September Achievers of Color

Astrologists have suggested for a long time, to some degree, people born within certain dates or cycles of a month, share characteristics and/or similarities in personalities. Achiever’s of Color seeks to explore some of these theories by listing achievers born on the same day, however not necessarily the same year. Achiever’s also gives you a short profile of the achievers born on the same day, their accomplishments, background and beliefs. Some of these achievers you may have heard of, and some you will be introduced to for the first time, yet they are achievers who have made contributions to people of color and/or the world. This characterization of Virgo and other months of the year can be found in “Soul Vibrations: Astrology for African Americans,” by George Davis and Gilda Matthews.The signs of Virgo (said to be the critic) and Libra (the sign of balance) govern the month of September. We will identify September Virgo’s in this article. Virgo’s are perfectionist, making sure things are right. They may not do everything right themselves, and they may not be the neatest person in the house, but conflict comes into play whenever things are not as Virgo thinks they should be. Who are some famous Virgo perfectionists; Michael Jackson, born on August 29, and Tae Bo founder, Billy Blanks, born September 1.Virgo is the sign of the judge, and a good example of this is found in the life of Constance Baker Motley, born September 14, Joseph W. Hatchett, born September 17, appointed judge by former President Jimmy Carter, in 1979, and William Benson Bryant, born September 18, appointed judge in 1965, by President Lyndon B. Johnson. There are many athletically inclined individuals born in September under the sign of Virgo that you will read in the upcoming attached pages. Virgo’s are said to be fighters for racial justice, for which the lives of Roy Wilkins (Aug. 30), Maxine Waters (Aug. 31), Alfreda Duster (Sept. 3), Charles Hamilton Houston (Sept. 3), Charles Evers (Sept. 11), Ramona Edlin (Sept. 4), Israel Tribble (Sept. 4), Tavis Smiley (Sept. 13), Iyanla Vanzant (Sept. 13), Tyler Perry ( Sept. 13), Ruby Bridges (Sept. 8), Sojourner Truth (Sept. 19), and Richard Wright (Sept. 4 or 8), to name a few. Some Virgo’s were leaders who set the pace for the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).This list is incomplete, but you will find information on achievers such as: Florence Kelley, Crispus Attucks Wright, Rev. Dr. Thomas Harris, Bishop Cornelius Henderson, Anne Moody, Bill Pinkney, Claude McKay, Nancy Prince Gardner, Henry Louis Gates, Claude Barnett, Andrew “Rube” Foster, and Mary M. Talbert Burnett, who were all born during the month of September, under the astrological sign of the Virgo. Virgo’s are said to be methodical, discriminating, and orderly. They see their main role in the scheme of things, to improve and perfect what has already been created. “I Analyze,” are their key words. Virgo’s have a very practical down-to-earth approach to life, yet very materialistic. Virgo is a twin sign like Gemini. They argue, but are dedicated to serving others. If things are seriously wrong, Virgo’s are the severest critics in the world; just listen to the comments of Tavis Smiley, Iyanla Van Zant, or even the films of Tyler Perry (the three of them share September 13 as their date of birth) Virgo’s are also gifted with a fine sense for music, which is certainly represented in the life of Michael Jackson, Brandford Marsalis, Otis Redding, Jose Feliciano, Julian Cannonball Adderley, B. B. King, K-Ci of Jodeci, Joe Simon, Macy Gray, Debbie Winans, Beyonce Knowles, Terry Ellis, Foxy Brown, CeCe Peniston, Charles “Buddy” Bolden, and Latimore, just to name a few.  

Remember, as you read about these achievers of color and their contributions, those born in September, under the Virgo sign, they are said to be the most deeply intellectual sign of the zodiac. They bring intellect to bear on every situation. Despite all these fine attributes, Virgo’s sometime wish they were born under a less demanding star sign. They do not view life through rose-colored glasses. They see life the way it is.

Keep in mind, as you explore the lives of some of these individuals, they may not represent a perfect life; one to be modeled after. This article recognizes these individuals as achievers of color and not role models of color. However, something can be learned from their mistakes as well as their accomplishments; what to do and what not to do. Enjoy.

Below you’ll read about people born under the demanding sign of Virgo, in the month of September.

Some of the sources from which information has been obtained from are listed after the achievers information. However, if not listed, some of the information can be found at www.wikipedia.com.

George Washington Carver, born September 1, 1864, in Diamond Grove, Missouri (died January 4 or 5, 1943, in Tuskegee, Alabama), becomes an inventor who believing the peanut could help malnutrition in the South, conducted experiments that yielded over 300 products, however he patented only three of his 500 agricultural inventions. He said “God gave them to me; how can I sell them to someone else.” (There are other reference sources that offer other birth dates for George Washington Carver)

Anita Bush, born September 1, 1883, in New York City, New York, (died February 1974), 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: Black Women in America, Volume 1, page 205)

Justin Elie, born September 1, 1883, in Cap Haitien, (died December 3, 1931), becomes a Haitian composer who received his early education in Haiti, studying with pianist Ermine Faubert from 1889 to 1894 and enrolling briefly at the prestigious institution de Saint Louis de Gonzague in Port-au-Prince. , (From: An important source on Elie is Vodou Nation: Haitian Art Music and Cultural Nationalism, written by Michael Largey and published by The University of Chicago Press (2006); According to a column by W.E.B. Du Bois, in the January, 1916 issue of Crisis, the magazine, and reproduced in Africana Encyclopedia http://chevalierdesaintgeorges.homestead.com/elie.html )

Louis W. Roberts, born September 1, 1913, in Jamestown, New York, (died November 3, 1995), 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 and Blacks in Science and Medicine, an Internet source)

 

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. 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: The Essential Black Literature Guide, pg. 159,  Great African American Women, pg. 285, Timelines of African American History, pg. 166, and Soul Vibrations, pg. 133)

Lenrie Peters, born September 1, 1932, in Bathurst, Gambia, (died May 28, 2009) becomes a surgeon, novelist and poet who, while at Trinity College Cambridge elected president of the African Students’ Union, he became interested in Pan-Africanist politics. He began writing poetry and plays, as well as starting work on his only novel, The Second Round (published in 1965). Peters worked in hospitals in Guildford and Northampton before returning to The Gambia, where he has a surgical practice in Banjul. He became a fellow of the West African College of Surgeons and the Royal College of Surgeons in England(From: Contemporary Black Biography, Volume 43, page 162)

 

Ron O’Neal, born September 1, 1937, in Utica, New York, (died January 14, 2004), 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: Who’s Who Among African Americans, 17thEdition: Contemporary Black Biography, Volume 46, page 127 and www.geocities.com/Hollywood)

 

Alton Nehemiah Ellis, born September 1, 1938, in Kingston, Jamaica (died October 10, 2008), becomes aJamaican musician best known as one of the innovators of rock-steady music and often referred to as the “Godfather of Rock-steady.” In 2006, he received induction into the International Reggae and World Music Awards Hall Of Fame. (From: Contemporary Black Biography, Volume 74, page 45)

Alton Nehemiah Ellis, born September 1, 1938, in London, England, died October 10, 2008, becomes a Jamaican vocalist, one of the innovators of rock steady, given the informal title “Godfather of Rocksteady”.

Claudette Rogers Robinson, born September 1, 1942, in New Orleans, Louisiana (one reference source indicates her birth tool place born June 20, 1942), becomes an American singer-songwriter, a member of The Miracles from 1957 to 1972. Her brother Emerson “Sonny” Rogers was an original member of the group, which was originally called “The Matadors” before 1957; Claudette Rogers took her brother’s place after he’d been drafted into the U.S. Army. In 2012, after years of being ignored, Claudette finally received recognition with the rest of the original Miracles, which include her cousin Bobby Rogers, Pete Moore, Ronald White, and Marv Tarplin into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, alongside her former husband, Miracles lead singer Smokey Robinson.

Webster Lewis, born September 1, 1943, in Baltimore, Maryland, (died November 20, 2002), 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. Lewis wrote music for several feature films and TV specials. He did his last recording, “Welcome Aboard,” with Barry White (born Barry Eugene Carter; September 12, 1944/died July 4, 2003).

 

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 dermatomyositisMario 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. They popularized the song and dance called “The Tighten Up”. (From: Soul Music A to Z, pg. 21)

 

Louis Delsarte, born September 1, 1944, in Brooklyn, New York, becomes a painter, muralist, printmaker, and illustrator known for what has sometimes been called his “illusionistic” style. Delsarte credited his grandfather for exposing him to an eclectic array of music, including jazz, opera, classical, musicals, and blues, among others. Being multi-talented, Delsarte merged his sense of rhythm and drama with his visual awareness. Writing for The Atlantic Journal-Constitution, art critic Catherine Fox wrote, “Delsarte, a consummate craftsman, uses watercolor, pastel, and acrylic to make handsome, richly developed, and layered works that feature women dancing, moving in graceful arabesques accompanied by musicians of various sorts. There is no denying the beauty of the Morris Brown College professor’s paintings and works on paper. He orchestrates watercolor washes, pastel lines, passages of pattern, and realistic figures with aplomb.” Louis Delsarte was a figurative artist whose work reflected a departure from the realist style that was predominant among many of the African-American artists during the first half of the twentieth century. His multi-layered works have been described as illusionistic and myth-like, often crossing over into the world of abstraction. Delsarte’s work was held at The Studio Museum in Harlem and at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. His work has also been exhibited in galleries throughout the United States and Europe, including the Schomberg Center in New York and the Howard University Fine Arts Gallery. In 2002 his most public work could be viewed at the Church Avenue subway station in Brooklyn, where his colorful 120 foot mosaic tile mural, Transitions, could be admired by commuters riding on the D and Q lines. (From: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G2-2873600021.html and Contemporary Black Biography Vol. 34, page 44)

 

Alexander N. “Al” Green, commonly known as Al Green, born September 11947, in Texas, becomes a politician, serving as a Democratic U.S. Representative from the Ninth Congressional District in Texas. Green won the Democratic primary for District 9 in Houston on March 92004, a district that is largely Democratic with 37% of its population African American and 31% Hispanic – two ethnic groups that traditionally support the Democrats – and later was victorious over Republican Arlette Molina. Green was born in New Orleans, Louisiana. He attended Florida A&M University and the Tuskegee Institute. He later went on to receive his Doctorate of Jurisprudence in 1974 from Texas Southern University. Green was later elected as Justice of the Peace in Harris County, Texas in the Precinct 7, Place Two position prior to running for the U.S. Congress. He held this Justice of Peace position for 26 years. Green is a former trial lawyer. He also served as president of the Houston NAACP, and during his term as the organization’s leader, membership increased sevenfold. His defeat of Congressman Chris Bell in the primarytriggering the latter’s ethics complaint against House Majority Leader Tom DeLay. Green is a member of Alpha Phi Alpha, the first intercollegiate Greek-letter fraternity established for African Americans.

 

Janice Bryant Howroyd, born September 1, 1952, in Tarboro, North Carolina, becomes an entrepreneur who founded the organization ACT’1 Personnel Services and Temporary Employment Agency, in the Los Angeles area. (From: Contemporary Black Biography, Volume 42)

 

Beau Billingslea, born September 1, 1953, in Aguila, Arizona or Charleston, South Carolina, becomes actor and voice actor, known as the voice of Jet Black in the popular anime Cowboy Bebop. In addition to voice acting, He appeared in many popular TV series as a prolific guest. Beau was offered a contract to play baseball out of high school with the Kansas City Athletics. However, his dad told him that he had to go to college, and he did on a football scholarship.

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. He emerged as a seven-time world Karate champion, and holds a seventh-degree black belt in tae kwon do. 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 portmanteauof 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 became 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 TBNFrom: www.imdb.com  and Biography Resource Center Online, Gale

Henry “Wayne” Howard born September 1, 1955 is a Democratic member of the Georgia House of Representatives, representing District 124. He was first elected to the chamber in 2006. News 12’s Jonathan Martin explains in an article dated April 14, 2006 (http://www.wrdw.com/home/headlines/2636526.html). When Henry Howard died last October, his House seat was left vacant until his wife Earnestine ran unopposed and won the seat. But in November, as she seeks to continue her late husband’s legacy, Earnestine will have some competition. And it’s all in the family. In November, “Wayne” Howard, son of the late Henry Howard, will go head to head with his stepmother, Earnestine Howard, for his father’s former seat. In a press conference Friday, April 7, he said, “After talking with my family and close friends, I, Henry Wayne Howard, am announcing my candidacy for the State House District 121.” “My father served the people of District 121 for 14 years. He did not serve for personal gain or interest. He served because he cared about people.”

Vincent “Vinnie” Johnson, born September 1, 1956, in Brooklyn, New York, becomes a professional basketball player. He earned the nickname “Microwave” from Boston Celtics guard, Danny Ainge, for his ability to score many points in a short period of time (i.e., Johnson could heat up the offense of the team in short order and his “instant defense). The Pistons honored Johnson’s remarkable career contribution by retiring his number 15 jersey in a ceremony on January 27, 2006 at The Palace. Influenced by Earl Monroe growing up, he only wore number 15 throughout his playing days. When asked about it by a fan later he said, “It was a huge honor. The fact that they retired my jersey tells me that I did some great things for the organization.”

Janice Huff, born September 1, 1960, in New York City, New York, becomes chief meteorologist for WNBC in New York City.

