush, born September 1, 1883-February 1974, in New York City, New York, became a dancer, actress and theater administrator who formed the Anita Bush Players of Harlem, which later became known as the Lafayette Players who were responsible for training over 300 Black performers and introducing serious theater to many cities across the country. The Anita Bush Players, the first professional Black dramatic non-musical theater ensemble in the United States. From: African American Registry an Internet source Jonathan Alexander Jackson, born September, 2, 1977, in Dayton, Ohio, becomes a professional football player for the New Orleans Saints, beginning 2001. From: http://www.armchairgm.com/Jonathan_Jackson Jason Lawson, born September, 2, 1974, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, becomes a professional basketball player for the Orlando Magic and the Denver Nuggets. From: www.wikipedia.com Katt Williams, born September 2, 1973, in Cincinnati, Ohio, becomes a comedian, rapper, and actor who became the voice of a pimp on the show “The Boondocks.” He has 8 children, including 7 adopted children. Williams rejected a scholarship to The National Science Academy,[4] choosing instead to emulate his idols such as Don Knotts, Bill Cosby, Darnell Allen, Walt New and Richard Pryor by becoming a comedian. In 2006, Williams starred on his own new stand-up HBO show, The Pimp Chronicles Pt. 1. From: www.wikipedia.com Cedric "K-Ci" Hailey, born September, 2, 1969, in Charlotte, North Carolina, becomes an R&B soul singer and songwriter, one-half of the duo K-Ci and JoJo and one-quarter of the R&B quartet Jodeci. He is the older brother of fellow Jodeci member Joel "Jo-Jo" Hailey. He is also the older half brother of neo-soul singer Calvin Richardson, and also the cousin of singer Dave Hollister, and American Idol winner Fantasia Barrino. From: www.wikipedia.com Lennox Lewis, born September 2, 1965, in West Ham, London, England, becomes a professional heavy weight boxer, who along with Muhammad Ali and Evander Holyfield, Lewis is one of three boxers in history to have won the heavyweight championship three times. From: www.wikipedia.com Sam Mitchell, born September, 2, 1963, in Columbus, Georgia, becomes a professional basketball player for the Houston Rockets, Minnesota Timberwolves and the Indiana Pacers, who became the head coach of the Toronto Raptors in 2004, and recognized as the “Coach of the Year,” in 2007. From: www.wikipedia.com Eric Dickerson, born September 2, 1960, in Sealy, Texas, becomes a professional football player for the Los Angeles Rams from 1983 to 1987; the Indianapolis Colts, from 1987 to 1991; the Los Angeles Raiders, in 1992; and the Atlanta Falcons in 1993. During his career he made 96 touch downs and is widely considered to be one of the greatest running backs in NFL history, known for his effortless, fluid style of running. From: www.wikipedia.com Nate "Tiny" Archibald, born September, 2, 1948, in New York City, New York, becomes a professional basketball player for the Cincinnati Royals from 1970 to 1972; the Kansas City Kings from 1972 to 1976; the New York Nets from 1976 to 1977; the Boston Celtics from 1978 to 1983 and the Milwaukee Bucks from 1983 to 1984. In 1973 Archibald led the NBA in scoring and assists, becoming the first and so far only player ever to win the titles in both categories in the same season (it should be noted, however, that in the 1967-68 season, Oscar Robertson (born November 24, 1938) led the NBA in both scoring average and assists per game but did not win the official titles because they were based on totals rather than averages at the time). From: www.wikipedia.com William Everett “Billy” Preston, born September 2, 1946-June 6, 2006, in Houston, Texas, becomes an R&B, rock, soul and funk singer, songwriter, musician and band leader. He played the keyboards, organ, piano, and electric piano. In addition to his successful, Grammy-winning career as a solo artist, Preston collaborated with some of the greatest names in the music industry, including the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Nat King Cole, Little Richard, Ray Charles, George Harrison, Elton John, Eric Clapton, Bob Dylan, Sam Cooke, King Curtis, Sammy Davis Jr., Sly Stone, Aretha Franklin, the Jackson 5, Quincy Jones, Richie Sambora, and Red Hot Chili Peppers. He played the Fender Rhodes electric piano and the Hammond organ on the Get Back sessions in 1969. Although Preston is one of several people sometimes credited as a "Fifth Beatle", he is one of two non-Beatles (the other being Tony Sheridan) to receive label performance credit on any Beatles record. From: www.wikipedia.com Rosalind Ashford, Holmes, born September, 2, 1943, in Detroit, Michigan, becomes an R&B singer, member of the female Motown group known as Martha Reeves and the Vandellas. Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inducted her as member of Martha and the Vandellas in 1995.. She continues to perform today.From: www.wikipedia.com Joe Simon, born September 2, 1943, in Simmesport, Louisiana, becomes an R&B singer, who stared singing in his father’s Baptist church. Simon joined the Golden West Gospel Singers and became influenced by the popular Sam Cooke and Arthur Prysock. With this, the group decided to turn secular and recorded "Little Island Girl" as the Golden Tones in 1959. Simon has had a number of his songs sampled by other artists, including OutKast, who sampled "Before the Night is Over" in their hit "So Fresh, So Clean" and Lil' Kim, who sampled Simon's "It Be's That Way Sometimes" in "Magic Stick", featuring 50 Cent. From: www.wikipedia.com John Thompson, born September, 2, 1941, in Washington, D.C., becomes a professional basketball player for the Boston Celtics, nicknamed “The Caddy,” from 1964 to 1966. In 1966, he retired from playing and took on the role of coaching basketball for St. Anthony High school near D.C. He coached for the Georgetown University Hoyas. He became a professional radio and TV sports commentator. In 1984, he became the first African American head coach to win the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship when Georgetown defeated the University of Houston 84-75. From: www.wikipedia.com Sam Gooden, born September, 2, 1939, in Chattanooga, Tennessee, becomes a soul singer, best known for being a member of the successful group The Impressions from its beginnings as "The Roosters" in the 1950s. Sam and the group are still recording and performing. Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inducted him with the group in 1991. From: www.wikipedia.com Ahmed (Mathieu) Kerekou, born September, 2, 1933, in Kouafa, in the north-west portion of Benin, becomes President of Benin, serving from 1972 to 1991 and again from 1996 to 2006. After seizing power in a military coup, he ruled the country for 17 years, for most of that time under an officially Marxist ideology. The National Conference of 1990 stripped Kerekou of his powers. However defeated in the 1991 presidential election, he returned to the presidency in the 1996 election and controversially re-elected in 2001. From: www.wikipedia.com Horace Silver, born Horace Ward Martin Tavares Silva, September, 2, 1928, in Norwalk, Connecticut, becomes a jazz pianist and composer, whose father came from Cape Verde and his mother, from New Canaan, Connecticut of Irish-African descent. Silver is known for his distinctive humorous and funky playing style and for his pioneering contributions to hard bop. Silver was influenced by a wide range of musical styles, notably gospel music, African music, and Latin American music and sometimes ventured into the soul jazz genre. From: www.wikipedia.com Daniel Toroitich arap Moi, born September, 2, 1924, in Kurieng'wo village, Sacho division, Baringo District, Rift Valley Province, becomes President of Kenya from 1978 until 2002. Daniel arap Moi is popularly known to Kenyans as 'Nyayo', a Swahili word for 'footsteps'. He claimed to be following the footsteps of the first Kenyan President, Jomo Kenyatta (born October 20, 1894-August 22, 1978.) From: www.wikipedia.com Walter S. McAfee, born September, 2, 1914-February 18, 1995, in Ore City, Texas, becomes a scientist, astronomer and mathematician. During World War II, McAfee became a member of the U.S. Army Signal Corp Engineering Laboratories. There he distinguished himself in electromagnetism and radar. He became a member of the Project Diana team responsible for the first lunar radar echo experiments in 1946. The goal of Project Diana determined if a high frequency radio signal could penetrate the outer atmosphere of the earth. The solution, to send a radar signal to the moon and bounce it back to earth., because they needed an accurate computation of the velocity of a position on the moon relative to a position on the earth. Dr. McAfee performed the calculations. He conducted a successful experiment on January 10, 1946. Unfortunately, McAfee's contributions to Project Diana (even his name) were not mentioned in news reports about the experiment. Dr. McAfee received awarded an honorary doctorate in science from Monmouth University in 1958, and the Steven's Award from Steven's Institute of Technology in 1985. Dr. McAfee received the Rosenwald Fellowship in Nuclear Physics and the Secretary of the Army Fellowship. From: http://www.math.buffalo.edu/mad/physics/mcafee_walters.html , Romare Bearden, born September, 2, 1912(14)-March 12, 1988, in Charlotte, North Carolina, becomes an artist and writer who worked in several media including cartoons, oils, and collage. Spending a stretches of time as a professional baseball player in the Negro Leagues interrupted his education. Between the war and his stay in Paris, Bearden had some important artistic successes. He developed a Cubist-inspired style of dark lines and thin color washes with which he produced fairly abstract representations of scenes from the Iliad and the Passion of Christ. Bearden turned to music, co-writing the hit song “Sea Breeze", recorded by Billy Eckstine and Dizzy Gillespie; it is still considered a jazz classic. From: www.wikipedia.com Joseph Seamon Cotter, Jr., born September, 2, 1895-1919, in Louisville, Kentucky, becomes a poet and educator. Cotter Sr. says the birth of Cotter Jr. took place in the room where achiever another famous poet of color, Paul Lawrence Dunbar, sat and read poetry while a guest in their home. Abram Simpson, who became the youngest Black Army captain during World War II, a friend of Cotter, Jr., probably inspired Cotter war poetry. Cotter became ill with tuberculosis, which killed his sister in 1914. Four years after her death, he would contract the same disease that cuts short his promising life of achievement at an early age. From: http://books.google.com/books?id=vAVl9UZxtSoC&pg=PA21&lpg=PA21&dq=joseph+seamon+cotter+jr.+was+born+on&source=web&ots=ZRGJUimqB2&sig=2AiqP40wqwet_7Nv80cbUEfqrYQ&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=9&ct=result#PPA21,M1 Allan R. Freelon, born September, 2, 1895-1960, (place of birth not mentioned in any of the reference sources viewed), becomes an educator and artist, a pioneer impressionist who became the first African-American to hold such a distinguished position here or anywhere in the U.S. According to Paschall, Freelon believed that everyone could benefit from the study of art and he committed himself to the idea that teachers of art appreciation should be practicing artists. While Freelon chose not to follow the artistic path of other African-Americans of his day, he became very aware of the artistic renaissance centered in New York's Harlem and exhibited his paintings with these artists. In 1935, Freelon produced a work strongly condemning racial oppression for the NAACP-sponsored exhibit called Barbecue - American Style on the injustice of lynching. Freelon disagreed with Alain Locke, a leader in the Harlem Renaissance, who believed that Black artists should look exclusively to Africa for inspiration. Freelon believed Black artists, like their white contemporaries, should follow an independent and self-realized course. From: http://www.ncat.edu/~museum/freelon.htm Mollie Dunlap, born September 2, 1898-?, in Paducah, Kentucky, becomes the librarian of Wilberforce University and state college. In 1935, she published a pioneering study of collections of African American materials and co-edited a 1947 compendium of Black institutions of higher earning. From: Notable Black American Women, Book 2 Amanda Randolph, born September 2, 1896-August 24, 1967, in Louisville, Kentucky, becomes an actress and comedian. She’s had roles in the Amos and Andy TV series in 1951, as Sapphire’s mama, “Make Room for Daddy,” in 1953, as Louise, and The Danny Thomas Show,” in 1957. She and her sister Lillian, both became accomplished actresses. She died August 24, 1967. From African American Registry Edith Wilson, born Edith Goodall, September 2, 1896-March 30, 1981, in Louisville, Kentucky, becomes a blues singer. ‘She later shifted her attention to performing comedy and histrionics. She starred in such shows as “The Plantation Revue,” “Creole Follies,” and Hot Chocolates.” She played the part of Kingfish’s mother in “Amos and Andy,” and served as the voice of Aunt Jemima for the Quaker Oats Company. She died March 30, 1981. From: African American Registry, and Notable Black American Women, Book I James Forten, born September 2, 1766-March 4, 1892, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, becomes an abolitionist and businessman. He became an influential figure in the fight against slavery. He died in March 1842. From: African American Registry William Joseph, born September 3, 1979, in Miami, Florida, becomes a professional football player for the New York Giants. From: www.sports.yahoo.com Sean Lampley, born September 3, 1979, in Harvey, Illinois, becomes a professional basketball player for the Miami Heat and the Golden State Warriors. From: www.sports.yahoo.com Charles Grant, born September 3, 1978, in Colquitt, Georgia, becomes a professional football player for the New Orleans Saints. From: www.sports.yahoo.com Casey Hampton, born September 3, 1977, in Galveston, Texas, becomes a professional football player for the Pittsburgh Steelers. From: http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/players/ Michael Basnight, born September, 3, 1977, in Norfolk, Virginia, becomes a professional football