February 25 1987, Portland Observer, Page 5
Josiah Henson, freedom fighter from Port Tobacco Maryland, died on
this day in 1881 at age 91.
1905
First copy of the Chicago Defender black newpaper was pub
lished on this day by Robert S. Abbot
1963 - Organization of African Unity formed, headquartered in Addis
Ababa. Ethiopia
Bill "M r. Bojangles" Robinson (1878 19491 dancer and entertainer
was born on this day in Richmond, Virginia
William C Nell, pioneered black historian died this day in 1874
A Phillip Randolph organized the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters
on this day in 1925 after failing to integrate olacks into the ranks of the
American Federation of Labor
9
John Brown, abolitionist born on this day in 1800
26
1965
10
P B S Pmchback, U S Senator and Lt Governor of Louisiana was
born on this day in 1837
27
1941
Dorie Miller, a messman on the U S S Arizona was awarded
on this day the Navy Cross for heroic action in helping repel the iapa
nese attack on Pearl Harbor
11
Ira Aldridge (1807 1867), great 19th century black actor was born on
this day
William Grant Still, noted classical composer and conductor was born
in Woodville Mississippi, on this day in 1896 He died in 1978
12
13
1974
Cicely Tyson won TV Emmy Award for her performance in
"The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman"
31
The Supreme Court issued its second important ruling on school dose
gregation in ,955 requiring all deliberate speed"
Joe Louis
The Brown Bomber", world heavyweight boning cham
pion 11937 49) was born on this day in 1914 in Lexington, Alabama
1950
Steve Wonder, internationally acclaimed musical genius and
vocalist was born on this day in Saginaw. Michigan
X J *.
15
Arthur Ashe was chosen to U S Davis Cup Team on this day in 1963
PVTS Henry Johnson and Needham Roberts of the 15th National
Guard N Y 1369th Infantry Div.) defeated 20 German soldiers at Bois
d'Hauza. France; both later awarded French Croix de Guerre for
bravery
Congressman John Conyers (b 1929,
17
1954
The Supreme Court's landmark decision in Brown vs Board of
Education struck down the "separate bu, equal" doc,me ruling segre
gated schools unconstitutional
Case was argued by the young
NAACP attorney Thurgood Marshall who was appointed in ,967 ,o the
United States Supreme court.
3
Dr Charles R Drew (1904 1950), surgeon, developed the method for
storing blood plasma.
Josephine Baker (1906 1975), celebrated entertainer of Europe and the
U S., born in St Louis, Missouri.
1842
The U S and Great Britain concluded, the Webster Ashburton
Treaty suppressing African slave trade
1968
Poor Peoples March enters Washington, D.C.
4
1972
Angela Davis, professor, political activist; acquitted on char
ges of murder, kidnapping and conspiracy, in Marin County
1922
Birth of Samuel L. Gravely in Richmond. Virginia He was
the first black to command two U S warships the U S S Falgout
and the U S.S Taussig
5
Roland Hayes, opera and concert singer born in Georgia ,887
6
1831
Firs, annual convention of "People of Color" held in Philadel
phia.
1966
Stokely Carmichael (Kwame Toure • newly adopted African
name, launched Black Power" movement
7
Nikki Giovanni, poe, and writer, born 1943
Senate passed Voting Rights Bill
28
Congressman Mervyn M Dyrnally lb 19261
1871
Segregated street cars were integrated on this day in Louis
ville, Kentucky, following sit in by black teenager
16
1863 — Harriet Tubman 11823 19131. said to be of Ashanti descent,
called Moses" and "C onductor" of the Underground Railroad, lead
Union Army guerillas into Maryland, freeing more than 700 slaves
James A Healy consecrated first Black Catholic Bishop. 1875.