 

Brian Hersholt Ellerbe, born September 1, 1963, in Capital Heights, Missouri, becomes a professional basketball coach at Loyola-Maryland from 1994 to 1997 and at the University of Michigan from 1997 to 2001, where he posted a 62-60 record, however, nearly all of Ellerbe’s wins at Michigan were later vacated from official records as a result of the University of Michigan basketball scandal in which four players received money from booster Ed Martin. Ellerbe also coached at DePaul University years after the scandal for which he had been cleared from any wrongdoing. (From: Contemporary Black Biography, Volume 22, page 63)

 

Tim Hardaway, born September 1, 1966, in Chicago, Illinois, becomes a professional basketball player who played for the Miami Heat and the Golden State Warriors. He received the nickname of “Tim Bug.” He became the Warriors all-time leader in three-pointers and the Miami Heats’ all-time leader in assists in the franchise history. Hardaway develop into 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 season. 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. 1996-97 (From: the Official Celebrity Registry 1994/1995: Intimate Information on the World’s Most Popular Sports Stars,” by Sandy Steele, page 138; Contemporary Black Biography, Volume 35, page 58; Basketball Almanac, page 110, indicates Hardaway’s birth as September 12, however most Internet sources gives September 1, as date of birth)

Karim Wade, born September 1, 1968, in Paris, France, becomes a Senegalese politician who served in the government of Senegal as Minister of State for International Cooperation, Regional Development, Air Transport, and Infrastructure from May 2009 to April 2012. He is the son of Abdoulave Wade (born May 29, 1926), who became President of Senegal from 2000 to 2012. Before joining the government, Karim Wade served as President of the National Agency for the Organization of the Islamic Conference (Agence Nationale de l’Organisation de la Conférence Islamique, ANOCI) and served as an adviser to his father; widely seen as a possible successor to his father as President, and it was widely believed that he was being groomed for the position by his father.

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, became a 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 ChurchillPennsylvania, 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: Contemporary Black Biography, Volume 70, page 153)

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 Eightappearance 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.sports.yahoo.com   and www.espn.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: http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/players/ )

Dante Hall, born September 1, 1978, in Lufkin, Texas, becomes a professional football player for the Kansas City Chiefs.

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 152005, 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.

 

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 4×100-meter relay team (40.8) and state champion 4×400-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:

 

Ryan Gomes, born September 1, 1982, in Waterbury, Connecticut, of Cape Verdean descent, 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 212008 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.

 

Gael Farfazee Monfils, born September 1, 1986, in Bobigny, France, becomes a professional tennis player who has reached a career-high singles ranking of world no. 7, and is currently the sixth-highest-ranked French tennis player. He is one of few black French tennis players.

 

Zendaya Maree Stoermer Coleman, born September 1, 1996, in Oakland, California, known simply as Zendaya, becomes an actress, singer and dancer. She began her professional career working as a fashion model for Macy’s, Mervyns and Old Navy. Featured in an iCarly toys ad along with Stefanie Scott, she also appeared as a back-up dancer in a Sears commercial featuring Disney Channek star Selena Gomez. In 2009, she became a featured performer in the Kidz Bop music video for its cover of the song “Hot n Cold” by Katy Perry, which was released on Kidz Bop 15. She auditioned in November 2009 for the role of CeCe Jones to join the cast of Dance Dance Chicago (later changed to Shake It Up!). For her audition she performed Michael Jackson’s “Leave Me Alone”.

James Forten, born September 2, 1766, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, (died March 4, 1892), becomes an abolitionist and businessman. He became an influential figure in the fight against slavery. Forten began experimenting with different types of sails for ships and finally invented one that he found was better suited for maneuvering and maintaining greater speeds. Although he did not patent the sail, he was able to benefit financially, as his sailing loft became one of the most successful and prosperous ones in Philadelphia. The fortune he soon made was enormous for any man, Black or White. Forten spent his money and lived a luxurious life, but he also made good use of his resources on people other than his self. More than half of his considerable fortune was devoted towards abolitionist causes. He often purchased slaves freedom, helped to finance and bring in funding for William Garrison’s newspaper, the Libertarian, opened his home on Lombard Street as an Underground Railroad depot and opened a school for Black children. James Forten died in 1842 after living an incredible life. His early years were devoted to providing for his mother, his middle years towards building his fortune and supporting his family and his later years to uplifting his fellow man. He was not only a great inventor, but an even greater man.  (From: Encyclopedia of Black America, page 390; Great Negroes Past and Present, page 21; Notable Black American Men, Volume 1, page 408)

Anna De Costa Banks, born. September 2, 1869,  raised in Charleston, South Carolina (died in 1930), becomes an exceptional nurse who worked among people of all races, but initially her patients were what she described as the poor and ignorant class of white people.

 

Joseph Seamon Cotter, Jr., born September, 2, 1895, in Louisville, Kentucky (died February 3, 1919), 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,M1and Contemporary Authors, Online) 

 

Allan R. Freelon, born September, 2, 1895, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, (died in 1960), becomes an educator and artist, a pioneer impressionist, 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 and St. James Guide to Black Artists) 

 

Edith Wilson, born Edith Goodall, September 2, 1896, in Louisville, Kentucky, (died March 30, 1981), 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. (From: Notable Black American Women, Book I and Interesting People: Black American History Makers, page 54)

 

Amanda Randolph, born September 2, 1896, in Louisville, Kentucky, (died August 24, 1967), 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.

 

Mollie Ernestine Dunlap, born September 2, 1898, in Paducah, Kentucky, (died in 1977), 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) 

 

Rex Goreleigh, born September 2, 1902, in Peullyn, Pennsylvania, (died October 1, 1986), becomes an African American painter. At the age of eighteen, Goreleigh saw his first display of African-American art in New York at the Harmon Foundation exhibition at International House, a show that inspired him to take drawing lessons while he waited tables. In the late 1930s, through the WPA, Goreleigh and artist Norman Lewis established an art center in Greensboro, N. C. n 1955, he opened his Studio-on-the-Canal art school, which served the community into the 1970s. His best-known paintings are Dean’s Alley 1938, Tomato Pickers 1962, Misery 1940, Quaker Bridge Road 1967, and Sunflower 1967. (From: African American Registry, Africana The Encyclopedia of the African and African American Experience)

 

Romare Bearden, born Fred Howard Romare Bearden, September, 2, 1911, 1912 or 1914, in Charlotte, North Carolina, (died March 12, 1988), becomes an artist and writer, one of the 20th century’s most important artists, who worked in several media including cartoonsoils, and collages. Bearden’s date of birth has been the subject of much debate. Dates have ranged anywhere from 1911 to 1914. However, according to the Register of Deeds in Charlotte, North Carolina, (Bearden’s birthplace) his year of birth has been recorded as 1912 (Campbell and Patton 105). Bearden had met renowned cartoonist Elmer Simms Campbell and began doing editorial drawings for the Baltimore Afro-American. He also contributed some drawings to the Saturday Evening Post and Colliers. While still trying to decide on whether or not to become a professional artist, he attended a meeting of African-American artists in Harlem, NY. The group of artists called themselves the “306 Group” and Bearden met many of his influences and people who became instrumental in the development of his career in art. While attending, he met artistic achievers such as Langston Hughes, Jacob Lawrence, Augusta Savage, Aaron Douglas, Charles Aston and Addison Bates. Beardens’ most notable painting from this exhibit became one called the “Interior.” 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: Timelines of African American History, pg. 147; Notable Black American Men, Volume 1, page 64; Contemporary Black Biography, Volume 50, page 10; Encyclopedia of Black America, by Low & Clift, page, 169, The African American Century: How Black Americans Have Shaped Our Country,” by Henry Louis Gates, Jr. and Cornel West, page 280, and Soul Vibrations, pg.133)    

 

Walter S. McAfee, born the second of nine children, September, 2, 1914, in Ore City, Texas, (died February 18, 1995), 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. McAfee’s role in the success of the project laid the groundwork for space communications and exploration, which scientist enjoy today. (From: http://www.math.buffalo.edu/mad/physics/mcafee_walters.html, Notable Black American Men, page 336, and Notable Scientists),

Oswald “O.S.” Williams, born September 2, 1921, in Washington, D.C, (died February 20, 2005), becomes an inventor and aeronautical engineer, the second African American to receive a degree in aeronautical engineeringand the first to be hired as a design engineer by Republic Aviation–one of the leaders of the industry in the 1940s. At a time when blacks were discouraged from the engineering field, Williams blazed many trails. His accomplishments over the years included heading the team that originated the first experimental airborne radiobeacon for tracking crashed aircraft and managing the development of the control rocket systems for National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Apollo missions, including the fateful thirteenth one in 1970. William’s rockets are credited with saving the lives of the Apollo 13 astronauts. (From: Contemporary Black Biography, Volume 13,page 237)

Daniel Toroitich arap Moi, born September, 2, 1924, in Kurieng’wo village, in Kenya’s Sacho division, Baringo DistrictRift 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.rcbowen.com/kenya/government/moi.html and Contemporary Black Biography, Vol. 35, page 132) 

Horace Silver, born Horace Ward Martin Tavares Silva, September, 2, 1928, in Norwalk, Connecticut, (died June 18, 2014), 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: Timelines of African American History, pg. 171)

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: Contemporary Black Biography, Vol. 1)     

 

Samuel G. “Sam” Gooden, born September 2, 1934 or 1939, in Chattanooga, Tennessee, becomes a soul singer, best known as a member of the group “The Impressions,” who began as “The Roosters,” in the 1950s. Sam and “T group are still recording and performing. Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inducted him with the group in 1991. (From: Soul Music A to Z, pg. 149) ,
He is best known for being an original member of the successful group The Impressions from its beginnings as The Roosters in the 1950s. Gooden and the group are still recording and performing. He can be seen with original Impressions members Fred Cash and the late Curtis Mayfield in the group’s first-ever extended interview in the 2008 DVD Movin On Up – The Message and The Music of Curtis Mayfield & The Impressions.

 

Bobby Purify, born (Robert Lee Dickey a.k.a.) September 2, 1939, in Tallahassee, Florida, died December 29, 2011. He becomes an R&B singer, one of the R&B singing duo with James Lee Purify (born May 12, 1944, Pensacola, Florida), his cousin, whose biggest hits were “I’m Your Puppet” in 1966, which reached number six in the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and in a re-recorded version number 12 in the UK Singles chart (in April 1976), and “Let Love Come Between Us” in 1967, which reached number 23 in the US. The original “Bobby Purify” (Robert Lee Dickey) was replaced by a second “Bobby Purify” (Ben Moore) in the 1970s. Volume 131)

 

Cleopatra Vaughns, born September 2, 1940, in Houston, Texas, (died July 30, 2007), becomes a nurse, business person and consultant, who graduated at the age of only fifteen years old with grades high enough to qualify for a full scholarship to a private college. However, when she went with her mother for an interview at the school, the administrators were surprised and dismayed to see that the excellent student they had accepted had brown skin. They withdrew the scholarship, giving Vaughns one of her first bitter lessons in racial discrimination. (Read more: From: http://www.answers.com/topic/cleopatra-vaughns#ixzz1VDoPUaE0 and Contemporary Black Biography, Volume 46, page 159)

 

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. He received induction in to the Basketball Hall of Fame as a coach in October 1999 (From: www.hoophall.com/halloffamers )

 

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: Soul Music A to Z, pg. 203)

 

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. As an R&B singer, some of his popular songs were “Nine Pound Steel,” “Drownin in the Sea of Love,” and “Chokin Kind.” (From: Soul Music A to Z, pg. 273)

R&B singer known for songs “Nine Pound Steel,” “Drownin in the Sea of Love,” and “Chokin Kind”

 

William E. “Billy” Preston, born September 2, 1946, in Houston, Texas, (died June 6, 2006), becomes an R&B, rock, soul and funk singer, songwriter, musician and band leader. He played the keyboards, organ, piano, and electric piano. He began his career with several gospel groups. As a child, he performed in a film with W. C Handy (another achiever of color) entitled “St. Louis Blues.” 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 Beatlesthe Rolling StonesNat King ColeLittle RichardRay CharlesGeorge HarrisonElton JohnEric ClaptonBob DylanSam CookeKing CurtisSammy Davis Jr.Sly StoneAretha Franklinthe Jackson 5Quincy JonesRichie 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: Soul Music A to Z pg. 243 and www.billypreston.net,biography.html)

 

Nate “Tiny” Archibald, born September, 2, 1948, in South Bronx, New York, becomes a professional basketball player for the Cincinnati Royals and Boston Celtics. On his way to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, Nathaniel “Tiny” Archibald learned all about rising from desperate surroundings to extraordinary heights. It was an education that started early in life and served him well through a 14-year playing career that led him from the lowly Cincinnati Royals to an NBA Championship with the Boston Celtics. “Tiny” is the only player to lead the NBA in points and assists in the same season, during his career period in basketball. In an era when the game threatened to become the exclusive domain of gargantuan players, the 6-foot-1 Archibald proved that there would always be room for a speedy, smart, and creative small man. Archibald was raised in the South Bronx’s Patterson housing projects, one of America’s toughest ravaged ghettos. Archibald used his deftness with a basketball to steer clear of the drugs and violence that claimed many of his contemporaries. Fate, fortitude, and inspiration from unlikely places helped him persevere to become the pride of Patterson. Archibald-who was nicknamed after his father, “Tiny”-grew up in a two-bedroom apartment, the oldest of seven children. At age 14 Archibald effectively became head of the household when Big Tiny abandoned his wife and their children. Living in an environment that destroyed many close to him, Archibald easily could have succumbed to the temptations of the street. “It’s interesting,” Archibald, told Sport magazine in 1980, “how guys who are into drugs are always looking to get other guys involved, as if they want company when they go under. Me? I was always into basketball.” But basketball hardly seemed the natural course for the young Archibald. True, he had decent skills. But he was a small, painfully shy kid who lacked confidence on the court. He failed to make the basketball team his sophomore year at DeWitt Clinton High School and nearly dropped out of school. For 1972-1973 the Royals packed up and moved to Kansas City-Omaha, where they became the Kings. It was as a King that Archibald assumed his place among NBA royalty. He was a star with a big paycheck, a fancy car, and a happy family. Not a man to forget his roots, Archibald continued to be a presence in the troubled neighborhoods of New York, helping to run community programs and homeless shelters and counseling kids on the street. Before retiring at the end of the 1983-84 seasons, Archibald became the only player ever to lead the league in both scoring and assists in a season. The then, New York City Mayor, David Dinkins, honored Archibald for his work with the city’s youth in 1993. (From: http://www.nba.com/history/players/archibald_bio.html)

 

Moira Clare Ruby Stuart,  born September 2, 1949, in the Royal Free Hospital, London, England, becomes a British presenter, who became the first African Caribbean female newsreader to appear on British television. Stuart began working with the BBC in the 1970s and was a production assistant in the radio Talks and Documentaries department. She was a continuity announcer and newsreader for both BBC Radio 4 and BBC Radio 2, and in 1980 she played Darong in series one of game show “The Adventure Jame” She moved to television news in 1981.In a career that spans more than three decades, she has presented many television news and radio programmes for the BBC and is currently the newsreader for “The Curtis Evans Breakfast Show” on BBC Radio 2. Stuart’s 26-year career with BBC Television News was brought to a close on 3 October 2007, when the BBC announced her departure. In total, her experience had spanned 34 years of BBC radio and TV.