player for the Houston Texans. From: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/football/nfl/players/4972/ Carlos Emmons, born September 3, 1973, in Greenwood, Mississippi, becomes a professional football player for the Philadelphia Eagles and the New York Giants. From: www.sports.yahoo.com Damon Stoudamire, born September 3, 1973, in Portland, Oregon, becomes a professional basketball player for the Portland Trail Blazers. From: www.sports.yahoo.com Debbie Winans, born September, 3, 1972, in Detroit, Michigan becomes a gospel singer and songwriter, member of the famous gospel family, The Winans. From: http://www.answers.com/topic/angie-and-debbie-winans George Lynch, born September 3, 1970, in Roanoke, Virginia, becomes a professional basketball player for the New Orleans Hornets. From: www.sports.yahoo.com Keith Traylor, born September 3, 1969, in Little Rock, Arkansas becomes a professional football player for the Chicago Bears and the New England Patriots. From: www.sports.yahoo.com Chris Gatling, born September 3, 1967, in Elizabeth City, New Jersey becomes a professional basketball player for the Golden State Warriors, Miami Heat, Dallas Mavericks, New Jersey Nets, and the Milwaukee Bucks. He owns a recreation center and a barber shop in Oakland, California. From: Who’s Who Among African Americans, 17th Edition Dave Clark, born September, 3, 1962, in Tupelo, Mississippi, becomes a professional baseball player for the Cleveland Indians, from 1986 to 1989; Chicago Cubs in 1990; Kansas City Royals in 1991; Pittsburgh Pirates from 1992 to 1996; Los Angeles Dodgers in 1996; Chicago Cubs in 1997; and Houston Astros in 1998. His brother, Louis, is a former wide receiver for the Seattle Seahawks (1987-1992) and Green Bay Packers (1993). From: www.wikipedia.com Glenn Loury, born September, 3, 1948, in Chicago, Illinois, becomes an educator, author and professor of economics at Brown University, who at the age of thirty-five became the first black tenured professor of economics in the history of Harvard University. From: www.wikipedia.com Cecelia Nabrit Adkins, born the youngest of eight children, September 3, 1923, in Atlanta, Georgia, becomes a business executive. She became the first woman and the first layperson to be named executive director of the Sunday School Publishing Board of the National Baptist Convention, U.S.A. She headed a denominational publishing company, which served more than 35,000 churches and 7.5 million people. From: Notable Black American Women, Book 1 Dorothy Maynor (Mainor), born September 3, 1910, in Norfolk, Virginia, becomes an educator and opera singer. She founded the Harlem School of Arts, in 1963. She began singing in her father’s church, a Baptist minister. She sang in the Hampton Institute Choir. She performed impromptu performance for Boston Symphony Orchestra conductor, Serge Koussevitzky, and made her recital debut at New York’s Town Hall, November 19, 1939. She performed for President Harry S. Truman’s inauguration in 1949, and became the first Black artist to perform at Constitution Hall, in Washington D.C., in 1952. Maynor performed at President Dwight D. Eisenhower’s inauguration, in 1953. She became the first Black member of the Metropolitan Opera board, in New York, in 1975. She raised $3.5 million dollars to build the Harlem School of the Arts. She died February 19, 1996. From: Contemporary Black Biography, Vol. 19, page 155 and Notable Black American Women, Book 2 Meade Lux Lewis, born September 3, 1905, in Chicago, Illinois, becomes a blues singer and musician, who helped to establish the boogie-woogie as a major blues piano style, in the late 1930’s and 1940’s. Lewis died in an automobile crash, February 7, 1964. From: African American Registry Alfreda Barnett Duster, born September 3, 1904-1983, in Chicago, Illinois, becomes a civic leader, social worker and activist. She became the first Black American to be an assistant state’s attorney for Cook County, Illinois. She died April 2, 1983. From: Notable Black American women, Book 1 Mantan Moreland, born September 3, 1902, in Monroe, Louisiana becomes an actor and comedian. Most information suggests Moreland to have been born September 4, 1901, however, www.hollywood.com/celeb, offers this date as his birth. African American Registry gives September 4, 1901, and www.entertainment.msn.com, also gives September 4, 1901, as birth date. Moreland ran away from home at the age of 12 in search of a career as an actor. This career stretched into the 1970s. He appeared in hundred’s of movies. He’s most remembered for his roles in the “Charlie Chan” series, as Birmingham Brown, the chauffer of the detective. He died September 28, 1973. From: African American Registry Charles Hamilton Houston, born September 3, 1895-1950, in Washington, D.C., becomes a lawyer, and educator. He played a principle role in defining and pacing the legal phase of the African American struggle against racial oppression from 1930 until his death in 1950. Veteran civil rights lawyers agree Charles Houston became the first “Mr. Civil Rights.” Houston’s role in the civil rights struggle in portrayed in the movie “Silent Victory,” the story behind Brown vs. Board of Education. From: Notable Black American Men Charles “Doc” Cook, born September 3, 1891-1958, in Louisville, Kentucky, becomes an influential jazz bandleader. He died in 1958. From: Contemporary Black Biography, Vol. 44, page 89 Bessie Delany, born Annie Elizabeth Delany, one of ten children, September 3, 1891-1995, in Raleigh, North Carolina, becomes a dentist, and co-author with her sister Sadie Delany of the book entitled “Having Our Say: The Delany Sisters’ First On Hundred Years,” in 1993. She died September 25, 1995. From: Great African American Women, page 281 Beyonce Knowles, born September 4, 1981, in Houston, Texas, becomes and R&B singer and actress. Her singing career began as a member of the group “Destiny’s Child.” From: www.music-video-books-store.com/beyonce-knowles/ and www.rockonthenet.com Norman Hand, born September 4, 1972, in Queens, New York, becomes a professional football player for the Seattle Seahawks and the New York Giants. From: www.sports.yahoo.com Damon Wayans, born September 4, 1960, in New York City, New York, becomes a comedian and an actor. The Wayans siblings like the Jackson’s are a family of entertainers. Damon and his brother Kenan are most remembered for their comic routine sitcom on Fox stations, “In Living Color.” Damon, born the 4th of ten children, until the age of fifteen, wore orthopedic shoes and leg braces due to a foot deformity. Many times the taunt of neighborhood children bothered him. He stated in an interview with James Ryan of Newsday, that it inspired his “affinity for misfits and underdogs,” that would later shine through his comedy routines. The family was poor, and they often went to school hungry. Damon says he lacked the ability to concentrate, and failed in most of his classes. Damon also stated to the interviewer from Newsweek, that at the age of 14 and 15, he use to mug people, and he’d been arrested for car theft. He’d been arrested once for credit card fraud, when in his 20s. Damon stated his youth to be no laughing