* Today in Black History - December 28 * *********************************************************************** * The Nguzo Saba - The seven principles of Kwanzaa - Principle for * * Day #3 - Ujima (oo-JEE-mah) Collective Work & Responsibility: To * * build and maintain our community together and to make our Brother's * * and Sister's problems, our problems and to solve them together. * * http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kwanzaa * *********************************************************************** 1817 - The American Colonization Society, a private philanthropic organization, is organized in Washington, DC in the hall of the House of Representatives, for the purpose of relocating freeborn and emancipated blacks to Africa. The Society's supporters espoused a wide range of viewpoints on slavery and the treatment of blacks, ranging from advocacy of the abolition of slavery to the removal of the Negro race from the United States. The primary motivation for this group stemmed from the fact that there were too many 'free' Blacks in the United States. 1829 - Elizabeth "Mumbet" Freeman joins the ancestors. Freeman, born into slavery, ran away from her owners after she was mistreated by her master's wife. She petitioned successfully for her freedom, citing her knowledge of the Bill of Rights and the new constitution of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in her argument that all men were created equal, thereby justifying her petition for freedom. Her victory effectively abolished slavery in Massachusetts. She was the great-grandmother of W.E.B. Dubois, one of America's most renowned scholars, leaders, and fighters for civil rights. 1903 - Earl Kenneth "Fatha" Hines is born in Duquesne, Pennsylvania. He will become a jazz pianist and bandleader. He will be one of the most influential figures in the development of jazz piano and, according to one major source, is "one of a small number of pianists whose playing shaped the history of jazz". Trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie, a member of the Earl Hines big-band along with Charlie Parker, will write, "The piano is the basis of modern harmony. This little guy came out of Chicago, Earl Hines. He changed the style of the piano. You can find the roots of Bud Powell, Herbie Hancock, all the guys who came after that. If it hadn't been for Earl Hines blazing the path for the next generation to come, it's no telling where or how they would be playing now. There were individual variations but the style of ... the modern piano came from Earl Hines." Pianist Lennie Tristano will say, "Earl Hines is the only one of us capable of creating real jazz and real swing when playing all alone." Horace Silver will say, "He has a completely unique style. No one can get that sound, no other pianist". Erroll Garner will say, "When you talk about greatness, you talk about Art Tatum and Earl Hines". Count Basie will say that Hines was, "The greatest piano player in the world". He will be considered the "Father of Modern Jazz Piano." He will join the ancestors on April 22, 1983. 1918 - The NAACP's Spingarn Medal is awarded to William Stanley Braithwaite, poet, literary critic and editor, for distinguished achievement in literature. 1918 - George H. White joins the ancestors at the age of 66 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He was the last of the post Reconstruction congressmen. 1954 - Denzel Washington is born in Mount Vernon, New York. He will become an actor, playing Dr. Phillip Chandler for six seasons on television's "St. Elsewhere." He will receive two Golden Globe awards, a Tony Award, and two Academy Awards: Best Supporting Actor for the historical war drama film "Glory" (1989) and Best Actor for his role as a corrupt cop in the crime thriller "Training Day" (2001). He will receive much critical acclaim for his film work since the 1990s, including his portrayals of real-life figures such as South African anti-apartheid activist Steve Biko in "Cry Freedom" (1987), Muslim minister and human rights activist Malcolm X in "Malcolm X" (1992), boxer Rubin "Hurricane" Carter in "The Hurricane" (1999), football coach Herman Boone in "Remember the Titans" (2000), poet and educator Melvin B. Tolson in "The Great Debaters" (2007), and drug kingpin Frank Lucas in "American Gangster" (2007). He will be a featured actor in the films produced by Jerry Bruckheimer and a frequent collaborator of directors Spike Lee and the late Tony Scott. In 2015 he will be selected as the recipient for the Cecil B. DeMille Lifetime Achievement Award at the 73rd Golden Globe Awards. 1959 - Everson Collin Walls is born in Dallas, Texas. He will become an American football defensive back in the National Football League, and will play for the Dallas Cowboys, the New York Giants, and the Cleveland Browns. During his 14 seasons, he will be a four-time Pro Bowl selection. He will also be a 3-time All-Pro selection. He will win a Super Bowl with the Giants after the 1990 season. He will be one of the most prolific and decorated defensive backs to ever play the game. He will be one of the only two players to lead the NFL in interceptions three times (Ed Reed is the other). He will also lead his Cowboys in interceptions a franchise record five times. He will rank second in the team's career interceptions list and 10th all-time on the career interceptions list, with 57. In addition, he will share the career Pro Bowl interceptions record with four, and share the single-game Pro Bowl record for interceptions with two. 1977 - Karen Farmer becomes the first African American member of the Daughters of the American Revolution, when she traces her ancestry back to William Hood, a soldier in the Revolutionary War. ______________________________________________________________ Munirah Chronicle is edited by Mr. Rene' A. Perry "The TRUTH shall make you free" E-mail: <[log in to unmask]> Archives: http://listserv.icors.org/archives/Munirah.html http://blackagenda.com/cybercolonies/index.htm _____________________________________________________________ To SUBSCRIBE send E-mail to: <[log in to unmask]> In the E-mail body place: Subscribe Munirah Your FULL Name ______________________________________________________________ Munirah(TM) is a trademark of Information Man. Copyright 1997 - 2016, All Rights Reserved by the Information Man in association with The Black Agenda.