On March 14, 1977, Fannie Lou Hamer died at the age of 59 from breast cancer. Fannie Lou Hamer was an impactful civil and voting rights advocate. She co-founded the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party (MFDP) and was an active organizer for the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC).
Tag Archives: Today in History
Breonna Taylor was killed during a botched police raid in Louisville in 2020
On March 13, 2020, Breonna Taylor was killed during a botched police raid in Louisville, Kentucky. In 2020, 26-year-old EMT Breonna Taylor was shot and killed during a botched police raid. None of the officers involved in the shooting have yet to face charges associated with her death.
Jazz saxophonist Charlie Parker died in 1955
On March 12, 1955, Charlie Parker died at the age of 34. Charlie Parker was a talented saxophonist who helped to pave the way for jazz music.
10-time GRAMMY winner Bobby McFerrin was born in 1950
On March 11, 1950, Bobby McFerrin was born in New York. Bobby McFerrin is an influential musician and 10-time GRAMMY award winner.
Civil rights leader and community organizer Daisy Lampkin died in 1965
On March 10, 1965, Daisy Lampkin died at the age of 81. Daisy Lampkin was an influential civil rights leader and community organizer. Lampkin devoted her time to several prestigious black empowerment groups and organizations including the NAACP, the NACW, and the Lucy Stone Woman Suffrage League.
Famous Jazz musician Billy “Mr. B” Eckstine died in 1993
On March 8, 1993, Billy “Mr. B” Eckstine died at the age of 78 in 1993. William Clarence “Billy” Eckstine, known as “Mr.B.” was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 1914. Billy Eckstine was a famous jazz musician and bandleader. Eckstine attended Howard University before pursuing his music career. He is known for musical hits like “I Apologize” and “Jelly” among others. Eckstine died in 1993 at 78 years old.
Ray Charles received a formal apology from the state of Georgia in 1979
On March 7, 1979, Ray Charles received a formal apology from the state of Georgia after being fined for not performing at a segregated club. In 1961, Ray Charles canceled a performance at an Atlanta club after learning there was a white patrons only restriction. The club promoter subsequently sued and Ray Charles was fined $757 by an Atlanta court. In 1979, nearly two decades later Ray Charles received a formal apology from the state of Georgia.
Ghana gained independence from Britain in 1957
On March 6, 1957, the Gold Coast, known today as Ghana, gained independence from Britain. Ghana Independence Day is celebrated in Ghana to commemorate their independence. The Ghanaian flag was designed by Theodosia Salome Okoh. The red signifies those who died for independence. The gold symbolizes mineral wealth and the green symbolizes the country’s nature and grasslands. The black star signifies African emancipation.
21 African American boys died in in the Wrightsville fire in 1959
On March 5, 1959, twenty-one African American boys died in the Wrightsville fire at an Arkansas reform school. The boys’ ages ranging from 13-17, were locked inside a room at Negro Boys Industrial School when the fire started. A memorial site was created in tribute at Haven of Rest Cemetery in Little Rock.
Georg Olden | First Black Person to Design a U.S Postage Stamp
Georg Olden became the first African American to design a U.S. postage stamp in 1963, when the Emancipation Proclamation stamp was issued.
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