Lincoln University, first Black College m America was founded on this
day in 1854 by Presbyterians as Ashmum Institute in Pennsylvania
1892
Homer A Plessy refused to move to segregated railroad coach
in New Orleans initiating "Plessy vs Ferguson" suit
10 Hattie McDaniel (1898 1952), actress, firs, black person ever to win an
Oscar 1940, Best Supporting Actress in the classic, Gone With the
Wind born in Wichita, Kansas
11
,911
Marcus Garvey, founded United Negro Improvement Associa
tion. which promoted "Blacks back to Africa” movement
Congressman Charles B Rangel (b. 1930,
12
M edgar Evers o f the N A A C P
was killed in M ississippi in 1963
13
T h u rg o o d M arshall
C ourt Ju stice
14
Harriet Beecher S to w e , a u thor o f U ncle T o m s C atlin, w as b o rn in ,811
15
fro m B altim ore a p p o in te d 1967 U S
S uprem e
18
Rhode Island enacted the firs, anti slavery law in America on this day
in 1652
19
Malcolm X (1925 1965). early disciple of Elijah Muhammed (leader of
the Black Muslims, and founder of the Organization of Afro American
Unity was born on this day in Omaha. Nebraska
The C ongress o f Racial E quality (CORE) w as fo u n d e d in C h icag o in
1942 (.‘ ORE is best k n o w for its d ire i t a ctio n (sit ins, vo te r registra
Is e tc
and Freedom Rides th ro u g h o u t th e S ou th to desegregate
public fa cilitie s and vehicles used in in te rsta te tra n s p o rta tio n o f
in dividu als
20
Congressman Harold Ford lb. 19451.
Toussaint L'Ouverture. Black Liberator, was born on this day in 1 743
,877
Henry O ssian Flipper a form er slave becam e th e firs, black
gra du ate of W est Point M ilita ry A cadem y
21
Thomas Fats Waller (1904 , 943). jazz pianist and composer w a s born
on this day in New York City.
M ay
22
1833 — Oberlin College, Ohio opened to black students
abolitionist center pioneered in co education
Claude McKay, novelist poe, died on this day in 1948
Langston Hughes, poe, died on this day in 1967
Civil War
13
Joe
The
B ro w n
B om ber
w o r ld
h e a v y w e ig h t
16
A la b a m a
JUNE
1
,8 4 3
S o |o u rn e r T ru th
,7 9 7 1883
C iv il W a r tie r,..n .
is,, e m a n c ip a te d tiy N V s ta te la w in ,8 2 7
s la v e ry
23
L o u is
b o x in g c h a m p io n 11937 49) w a s fio r o on th is d a y in 1914 in 1 e x in q tn n
1966
Shuffle Along — famous black musical by Eubie Blake and Noble
Sissie opened on Broadway in 1921 starring Florence Mills
967
York
tie g a n h e '
m d a tm liti m
17
ru s .id e a g a in s t
, 976
In the to w n s h ip o f S ow eto, Joh a n n e sb u rg , S o u th A fric a ,
m an y native lilac ks died w h e n they rebolled against ap a rth e id , the
de grading g o ve rn m e n t san ction ed system o f racial s u p e rio rity and
segregation
),lines W e ld o n Jo h n so n
Hla, k N a tio n a l A n th e m
a n d in s u p p o rt o f w o m e n s r jlits
teacher po et, d ip lo m a t and a u th o r o f th e
Lift Every V oice and S in g "
w as born
in ,871
Freedm en s B u r e a u launc tie d h is to ric ,e w e ' ir e p i
The first B la ck P o w e r C o n fe re n c r n p e i . ,t
N e w a 'k
(ta rn
N ew
19
191?
T e n n *‘s»oe U n iv e r s ity o p e n e d .is T e n n e s s e e A h M S ta te C ol
lego
Pioneer
Untiljustice
is blind to color,
until education
is unaware of race,
until opportunity
is unconcerned
with the color
o f men ’s skins,
emancipation
will be
a proclamation
but not a fact.
to
Poverty
Matthew
Alexander
Henson
— I v u d o ri B .Joh nso n
The story of Columbus, who m ade the ambitious crossing ot the
Atlantic to the West Indies and yet died a poor man, unrecog
nized. is no less sad than that of Mathew Alexander Henson
He was the first person to reach the North Pole on the Arctic
Continent He was a member of the Peary mission
tfie last
polar expedition in 1909
and was sent ahead of the main
party, reaching the North Pole some 45 minutes ahead of
Peary
BANK
The two explorers planted the symbolic flags together and
celebrated the historic moment Some 46 years later when
Henson died he was living in Harlem on a pension of $1.020
a year
IS . Bank is p ro u d to jo in the
m em bers o f the c o m m u n ity to Salute
Black H isto ry M onth,
P A C IFIC P O W E R
An Equal O p p o rtu n ity Em ployer
Adding quality to your life.
A » A Hi 'W ( .
TT A
• «*«
* *
i
r