matter. Damon and family appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show, August 27, 2004. He stated his purpose to be to make a way where other family members who follow them won’t have to go through what they went through, but also to teach them they have to work. Kenan mentioned he and his brothers to be first generation successes, and they want this to continue in the family from this generation forth. From: Newsmakers 1998, Issue 4 Khandi Alexander, born September 4, 1957, in New York City, New York, becomes an actress. From: Contemporary Black Biography, Vol. 43, page 1 Charles Augustus Seales, born September 4, 1952, in St. Croix, Virgin Islands, grows up to become a 1972 Olympic gold medalist in the lightweight boxing division. From: Black Olympian Medalists, page 106 Ramona Hoage Edelin, born September 4, 1945, in Los Angeles, California, grows up to become an organization executive. In 1988, she became the chief executive of the National Urban Coalition. She works to bring educational opportunities to schoolchildren in urban environments, and to shape a range of government urban policies from her office in Washington, D.C. Edelin introduced the term “African American” into general circulation. From: Contemporary Black Biography, Vol. 19 and Notable Black American Women, page 307 Charles Davis, born September 4, 1944, in Seattle, Washington, becomes a politician, as the clerk of the City of Compton, California. He became the first Black to receive “Certified Municipal Clerk” designation in the United States, in 1976. From: Who’s Who Among African Americans, 13th Edition Merald Knight, born September 4, 1942, in Cordel, Georgia, becomes an R&B singer, member of the group known as Gladys Knight and the Pipps. He is brother to the lead singer of the group, Gladys. From: www.rockonthenet.com and www.geocities.com/solmes.geo/gk-biography01.html and Soul Music A-Z, page 180 Isreal Tribble, Jr., born September 4, 1940, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, becomes an educator, consultant, and administrator. From his office in Tampa, Florida Education Fund (FEF) President Israel Tribble, Jr., discussed historical and current trends in education during an interview with Contemporary Black Biography ( CBB ). Tribble believes that from its inception, the American education system has addressed itself to a "kind of European elitism." As a result, it has never been designed to "accommodate" those who were "dark and different" in terms of race, gender, or class. When the educational system cannot "accommodate," explained Tribble, it "alienates." One of the major areas of alienation, Tribble told CBB, can be seen in the way those who are "dark and different" are educated away from their "beginnings" by a curriculum that does not place value on the experiences and history of blacks, women, and the financially disadvantaged. Because of its very nature, Tribble said, the U.S. educational system of the 1990s "cannot close the deficit, the achievement gap" between people of color and the majority. This can only be done by a "community-based strategy to help empower individual students to overcome what it is that the school does by its very nature." The FEF works to foster and encourage such community programs. From: Contemporary Black Biography, Vol. 8 Gerald Wilson, born September 4, 1918, in Shelby, Mississippi, becomes a trumpeter, arranger, bandleader and educator. In 1996, the Library of Congress bestowed a rare honor to Wilson, by archiving his life’s work. One of his most recent works “Theme For Monterey,” premiered in September 1997. The Los Angeles Jazz Society acknowledged his outstanding contributions, in 2001. From: African American Registry Jean Blackwell Hutson, born September 4, 1914, in Summerfield, Florida, becomes a curator, pioneering at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture. Hutson served as the official curator from 1948 to 1972. Her interest in reading found an outlet when she attended the segregated Douglass High School, in Baltimore, Maryland, which placed importance on Black History and Literature, to seek out staff members such as Yolande du Bois, daughter of W.E.B. Du Bois. Hurson remained chief of Schomburg until 1980. From: Contemporary Black Biography, Vol. 16 Richard Wright, born September 4, 1908-November 28, 1960, in Adams or Roxie, Mississippi, becomes an accomplished writer. When six years old, Wright’s father deserted his family. Growing up in the Deep South, the Wright family faced poverty, hunger, and racism. Wright became a major literary figure of the 1930s and 1940s. Wright’s work expressed realistic and brutal portrayal of white society’s oppression of African Americans. Anger and protest served as a catalyst for literature intended to promote social change by exposing the injustices of racism, economic exploitation, and imperialism. Wright’s family lineage consisted of Black, White, and Choctaw Indian. Wright became the first Black author to write about Black life in northern cities. He is most famous for “Native Son,” in1940. He received the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP’s) Spingarn Medal, in 1941.. From: Contemporary Black Biography, Vol. 5 James H. Nabrit, Jr., born September 4, 1900 or 1910-?, in Atlanta, Georgia becomes a lawyer, educator, and civil rights advocate. In 1936, he taught the first civil rights course ever given at an American law school. From: Encyclopedia of Black America, page 611, and Britannica Online Albert L. Cralle, born September 4, 1866-?, in Lunenberg County, Virginia, becomes an inventor, the first African American in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to receive a patent for his invention, an ice cream mold, on February 2, 1897. It became a valuable household article. From: http://www.carnegielibrary.org/locations/scitech/ptdl/pgh/cralle.html Lewis Howard Latimer, born September 4, 1848-December 11, 1928, in Chelsea, Massachusetts, becomes an inventor in the electric lighting industry. In 1876, Latimer drew the blueprints for Alexander Graham Bell’s telephone. In 1884, Latimer went to work for Thomas Edison. Latimer assisted Edison in properly filling out the patent information for the U.S. Patent Office. On February 11, 1918, Latimer became one of the 28 charter members of the Edison Pioneers, the only African American in this prestigious, highly selective group. In 1968, Lewis Latimer is honored when a public school in Brooklyn bares his name. From: African American Registry and Faces of Science, African Americans in the Sciences Jehu Jones, Jr. born a slave on September 4, 1786, in Charleston, South Carolina, becomes a minister. Jones became a missionary to Liberia, but returned to Philadelphia, the largest city in the country at that time. In 1834, he founded the St. Paul congregation. The congregation decided to build a church and solicited support from other Lutheran congregations Jones and members of St. Paul were active in the Moral Reform and Improvement Society, an association of African American Churches in the city dedicated to improving the social conditions of the Black community. Jehu Jones died in 1852. From: African American Registry Jeremy Allen, born