Today in Black History: February 21,1965

Today in 1965, one of the most influential black leaders, Malcolm X was assassinated in New York City at the Audubon Ballroom while speaking to the Organization of Afro-American Unity.

"Malcolm X, born Malcolm Little in Omaha, Nebraska on May 19th, 1925. By the time he was thirteen, his father had died and his mother had been committed to a mental hospital. His childhood, including his father's lessons concerning black pride and self-reliance and his own experiences concerning race, played a significant role in Malcolm X's adult life. After living in a series of foster homes, Malcolm X became involved in hustling and other criminal activities in Boston and New York. In 1946, Malcolm X was sentenced to eight to ten years in prison.

While in prison, Malcolm X became a member of the Nation of Islam. After his parole in 1952, he became one of the Nation's leaders and chief spokesmen. For nearly a dozen years, he was the public face of the Nation of Islam. Tension between Malcolm X and Elijah Muhammad, head of the Nation of Islam, led to Malcolm X's departure from the organization in March 1964.

After leaving the Nation of Islam, Malcolm X became a Sunni Muslim and made a pilgrimage to Mecca, after which he disavowed racism. He traveled extensively throughout Africa and the Middle East. He founded Muslim Mosque, Inc., a religious organization, and the secular, black nationalist Organization of Afro-American Unity. Less than a year after he left the Nation of Islam, Malcolm X was assassinated while giving a speech in New York."


source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malcolm_X

Today in Black History: Feb. 17, 1867

Today in 1867, 2 years after the ending of the Civil War, the Augusta Institute was founded in Augusta, GA by William Jefferson White, Rev. Richard C. Coulter & Rev. Edmund Turney. Located in the Springfield Baptiste Church, the oldest black church in the US, to educate African-American men in theology & education. 12 years later in 1879, the institute moved it's location to Atlanta, GA and changed it's name to Atlanta Baptiste Seminary. In 1885, under the leadership of it's second president, Dr. Samuel T. Graves, Atlanta Seminary moved to land donated by John D. Rockerfeller, to it's present location in Atlanta, GA. 1890 Dr. George Sale became the seminary’s third president, and in 1897 the school was renamed Atlanta Baptist College.
"In 1906 Dr. John Hope became the first African-American president and led the institution’s growth in enrollment and academic stature. [1] He envisioned an academically rigorous college that would be the antithesis to Booker T. Washington’s view of agricultural and trade-focused education for African-Americans. In 1913, the seminary was renamed Morehouse College, in honor of Henry L. Morehouse, corresponding secretary of the Northern Baptist Home Missions Society. [1] Morehouse entered into a cooperative agreement with Clark College and Spelman College in 1929 and later expanded the association to form the Atlanta University Center.[1]
Dr. Samuel H. Archer became the fifth president of the college in 1931 and selected the school colors (maroon and white) to reflect his own alma mater, Colgate University. Dr. Benjamin Elijah Mays became president in 1940.[1] Mays, who would be a mentor to Martin Luther King, Jr., presided over the growth in international enrollment and reputation. During the 1960s, Morehouse students were actively involved in the civil rights movement in Atlanta.[1] Mays’ speeches were instrumental in shaping the personal development of Morehouse students during his tenure.
In 1967, Dr. Hugh M. Gloster became the seventh president. The following year, the college’s Phi Beta Kappa Honors Society was founded. In 1975, Dr. Gloster established the Morehouse School of Medicine, which became independent from Morehouse College in 1981." (source: wikipedia)