Billi Gordon, born Wilbert Anthony Gordon, September 2, 1954, in Dawagiac, Michigan, becomes an author, television writer, neuroscientist and formerly an actor, and model. In 1982, he became an alternative model, and appeared on more greeting cards than any other model in the world, and at the height of her/his career, paid $12,000 an hour, after which he began writing and performing as a woman. Gordon authored three works of non-fiction: “Billi Gordon’s You’ve Had Worse Things in Your Mouth Cookbook,” which the Saturday Review described as the humor classic of 1985, “Eat This Book: The Last Diet Book,” and “Your Moon Is in Aquarius but Your Head Is in Uranus,” published by West Graphics. Gordon’s television and film acting roles include his portrayal of male and female characters which include a role in the film “Coming to America,” the role of Belle on “Married with Children,” and Chu Lin on “Women in Prison.” As a writer, he wrote an episode of the sitcom “227.” Gordon also wrote and starred in the television pilot “Next of Kin” for Westway/Odessa.

Pamela Gordon, born September 2, 1955, in Hamilton, Bermuda, becomes a politician, serving as the premier (prime minister) of Bermuda beginning March 27,1997, she became the first woman and the youngest person ever to hold that post. At the age of 41, she had already lived an eventful life-giving birth to a child at the age of 16 and overcoming the economic obstacles posed by early motherhood by working in a variety of jobs. However, Gordon had two things going for her: the daughter of one of the founding fathers of Bermuda politics, and she had considerable political skills of her own. She used these resources in steering the United Bermuda Party to victory. (Read more: From: http://www.answers.com/topic/pamela-gordon#ixzz1VDkt0I5k and Contemporary Black Biography, Volume 17, page 85)

 

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.

Sam Mitchell, born September, 2, 1963, in Columbus, Georgia, becomes a professional basketball player for the Indiana Pacers, 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. He played his 800th career game against the Detroit Pistons 1/8/00 and scored his 8000th career point against the Denver Nuggets on 2/15/00. Mitchell names Martin Luther King and Malcolm X as the people he would most like to meet. He volunteers his time to the Special Olympics in Macon, GA and in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

 

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: the Official Celebrity Registry 1994/1995: Intimate Information on the World’s Most Popular Sports Stars,” by Sandy Steele, page 206)

 

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.rockonthenet.com; Contemporary Black Biography, Volume 22, page 82 and http://www.mp3.com/K-Ci-&-JoJo/artists/181279/biography.html

 

Donnie Boyce, born September 2, 1973, in Chicago, Illinois, becomes a professional basketball player for the Atlanta Hawks.

 

Micah “Katt” Williams, born September 2, 1971 or 1973, in Cincinnati, Ohio, becomes a comedianrapper, 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 KnottsBill CosbyDarnell AllenWalt 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.”

 

Jason Lawson, born September, 2, 1974, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, becomes a professional basketball player for the Orlando Magic and the Denver Nuggets.

 

Amadou Diallo, born September 2, 1975, in Sinoe County, Liberia, died February 4, 1999becomes a victim, shot and killed on February 4, 1999 by four New York City Police Department plain-clothed officers. Diallo grew up following his family to Togo, Bangkok and Singapore, attending schools in Thailand, and later in Guinea and London, including Microsoft’s Asian Institute. The shooting of Diallo, unarmed at the time of the shooting, released a firestorm of controversy subsequent to the event as the circumstances of the shooting prompted outrage both within and outside New York City.

 

Anthony Ulysses Tony Thompson, born September 2 1975, in Waco, Texasbetter known as Tony Thompson, died June 1, 2007, becomes an R&B singer–songwriter, best known as the lead vocalist of the American R&B quintet Hi Five, which had hit singles such as “I Like the Way (The Kissing Game).” and “I Can’t Wait Another Minute.” After the group disbanded in 1994, Thompson found solo success the following year with his debut album Sexsational, in 1995. In later years, Thompson formed his own record label and released an album with a new formed Hi-Five group in 2005. Thompson died at age 31.

Syleena Johnson, born September 2, 1976, in Harvey, Illinois, becomes a Grammy Award nominated R&B and soul singer/songwriter and actress. Johnson stars in TV One reality series R&B Divas: Atlanta. September 23, 2013, Johnson and Musiq Soulchild released a duet album with entitled 9ine. This album, a compilation of nine reggae songs recorded in nine days. The first single from the duet album, “Feel the Fire”, was released. Johnson suffered from vocal nodules and had to go through speech therapy. When Johnson was fifteen years old, her parents broke up. Despite these setbacks, Johnson’s relationship with both her parents and her music remained strong: she contributed as a singer and songwriter on her father’s 1994 album Back in the Game. She has seven years of vocal training. That same year, Johnson began attending Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, where she worked in classical and gospel choirs as well as jazz ensembles. Originally a psychology major, success at a talent show convinced her that her strength had always been in music. She switched to music major and began recording her own songs. In 1996, she transferred to Normal’s Illinois State University, and majored in music. In September 1997, Johnson met an assistant scout for Jive Records at a charity basketball game. That contact allowed her to send in a demo tape, which had an immediate impact; days later, she got a callback from a Jive executive with an offer for a deal. “That’s a miracle”, Johnson later observed. “Demo tapes don’t get heard like that.” The experience renewed her resolve.

Jonathan Alexander Jackson, born September, 2, 1977, in Dayton, Ohio, becomes a professional football player for the Kansas City Chiefs and the New Orleans Saints, beginning 2001. (From: http://www.armchairgm.com/Jonathan_Jackson and www.espn.com ) 

 

Freddie Kanoute, born September 2, 1977, in Sainte-Foy-lès-LyonRhône, becomes a French-born Malianfootballer who currently plays for Sevilla FC in the Spanish La Liga, and is known for his pace, strength, and technique. On 2 February 2008, Kanouté received the 2007 African Footballer of the Year title and is the first foreign-born player to win it. (From: Contemporary Black Biography, Volume 68, page 103)

 

Lester Abram, born September 2, 1983, in Pontiac, Michigan, becomes a professional basketball player. Named team captain during his senior year at the University of Michigan, Abram became the Wolverines’ first three-time captain.

“Rich Boy,”born Maurice Richards, September 2, 1983, in Mobile, Alabama, becomes a rapper and musician. Richards dropped out of his studies of mechanical engineering at Tuskegee University in order to concentrate on music. He is best known for the hit single “Throw Some D’s.”

 

Charles “Doc” Cook, born September 3, 1891, in Louisville, Kentucky, (died in 1958), becomes an influential jazz bandleader. (From: Contemporary Black Biography, Vol. 44, page 39 or 89) 

 

Bessie Delany, born Annie Elizabeth Delany, one of ten children, September 3, 1891, in Raleigh, North Carolina(died in-1995), becomes a dentist, and co-author with her sister Sadie Delany (and journalist Amy Hill Hearth), 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; Barcelona/Shooting Star and Great African American Women, pg. 281)    

 

Charles Hamilton Houston, born September 3, 1895, in Washington, D.C. (died April 22, 1950), becomes a trail-blazing civil rights attorney who served as an Army officer during World War I. He wrote “The hate and scorn showered on us Negro officers by our fellow Americans convinced me that there was no sense in my dying for a world ruled by them.  I made up my mind that if I got through this war I would study law and use my time fighting for men who could not strike back.” Houston entered Harvard Law School in the fall of 1919 and the first black editor of the Harvard Law Review. After graduating from the Harvard Law School, Houston went to the University of Madrid to do post-doctoral work in law. Houston traveled extensively throughout the United States, surveying the condition and practices of Negro lawyers. During his travels in the South, he made films of the conditions he encountered. Houston also argued a number of cases before the Supreme Court. 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, Volume 1, page 575; Encyclopedia of Black America, page 453; Interesting People: Black American History Makers, page 46; The African American Century: How Black Americans Have Shaped Our Country,” by Henry Louis Gates, Jr. and Cornel West, page 126, and Timelines of African American History, pg. 124)

Mantan Moreland, born September 3, 1902, in Monroe, Louisiana (died September 28, 1973), 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 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 made his way to Broadway, in the revue “Blackbirds.” In 1938, he made his film debut in “Spirit of Youth,” which also starred heavyweight Joe Louis (another achiever of color), as himself.

 

Alfreda Barnett Duster, born September 3, 1904, in Chicago, Illinois (died April, 2, 1983), 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. (From: Notable Black American women, Book 1 and Black Women in America, Book 1)  

 

Meade Lux Lewis, born September 3, 4, or 13), 1905, in Chicago, Illinois (died June 7, 1964), 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, June 7, 1964 or February 7, 1964 (depending on your reference source)

 

Dorothy Maynor (Mainor), born September 3, 1910, in Norfolk, Virginia, (died February 19, 1996) becomes an opera singer and an educator, one of the great concert sopranos of her time. She founded the Harlem School for the Arts, in 1964. Her father became a clergyman. She first sang in his church’s choir. Maynor gained fame for her pure, sweet soprano voice. She especially became effective performing the music of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and George Frederic Handel. She also excelled in singing spirituals and German lieder (songs). Maynor became limited to concerts and recordings because major opera houses would not hire black artists during her active career. Conductor Serge Koussevitzky heard her at the Tanglewood Festival in 1939 and hired her as a soloist with the Boston Symphony Orchestra. (From: Great African American Women, pg. 293, Notable Black American Women, Book 2; Encyclopedia of Black America, page 548, and Contemporary Black Biography, Vol. 19, pg. 155). African American Registry lists her birth date as September 2, 1910. 

 

Cecelia Nabrit Adkins, born the youngest of eight children, September 3, 1923, in Atlanta, Georgia, becomes a business executive, 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 and Great African American Women, pg. 273)

Lorenzo “Pete” Williams, born September 3, 1923, in Louisville, Kentucky (died August, 26, 2011), becomes an African American architect, entrepreneur and activist. In 1942, he enlisted in the Army. After the military, in 1950, he graduated from Howard University in Washington, D.C. with a degree in Architecture. In an early job in the Minneapolis office of architect Benjamin Gingold, he met James O’Brien, who became a lifetime friend and business partner. In 1962, they formed a firm later named Williams/O’Brien Associates Inc., and for 37 years, until Williams retired in 1999, were business partners with offices in Minneapolis and St. Paul. Early projects included Zion Baptist Church in Minneapolis and the Jamestown Homes in St. Paul. In the mid-1960s, the two formalized a process that gave neighbors a strong say about projects in low-income communities. Subsequent Minneapolis projects included Findley Place housing development, which was honored with a 1975 citation from Progressive Architecture magazine; the Bethune (formerly Grant) Park housing project, a Plymouth Avenue redesign and the Matthews Park project in the Seward neighborhood. Williams also served on state and national commissions dedicated to making public buildings handicapped-accessible, with appointments by President Lyndon Johnson and Minnesota Governors, Karl Rolvaag and Harold LeVander. He became a founding member of the Monitors Club, which provided African-American men with social, financial and civic opportunities. Family life was also important to him, said his daughter Pamela Maury, who cared for her father during his final years at her California home. “He was the best thing in the world,” she said. “When I was young, we’d go to his office on Saturdays and he’d sit us up on the drafting tables; it was back in the day when architecture was done with pencils and we’d color and draw and just be so happy. Williams died of complications from Alzheimer’s disease on at his daughter’s home in Torrance, Calif. He was 87. “Lorenzo was committed to bringing beauty to the lives of all people, including people of low or moderate means,” said Minneapolis civil rights advocate Josie Johnson, Williams’ companion of more than 20 years. “He brought artistry to his work as an architect.” Williams was preceded in death in 1984 by his wife of 31 years, Lillian Williams, the first director of the University of Minnesota’s Office of Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action; his daughter Pamela Maury and his fiancée, Josie Johnson.

Ernie Henry, born September 3, 1926, in Brooklyn, New York, died December 29, 1957), becomes a jazz saxophonist who played in the late 1940s with Tadd Dameron (1947), Fats … Henry played in the late 1940s with jazz artists such as Max Roach and Dizzie Gillespie, to name a few. From 1950 to 1952 he played in the band of Illinois Jacquet. After a few years in the shadows, he returned to play with notable musicians such as Thelonious Monk, Charles Mingus and Philly Joe Jones, to name a few. He recorded three albums as a leader for the Riverside label shortly before his death at the end of 1957. He died of a heroin overdoes at age 31.

Freddie King, born September 3, 1934, in Gilmer, Texas (died December 28, 1976) became an influential American blues guitarist and singer. He is often mentioned as one of “the Three Kings” of electric blues guitar along with Albert King and B.B. King.

Eugene Sawyerborn September 3, 1934, in Greensboro, Alabama, died January 19, 2008, becomes a businessman, educator, and politician who served as the 53rd Mayor of Chicago, from December 2, 1987 to April 24, 1989.

 

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: Contemporary Black Biography, Vol. 36, page 117)

Levy Mwanawasa, born September 3, 1948, in Mufulira, Zambia, (died August 19, 2008), becomes a politician, the third President of Zambia who ruled the country from January 2002 until his death in August 2008. He is credited for having initiated a campaign to rid the country of corruption. Prior to his election, Mwanawasa served as vice president from 1991 to 1994 whilst as an elected Member of Parliament for Chifubu Constituency. (From: Contemporary Black Biography, Volume 72, page 100)

 

Onaje Allan Gumbs, born September 3, 1949, becomes a pianist, composer, and bandleader, born Allan Bentley Gumbs in Harlem, New York, but growing up in St. Albans, Queens. He started playing piano at age 7. Henry Mancini became one of his earliest and greatest influences from watching the TV shows “Peter Gunn” and “Mr Lucky” at age 8. Later, he studied at the Music and Art High School in Manhattan and was introduced by a classmate, Carl “Skip” Kirkland, to his father Leroy Kirkland, who had played with the Erskine Hawkins band, and who would come to mentor Onaje. He went on to study classical piano, composition, arranging and graduated with a degree in Education at the State University of New York at Fredonia.