September 5, 1979, in Indianapolis, Indiana, becomes a professional football player for the Atlanta Falcons. From: www.nfl.com and http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/players/ Leonard Davis, born September 5, 1978, in Wortham, Texas, becomes a professional football player for the Arizona Cardinals. From: http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/players/ Nazr Mohammed, born September 5, 1977, in Chicago, Illinois, becomes a professional basketball player for the Atlanta Hawks and the New York Knicks. From: www.sports.yahoo.com Cedric Woodard, born September 5, 1977, in Bay City, Texas, becomes a professional football player for the Seattle Seahawks. From: www.sports.yahoo.com Terry Ellis, born September 5, 1966, in Texas, becomes an R&B singer, member of the singing group known as “EnVogue.” From: www.rockonthenet.com and http://www.mmguide.musicmatch.com/artist/artist.cgi?ARTISTID=339681#bio JoJo Dancer, born September 5, 1964, becomes a popular radio DJ on Star 94.5 F.M. radio station, out of Orlando, Florida. Her place of birth had not been obtained at the compilation of this information. However it may be updated at a later date. From: an email response from JoJo Dancer Ken Norman, born September 5, 1964, in Chicago, Illinois, becomes a professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Clippers, Milwaukee Bucks and the Atlanta Hawks. From: www.basketball-reference.com Andre Phillips, born September 5, 1959, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, becomes a 1988 Olympic gold medalist, setting an Olympic record, in the 400-meter hurdles. From: Black Olympian Medalists, page 94 Eugene D. Jackson, born September 5, 1943, in Waukomis, Oklahoma, becomes a business executive. He became Unity Broadcasting Network president, and Queens Inner-City Cable systems, vice president. From: Who’s Who Among African Americans, 17th Edition Alcee Hastings, born September 5, 1936, in Altamonte Springs, Florida, becomes a politician, serving as congressional representative for the 23rd District of Florida. He served his first term in 1992, and reelected in 2000. Appointed by President Jimmy Carter in 1979, Hastings became the first African American to serve as a federal judge in the state of Florida. The city of Daytona Beach declared December 14, 1980, as Judge Alcee Hastings Day. From: http://www.housedemocrats.gov/about/representative_detail.cfm?rep_id=100 and Contemporary Black Biography, Vol. 16, page 83 Lena Johnson McLin, born September 5, 1928, in Atlanta, Georgia, becomes an educator and composer. She founded a small opera company called McLin Ensemble, for which she also directed. From: Who’s Who Among African Americans, 17th Edition Frank Yerby, born September 5, 1916, in Augusta, Georgia, becomes an author of popular fiction. Some claim Yerby’s best work to be that of “The Dahomean,” later called “The Man From Dahomey.” Discrimination caused Yerby to leave the United States and live in self-imposed exile, in Madrid, from 1955 until his death November 29, 1991, in Madrid, Spain. From: African American Registry “Sunnyland Slim,” born Albert Luandrew, September 5, 1907, in Vance, Mississippi, becomes a blues musician who recorded over 250 songs and founded Airways recording label, in 1974. He died March 17, 1995. From: Contemporary Musicians, Vol. 16 Vivian Osborne Marsh, born September 5, 1897, in Houston, Texas, becomes a community activist, clubwoman, and governmental official. She became a staunch member of the Republican party and one of the most influential African American residents of the San Francisco East Bay Area. She became most notably remembered for her work with the Order of the Eastern Star, and she founded many chapters of the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority. In the 1950s, she served on the planning commission for the City of Berkeley, California. She died March 1986. From: Notable Black American Women, Book 2 M.M. Monroe, born September 5, 1857, in Savannah, Georgia, becomes an organist, playing for the Baptist denomination. People remember her and children as having been very devoted to the church. From: History of the First African Baptist Church, page 192 John Wesley Cromwell, born into slavery, September 5, 1846, in Portsmouth, Virginia, becomes a journalist, historian, and educator. After receiving their freedom, the Cromwell family moved to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In 1865, Cromwell returned to Portsmouth and opened a private school, which failed due to racial harassment. In 1876, Cromwell founded The People’s Advocate. In 1881, Bethel Library and Historical Association in Washington, D.C. elected Cromwell, president. Cromwell used the position to generate interest in African American history. He inspired the foundation of the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History, in 1915. He died April 14, 1927. From: 20th Century Negro Literature and http://docsouth.unc.edu/church/cromwell/bio.html Foxy Brown, born Inga Fung Marchand, September 6(9), 1979, in Brooklyn, New York, becomes a rap singer and an actress. Contemporary Musicians, Vol. 25, indicates Brown to have been born on September 6, while Contemporary Black Biography, Vol. 25, lists her birthday as September 9. Celebrity Guide also gives her birth date as September 6. Alan Harper, born September 6, 1979, in Fontana, California, becomes a professional football player for the New York Jets. From: www.sports.yahoo.com Brendon Avonbadejo, born September 6, 1976, in Chicago, Illinois, becomes a professional football player for the Miami Dolphins. From: http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/players/ Chad Scott, born September 6, 1974, in Capitol Heights, Maryland, becomes a professional football player for the Pittsburgh Steelers. From: http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/players/ Josh Evans, born September 6, 1972, in Langdale, Alabama, becomes a professional football player for the New York Jets. From: www.sports.yahoo.com CeCe Peniston, born September 6, 1969, in Dayton, Ohio, becomes a disco singer. In 1989, she held the beauty crown of Miss Black Arizona. Her debut album entitled “Finally,” went gold in the early 1990’s. From: www.rockonthenet.com and http://www.mmguide.musicmatch.com/artist/artist.cgi?ARTISTID=358700&TMPL=LONG#bio Kevin Willis, born September 6, 1962, in Los Angeles, California, becomes a professional basketball player for the San Antonio Spurs. From: www.sports.yahoo.com Danny K. Davis, born the son of a cotton farmer, September 6, 1941, in Parksdale, Arkansas, becomes a politician, serving as the congressional representative for the state of Illinois, 7th District, in 1996. He founded and became president of a community organization called the Westside Association for Community Action. From: Contemporary Black Biography, Vol. 24, http://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/davis2.html and http://www.house.gov/davis/biography.htm Charles “Buddy” Bolden, born September 6, 1877-November 4, 1931, in New Orleans, Louisiana, becomes a jazz cornet player. He is thought to have been the first Back to lead a jazz band. He has been credited as the