Crate Diggers: Washington D.C.

Showing posts with label Washington D.C.. Show all posts

Saturday, June 3, 2017

Happy Birthday Charles Drew

“I feel that the recent ruling of the United States Army and Navy regarding the refusal of colored blood donors is an indefensible one from any point of view. As you know, there is no scientific basis for the separation of the bloods of different races except on the basis of the individual blood types or groups” - Charles Drew

(Charles Drew)

Dr. Charles Drew was born June 3rd, 1904 in Washington D.C., USA. In 1922 Drew graduated from Dunbar high school. Drew won an athletics scholarship to Amherst college in Massachusetts.

(Drew in college)

He graduated in 1926. Drew attended medical school at McGill University in Montreal, Canada, receiving his MDCM in 1933, and ranked 2nd in his class of 127 students. Drew later did graduate work at Columbia University, where he earned his Doctor of Medical Science degree, becoming the first African American to do so. In 1939 Drew married Minnie Lenore Robbins, a professor of home economics at Spelman College. In 1940 Drew was recruited by John Scudder to help set up and administer an early prototype program for blood storage and preservation.

(Drew in 1940)

Drew created a central location for the blood collection process where donors could go to give blood. Out of this there was a total collection of almost 15,000 people donating blood, and with over 5,500 vials of blood plasma. In 1941 Drew became the first African-American surgeon selected to serve as an examiner on the American Board of Surgery. Drew had a lengthy research and teaching career and became a chief surgeon. In the 1950 Tuskegee clinic, Drew drove along with three other black physicians. Drew was driving and he was fatigued from the night before from being at a theater. Drew lost control of the vehicle and the car careening into a field, the car somersaulted three times. The three other physicians suffered minor injuries. Drew was trapped with serious wounds; his foot had become wedged beneath the brake pedal.

(Drew in 1950)

On April 1st, 1950 Dr. Charles Drew died from his injuries in Burlington, North Carolina. He was 45 years old. Today is his 113th birthday and we would all like to say happy birthday and rest in peace Charles Drew.

Monday, April 3, 2017

Anniversary of Carter G. Woodson's Death

“Those who have no record of what their forebears have accomplished lose the inspiration which comes from the teaching of biography and history” - Carter G. Woodson

(Carter G. Woodson)

Carter G. Woodson was born on December 19th, 1875 in Buckingham County, Virginia, USA. His family moved to West Virginia when Woodson was a child. At age 17 Woodson went to earn a living as a coal miner. At age 20 Woodson went back to high school and earned a diploma in less than 2 years.

(Woodson as a young man)

From 1897 to 1900 Woodson taught in Fayette County. In 1903 he earned a Bachelor degree in Literature from Berea College in Kentucky. From 1903 to 1907 Woodson was a school supervisor in the Philippines. In 1908 he was awarded an A.B. and A.M. from the University of Chicago. He was a member of the first black professional fraternity Sigma Pi Phi and a member of Omega Psi Phi. In 1912 he completed his PhD at Harvard University where he was the second African American to do so. He then became a professor at Howard University. In 1915 Woodson published The Education of the Negro Prior to 1861.

(Woodson in 1915)

Woodson became affiliated with the Washington, D.C. branch of the NAACP, and its chairman Archibald Grimké. In 1924, he published the first survey of free black slaveowners in the United States. In 1926 Woodson promoted the first Negro History Week in Washington, D.C., designated for the second week in February, to coincide with marking the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass. In 1933 Woodson wrote the book The Mis-Education of the Negro. Woodson has corresponded with W. E. B. Du Bois, John E. Bruce, Arturo Alfonso Schomburg, Hubert H. Harrison, and T. Thomas Fortune among others from the 1920’s to the 1940’s.

(Woodson in the 1940’s)

On April 3rd, 1950 Woodson died of a heart attack in Washington D.C. He was 74 years old.

(A statue of Woodson)

Today is the 67th anniversary of his death. Take time to remember this great educator today.

Books by Carter G. Woodson

A Century of Negro Migration (1918)
The Education of the Negro Prior to 1861 (1919)
The History of the Negro Church (1921)
The Negro in Our History (1922)
Free Negro Owners of Slaves in the United States in 1830, Together With Absentee Ownership of Slaves in the United States in 1830(1924)
Free Negro Heads of Families in the United States in 1830, Together With a Brief Treatment of the Free Negro (1925)
Negro Orators and Their Orations (1925)
The Mind of the Negro as Reflected in Letters Written During the Crisis, 1800–1860 (1927)
Negro Makers of History (1928)
African Myths, Together With Proverbs (1928)
The Rural Negro (1930)
The Negro Wage Earner (1930)
The Mis-Education of the Negro (1933)
The Negro Professional Man and the Community, With Special Emphasis on the Physician and the Lawyer (1934)
The Story of the Negro Retold (1935)
The African Background Outlined: Or, Handbook for the Study of the Negro (1936)
African Heroes and Heroines (1939)
The Works of Francis J. Grimké (1942)

Carter G. Woodson's Appeal: The Lost Manuscript Edition (2008)

Sunday, April 2, 2017

Happy Birthday Marvin Gaye

“War is not the answer, because only love can conquer hate” - Marvin Gaye

(Marvin Gaye)

Marvin Gaye was born as Marvin Gay Jr. on April 2nd, 1939 in Washington D.C., USA. At 4 years old Gay started to sing in church. His father was very hard on Gay and his siblings being beaten for minor things.

