This Week In Black History (August 10th – August 16th)
August 10, 1858 – Author and educator Anna Julia Haywood Cooper was born in Raleigh, North Carolina. She was the fourth African American woman to earn her Ph.D. in 1925. She received her doctorate in history from the Sorbonne in Paris upon defending her dissertation titled “The Attitude of France on the Question of Slavery Between 1789 and 1848.” (Photo Courtesy: cooperproject.org)
August 11, 1965 – The Watts riots took place on this day as one of the most historical riots in this nation’s history. The upheaval produced over 50 million to 100 million property damages, lasting through the 16th of that month. The totality of the riots included 34 deaths, over 3,400 arrest and 1,032 injuries. Los Angeles wouldn’t see another see another massive and destructive civil unrest, until the L.A. riots in April 1992.
August 12, 1923 – Ophelia DeVore-Mitchell, founder of two African American modeling schools was born in Edgefield, South Carolina. Long before Naomi Campbell and Tyra Banks, Mitchell was one of the first Black models of her era. A former model she became an agent, representing actor Richard Roundtree and a charm school director. Diahann Carroll and Faith Evans were a few of her students.
August 13, 1982 – Olympic speed-skating gold medalist Shani Davis was born in Chicago. Davis started skating at the age of two, gradually developing a passion for ice skating. At the age 27, during the 2010 Olympic Winter Games, Davis became the first man to be a repeated champion of the Olympic 100m. In 2013, he passed 10,000 points for his World Cup career.
Actress Halle Berry. File Photo
August 15, 1938 – Maxine Waters who recently celebrated her 79th birthday was born on this day. Congresswoman Waters is a politician who serves as the U.S. Representative for (D-California) 43rd congressional district. Waters who has always fought for the underdog is not only a role model, but is an advocate even more, currently opposing the views and administration under President Donald Trump. Waters is praised for her political bravado and is “she-ro” to many. Waters coined the term “Reclaiming My Time” in reference to Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin.
August 16, 1958 – Angela Bassett was born in New York City and is known for trademark roles, as Tina Turner in “What’s Love Got To Do With It,” Betty Shabazz in “Malcolm X,” Bernadine in “Waiting To Exhale” and Stella in “How Stella Got Her Groove Back.” Bassett maintains her star persona as a leading actress in Spike Lee’s “Chiraq” and FX’s “American Horror Story.” Bassett is married to actor, Courtney B. Vance.