founder of “jass.” Almanac of Famous People, 8th Edition, indicates his birth year as 1868. From: Timelines of African American History, page 105 and Contemporary Black Biography, Vol. 39 Amelia Tilghman, born September 6, 1856-December 12, 1931, in Washington, D.C., becomes an educator, performer and composer. She became best know for the editing of the first periodical in the United States devoted to African American music and musicians.. From: Notable Black American Women, Book 2 Michael Coleman, born September 7, 1980, becomes a professional football player for the St. Louis Rams. The reference information obtained from the Internet did not give his birth place. From: www.sports.yahoo.com Mateen Cleaves, born September 7, 1977, in Flint, Michigan, becomes a professional basketball player for the Cleveland Cavaliers. From: www.sports.yahoo.com Antonio McDyess, born September 7, 1974, in Quitman, Mississippi, becomes a professional basketball player for the New York Knicks and the Detroit Pistons. From: www.sports.yahoo.com Walter Rasby, born September 7, 1972, in Washington, D.C., becomes a professional football player for the New Orleans Saints and the Washington Redskins. From: www.sports.yahoo.com Gloria Gaynor, born September 7, 1949, in Newark, New Jersey, becomes a disco singer. It is said that Gaynor, second only to Donna Summer, became one of the best know female disco performers of the 1970’s, due to the ongoing success of her monster hit entitled, “I Will Survive.” From: www.rockonthenet,com and www.allmusicguide.com Alfa Anderson, born September 7, 1946, in Bronx, New York, becomes a rock vocalist for the group called “Chic.” There most famous recording was entitled “Freak Out.” From: www.rockonthenet.com and www.brainyhistory.com “OyamO” born Charles Gordon, September 7, 1943, in Elyria, Ohio, becomes a playwright. His stage works have been said to combine myth and reality to create vivid emotional and visual impact. His works include “Fried Chicken,” “Invisibility,” and “I Am A Man.” From: Almanac of Famous People, 8th Edition Richard Roundtree, born September 7, 1942, in New Rochelle, New York, becomes an actor, most recognized for his portrayal in the original “Shaft” movie. “Latimore,” born Benjamin Latimore, September 7, 1939, in Charleston, Tennessee, becomes an R&B singer. His famous recording of “Let’s Straighten It Out,” in 1974, became a hit. He has written for other artists such as Shirley Brown, Johnnie Taylor and Little Milton (Milton Campbell), also born September 7, 1934, in Inverness, Mississippi, who although raised on gospel music in his local church, became one of the great rock and roll greats of the 1950s. From: Soul Music A-Z, pages 186 and 192. Juanita Millender-McDonald, born September 7, 1938, in Birmingham, Alabama, becomes a politician, serving as the Representative for the 32nd District of California, in 1996. She began her career as an educator and an administrator in the Los Angeles Unified School District. She served on the Carson City Council, in 1990. She received a spot on the Watts Walk of Fame in 1998. From: Ebony: 100 +Most Influential Black Americans and Contemporary Black Biography, Vol. 21, page 102 Olly Woodrow Wilson, born September 7, 1937, in St. Louis, Missouri, becomes a classical composer and an educator. In 1974, he became the recipient of the National Association of Negro Musician’s Award. In 1986, he received the Houston Symphony Fanfare Commission. From: Who’s Who Among African Americans, 17th Edition Reginald P. Ayala, born September 7, 1931, in Brooklyn, New York, becomes a hospital administrator. He played basketball with the Harlem Globetrotters fro 1954 to 1955, and again in 1957. He became president and CEO of Southwest Detroit Hospital, in 1970. From: Who’s Who Among African Americans, 17th Edition and Kellogg African American Health Care Project Jacob Lawrence, born September 7, 1917-June 9, 2000, in Atlantic City, New Jersey, becomes an artist. He became one of America’s most honored Black painters. He received the kind of recognition most artist only dream of. Lawrence attributes his success to the Black experience that is his heritage. From his youth, Lawrence chronicled the Black experience, especially the struggle of Black Americans to obtain freedom and justice. His paintbrush captured everything from slave revolts and ghetto life to the devastation of war and attempts by Blacks and whites to rebuild America. Lawrence attended Frederick Douglass Junior High School. To keep the children busy while she worked, Lawrence’s mother sent them to an after school arts and crafts program in the neighborhood, which was run by painter and sculptor Charles Alston. Lawrence received the NAACP Spingarn Medal in 1970, and became the recipient of the National Medal of Arts, from President George Bush, in 1990. From: Contemporary Black Biography, Vol. 28 May Jackson, born September 7, 1877-1931, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, becomes a sculptor. She became the first Black student to receive a scholarship to attend the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, in 1895. Her work dealt with varied physical features of Blacks as a result of race mixing after slavery. Her work portrayed the American mulatto. From: African American Registry Kynan Forney, born September 8, 1978, in Nacogdoches, Texas, becomes a professional football player for the Atlanta Falcons. From: http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/players/ Kenny Smith, born September 8, 1977, in Meridian, Mississippi, becomes a professional football player for the New Orleans Saints. From: www.sports.yahoo.com Omar Smith, born September 8, 1977, in Spanish Town, Jamaica, becomes a professional football player for the New York Giants. From: www.sports.yahoo.com Jason Webster, born September 8, 1977, in Houston, Texas, becomes a professional football player for the San Francisco 49ers and the Atlanta Falcons. From: www.sports.yahoo.com Beshea Townsend, born September 8, 1975, in Batesville, Mississippi, becomes a professional football player for the Pittsburgh Steelers. From: http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/players/ Amani Toomer, born September 8, 1974, in Berkeley, California, becomes a professional football player for the New York Giants. From: www.sports.yahoo.com Latrell Sprewell, born September 8, 1970, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, becomes a professional basketball player for the Golden State Warriors, for which he experienced much controversy. He also played for the New York Knicks. From: Contemporary Black Biography, Vol. 23 Clarence Weatherspoon, born September 8, 1970, in Crawford, Mississippi, becomes a professional basketball player for the Philadelphia 76ers, Golden State Warriors, and the Miami Heat. Southern Mississippi inducted him into their Hall of Fame. From: Who’s Who Among African Americans, 17th Edition Patrick Robinson, born September 8, 1966, in Memphis, Tennessee, becomes a fashion designer. Robinson is responsible for many of the Gorgio Armani power suits that female big shots have relied upon when deal making and strong-arming, wrote the Washington Post’s, Robin