(Gay as a child)

While in high school Gay joined several Doo-Wop groups. In 1956 Gay dropped out of high school and joined the US Air Force. Gay was disappointed in having to perform menial tasks,so he faked mental illness and was discharged shortly afterwards. Returning to Washington D.C., Gay and good friend Reese Palmer formed the vocal quartet The Marquees. The group performed in the D.C. area and soon began working with Bo Diddley. The group signed to Okeh records. After the group was dropped from the label from failing to chart Gay began to compose music. Under a new leader the group changed its name to Harvey and the New Moonglows, and relocated to Chicago.

(Harvey and the Moonglows)

In 1959 Gay lead his first song called “Mama Loocie”. The group also sang backup vocals for Chuck Berry. In 1960 the group disbanded and Gay moved to Detroit, MI. Gay then was signed with Motown’s subsidiary label Tamla records and Gay added an “e” to the end of his last name to look more professional. Gaye originally had no intentions of singing R&B since he wanted to do Jazz. In 1961 Gaye released his 1st single “"Let Your Conscience Be Your Guide".

(Gaye in 1961)

Gaye spent most of 1961 playing drums for artists such as The Miracles and The Marvelettes. In 1962 Gaye found success as co-writer of the Marvelettes hit "Beechwood 4-5789”. His first solo hit, "Stubborn Kinda Fellow", was later released in September, reaching No. 8 on the R&B chart. In 1963 Gaye’s song “Pride and Joy” became his 1st top 10 single. Gaye performed as part of the Motown Revue in 1963. Gaye had two No. 1 R&B singles in 1965 with "I'll Be Doggone" and "Ain't That Peculiar", both songs sold millions of records. Gaye then made hits with Tammi Terrell, including "Ain't No Mountain High Enough", "Your Precious Love", "Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing" and You're All I Need to Get By".

(Gaye (Left) with Tammi Terrell (Right))

In 1967 Gaye was performing with Terrell and she collapsed while performing and later found out she had a tumor which ended her performing career. In 1968 Gaye's recording of “I Heard It Through the Grapevine” became his first song to reach No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. Gaye followed it up with "Too Busy Thinking About My Baby" and "That's the Way Love Is", which reached the top ten on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1969. In 1969 his album “M.P.G.” became his first No. 1 R&B album. In 1970 Gaye began recording “What’s Going On” but Berry Gordy refused to release it due to his feelings of the song being "too political" for radio. Gaye responded by going on strike from recording until the label released the song. In 1971 the song was released and it reached No. 1 on the R&B charts within a month, staying there for five weeks and sold 2 million copies.

(Gaye in 1971)

He released the whole album later that month. The album became Gaye's first million-selling album. It was one of Motown’s first autonomous works. Gaye received two Grammy Award nominations and several NAACP Image Awards. In 1972 he released “Trouble Man”. In 1973, Gaye released “Let's Get It On”. Its title track became Gaye's second No. 1 single on the Hot 100 chart. Gaye’s final duet album was with Diana Ross and was called “Diana & Marvin”.

(Gaye (Right) with Diana Ross (Left))

Gaye toured from 1974 to 1975. In 1976 Gaye released “I Want You”, the title track became a No. 1 R&B hit. In 1977 his song “Got to Give it Up” hit No. 1 on the R&B charts. In 1978 Gaye released “Here, My Dear”, recorded as an intent for him to remit a portion of its royalties to his ex wife to receive alimony payments, it performed poorly on the charts. Gaye started to contract a cocaine addiction and he had troubles with the IRS. In 1980 Gaye went on a European tour and he feared to come back to the US due to unpaid taxes which was about $4.5 million. In 1981 Gaye left Motown due to several disputes of releasing music without Gaye’s consent. Gaye then moved to Belgium. Gaye recovered from his cocaine addiction while in Belgium. In 1982 Gaye signed with CBS records. In 1982 Gaye released his biggest hit song “Sexual Healing” spending a record ten weeks at No. 1 on the Hot Black Singles chart, becoming the biggest R&B hit of the 1980s according to Billboard stats.

(Gaye performing in 1982)

In the US the album “Midnight Love” sold 3 million records. In 1983 Gaye won his first two Grammy Awards including Best Male R&B Vocal Performance. On February 13, 1983, Gaye sang "The Star-Spangled Banner" at the NBA All-Star Game at The Forum in Inglewood, California.

(Gaye performing at the NBA All Star game in 1983)

At the end of Gaye’s “Sexual Healing” tour he went to live with his parents in Los Angeles, CA. On April 1st, 1984 in Los Angeles, California after a dispute with his father Gaye was shot and killed by him. He was 44 years old.