TODAY IN OUR HISTORICITY Nat Turner, was turned over to a sheriff on this date in 1831. The revolutionary freedom-fighter was captured the previous day for his involvement in his infamous slave revolt. Ethel Waters, famed blues singer and actress, was born in Chester, PA, on this date in 1900. Waters, a popular figure during the Harlem Renaissance, won best supporting actress for her role in Pinky (1949). Down Home Music and Oh Daddy were some of her famous songs.Waters made an all-black film entitled Rufus Jones for President. Waters was the second African American, after Hattie McDaniel, to be nominated for an Academy Award. She is also the first African American woman to be nominated for an Emmy Award, in 1962. She had a featured role in the wildly successful Irving Berlin Broadway musical revue As Thousands Cheer in 1933, where she was the first black woman in an otherwise white show. She had three gigs at this point; in addition to the show, she starred in a national radio program and continued to work in nightclubs. She was the highest paid performer on Broadway at that time. Jennifer Hosten born in St. Georges, Grenada. In 1970 Ms. Hosten then 22 won the Miss World Title, her enthronement as Miss World was clouded in controversy fueled by racial tensions. Her runner up Pearl Jansen was Miss Africa South making it the first time ever in an international pageant that both winner and runner up were not white. An immediate and distasteful uproar began with the television audience booing as if in an international soccer match. The controversy was further inflamed by a group of women’s libbers who gained access to The venue and took the opportunity to throw flour bombs and other missiles at Bob Hope who was emceeing the event and by the presence of the Grenada’s eccentric Prime Minister, Sir Eric Gairy, on the judging panel. Despite the controversy surrounding her victory Jennifer Hosten was acclaimed in Grenada as a national heroine, and less than seven months later, in June 1971, six commemorative stamps were printed in her honour on this date in 1947. Earl Francis Lloyd played for the Washington Capitols against the Rochester Royals becoming the first African American to play in the National Basketball Leauge on this date in 1950. Natasja Saad an actress, singer & rapper also known as Lil T, Little T and Natasja, was a Danish rapper and reggae singer whose vocals on a popular U.S. and European reggae fusion remix of Calabria gained her fame and a number one spot on Billboards Hot Dance Airplay chart six months after her death in a car accident on this date in 1974. Tupac Shakur was arrested for allegedly shooting two racist off-duty Atlanta policemen on this date in 1993. Violet Palmer, a Black woman, became the first woman to officiate a NBA game (Dallas Mavericks at Vancouver Grizzlies) on this date in 1997. The NBA introduced two women officials in 1997.
Posted on: Thu, 31 Oct 2013 13:55:16 +0000
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