 

Raymond Lewis, born September 3, 1952, in Los Angeles, California, (died February 11, 2001), becomes a professional NBA basketball player regarded as one of the best players never to have played in the NBA. When the Philadelphia 76ers attempted to sign him after drafting him in 197, he reported to have had a nasty contract dispute and told to mature for another year. He never tried to enter a professional league again. On June 6, 2006 former NBA LA Lakers defensive star Michael Cooper told ESPN radio personality Colin Cowherd that Lewis once scored 60 points on him in a summer pro league game in only three quarters of play. A subject of numerous articles, Lewis has been featured in Sports Illustrated, Slam Magazine, The Book “Runnin’ Rebel” etc. Regardless of the contract dispute the NBA lost one of its greatest players, the world lost more. Raymond Lewis is no longer with us, but his legend will live on forever! To read what former NBA players, college coaches and streetballers have to say about this phenomenal basketball player, simply visit our website at www.raymondlewis.com Retrieved from “http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raymond_Lewis “

Willie Jolley, born September 3, 1956, in Washington, DC, becomes a multi-talented and unique motivational speaker, singer and media personality who became one half of the pop group “Deuce” and his voice has been used behind numerous jingles that include Pizza Hut; Phil Donahue; Entertainment Television; the Washington DC Theme Song and 7th Heaven. He is the recipient of a four time WAMMIE Award winning vocalist and many credits as an actor. He is president of InspirTainment Plus and hosts a daily radio program.

 

Earl Cureton, born September 3, 1957, in Detroit, Michigan, nicknamed “The Twirl,” becomes a professional basketball player who won two NBA Championships with Philadelphia and Houston.

Nathan A. Chapman, Jr., born September 3, 1957, in Baltimore, Maryland, becomes an investment banker who began his career in finance as a certified public accountant with the accounting and consulting firm, Peat, Marwick & Mitchell, and as a securities representative with the investment banking firm Alex, Brown & Sons, Inc.; founded The Chapman Company, an investment banking firm, 1986. (Read more: From: http://www.answers.com/topic/nathan-a-chapman-jr#ixzz1VEL6BD25 and Contemporary Black Biography, Volume 21, page 37)

 

Cynthia Eleanor Nance, born September 3, 1958, in Chicago, Illinois, the first African-American woman dean of a school or college in the history of the university, the first woman and the first African American to be named head of the law school.

Taana Gardner, born September 3, 1960, in Newark, New Jersey, becomes a post-disco singer who found her success through West End Records from 1979 to the present day. She is also a former member of the Aural Exciters. Gardner became one of the leading lights of West End Records, a New York label that released some of the finest and most influential disco during the late 1970s and early ‘80s. At a very young age, Gardner knew that she wanted to act and sing. Her grandmother, a former opera singer, began giving her vocal lessons at the age of five. Before she hit her teens, she was already a playwright; her work was featured at the Lincoln Center and also at the Apollo. Despite having such an accomplished background at such an early age, it was something of a fluke that she became involved with the disco scene. Producer and songwriter Kenton Nix had a song, “Work That Body,” that needed vocals. An early instrumental version of the track had been auditioned and approved by the Paradise Garage DJ Larry Levan, and Levan immediately introduced Nix to West End (and part Paradise Garage) owner Mel Cheren. Cheren set Nix up, but the singer who was slated to record the vocals fell ill on the day they were supposed to be laid down. Nix’s brother, who worked for Gardner’s father, called up the Gardner household that day—Thanksgiving Day, 1978—and invited Taana down. Taana accepted, recorded her vocals, and also gained another gig that same day when members of Dr. Buzzard’s Original Savannah Band overheard her voice and asked her to sing on the record they were working on. (This record actually turned out to be Spooks in Space by the Aural Exciters, released on Ze.) “Work That Body,” remixed by Levan, was an instant hit at the Paradise Garage, sparking a succession of West End classics helmed by Nix, sung by Gardner, and tweaked for maximum dancefloor effect by Levan. “We Can Work It Out,” “When You Touch Me,” “Just Be a Friend,” and “Paradise Express” came later in 1979, and the massive “Heartbeat” (the basis of “Lyrics 2 the Rhythm,” the song from the “New Jack City” soundtrack by The Essence, Ini Kamoze’s ubiquitous 1995 summer hit “Here Comes the Hotstepper,” and Musiq Soulchild’s 2007 hit “B.U.D.D.Y”) and “No Frills” both followed in 1981.

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 (19871992) and Green Bay Packers (1993). (From: Personal Baseball Card Collection)

Malcolm Gladwell, born September 3, 1963, in Fareham/Hampshire, U K, becomes a Canadian journalist, bestselling author, a speaker and has been a staff writer for The New Yorker since 1996. He has written four books, The Tipping Point (2000), Blink (2005), Outliers (2008), and What the Dog Saw: And Other Adventures (2009). All four books made the New York Times Bestsellers list. Gladwell’s books and articles often deal with the unexpected implications of research in the social sciences and make frequent and extended use of academic work, particularly in the areas of sociologypsychology, and social psychology. Gladwell received appointment to the Order of Canada on June 30, 2011. (From: Contemporary Black Biography, Volume 62, page 58)

Adrienne-Joi Johnson, born September 3, 1963, in Orange, New Jersey, becomes an actress, choreographer and fitness coach who as an actress has made many guest appearances on sitcoms, television dramas and music videos; she also has numerous supporting roles in films, including “House Party” and “Baby Boy.” Johnson graduated with honors in 1985 from Spelman College, the all-female college in Atlanta, Georgia. She is a past Miss Maroon & White and the 1st Miss Collegiate Black America. Originally from New Jersey, the former high school homecoming queen is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority. She was initiated into the organization while attending Spelman College during her undergraduate years.

Chris Gatling, born September 3, 1967, born in Elizabeth, New Jersey, becomes a professional basketball player, playing for the team of the Dallas Mavericks, Denver Nuggets, Miami Heat, the Golden State Warriors and the Cleveland Cavaliers. He owns the Chris Gatling Recreational Center in Irvington, New Jersey, which hosts’ children’s recreational activities and athletic events, senior citizen programs, and a day care center for teenage mothers who have returned to school.  His nicknames include “Gat ” and “The Energizer.” He ha a synthetic plate in his head do to an accident in April of 1985, where he fell off the hood of a van he was washing and hit his head. Among other athletes, he admires Julius Erving the most. His hobbies include working with kids, playing golf and cooking his favorite foods, which are steak, pasta, and seafood. He owns “Cut Me Twice,” a barbershop in Oakland, California. (From: www.nba.com , an Internet source, Who’s Who Among African Americans, 17th Edition and 1996-97 Basketball Almanac)  Chris Raymond “The Energizer” Gatling (born September 31967 in Elizabeth, New Jersey)

 

Keith Traylor, born in September 3, 1969, in Little Rock, Arkansas, becomes a professional football player for the Denver Broncos and the Chicago Bears. (From: www.espn.com, an Internet source) 

 

George Lynch, born September 3, 1970, in Roanoke, Virginia, becomes a professional basketball player for the Vancouver Grizzlies and the New Orleans Hornets. (From: espn.com, an Internet source and 1996-97 Basketball Almanac, pg. 150)   

Uzooma Okeke, born September 3, 1970, in Beaumont, Texas, becomes a professional football player for the Canadian Football League tackle for the Montreal Alouettes.

 

Debbie Winans, born September 3, 1972, in Detroit, Michigan, becomes a gospel singer, member of the famed gospel family, “The Winans.”  (From: Contemporary Black Biography, Volume 36, page 189)   

 

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 Toronto Raptors and the Portland Trailblazers. (From: espn.com, www.sports.yahoo.com and 1996-97 Basketball Almanac, pg. 267)

 

Darren Sharper, born September 3, 1975, in Richmond, Virginia, becomes a professional football player for the Green Bay Packers. (From: Contemporary Black Biography, Volume 32, page 150)   

 

Raheem Morris, born September 3, 1976, in Irvington, New Jersey, becomes a professional football coach, the head coach for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers January 17, 2009. In 2010, Morris became the first coach since the 1970 NFL/AFL merger to start at least 10 rookies and finish with a winning record. (From: Contemporary Black Biography, Volume 77, page 111)

 

Michael Basnight, born September 3, 1977, in Norfolk, Virginia, becomes a professional football player for the Cincinnati Bengals. (From: www.espn.com , and http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/football/nfl/players/4972/ )   

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/  

 

Charles Grant, born September 3, 1978, in Colquitt, Georgia, becomes a professional football player for the New Orleans Saints. (From: www.sports.yahoo.com )

 

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: espn.com and www.sports.yahoo.com)

Jérôme Agyenim Boateng, born September 3, 1988, in West Berlin, Germany, is a German footballer who currently plays as a defender for Bavern Munich and the Germany National Football Team. A versatile defender, Boateng primarily is a centre back, although he is a capable full back on either side. He became a key member of his country’s 2014 World Cup win. Boateng started his career with the youth team of Tennis Borussia Berlin, before joining Hertha BSC in 2002. On 13 July 2014, Boateng won the 2014 FIFA World Cup with Germany, after they defeated Argentina 1–0 in the final. He played a central role in Germany’s victory in the final, winning 83 percent of his duels and making a last-ditch clearance against Lionel Messi in the fortieth minute. Several media sources named him as the Man of the Match.

Jehu Jones, Jr. born a slave on September 4, 1786, in Charleston, South Carolina, (died in 1852), 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: http://www.johnbachman.org/HReligionMinistryMain.html )

 

Lewis Howard Latimer, born September 4, 1848, in Chelsea, Massachusetts, (died December 11, 1928), 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. He invented a toilet system for railroad cars in 1873, an electric lamp with an inexpensive carbon filament and a threaded wooded socket for light bulbs.  (From: Interesting People: Black American History Makers, page 13; Time Lines of African American History, pg. 73; Encyclopedia of Black America, page 497, and Faces of Science, African Americans in the Sciences)  

 

Albert L. Cralle, born September 4, 1866, in Lunenberg County, Virginia, (died in 1920), 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. (Fromhttp://www.carnegielibrary.org/locations/scitech/ptdl/pgh/cralle.html )

James Madison Nabrit Jr., born the oldest of eight children, September 4, 1900, in Atlanta, Georgia, (died December 27, 1997), becomes an attorney and educator. He received a BACHELOR OF ARTS DEGREE in 1923 from Morehouse College in Atlanta, and four years later he received a law degree from Northwestern University law school in Chicago. In breaks from law school, he began a career as an educator, teaching at Leland College in Baker, La., from 1925 to 1928. After obtaining his law degree, he held the post of dean of the Arkansas State College for Negroes, in Pine Bluff, from 1928 to 1930. He then practiced law in Houston, handling about two dozen civil rights cases, several involving the right to vote in primary elections. Nabrit was credited with helping to abolish the so-called white primary election in Texas. In addition to serving as Howard’s second black president, from 1960 to 1969, Nabrit was dean of the university’s law school for 10 years. From 1965 to 1967, he took leave from Howard to serve as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. Nabrit was part of the nucleus of lawyers who in the 1940s and ’50s led a determined attack on laws that supported segregation. Those efforts eventually brought about a legal revolution that transformed American society. Nabrit joined Howard’s law school faculty in 1936, and two years later began to teach the first formal course in civil rights law at a U.S. law school. During his tenure, the law school served as a strategy center for the attack on the system of law that maintained a segregated society. One of the milestones in Nabrit’s career and the nation’s legal history was the case he took to the Supreme Court in the early 1950s that successfully challenged the segregated system of public education in the District of Columbia. (From: http://articles.latimes.com/1997/dec/28/local/me-2937)

Richard Wright, born September 4, 1908, in Adams, Natchez or Roxie, Mississippi, (died November 28, 1960, in Paris, France), (depending on your reference source), becomes an accomplished writer. At the age of six, Wright’s father deserted his family. And he grew up in the Deep South, facing poverty, hunger, and racism. He became a major literary figure of the 1930s and 1940s and his 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,” written in 1940. He received the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP’s) Spingarn Medal, in 1941. (From: Contemporary Black Biography, Volume 5; The Essential Black Literature Guide, pg. 386, Timelines of African American History, pg. 141; The African American Century: How Black Americans Have Shaped Our Country,” by Henry Louis Gates, Jr.; and Cornel West, page 190; Notable Black American Men, Volume 1, page 1268, and Soul Vibrations, pg. 134) 

 

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. In 1974, she received the Black Heroes Memorial Award for Outstanding Community Service Commemorating the Lives of Malcolm X, Adam Clayton Powell, Whitney M. Young and Martin Luther King, Jr.  (From: Contemporary Black Biography, Volume 16, page 94; Encyclopedia of Black America, page 448, and Timelines of African American History, pg. 148) (Ms. Hutson may still be living 2012, for no death has yet been recorded in any of the reference sources)    

 

Gerald Stanley 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: Contemporary Black Biography, Volume 49, page 169)

 

Fannie Lee Chaney, born September 4, 1921, possibly in Mississippi, (died May 22, 2007), becomes a baker turned civil rights activist after her son James Chaney was murdered by the Ku Klux Klan during the 1964 Freedom Summer rides in Mississippi. After her son’s murder, Mrs. Chaney sued five restaurants in Meridian for racial discrimination. She was fired from her job and could not find other work. Crosses were burned on her lawn, and a firebomb intended for her family’s house destroyed that of a neighbor. She moved to New York City, finding work at a nursing home. After 30 years, she retired and moved to New Jersey.

Mickey Michaux, born September 4, 1930, in Durham, North Carolina, becomes a politician; a Democratic member of the North Carolina General Assembly representing the state’s thirty-first House district since 1983. He previously served from 1973 through 1977. In 1977, Michaux became the first black Unites States Attorney in the South since Reconstruction when he was appointed to head the office in the Middle District of North Carolina Leaving that post at the end of the Carter administration, Michaux ran for Congress in 1982.

