December 10
1982- Pamela McAllister Johnson became the publisher of the Ithaca Journal. This made her the first Black woman to be a publisher of a mainstream paper.
December 11
1964- Legendary singer Sam Cooke died after he demanded entrance into his room at the Hacienda Motel, Los Angeles, where he was staying. After a brief physical struggle, the manager fired three shots, which fatally wounded Cooke. The singer was known for his hit songs “You Send Me,” and “Chain Gang.”
December 12
1975- The National Association of Black Journalists was founded by 44 men and women in Washington, D.C. The organization consists of journalists, students, and media-related professionals who provide programs and services on behalf of African American journalists.
December 13
1913- Archibald Lee Wright was born in Benoit, Mississippi. He later became a boxer who one his first light heavyweight crown in 1952.
December 14
1968- Sammy Davis Jr. was awarded the Spingarn Medal for his “superb and many-faceted talent,” and his contributions to the Civil Rights Movement.
December 15
1943- Thomas C. Fleming and Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett founded the San Francisco Sun-Reporter Newspaper. The massive move of African Americans to California’s bay area encouraged Fleming and Goodlett to start the paper.
December 16
1973- O.J. Simpson set an NFL record of 2003 rush yards in one season.