Givhan. Robinson has since launched his own collection, as of 1997. From: Contemporary Black Biography, Vol. 19, page 194 Ruby Bridges, born September 8, 1954, in Tylerton, Mississippi, becomes an author. She authored “Through My Eyes.” A movie was made detailing the early life of Bridges, as she entered public school, which h had been ordered to integrate. She had to be escorted by police to attend school, and escorted home at the end of the day, due to screaming crowds of white people calling the little girl names and saying rude things. From: www.auroraschool.org/WAMWEB/BRIDGES.htm Amos Biwott, born September 8, 1947, in Uasin, Gishee, Kenya, Africa, becomes a 1968 Olympic gold medalist in the 3000-meter steeplechase. From: Black Olympian Medalists, page 11 Buck Leonard, born September 8, 1907, in Rocky Mount, North Carolina, becomes a professional baseball player. Buck Leonard has been called “The Black Lou Gerig.” He played for the Negro League teams of The Grays, who dominated the Negro National Leagues, winning nine straight league championships. Baseball Hall of Fame elected Leonard in 1972. He died November 27, 1997. From: Voices From the Negro Leagues, page 32, Almanac of Famous People, 8th Edition Alvin Jones, born September 9, 1978, in Luxemburg, Germany, becomes a professional basketball player for the Philadelphia 76ers. From: NBA Draft 2001 Todd McMillon, born September 9, 1973, in Bellflower, California, becomes a professional football player for the Chicago Bears. From: www.sports.yahoo.com Macy Gray, born Natalie McIntyre, September 9, 1970, in Clinton, Ohio, becomes an award winning R&B singer. From: http://www.fact-index.com/m/ma/macy_gray.html Sean Rooks, born September 9, 1970, in New York City, New York, becomes a professional basketball player for the New Orleans Hornets and the Orlando Magic. From: www.sports.yahoo.com B. J. Armstrong, born September 9, 1967, in Detroit, Michigan, becomes a professional basketball player for the Toronto Raptors, Golden State Warriors and Chicago Bulls. Armstrong closed the 1997-98 season ranked 4th in NBA history in career three-point percentage. He played in 577 consecutive games between the 1989-90 and 1996-97 seasons, the 11th longest streak in NBA history. He led the NBA in 1992-93 in three-point percentages. Armstrong has secured three championship rings. He says at the end of his basketball-playing career, he would like to become involved in politics. His childhood hero is basketball player Isaiah Thomas. Walter Paul Davis, born September 9, 1954, the youngest of 13 children in a strict, close family in Pineville, North Carolina, becomes a professional basketball player for the Phoenix Suns. He started playing basketball at age 5 with his older brothers, paced his high school team to 88 straight victories, and then enrolled at North Carolina. Davis has been called one of the best basketball players ever. "The sweetest jump shot in the NBA, bar none," former Phoenix Suns Coach Cotton Fitzsimmons told the Arizona Republic, in 1992. "Years from now that's what you're going to remember him for, that shot," he said. "The guy is one of the premier shooters in the world, not just the NBA," John MacLeod, who coached Davis in Phoenix, said in the Rocky Mountain News. Davis finished his career No. 18 on the NBA's career scoring list with 19,521 points in 15 seasons, 11 of which he spent with the Phoenix Suns. In 1983 he set a record by scoring 34 points in a game without a miss. A quiet, gentle man (known also as "Sweet D" for his shooting touch and demeanor), he struggled through a bout with cocaine, but the troubles didn't overshadow his terrific career. Six-foot-six, lean, smooth, and swift enough to be dubbed "the Greyhound.", he said "I'd like to be remembered just as being a good person," Davis told the Arizona Republic upon his retirement in September 1992. "I think my father would like for me to be remembered as an unselfish player. That's something he always emphasized. I feel like I've accomplished some things. I think I reached my full potential my rookie year. I did some things people thought I'd never do." In 1976, he received an Olympic gold medal. From: Black Olympian Medallists, page 30 Otis Redding, born September 9, 1941, in Macon, Georgia, becomes a noted R&B soul singer. Some reference sources state he was born September 19, 1941, in Dawson, Georgia. He kicked off his musical career in 1959, in a local group called Johnny Jenkins & The Pine toppers, singing in the style of Little Richard, one of his earlier influences. His first well-known song was entitled, "These Arms of Mine." This he followed with "Pain In My Heart," an adaptation of Irma Thomas's "Ruler of My Heart." He recorded "I've Been Loving You Too Long," "Respect," and his version of Smokey Robinson's "My Girl," which became popular by the Temptations. He also did a few adaptations of Sam Cook's recordings, such as "Shake." Some of his songs were backed by the famed Booker T. & the MG's. Redding’s influents assisted other Black talent, such as Arthur Conley. It has been written that two facts probably influenced Redding's position as the most revered singer of his time, and they are; his performance of "Try A Little Tenderness" at the 1967 Monterey pop festival and his death in a plane crash in 1967. Performers such as The Barkay’s and The Big Bopper, accompanied Redding in this plane crash along with others. Only one member of the Barkay band survived the crash. Shortly after his death, Redding scored the biggest hit of his career, "Sittin At the Dock of the Bay." From: Soul Vibrations, page 134 Sonia Benita Sanchez, born Wilsonia Driver, September 9(19), 1934, in Birmingham, Alabama, becomes a noted poet, playwright, educator, short-story writer and activist. Some reference sources indicate her birth date to be September 19, 1934. While an infant, Driver's mother died. She moved with her father and siblings to Harlem, New York City, at age nine. She received a B.A. (1955) in political science from Hunter College in Manhattan and briefly studied writing at New York University. In the 1960s, political activism introduced itself to Sanchez. She published poetry in such journals as The Liberator, the Journal of Black Poetry, Black Dialogue, and Negro Digest. Her first book, “Homecoming,” in 1969, contained considerable invectives against "white America" and "white violence" She continued to write on what she called the "neo-slavery" of Blacks, socially and psychologically un-free. She also wrote about sexism, child abuse, and generational and class conflicts. A good deal of Sanchez' verse is written in American Black speech patterns, eschewing formal English grammar and pronunciations. Over the years Sanchez joined other activists in promoting Black studies in schools, in agitating for the rights of African countries, and in sponsoring various other causes, such as that of the Nicaraguan Sandinistas. From 1966 she taught in various universities, finally assuming a permanent post as resident poet and member of the English faculty at Temple University in Philadelphia, in 1975. Her later works include “Homegirls & Handgrenades,” in 1984, winner of an American Book Award, and Under a Soprano