Israel Tribble Jr., born September 4, 1940, (some sources give September 3 as his birth day), in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, (died June 21, 2003) becomes an educator who served as president of the 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) and http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/insidebayarea/obituary.aspx?n=israel-tribble-ike&pid=111958141)

Merald “Bubba” 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 (Some sources say his birth took place in Atlanta, Georgia)  

 

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 and Who’s Who Among African Americans, 13th Edition)  

 

Ramona Hoage Edelin, born September 4, 1945, in Los Angeles, California, becomes an organization executive, who in 1988 became the chief executive of the National Urban Coalition. She worked 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, Volume 19, page 67; Great African American Women, pg. 282 and Notable Black American Women, Volume 1, page 307) 

 

Sandra Bolden Cunningham, born September 4, 1950, in Newark, New Jersey, becomes a politician serving in the New Jersey State Senate since 2007, where she represents the 31st Legislative District. She is the widow of former Jersey City, Mayor Glenn Cunningham, (September 16, 1943/died May 25, 2004).

Leonard Freeman, born September 4, 1950 in Taylor, Texas, becomes an artist, the son of Lemond White, a brick contractor, and Narvella Freeman, a cook. “Leonard is a very uncommon name for an African-American boy growing up in the rural South,” Freeman told CBB. “I used to ask my mother about it, and she said it came to her in a dream.” When Freeman was five years old, his parents divorced. “My mother worked, so my great-aunt kept me during the day,” Freeman told CBB. Freeman credited his great-aunt, Louie Hennington, with first encouraging him to draw and to do other creative work. “She had to keep me busy, so she gave me pencil and paper. She taught me to crochet, to paint rocks, to sew buttons. She was a very creative, craft-type person.” Self-taught artist Leonard Freeman is best known for his fine art prints, which are sold in galleries across the United States. Freeman’s primary medium is airbrush, though he also uses oils, watercolors, acrylics, and pencils. Thematically, Freeman’s work falls into three broad categories: Christian imagery, family scenes, and positive representations of Africans and African Americans. For Freeman, paintings are not just for decoration. Instead, he believes artwork can have a powerful impact on the viewer, and therefore artists must use this power wisely. “I am a born-again, spirit-filled Christian, and I feel that the family is the basis for happiness and joy,” Freeman said in an interview with Contemporary Black Biography. “I also create positive imagery of the black lifestyle, to counteract the bombardment of negative images that African Americans, especially African-American males, are subject to. I feel that artists should be very responsible about what they paint.” In an interview with CBBhe said, “Whenever I meet people from high school, they tell me that’s what they remember. “However, none of his teachers or guidance counselors suggested that he consider a career in the arts. “I wasn’t up on scholarships, and I didn’t know of any African-American role models, “Freeman told “I suppose if I had grown up in Chicago or New York, I would have had more cultural experience. But I lived in a small town, and I had no idea that there even were any African-American artists.” (Fromhttp://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G2-2872900028.html & Contemporary Black Biography, Volume 27)

Ronald LaPread, born September 4, 1950, in Tuskegee, Alabama, becomes an R&B singer, member of the group known as The Commodores. (From: Rock on the Net.com, an Internet source)  

 

Frank White, born September 4, 1950, in Greenville, Mississippi, becomes a professional baseball player for the Royals, as a second baseman. (From: Personal Baseball Card Collection)  

Charles Augustus Seales, born September 4, 1952, in St. Croix, Virgin Islands becomes a 1972 Olympic gold medalist in the lightweight boxing division. (From: Black Olympian Medalists, page 106)   

 

Lawrence HiltonJacobs, born September 4, 1953, in New York City, New York, becomes an actor and singer who appeared in a number of films and television programs, including “Claudine,” “Cooley High,” “Roots,” “Welcome Back, Kotter,” “Bangers and Mash,” and “The Jacksons: An American Dream.”

 

Khandi Alexander, born September 41957, in New York City, New York, becomes a dancer and film and television actress who appeared on Broadway and choreographed Whitney Houston‘s international tours from 1989 to 1992. Since then, she has concentrated on film and TV, playing the character Catherine Duke on News Radio and the character Jackie Robbins on ER. She portrays the character Alexx Woods, a coroner on the CBSdrama CSI: Miami. (From: Contemporary Black Biography, Volume 43, page 1)

 

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 and www.imdb.com )

John Wesley Boyd, Jr., born September 4, 1965, in Virginia or Queens, New York, becomes an advocate for farmers. In the early 1900s, African American farmers owned extensive tracts of arable land throughout the United States and made a significant contribution to the nation’s production of corn, soybeans, and wheat. In the late 1990s, however, African American farmers represent less than one percent of all farmers in America. They are also disappearing at a rate three times faster than that of farmers nationwide. While14 percent of all farms in the United States vanished between 1982 and 1992, African American-owned farms declined by 43 percent from 33,250 in 1982 to 18,816 in 1992. The movement of African Americans away from the land can be linked to a number of trends, including northern migration and a lack of interest in farming among African American youth. Also, according to a 1990 House Committee report, racial bias within the USDA is a real and pervasive problem, and programs designed to alleviate it have met with only limited success. “The discrimination…is not overt or blatant,” wrote Michael A. Fletcher in the Washington Post. When Virginia poultry farmer John W. Boyd, Jr. watched as his loan application was tossed into a trash can during an interview with a USDA official in 1989, he decided to fight back. Two years later, when he had still not received a satisfactory explanation for the rejection, Boyd filed a discrimination complaint through his local civil rights office. His case was investigated, and the official in question was eventually moved to another location. Boyd’s complaint with the USDA was finally settled after five years of legal wrangling. However, the operating money he needed to keep his farm alive was not forthcoming, his applications for other forms of farm assistance were disregarded, and routine inquiries about his loan balances and payment schedules went unanswered. Boyd spent the next several years relying on financial help from family members. His finances eventually spiralled out of control, he lost his lucrative poultry contract, and he was forced to declare bankruptcy. The final insult came in November of 1996, when an auction sign appeared on Boyd’s front lawn. He cut it in half with his power saw and threw it into the county official’s truck. “I knew I had my back up against the wall and I was going to lose everything I had,” he said in an interview with CBB. “I had used up almost all my rights and was just barely holding on.” (Read more: http://www.answers.com/topic/john-boyd-1#ixzz1VxYYApTi  and Contemporary Black Biography, Volume 72, page 10) 

 

Lloyd Daniels, born September 4, 1967, in Brooklyn, New York, becomes a professional basketball player, a 6’7″ shooting guard, one of the most sought-after recruits in the nation during the 1986-1987 recruiting cycle. At the time, considered the most talented player from New York City since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, he’d attended five high schools in three states, and could not read above a third-grade level. Daniels played in the GBA and named MVP in his only season with the New Zealand Basketball Association. Daniels managed to play intermittently over five seasons for six NBA teams: the San Antonio Spurs, Philadelphia 76ers, Los Angeles Lakers, Sacramento Kings, New Jersey Nets and Toronto Raptors. He had several shocking comebacks, including a stint with the Lakers for the 1994-1995 season. Signed to a 10-day contract, he took over a tight game, scoring 20 points in the second half to lead the Lakers to victory. He ended up in the Lakers starting lineup for about 14 games that year after that outburst and finished the season with the team.

 

Phil Lewis, born September 4, 1968, in Uganda, Africa, becomes a film and television actor, television director and comedian, often seen in comedic roles,  best known for his role as Mr. Moseby on Disney Channel’s, “The Suite Life of Zack & Cody” and its spin-off, “The Suite Life of Deck.”. He also played T.C. on “The Wayans Bros,” Hooch on “Scrubs,” and had a recurring role as Roy on “Yes, Dear,” and has played small parts in more than a dozen films. He also appeared in episodes of “Lizzie McGuire,”, as Principal Tweedy.

Norman Hand, born September 4, 1972, in Queens, New York, becomes a professional football player for the Seattle Seahawks, New Orleans Saints and the New York Giants. (From:  www.sports.yahoo.com and www.espn.com)

 

Nona Marvisa Gaye, born September 4, 1974, in Washington, D.C., becomes a singer, former fashion model, and actress. The daughter of soul music legend Marvin Gaye and granddaughter of jazz great Slim Gaillard, she began her career as a vocalist in the early 1990s.

Kia Michelle Stevens, better known by her ring names Amazing Kong, Awesome Kong and Kharma, born September 4, 1977, in Carson, California, becomes a professional wrestler, best known for her time in TNA and WWE as Awesome Kong and Kharma respectively. Stevens She is a five-time Women’s Champion, having won the WWWA World Championship, NWA World’s Women’s Championship and AWA Superstars of Wrestling World Women’s Championship and a two-time TNA Knockout Champion. Her success is not limited to singles wrestling, as she frequently teamed with Aja Kong to form the tag team Double Kong who held tag team championships in four different promotions, along with winning the TNA Knockouts Tag Team Championship with Hamada. She was also ranked first in the inaugural list of Pro Wrestling Illustrated’s Top 50 Females. She began her professional wrestling career in 2002 after appearing on a reality television show. She primarily wrestled in Japan for the first five years of her career, holding numerous championships there. In 2006 she began wrestling in her native United States again, appearing on the independent circuit before appearing on national television with TNA Wrestling where she was a driving force in the foundation of their Knockout division

Serria Tawan, born September 4, 1978, in Chicago, Illinois, becomes a model, actress, and published author.

Jeremi Johnson, born September 4, 1980, in California, becomes a professional football player for the Cincinnati Bengals. (From: www.espn.com , an Internet source) 

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 )

 

Gelila Bekele, born September 4, 1986, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, becomes an Ethiopian model, humanitarian and social activist. Bekele is signed with Ford Models, and has appeared on several ad campaigns for Levi’s, Pantene, L’oreal, and Colgate, and has appeared in EssenceMarie ClaireAllureLucky and various fashion magazines. She is also featured in many other print ads, and has appeared in several runway shows. Gelila is also a humanitarian and social activist. With the success and celebrity afforded to her through her work as a recognizable model, Bekele devotes much of her time to aiding people around the world through her charity involvement with groups that help those living in third world nations attain fundamental natural resources like water. Some of the charities Gelila is involved with include Charity: water and A Glimmer of Hope. As of December 2014, Bekele is in a relationship with Tyler Perry, with whom she has a son, Aman.

 

Austin Watson, born September 4, 1986, in Columbus, Georgia, becomes a professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Consequences Creed. He is signed to WWE, and works in its developmental territory Florida Championship Wrestling as Xavier Woods. He was formerly one-half of the FCW Florida Tag Team Championswith Wes Brisco.

Saoirse Scott, born September 4, 2000, began her acting career at the tender age of 4 and has appeared in numerous commercial and print campaigns. These include big companies such as Macy’s, Panasonic, and Toys R Us. Her biggest role to date came in 2005 when she began playing Jamie, the daughter of Antonio Vega and Keri Reynolds on ABC’s One Life to Live. In four years time she filmed over thirty episodes of the soap, and to date still technically still holds her spot there despite her character’s father having left town. She has also held another big role. She played Big Ella in the 2008 TV movie Polar Bears, which is part of The Naked Brothers Band series. Big Ella was quite the memorable character as she was obsessed with Christmas. Saoirse got the opportunity to showcase a wide range of skills during this role. In 2010, Saoirse attended her first fan event when she went to Jerry verDorn (Clint, OLTL)’s Daytime Stars and Strikes Fundraiser to support the American Cancer Society, followed by Shenell Edmonds (Destiny, OLTL)’ Dance party. Saoirse was discovered by her current manager, Colette Palmerio of CP Talent Management. (From: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1886805/bio?ref_=nm_ov_bio_sm)

Jeff Bradshaw born September 4, (year not indicated in source), in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He becomes an R&B and Jazz trombonist who learned to play in church, where his father was a minister and brass bands were an important part of the experience. Never taking formal lessons, all Bradshaw’s instruction came from real life playing experiences, which allowed him to develop a very unique voice. Over the years, he has played or recorded as a sideman with Michael Jackson, Earth Wind & Fire, Erykah Badu, and Jill Scott, to name a few. He has two records out as a leader and his latest, recorded live at a sold-out show, promises to be absolutely killing. Produced by Robert Glasper, it features Take 6, Bilal and Black Thought of The Roots, to name just a few. We sat down with Bradshaw to talk about his early experiences with the trombone, how he got to record with Earth Wind & Fire, and his new record. A North Philadelphia-born soul-jazz and hip-hop/funk innovator and trombone virtuoso, Jeff Bradshaw spent his formative years honing his chops alongside some of the biggest names both in and out of the Philly soul movement. By the time he got around to releasing his solo debut, 2004’s critically acclaimed Bone Deep, he had shared the stage with such industry luminaries as Michael Jackson, Earth, Wind & Fire, Patti Labelle, Erykah Badu, and countless others. Bone Deep made him a festival circuit mainstay, and he spent the next eight years refining his signature smooth and immediate sound in both a solo setting and in support of artists like Mary J. Blige, Jay-Z, the Roots, and Jill Scott. In 2012 he issued his sophomore long-player, Bone Appetit, which featured a host of guest artists, including Kindred the Family Soul, Raheem DeVaughn, Floacist, and Marsha Ambrosius. From: http://www.billboard.com/artist/304376/jeff-bradshaw/biography

 

John Wesley Cromwell, born into slavery, September 5, 1846, in Portsmouth, Virginia (died April 14, 1927), , 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 served as a delegate to the first State Republican Convention. (From: 20th Century Negro Literature, Encyclopedia of Black America, by Low & Clift, page 295; Time Lines of African American History, pg. 71 and http://docsouth.unc.edu/church/cromwell/bio.html )  

 

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. Date of death has not been found as of August 2015.History of the First African Baptist Church, page 192 and http://docsouth.unc.edu/church/love)  

 

Vivian Osborne Marsh, born September 5, 1897, in Houston, Texas (died March 1986,), 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. (From: Notable Black American Women, Book 2 page 428)    

 

 “Sunnyland Slim,” born Albert Luandrew (Lu Andrew Albert), September 5, 1907, in Vance, Mississippi, (died March 17, 1995), becomes a blues musician who recorded over 250 songs and founded Airways recording label, in 1974. (From: Contemporary Musicians, Volume 16 and Timelines of African American History, pg. 140)  

 

Frank Yerby, born September 5, 1916, in Augusta, Georgia, (died November 29, 1991), 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: The Essential Black Literature Guide, pg. 389; Interesting People: Black American History Makers, page 21 and Soul Vibrations, pg. 133)   

 

Faye Treadwell, born Fayrene Lavern Johnson, born September 5, 1926, in Okolona, Arkansas, (died May 22, 2011), becomes a music business manager who graduated from Arkansas Baptist College in Little Rock and moved to Los Angeles in 1950, working for the Los Angeles school board. There, she met her future husband George Treadwell, a veteran music manager whose clients included Sarah Vaughan, Dinah Washington, Billie Holiday and Sammy Davis Jr. Her husband was the original manager of the Drifters, formed in 1953 who recorded the hits “This Magic Moment,” “Up on the Roof” and “Under the Boardwalk.” After lead singer Clyde McPhatter sold his half-interest in the Drifters to George Treadwell and his backers in 1954 and launched a solo career, Treadwell made the group’s members salaried employees and required singers who joined the group to sign a release relinquishing any claim to the Drifters’ name. Bill Pinkney, Ben E. King and Gerhardt Thrasher were among the more than 50 singers who performed with the legendary group over the years. Faye Treadwell did administrative work and handled publicity for the Drifters out of her husband’s New York City office, as well as accompanying him on the road with the group. When her husband died in 1967, Faye Treadwell bought out his former business partners and assumed management and control of the Drifters. As manager, her daughter Tina Treadwell said, her mother “kept the integrity of the sound and the style that my father put into form. She was very meticulous and specific about what the Drifters’ sound and look was like. That was always a priority for her.” In the early ’70s, Treadwell moved the group, with lead singer Johnny Moore, to London, where the Drifters continue to be based. In 1993 Treadwell accompanied the Drifters to the White House to perform at a special event during President Bill Clinton’s first term.

 

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, 16th and 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, Volume 16, page 83)

Larry Neal, born September 5, 1937, in Atlanta, Georgia (died in January of 1981), , becomes a writer and scholar of African-American theatre, well known for his contributions to the Black Arts Movement of the 1960s and 1970s. (From: Contemporary Black Biography, Volume 38, page 138)

Claudette Colvin, born September 5, 1939, in Alabama, becomes a civil rights activist, a pioneer of the African-American civil rights movement, the first person to resist bus segregation in Montgomery, Alabama, preceding the better known Rosa Parks incident by nine months. The court case stemming from her refusal to give up her seat on the bus, decided by the U.S. District Court, ended bus segregation in Alabama. Montgomery’s black leaders did not publicize Colvin’s pioneering effort for long because being a teenager, became pregnant while unmarried. The NAACP leaders worried about using her to represent their movement, given the social mores of the time. (From: http://www.core-online.org/History/colvin.htm )

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, 16th and 17th Edition)

Buddy Miles, born September 5, 1947 in Omaha, Nebraska, (died February 26, 2008), becomes a rock n’ roll drummer. (From: Contemporary Black Biography, Volume 69, page 106) George Allen Miles, Jr., known as Buddy Miles, born September 5, 1947, in Omaha, Nebraska, (died February 26, 2008) becomes a rock and funk drummer, most known as a founding member of The Electric Flag in 1967, then as a member of Jimi Hendrix’s Band of Gypsy’s from 1969 through to January 1970.

Richard Arkwright Austin, born September 5, 1954, in Kingston, Jamaica, becomes an international cricketer who played two Tests and one One Day International for the West Indies. Continuing good form by Austin saw him come into contention for a place in the strong West Indies side and he was accepted an offer in 1977 to join World Series Cricket, a private cricket competition run by Kerry Packer. Austin also played in the Lancashire League for Church Cricket Club in 1978 and Enfield Cricket Club in 1982.

Not that anyone in his hometown of Kingston, Jamaica, knows him by that name. They know him as “Danny Germs”, the “crazy” bum who hangs about outside a chain patty store, begging for 25 cents to buy savoury mincemeat in a pastry shell. Sitting in a gutter on the border of upper and lower Kingston, eyes bloodshot with sleeplessness and rum, 48-year-old Austin slowly tells his story. (From: Article and photo are from December 27, 2003 – http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/12/26/1072308678651.html

 

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)   

 

Willie Gault, born September 5, 1960, in Griffin, Georgia, becomes a professional football player for 11 seasons, playing for the Chicago Bears and Los Angeles Raiders. He played as a member of the Bears team that won Super Bowl XX. Gault is considered one of the fastest athletes of all-time. After his football career, he pursued an acting career.  (From: the Official Celebrity Registry 1994/1995: Intimate Information on the World’s Most Popular Sports Stars,” by Sandy Steele, page 118)

 

Candy Maldonado, born September 5, 1960, in Humacao, Puerto Rico, becomes a professional baseball player for the Indians, as an outfielder. (From: Personal Baseball Card Collection)

Terry Ellis, born September 5, 1963, in Houston, Texas, becomes an R&B singer, member of the singing group known as “EnVogue.” (From: www.rockonthenet.comRock on the Net and http://www.mmguide.musicmatch.com/artist/artist.cgi?ARTISTID=339681#bio )

 

JoJo Philpot, born September 5, 1964, in Deland, Florida, becomes a popular radio DJ on Star 94.5 F.M. radio station, out of Orlando, Florida. (From: an email response)

 

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 and 1996-97 Basketball Almanac, page 190)

 

Dennis Scott, born September 5, 1968, in Hagerstown, Maryland, becomes a professional basketball player for the Orlando Magic and the Los Angeles Lakers. (From: 1996-97 Basketball Almanac and www.espn.com , an Internet

source)  

 

Amy DuBois Barnett, born in September 5, 1969, became editor in chief of Teen People, making her the first African American to lead a major consumer publication of the Time, Inc., print-journalism empire. The company includes its flagship namesake weekly, Time, as well as the publications People, In Style, Entertainment Weekly, and Sports Illustrated. The year before Barnett came on board, Teen People was 46th on the list of the top-selling magazines in the United States, just a few notches below Entertainment Weekly. Read more: http://www.answers.com/topic/amy-du-bois-barnett#ixzz3ACPJJTSf

Tom Carter, born September 5, 1972, in St. Petersburg, Florida, becomes a professional football player for the Cincinnati Bengals. (From: Sports Illustrated.com, an Internet source) 

Roosevelt Colvin, born September 5, 1977, in Indianapolis, Indiana, becomes a professional football player for the Chicago Bears and the New England Patriots. (From www.espn.com , an Internet source)  

 

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.comContemporary Black Biography, Volume 64, page 131 and www.espn.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 )   

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/)

 

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/)

Wagner Brown, born September 5, 1979, in Kingston, Jamaica, becomes a professional wrestler trained by Killer Kowlaski and is better known by his ring name of Slyck Wagner Brown. SWB is signed with Urban Wrestling Federation and wrestles on the underground circuit in the Northeastern United States.

Davida Brittany Williams, born September 5, 1986, in Los Angeles, California, becomes a singer and actress of African American and Indian descent, who portrayed the role of Claire on “Lizzie McGuire,” a live-action teen sitcom aired from 2001 to 2004.

Lance Stephenson, Jr., born September 5, 1990, in Brooklyn, New York, becomes a professional basketball player who played for the Charlotte Hornets of the NBA, drafted the 40th overall pick in the 2010 NBA draft by the Indiana Pacers. He attended Lincoln High School, in the Coney Island section of Brooklyn. Stephenson won city basketball championships in all four years of high school, and became New York State’s all-time leading scorer in high school basketball. Named New York State Mr. Basketball after his senior year, in 2009 he appeared in the McDonald’s All American Games.

Amelia Tilghman, born September 6, 1856, in Washington, D.C., (died December 12, 1931), 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)

 

Charles “Buddy” Bolden, born September 6, 1877, in New Orleans, Louisiana (died November 4, 1931), becomes a jazz cornet player. He is thought to have been the first Black to lead a jazz band. He has been credited as the founder of “jazz.” Almanac of Famous People, 8th Edition, indicates his birth year as 1868. (From: Timelines of African American History, page 105; Encyclopedia of Black America, by Low & Clift, page 185,  and Contemporary Black Biography, Volume 39)

 

Edith Wilson, born September 6, 1896, in Louisville, Kentucky, (died March 30, 1981), becomes better known as a jazz and blues singer who did extensive work as an actress, appearing on radio with “Amos and Andy” and on film in “To Have and Have Not.” Shortly after World War II Wilson became the face of Aunt Jemima pancake mix. She retired from active performance in 1963, becoming executive secretary for the Negro Actors Guild, but made a comeback in 1973. (From: Great African American Women, page 306)  

 

Cornelius Coffey, born September 6, 1903, in Newport, Arkansas, (died March 2, 1994), becomes the first black person to hold both a pilot’s and mechanic’s license. At the age of thirteen he took his first air flight, thereby becoming hooked on aviation. He became a recipient of the “Charles Taylor Master Mechanic Award” from the Federal Aviation Administration and became the first black American to have an aerial navigation intersection named after them by the FAA (the “Cofey Fix,” a waypoint located on the VICTOR 7 airway over Lake Calumet, provides electronic course guidance to Chicago Midway Airport Runway 31 Left). Coffey also designed a carburetor heater that prevented icing and allowed airplanes to fly in all kinds of weather. Devices similar to his are still in use on aircraft today. Coffey became the first black person to establish an aeronautical school in the United States. His school was also the only non-university affiliated aviation school to become part of the Civilian Pilot Training Program. His pioneering efforts led to the integration of black pilots into the American aviation industry.

Lee A. Archer, Jr., born September 6, 1919, in Yonkers, New York, (died January 20, 2010), becomes a distinguished scientist and an American Fighter aircraft pilot in the African-American World War II unit the Tuskegee Airmen. He became one of the first African American military aviators in the United States Army Air Corps earning the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. He and his fellow Tuskegee airmen were awarded the Congressional Gold Medal in 2007. (From: Distinguished African Americans in Aviation and Space)   

 

Jimmy Reed, born September 6, 1925, Dunleith, Mississippi (died August 29, 1976), in, becomes a musician and songwriter notable for bringing his distinctive style of blues to mainstream audiences. Reed became a major player in the field of electric blues, as opposed to the more acoustic-based sound of many of his contemporaries. His lazy, slack-jawed singing, piercing harmonica and hypnotic guitar patterns were one of the blues’ most easily identifiable sounds in the 1950s and 1960s and had a significance impact on many rock and roll artists who followed, such as Elvis Presley and the Rolling Stones(From: Contemporary Black Biography, Volume 38, page 1 and All Music Guide, an Internet source)

 

Charles Calvin Rogersborn September 6, 1929, in Claremont, West Virginia, (died September 21, 1990) becomes a United States Army officer and a recipient of America’s highest military decoration, the Medal of Honor, for his actions in the Vietnam War. On November 1, 1968, 1st Battalion came under heavy attack. Rogers rallied his men in the defense of the base and, despite being several times wounded, continued to lead the battalion until the attack repulsed. For his actions during the battle, Lieutenant Colonel Rogers received nomination for the Medal of Honor Approved on May 14, 1970, Rogers and 11 other servicemen were presented with Medals of Honor by President Richard Nixon at a ceremony in the White House. Rogers rose to the rank of Major General before leaving the Army. He later became a Baptist minister, serving U.S. troops stationed in Germany(From: Interesting People: Black American history Makers, page 155)

Leander J. Shaw, Jr., born September 6, 1930, in Salem, Virginia, becomes a SUPREME COURT justice, the first African American to serve as Chief justice of the Florida Supreme Court in July of 1990. Retired Justice Leander J. Shaw, Jr., parents were Leander J. Shaw, retired dean of the Florida A&M University Graduate School in Tallahassee, and Margaret Shaw, retired teacher, Lylburn Downing High School in Lexington, Virginia. Leander A. Shaw, a black man accused of the robbery, rape and murder of a white woman, Lillie Brewton Davis, died July 29, 1908. After the crime, Shaw was allegedly found rinsing his bloody shirt in Pensacola Bay, arrested and taken to the hospital where Davis, whose throat had been cut, positively identified him before dying. Headlines from the Pensacola Journal announced the “Brutal Assault by Burly Negro Upon White Lady.” A mob drug Shaw from his cell, through the street, to Plaza Ferninand VII. He was hanged without a trial from an electric pole in the plaza, and his body was riddled with 2,000 bullets from the angry crowd. (It has not been determined through research if Justice Shaw is a relative of Leander A. Shaw, if so, he  would probably be his grandfather.