Sky, in 1986. From: Contemporary Black Biography, Vol. 17 Rev. Moses Anderson, born September 9, 1928, in Selma, Alabama, becomes an ordained priest for the Society of Saint Edmund, May 1958. He became a consecrated bishop, January 27, 1983. From: www.holyangels.com/Most-Rev-Moses-Anderson.htm Horace Silver, born Horace Ward Martin Tavares Silver, September 9(2), 1928, in Norwalk, Connecticut, becomes a pianist and composer. He became known as the pre-eminent founder of what developed into hard bop or soul jazz, which emerged in the 1950s. Many of his compositions such as “The Preacher,” “Juicy Lucy,” “Nica’s Dream,” “Sister Sadie,” and “Filthy McNasty,” have become modern jazz classics. In 1954, Silver became a member of the group “The Jazz Messenger’s.” Some reference sources indicate his birth date to be September 2, 1928. From: Contemporary Black Biography, Vol. 26 Jacob Carey, born September 9, 1926, in Pulaski, Virginia, becomes an R&B soul singer who with his brother Ezekiel, became members of the famed Chicago 1952 group called “The Flamingo’s.” The group achieved national recognition with their recording of “I Only Have Eyes For You,” in 1959. They were nominated to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, in 1999, but did not receive enough votes. From: Soul Music A-Z, page 107 and www.soul-patrol.com/soul/flamingos.htm Marjorie Lee Browne, born September 9, 1914-1979, in Memphis, Tennessee, becomes a topologist, educator and mathematician. She became the first recipient of the W.W. Rankin Memorial Award for Excellence in Mathematics Education. She pioneered in the mathematics section of the North Carolina Teachers Association, helping to pave the way for integrated organizations. Browne along with Evelyn Boyd Granville, became one of the first African American women to receive a PhD degree. From: Notable Mathematicians, page 82 and www.agnesscott.edu/lriddle/women/browne.htm Jay Williams, born September 10, 1981, in Plainfield, New Jersey, becomes a professional basketball player for the Chicago Bulls. From: www.sports.yahoo.com Roger Mason, born September 10, 1980, in Washington, D. C., becomes professional basketball player for the Chicago Bulls and the Toronto Raptors. From: www.sports.yahoo.com Kim Herring, born September 10, 1975, in Detroit, Michigan, becomes a professional football player for the St. Louis Rams and the Cincinnati Bengals. From: www.sports.yahoo.com Sammy Knight, born September 10, 1975, in Fontana, California, becomes a professional football player for the Miami Dolphins. From: http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/players/ Ben Wallace, born September 10, 1974, in White Hall, Alabama, becomes a professional basketball player for the Detroit Pistons. From: www.sports.yahoo.com Big Daddy Kane, born Antonio Hardy, September 10, 1968, in Brooklyn, New York, becomes a hip hop singer and producer of the late 1980’s. From: www.rockonthenet.com and www.musicmatch.com Sadale Threatt, born September 10, 1961, in Atlanta, Georgia, becomes a professional basketball player for the Philadelphia 76ers, 1983-1987; Chicago Bulls, 1987-1988; Seattle Super Sonics, 1988-1991; Los Angeles Lakers, 1991-1996, and the Houston Rockets, in 1996. From: Who’s Who Among African Americans, 17th Edition Albert R. Wynn, born September 10, 1951, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, becomes a politician, serving as the U.S. Representative for the 4th District of Maryland. From: Ebony: 100+Most Influential Black Americans Stephanie Tubbs Jones, born September 10, 1949, in Cleveland, Ohio, becomes a politician. She became the first African American woman appointed by, then Governor Richard Celeste, to serve on the Court of Common Pleas, in the state of Ohio, in 1984, and again in 1988. She served as Congressional Representative for the 11th District of Ohio. From: Contemporary Black Biography, Vol. 24, and Notable Black American Women, Book 3 James R. Hines, born September 10, 1946, in Dumas, Arkansas, becomes a 1968 Olympic gold medalist, setting an Olympic and world record for the 4x100-meter relay. He became the first athlete to better 10 seconds for the 100-meters. After the Olympics, Hines played professional football, and had a brief career with the Miami Dolphins. From: Black Olympian Medalists, page 52 Richard Pegue, born September 10, 1944, in Chicago, Illinois, becomes an accomplished radio personality. His career in radio began at age 11, when his grandmother gave him a reel-to-reel tape recorder for his birthday. He formed and performed with doo-wop groups such as the Belvederes and the Norvells. Pegue has worked with radio stations such as WVON, from 1968 to 1975. He worked for WOPA and WGCI. In 2000, he returned to WVON, where he continued to spin his favorite tunes at the time the information for History Makers had been compiled. From: History Makers Major R. Owens, born September 10, 1941, in Brooklyn, New York, becomes a politician, serving as the Representative for the 11th District of New York. From: Ebony: 100+Most Influential Black Americans Roy Ayers, born September 10, 1940, in Los Angeles, California, becomes a jazz, funk, disco and rhythm and blues musician. He also played the vibraphone. During his professional music career, he earned the title “Godfather of acid rock or jazz funk.” From: Contemporary Black Biography, Vol. 16 and Soul Music A-Z, page 11 Roy Brown, born September 10, 1925-May 25, 1981, in New Orleans, Louisiana, becomes and R&B singer, most famous for his song called “Let The Four Winds Blow,” in 1957. From: Soul Music A-Z, page 42 Hoyt Fuler, born September 10, 1923-1981, in Atlanta, Georgia, becomes an inspirational Black consciousness writer. From: Contemporary Black Biography, Vol. 44, page 83 Georgia Douglas Johnson, born September 10, 1886(1880)-May 14, 1966, in Atlanta, Georgia, becomes a poet, playwright, columnist, writer, educator, school principal and federal official. She became the first modern African American female poet to gain widespread recognition. From: Contemporary Black Biography, Vol. 41 Jesse Moorland, born September 10, 1863-1939, in Coldwater, Ohio, becomes a minister, community executive and civic leader. He helped found the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History, along with Carter G. Woodson, in 1915. That same year, he donated his personal library on Black History to Howard University. The collection formed the foundation for the Moorland-Spingarn Research Center. From: African American Registry John R. Lynch, born a slave, on September 10, 1847-November 2, 1939, in Concordia Parish, Louisiana, becomes a politician. Lynch received his freedom during the American Civil War, and settled in Natchez, Mississippi. Lynch served several terms in the House of Representatives, and contested when he lost a race, for which he would win and be returned to his seat in congress. He ran on the Republican ticket. He served as a delegate to the National Republican Convention in 1872, 1884, 1888, 1892, and 1890. He became the first Black to preside over a national convention of a major U.S. political party. From: African American Registry |
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