James Alexander Forbes Jr., born September 6, 1935, in Burgaw, North Carolina, one of eight children. His parents, James A. Forbes Sr. and Mabel Clemons Forbes, were both deeply religious, and they raised their children in the traditions of the black Pentecostal church. The elder Forbes supported his large family by working as a candy salesman while serving as pastor of the Providence United Holy Church in Raleigh, North Carolina, where they lived together in a three-bedroom apartment on Bloodworth Street. Mabel Forbes worked as a domestic for a white family on the opposite side of town. As a child, the junior Forbes attended Sunday school and sang in the choir at his father’s church. Forbes’s family life centered around the church, and he and his brothers and sisters were brought up to value community and, most important, service to the community. In an interview with Bill Moyers for PBS, Forbes recalled, “Church was the center of your social life. Church was the place where you developed your talent. This was the life. And every major holiday, there was a church festival, a convention, somewhere or another, designed to keep you out of mischief. But also, to keep you in a context where the values of the church, and your associates, were all of a common mind about what righteousness looks like, and what holiness looks like.” In 1953 Forbes left his community in Raleigh to study at Howard University in Washington, DC. Initially, he intended to become a doctor, believing that a career in medicine would allow him to combine his love of science with his love of people. By his junior year of college, however, Forbes was beginning to doubt his choice, feeling that he was being called in a more spiritual direction. As he questioned his life’s purpose, Forbes told Moyers that he remembered thinking, “I think God wants me to be a healer but a healer of a different sort; healing body, mind and spirit, healing individuals and maybe healing in the culture as well.” From that moment, Forbes knew that he would dedicate himself to the church. Forbes finished his bachelor’s degree in chemistry in 1957, and then returned to North Carolina to contemplate his path. He wished to attend the Divinity School at Duke University in Durham, but was turned down because of his race. Instead, he enrolled at the Union Theological Seminary in New York City—across the street from Riverside Church—where he earned a master of divinity degree. As senior minister of the historic Riverside Church in New York City for nearly two decades, the Reverend James A. Forbes Jr. could not shy away from controversy—it is simply part of the job description. Throughout the church’s progressive history, its leaders have used the pulpit as a national platform for advocating social justice and civil rights. Forbes continued that tradition during his tenure, speaking out as a vocal critic of President George W. Bush and as a proponent of gay marriage. Nevertheless, Forbes’s greatest challenge would prove to be dissent within his own congregation over his financial leadership of the church’s sizable endowment and his Pentecostal-influenced style of preaching—divisions that finally caused him to step down in 2007 from one of the most prestigious positions in the contemporary religious and political arena. (From: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G2-1841900021.html )

Harold Russell Scott, Jr., born September 6, 1935, in Morristown, New Jersey (died July 16, 2006), becomes a stage director, actor and educator who broke racial barriers in American theatre. Scott became known for his work as an electrifying stage actor with a piercing voice, and then as an innovative director of numerous productions throughout the country, from Broadway to the Tony Award-winning regional theatre, the “Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park,” where he became the first African-American artistic director in the history of American regional theatre. In February 2006, Scott directed his final play, “Yellowman,” an examination of black-on-black prejudice, at the Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park where, in 1973 he began a two-year appointment as artistic director. He was the first African-American to have earned such in a major regional theatre. (From: Contemporary Black Biography, Volume 61, page 143)

 

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, Volume 24, page 45; http://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/davis2.html and http://www.house.gov/davis/biography.htm

Michaelle Jean, a refugee from Port-au-Prince, Haiti, born September 6, 1957, becomes Canadian journalist and stateswoman who served as Governor General of Canada, the 27th since Canadian Confederation. After receiving a number of university degrees, Jean worked as a journalist and broadcaster for Radio-Canada and the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), as well as undertaking charity work, mostly in the field of assisting victims of domestic violence. In 2005, she received appointment as governor general by Elizabeth IIQueen of Canada, on the recommendation of Prime Minister Paul Martin, to replace Adrienne Clarkson as vicereine (a royal official who runs a country, colony, or province (or state) in the name of and as representative of the monarch, and she occupied the post until succeeded by David Johnston in 2010. (From: Contemporary Black Biography, Volume 70, page 84)

 

Kevin Willis, born September 6, 1962, in Los Angeles, California, becomes a professional basketball player for the Houston Rockets and the San Antonio Spurs. (From: www.espn.com ; www.sports.yahoo.comand 1996-97 Basketball Almanac, page 300)     

 

Kendrick Brett Meek, born September 61966in Miami, Florida becomes a politician, serving as a Democraticmember of the United States House of Representatives from 2003 to 2011, representing the 17th District of Florida. He succeeded his mother, Congresswoman Carrie Meek (born April 29, 1926), who retired from the seat. (From: Contemporary Black Biography, Volume 41, page 152)

William DuVall, born September 6, 1967, in Atlanta, Georgia, becomes an American musician, best known as a current vocalist and guitarist in Alice in Chains.

Macy Gray, born Natalie Renee McIntyre, September 6, 1967, in Canton, Ohio, becomes a R&B, jazz and soul singer, songwriter, musician, record producer, and actress, known for her distinctive raspy voice, and a singing style heavily influenced by Billie Holiday.

 

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, All Music Guide, and Rock on the Net)

 

Daniele Gaither, born September 6, 1970, in St. Paul, Minnesota, becomes a comic actress, most notable for her membership in the recurring cast of comedians on sketch comedy series MADtv.

 

Anthony Goldwire, born September 6, 1971, in West Palm Beach, Floridabecomes a professional basketball player who played in the NBA and other leagues. In July 2010, Goldwire joined the Phoenix Suns’ Summer League coaching staff and later became an assistant coach for the Milwaukee Bucks.

 

Idris Elba, born Idrissa Akuna Elba, September 6, 1972, in England, becomes a British televisiontheatre, and filmactor who has starred in both British and American productions. Elba grew up in Canning Town, East London. A role in the soap opera “Family Affairs,” became one of his first acting rolesHe has worked in a variety of TV roles including “Ultraviolet” and “The Inspector Lynley Mysteries.” He is known for playing Russell “Stringer” Bell, a Baltimore drug lord and aspiring businessman, in HBO’s critically acclaimed show The “Wire.” Elba is a DJ under the moniker DJ Big Driis/Big Driis the Londoner, and a hip-hop soul recording artist. In January 2009, Elba starred in horror film “The Unborn.” He starred in “Obsessed,” alongside Beyonce Knowles (born September 4, 1981) and Ali Larter, as an asset manager who has a beautiful wife (Knowles) and thriving career until a temp office worker (Larter) begins stalking him. “Obsessed” became a box office success after it took in $29 million in its opening weekend. (From: Contemporary Black Biography, Volume 49, page 38)

 

Josh Evans, born September 6, 1972, in Langdale, Alabama, becomes a professional football player for the New York Jets. (From: www.sports.yahoo.com)

 

Anika Noni Rose, born September 6, 1972, in Bloomfield, Connecticut, becomes a singer and an actress known for her Tony Award winning performance in the Broadway production of “Caroline, or Change” and her starring roles in the films “Dreamgirls” and “The Princess and the Frog”. (From: Contemporary Black Biography, Volume 70, page 138). Rose, named a Disney Legend, August 19, 2011, in 2010, played the role of Yasmine in the movie “For Colored Girls.” One critic described Rose’s performance as “especially fierce”. (From: Contemporary Black Biography, Volume 70, page 138)

Merika Coleman, born September 6, 1973, in RAF LakenheathSuffolk, England,  becomes a politician, Democratic member of the Alabama House of Representatives, representing the 57th District since 2002, who also served as the Minority Whip. (From: http://www.congress.org/bio/id/134257)  

 

Lawrence Wright, born September 6, 1973, in Miami, Florida, becomes a professional football player for the Cincinnati Bengals. (From: www.SportsIllustrated.com, an Internet source) 

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/ 

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/    

 

Aaron Lockett, born September 6, 1978, in Tulsa, Oklahoma, becomes a professional football player for the San Francisco 49ers. (From: www.espn.com , an Internet source)

Foxy Brown, born Inga Fung Marchand, September 6, 1979, in Brooklyn, New York, becomes a rap singer and an actress. Contemporary Musicians, Volume 25, indicates Brown to have been born on September 6, while Contemporary Black Biography, Volume 25, lists her birthday as September 9. Celebrity Guide also gives her birth date as September 6. (From: Rock On The Net, an Internet source)   

 

Alan Harper, born September 6, 1979, in Fontana, California, becomes a professional football player for the New York Jets. From: www.sports.yahoo.com    

 

Temeka Rochelle Johnson, born September 6, 1982, in New Orleans, Louisiana, becomes an athlete, member of the gold medal 2003 USA World Championship Young Women Team in Sibenik, Croatia.

Ashli Amari Adams, born September 6, 1991, in Port Hueneme, California, becomes a child actress who played the role of the cute youngest sister, Cece Peterson, until the sitcom ended in 1999.  Adams has not acted since 1999, except for a small role on the television series “Girlfriends.” However, the 22-year-old recently graduated from the California Institute of Arts with a degree in theater, which indicates she still has an interest in the industry.

May Jackson, born September 7, 1877, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (died in 1931), , becomes a sculptor and 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:

 

Jacob Lawrence, born September 7, 1917, in Atlantic City, New Jersey, (died June 9, 2000), 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, The African American Century: How Black Americans Have Shaped Our Country,” by Henry Louis Gates, Jr. and Cornel West, page 173; Encyclopedia of Black America, page 498; Timelines of African American History, pg. 154, and Soul Vibrations)

 

Louise Bennett-Coverly, born September 7, 1919, in Kingston, Jamaica (died July 26, 2006),  becomes a Jamaican poet, folklorist, writer, and educator. Writing and performing her poems in what was known as Jamaican Patois or Creole, she was instrumental in having this “dialect” of the people given literary recognition in its own right (“nation language”), located at the heart of the Jamaican poetic tradition, and influencing many other poets, including Mutabaruka ((born Allan Hope, December 26, 1952) and Linton Kwesi Johnson ((aka LKJ, born August 24, 1952)

 

Sonny Rollins, born Theodore Walker September 7, 1930, in New York City, New York, becomes a Veteran jazz saxophonist. (From: Contemporary Black Biography, Volume 37, page 158) 

 

Reginald P. Ayala, born September 7, 1931, in Puerto Rico (some sources indicate his birth took place in Brooklyn, New York), becomes a professional basketball player with the Harlem Globetrotters from December 1954 to May 1955, whose career ended due to a previous two-year commitment he signed, to serve in the Air Force. He attended Michigan State University on an athletic scholarship and became the first African American basketball player in that school’s history. After serving in the military as a trained, licensed air pilot, he returned to the Globetrotters, only to play for a few months, due to a job offer in the City of Detroit’s Parks and Recreation’s department. He later becomes president and CEO of Southwest Detroit Hospital, in 1970.  (From: www.med.umich.edu/haahc/bios/ayala.html , Who’s Who Among African Americans, 17th Edition and Kellogg African American Health Care Project  21)

 

James “Lt. Milton” Campbell, born September 7, 1934, in Inverness, Mississippi, becomes a blues guitarist, and one of R&B’s great artist, whose music career began in Gospel music at his local church. (From: Contemporary Black Biography, Volume 36, page 107 and Soul Music A to Z, pg. 192)

 

Abdou Diouf, born September 7, 1935, in Louga, Senegal, becomes President of Senegal in 1981. (From: Contemporary Black Biography, Volume 3)

 

Richard Hunt, born September 7, 1935, or September 12, 1935, in Chicago, Illinois, becomes an internationally renowned sculptor, who from an early age became interested in arts His mother was an artist. Hunt acquired business sense and awareness of social issues from working for his father in a barbershop. Hunt has completed more public sculptors than any other artist in the country. (From: Interesting People: Black American History Makers, page 182 and Timelines of African American History, pg. 184)

Olly Woodrow Wilson, born September 7, 1935 or 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 and Timelines of African American History, pg. 189)

 

Juanita Millender-McDonald, born September 7, 1938, in Birmingham, Alabama (died in 2007), 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. She became the first Black woman elected to the Carson City, California, City Council, in 1990 and awarded a spot on the Watts Hall of Fame in 1998.(From: Ebony: 100 +Most Influential Black Americans and Contemporary Black Biography, Volume 21, page 102 and Volume 61, page 104) 

 

“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)

 

 “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 and : www.theblackmarket.com )

Earl “The Goat” Manigault, born September 7, 1944, in Charleston, South Carolina (died May 15, 1998, in New York City), , becomes a professional basketball player, member of the famed Harlem Globetrotters. The nickname “Goat” has several proposed origins. In an article for the New York Times, Earl stated that he got the nickname because a junior high school teacher kept pronouncing his name Mani-Goat. Other theories state that by the time Manigault was in high school, he was known as “The Goat” because of his quiet demeanor. Another states that the nickname started by confusion over Manigault’s last name; people thought Manigault referred to himself as Earl Nanny Goat, so he became “The Goat”. However, the most popular belief is that he was called The Goat as the acronyms for Greatest Of All Time. Although it is unclear how the name was dubbed, Greatest of All Time is the idea that lasted. The “Happy Warrior Playground” on Amsterdam at West 99th Street in Manhattan is more commonly referred to as “Goat Park” where Mr. Manigault reigned. Manigault grew up playing basketball and practiced constantly. Manigault set the NYC junior high school record by scoring 57 points in a game in the late 1950s. While attending high school, Manigault’s life took a fateful turn when he began associating with groups that would eventually lead to his expulsion.

Alfa Anderson, born September 7, 1946 or 1948, in Bronx, New York, becomes a rock vocalist for the group called “Chic,” famous for the song entitled “Freak Out.” (From: www.rockonthenet.com and www.brainyhistory.com)  Alfa Anderson, born September 7, 1948, becomes a pop singer, member of the group “Chic,” who recorded the popular dance song, “Freak Out.”

 

Marilyn Murrell, born September 7, 1947, in Arcadia, Oklahoma, becomes a politician, serving as mayor of Arcadia, Oklahoma since 1987. (From: Contemporary Black Biography, Volume 49, page 99)

Gloria Gaynor, born September 7, 1949, 1947 or maybe 1942, in Newark, New Jersey, becomes a disco singer who is said to be second only to Donna Summer (Born December 30, 19) to become 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,comwww.allmusicguide.com , Contemporary Black Biography, Volume 36, page 76 and Soul Music A to Z, pg. 119)

 

Lynbert R. Johnson, born September 7, 1957, in New York City, New Yorkbecomes a professional basketball playernicknamed ‘Cheese’ due to his first name sounding like Limburger, a type of cheese

Mark Whitaker, born September 7, 1957, in Pennsylvania, becomes a journalist. (From: Contemporary Black Biography, Volume 47, page 165)

 

Don Curry, born September 7, 1961, in Fort Worth, Texasbecomes an actor and stand-up comedian, best known for starring as Craig’s sex-crazed Uncle Elroy Jones in Next Friday and Friday After Next and for his role on the sitcom Grace Under Fire.

 

LeRoi Moore, born September 7, 1961, in Durham, North Carolina, (died August 19, 2008), becomes a musician playing the saxophone. (From: Contemporary Black Biography, Volume 72, page 89)

 

Eric “Eazy-E” Wright, born September 7, 1964, in Compton, California (died in 1995), becomes a notorious gangsta rapper. (From: Contemporary Musicians, Volume 13, and All Music Guide, an Internet source)

Erik Williams, born September 7, 1968, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, becomes a professional football player for the Dallas Cowboys and the Baltimore Ravens. (From: www.SportsIllustrated.com) 

 

Shane Mosley, born September 7, 1971, in Inglewood or Pomona, California, becomes a professional welterweight boxing champion. Mosley held world titles in three weight divisions, having held the IBF Lightweight Championship, WBC & WBA. (From: Contemporary Black Biography, Volume 32, page 124 andwww.boxingheaven.com/page5.html )

 

Sonja Tate, born September 7, 1971, in West Memphis, Arkansas, becomes a professional basketball player for the WNBA Minnesota Lynx. (From: CNN Sports Illustrated, an Internet source)

 

Walter Rasby, born September 7, 1972, in Washington, DC. He became a professional football player for the Detroit Lions, the Washington Redskins and the New Orleans Saints. (From: Sports Illustrated.com and www.sports.yahoo.com)

 

Antonio McDyess was born September 7, 1974, in Quitman, Mississippi. He became a professional basketball player for the Denver Nuggets and the New York Knicks. (From: www.espn.comwww.sports.yahoo.com and 1996-97 Basketball Almanac, pg. 166)   

 

Mateen Cleaves, born September 7, 1977, in Flint, Michigan, becomes a professional basketball player for the Detroit Pistons, the Cleveland Cavaliers and Sacramento Kings. (From: http://www.kxtv.com/sports/kings2002/players/cleaves.htm and www.sports.yahoo.com

 

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

 

Andre Michael Berto, born September 7, 1983, in Miami, Florida, becomes a Haitian American professional boxer; two-time Welterweight champion. Raised one of seven children in Winter Haven, Florida, Berto’s father introduced him to boxing after getting beat multiple times by him. Dieuseul, who competed professionally in mixed martial arts and taught the sport to Berto at a school in Winter Haven. For Berto, the sport of boxing became a solace to stay out of trouble. His brother, James Edson Berto, is a professional mixed martial artist. Berto is often called “Mike”, his middle name. As an amateur, Berto won a bronze medal in the 2003 World Amateur Championships. He was also a two-time National Golden Gloves champion, a two-time National PAL champion, a three-time U.S. amateur championship medalist, and also won 22 state titles in Florida. From December 2004 to October 2006, Berto won 15 fights, with 13 coming by way of knockout. Berto once tested positive for a banned substance. The rematch against Ortiz planned for June 23, 2012 was cancelled. It has since been ruled that Berto’s positive test was the result of contamination, and Berto has since regained his boxing license.

 

Jamea Jackson, born September 7, 1986, in Atlanta, Georgia, becomes a tennis professional. (From:Contemporary Black Biography, Volume 64, page 96) 

 

Horace King (sometimes Horace Godwin), born into slavery, in South Carolina, September 8, 1807 (died May 28, 1885), becomes a politician, architect, engineer, and bridge builder. King is considered the most respected bridge builder of the 19th century Deep South, constructing dozens of bridges in Alabama, Georgia and Mississippi. He became a prominent bridge architect and construction manager in the Chattahoochee River Valley region of Alabama and Georgia before purchasing his freedom in 1846. He went on to construct lattice truss bridges in the style of Ithiel Town at every major crossing of the Chattahoochee River and over every major river in the Deep South between the Oconee and Tombigbee King served as a Republican member of the Alabama House of Representatives from 1868 to 1872.

Horace Godwin/politician/architect/engineer/ bridge builder considered most respected 19th century bridge builder dozens of bridges in Ala.bama, Georgia & Mississippi

Charles Harrison Mason, born September 8, 1866, in Bartlett, Tennessee (died November 17, 1961, in Memphis, Tennessee), , becomes a religious leader; a Pentecostal–Holiness and denominational leader, founder, Chief Apostle and first Senior Bishop of the Church of God in Christ, Inc. (From: Notable Black American Men, Volume 1, page 1770)

 

Ionia Rollin Whipper, born September 8, 1872, in Beaufort, South Carolina (died in 1953), becomes founder of the Ionia R. Whipper Home for Unwed Mothers, in Washington, DC, in 1941. (From: Great African American Women, pg. 305)

Cora Ann Pair Thomas, born September 8, 1875, in Knightdale, Wake County, North Carolina (died in 1952), , becomes a missionary in Liberia who also served as principal of an orphanage for Black children in Oxford, North Carolina. (From: Black Women in America, Vol. II, pg. 1167) 

 

Sue M. Wilson Brown, born September 8, 1877, in Staunton, Virginia (died in 1941), becomes an editor, writer, clubwoman, voting rights activist, and religious leader. (From: Notable Black American Women, Book 2)  

Benjamin Jefferson Davis, born September 8, 1903, in Dawson, Georgia, (died August 22, 1964), in Dawson, Georgia, becomes a politician and civil rights activist. (From: Notable Black American Men, Volume 1, page 253)

 

Buck Leonard, born Walter Fenner “Buck” Leonard, September 8, 1907, in Rocky Mount, North Carolina (died November 27, 1997), 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 played for the Homestead Grays, a Washington, DC, Negro baseball team, for 17 years.  (From: Voices from the Negro Leagues, page 32; Almanac of Famous People, 8th Edition and Contemporary Black Biography, Volume 67, page 106)

 

Stephen J. Wright, born September 8, 1910, in Dillon, South Carolina (died in 1996), becomes a college president. (From: Notable Black American Men, Volume 1, page 1272)

 

Samuel Riley Pierce, Jr., born September 8, 1922, in Glen Clove, Long Island, New York,  (died October 31, 2000) becomes a lawyer and government official, one of the first Black Americans to argue a case before the Supreme Court. He received an appointment as Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the highest-ranking position held by a Black American under the Reagan Administration. (From: Notable Black American Men, Volume 1, page 936)

Vantile Whitefield, born September 8, 1930, in Washington, D.C., (died January 9, 2005), becomes a highly influential arts administrator who helped found several performing arts institutions in the United States. In 1963, Whitfield co-founded with actor Frank Silvera (born July 24, 1914) the American Theatre of Being in Los Angeles. While there he taught acting classes with Beah Richards, Whitman Mayo and Isabel Sanford Also in 1963, Whitfield designed the sets, lights and costumes for Silvera’s production of the James Baldwin play “The Amen Corner,” becoming the first African-American production designer to work on Broadway. The following year, Whitfield founded and served as producing artistic director of the Performing Arts Society of Los Angeles (PASLA). The goal of PASLA was to help train inner-city youth in the performing arts. He was also founding Artistic Director of Studio West and co-founder with actor Robert Hooks of the D.C. Black Repertory Company. In 1971, Whitfield was the founding director of the Expansion Arts Program at the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). In this role, he had perhaps his greatest influence, because this program provided funds for many African-American artists and arts organizations. (From: Contemporary Black Biography, Volume 34)

Henry W. Foster, Jr., born September 8, 1933, in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, becomes a surgeon whose 1995 nomination to the post of U.S. Surgeon General failed to gain Senate approval; it represented a rare setback in an otherwise successful career. Over the course of a 40-year career in medicine, Foster has continually championed the cause of quality health care for disadvantaged populations. From maternal care for the rural poor to pregnancy prevention for urban teens, Foster has been a leading advocate for the development of health service delivery systems that meet the needs of poverty-stricken communities. While a few members of the Senate objected loudly to some of his past practices, the positive impact of Foster’s work on the lives of the individuals and families he has served is beyond dispute. (From: Notable Black American Men, Volume 1, page 414)

Hazel Joan Bryant, born September 8, 1939, in Zanesville, Ohio (died 1983), becomes an actress, singer, and theatrical producer and director. (From: Notable Black American Women, Book 3 and Encyclopedia of Black America, by Low & Clift, page 197)

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)

 

Donald Watkins, born September 8, 1948, in Parsons, Kansas, becomes a prominent banker, lawyer and entrepreneur. (From: Contemporary Black Biography, Volume 35, page 190)  

 

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 ) 

 

Tess Osonye Onwueme, born September 8, 1955, in Nigeria, becomes a Nigerian playwright. (From: Contemporary Black Biography, Volume 23, page 147)

 

Maurice Cheeks, born September 8, 1956, in Chicago, Illinois, becomes a professional basketball player and coach. (From: Contemporary Black Biography, Volume 47, page 21)

 

David Lewis, born September 8, 1958, in White Plains, New York, he, along with his brothers formed the R&B soul-singing group known as “Atlantic Starr.” (From: All Music Guide and Rock on he Net, both Internet sources) 

 

Garnet Coleman, born September 8, 1961, in Washington, DC, becomes a politician; a member of the Texas House of Representatives for District 147 since 1991 and continuing (2012). He is the son of John B. Coleman, M.D. (a prominent Third Ward physician and businessman).

 

Patrick Robinson, born September 8, 1966, in Memphis, Tennessee, becomes a fashion designer 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, Volume 19, page 194) – The buzz may be all about the Gap today (well, and this gap), but what of the man behind the mega-brand? The Daily takes a look back at Patrick Robinson, from his California childhood. He graduated from Parsons in 1989; Works on Le Collezioni White Label by Giorgio Armani, in 1990; in 1994, he joins the Council of Fashion Designers of America. In 1995, Robinson is named head designer at Anne Klein. His future wife, Vogue’s Virginia Smith, is working at the time as Anne Klein’s head of public relations. After three seasons, Anne Klein Collection shutters, and this third season never ships; named one of Vogue’s 100 rising stars, in 1996. In 1997, Robinson starts his own Asian-inspired eponymous collection with Italian manufacturer Coba after traveling through the continent while unemployed. In 2003, hired to remake a lower-priced women’s sportswear collection for Perry Ellis—Robinson pushes for the collection to sell in high-end retailers like Barneys; designs a collection for Target’s GO! International line and named head designer at Gap, both in 2007. In 2010, Robinson is named co-chair (with Oprah Winfrey) of the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute Gala when Gap sponsors the exhibition “American Women: Fashioning a National Identity.” (From: http://www.fashionweekdaily.com/chic-report/article/patrick-robinson-ology)

 

Latrell Sprewell, born September 8, 1970, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, becomes a professional basketball player for the New York Knicks and the Golden State Warriors for which he experienced much controversy. (From: Contemporary Black Biography, Volume 23, page 182 and www.espn.com)        

 

Clarence Weatherspoon, born September 8, 1970, in Crawford, Mississippi, becomes a professional basketball player for the Philadelphia 76ers, Golden State Warriors, the Minnesota Timberwolves, the New York Knicks and the Miami Heat. Southern Mississippi inducted him into their Hall of Fame. (From: Who’s Who Among African Americans, 17th Edition, the 1996-97 Basketball Almanac, pg. 282 and www.espn.com )

 

Greg Minor, born September 8, 1971, in Sandersville, Georgia, becomes a professional basketball player for the Boston Celtics. The 1996/1997 Basketball Almanac, page 176, indicates Minor’s birth took place on September 18; however Internet sites suggest his birth date as September 8…

Kevin Lockett, born September 8, 1974, in Tulsa, Oklahoma, becomes a professional football player for the Kansas City Chiefs and the Jacksonville Jaguars. (From: www.espn.com, an Internet source)  

 

Amani Toomer, born September 8, 1974, in Berkeley, California, becomes a professional football player for the New York Giants. (From: www.sports.yahoo.com and www.espn.com)

 

Darran Hall, born September 8, 1975, in San Diego, California, becomes a professional football player for the Dallas Cowboys and the St. Louis Rams. (From: www.SportsIllustrated.com, an Internet source)   

Larenz Tate, born September 8, 1975, in Chicago, Illinois, becomes an actor. He is the youngest of three siblings (his two brothers, Larron and Lahmard, are also actors). Convinced by their parents to enter a drama program at the Inner City Cultural Center, the trio did not take the lessons seriously until classmate Malcolm-Jamal Warner’s ascent to fame after being cast on the sitcom “The Cosby Show”. Subsequently realizing that they could parlay their efforts into a tangible form of success, the siblings began to receive small roles and in 1985, Tate made his small-screen debut in an episode of “The New Twilight Zone” series. Tate would later appear in the family comedy-drama The Inkwell (1994) before re-teaming with the Hughes brothers for Dead Presidents (1995) and taking on the role of a love-stricken young poet in the romantic drama “Love Jones,” (1997). There followed roles in The Postman (as the automotive moniker Ford Lincoln Mercury), the Frankie Lymon biopic Why Do Fools Fall in Love” (1998, with Tate as Frankie Lymon), and 2000’s Love Come Down. Though a big theatrical release had eluded Tate for the first few years of the millennial turnover, Tate would soon turn up opposite Laurence Fishburne in the high-octane but critically derided Biker Boyz (2003) A Man Apart (2003), Crash (2004), as music legend Quincy Jones in Ray(2004), and Waist Deep (2006). Larenz was also featured in R&B singer Ashanti‘s 2003 released music video Rain on Me, where he played the jealous, abusive spouse of Ashanti. The video touched on the subject of domestic abuse. He also starred as part of the main cast in season’s 4-7 of FX Network’s Rescue Me as Bart “Black Shawn” Johnston.  (From: Contemporary Black Biography, Volume 15.page 202)

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/ )

 

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 )  

 

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/  

 

Will Blalock, born September 8, 1983, in Boston, Massachusetts, becomes a professional basketball player selected by the Detroit Pistons in the second round with the last pick (60th overall) in the 2006 NBA Draft.

Vanessa Baden, born September 8, 1985, in Manhattan, New York, becomes an actress best known for her role as Kyra Rockmore in the Nickelodeon TV series Kenan & Kel, and for starring in the TV series Gullah Gullah Island.

Yolande Mabika born September 8, 1987, in Bukavu, Democratic Republic of the Congo, becomes a Congolese-born Brazilian judoka who was selected by the International Olympic Committee to compete for the Refugee Olympic Team at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Mabika sought political asylum in Brazil after travelling there to compete in the 2013 World Judo Championships along with fellow judoka Popole Misenga (born February 25, 1992). The coaches confiscated their money and passports and left them confined in their hotel rooms. After two days barely eating, Mabika escaped the team hotel and went looking for help on the streets. Two days of wandering later, she found a community of Congolese immigrants in the Bras de Pina neighborhood, and the next day went to the hotel to get Misenga. The pair claimed that their judo coaches deprived them of food and locked them in cages when they did not perform well. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) officially granted her refugee status in September 2014. She lives in various homes in a favela of the Cordovil neighborhood.

Thuliso Dingwall, born September 8, 1995, in Clinton, Maryland, becomes an actor best known for portraying Kenard on the television series “The Wire.”

Janet Griffin can be contacted via Facebook

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