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1966
Areatha Franklin left Columbia Records and moves to the Atlantic label, leaving her jazzy pop sound behind. She begins to pump out hit after hit in a Rhythm and Blues style that is laced with her gospel roots.
NASA’s Launch Vehicle Digital Computer (LVDC), manufactured by IBM, provides onboard digital guidance for the Saturn rocket booster. The rocket boosters are used to propel the Apollo spacecraft toward the moon.
The words Black Power made their way into the consciousness of African Americans. Stokely Carmichael is credited with coining the words that simply meant independent economic and political power for the black communities throughout the U.S. Black leaders were teaching Black Pride which was a term African Americans voiced when referring to their African heritage, culture, and contributions to American society.
In the dawning hours of January 10th, two cars filled with Klu Klux Klansmen arrived at their destination located in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. It was the home of Vernon Dahmer, a local NAACP official and storekeeper. One of the men honked his car horn in a attempt to let their victims know they were there. Getting out of their cars, they proceeded to fire rifles and shotguns at the Dahmer home. Throwing gasoline bombs through the window, they continued firing as Vernon held them off by returning their fire. Fighting the fire and shooting at as many as eight Klansmen, Vernon used the distraction to allow his wife, Ellie Dahmer and family to escape through a back window. Ellie held her husband as he died several hours later from the effects of the fire.
The Poll Tax is ruled unconstitutional. Edward W. Brook of Massachusetts becomes the first African American elected to the U.S. Senate since the Reconstruction era. David Parham has the honor of being the first black captain selected by the U.S. Navy. The Smithsonian’s first American Folklife Festival celebrates the African American and Native American Cultures. Dr. Clifton Johnson established Amistad Research Center, now at Tulane University. The White House Conference on Civil Rights attended by 2400 people. Constance Baker Motley’s confirmation as a U.S. District Court Judge records her in the history books as the first African American woman to do so.
Bobby Seal & Huey Newton are founders of the Black Panther Party located in Oakland California.
TV coverage of the U.S. casualties in the Vietnam Conflict is causing uneasiness in America. Dr. King says it’s " rapidly degenerating into a sordid military adventure". Blacks seem to outnumber other races representing American armed services participating in the conflict. It was reasoned that more blacks and other minorities were joining the armed services than whites. The first major rally against what the public increasingly interprets as a war occurs in our nation capital.
The Acoustically Coupled Modem, a early sixties invention that connected computers to the telephone network was greatly improved by John Van Geen. Working from the Stanford Research Institute, he built a receiver that could detect bits of data within the hiss heard over long-distance telephone connections.
1967
In February Aretha Franklin releases I never loved a man (the way I love you) and Do right Woman, Do right Man which go on to become mega hits. She follows them up with, Respect & Dr. Feelgood in April. In July she releases Baby I love you followed by (you make me fell like) a Natural Woman, and Chain of Fools in September and November to finish out the year. What a year for the lady that is called the Queen of Soul."I believe it is the right thing to do, the right time to do it, the right man, and the right place." Those were the words spoken by President Johnson as he selected Thurgood Marshall to be the first black Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States.
Los Angeles Watts riots lasted for six days and claimed 35 lives with over 900 injured. Riots occur in several other African American communities including Cleveland, Newark, and Boston. The Detroit riots left 43 dead, and over 2000 injured. Another estimated 5000 were arrested for various crimes associated with the riots.
Dr. King stated the election of Mayors Carl Burton Stokes (Cleveland, Oh) Kevin Hagan White (Boston, Mass), and Richard Hatcher (Gary, Ind.) was a "one-two-three punch against backlash and bigotry".
The Rolling Stones, another British Rock n Roll group, is climbing up the Billboard charts. Publicly they are direct opposites of the "nice guys" Beatles image. The London papers are asking, "would you want your daughter to marry a Rolling Stone?" Mick Jagger is captivating as the energetic lead singer. This group also acknowledges their sound is based upon the Negro Rhythm n Blues.
Bank Credit Cards are catching on and are aimed at middle-income families.
Anacostia Neighborhood Museum in Washington D.C. becomes the first federally funded black museum.
South Vietnam elects Ngugen Van Thieu as their president. Meanwhile "in country" U.S. troop strength reaches 475,000.
Sidney Poitier co-stars with Rod Steiger in the classic film "In the Heat of the Night". This is the film that produced the slap (Poitier slaps an old guard racist) that reverberates through out the African American communities. It is one of the first times an audience has viewed a white man being slapped by black man
.
1968
On February 29, the Kerner Commission (check for history) stated in a report to President Johnson that the U.S. is "moving toward two societies, one black, one white, separate and unequal." Recommendations included sweeping reforms in housing, education, welfare, and employment. They also recommended aggressive changes in federal and local law enforcement.
Douglas Engelbart introduced a Prototype Mouse as part of a console. The demonstration took place at the Fall Joint Computer Conference in San Francisco. The console consisted of a keyboard (resembles today’s keyboard) , a device with five piano-like keys (called a chord keyset), and a square shaped device (with three buttons) he called a mouse. All were the work of fifteen years of exploring a better way to communicate with a computer. By 1984, the mouse would become popular as an device connected to the Apple Computer.
Arthur Ashe becomes the first African American to win a major men’s tennis title.
April 11th, President Johnson signs a Civil Rights Bill that outlaws racial discrimination in the rental of eighty percent of U.S. housing.
On April 12th Dr King Martin Luther King Jr was felled by an assassins bullet while standing on the second floor balcony of the Lorraine Motel. James Earl Ray is serving 99 years for the murder.
The U.S. Supreme Court outlaws racial discrimination in the sale and rental of housing. Prairie View A& M College of Texas became the first NROTC unit established at a predominantly black school. National Center of African American artist founded by Elma I. Lewis.
Robert Kennedy is shot (at the hands of Serhan Serhan in Los Angles) while on the campaign trail to win his party’s nomination for President for the United States. He died as a result of the shooting the next day.
Anti-war demonstrators clash with Chicago Police at the Democratic Convention. The number of troops in Vietnam increases to over 500,000.
Facing enormous pressure because of the U.S. involvement in Vietnam, President Johnson announces he will not seek his party’s nomination, and if selected will not run for a second term as President of the United States. This action would later set up a run for the presidency between Vice President Hubert H. Humphrey and former Vice President (under Dwight D. Eisenhower) Richard M. Nixon
Republican Richard M. Nixon is elected as the 37th president of the U.S. Spiro T. Agnew is his Vice President.
1969
James Earl Ray is sentenced to 99 years for the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. Sirhan Sirhan is convicted and sentenced for assassinating Senator and presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy.Neil Armstrong became the first man to walk on the moon and stated his historical quote, "One small step for man, and one giant leap for mankind"Anti-war demonstrators, numbering over 200,000 protest the war in Washington D.C. U.S. troops in Vietnam has reached 543,000. Later in the year, President Nixon withdraws 35000 troops as the number of U.S. troops begin to decrease as withdrawals continue.
The Children’s Television Workshop, Seasame Street, with a host of puppets, interacting with regular live characters make its debut on public stations throughout the country. Its clear that creator Jim Henson has found an attractive formula to teach as well as entertain children and adults alike. It is a rousing success while federal funding for public television continuous to be a hot debate.
1970
President Nixon signs a bill to extend the 1965 Voting Rights Act to 1975.
Black Rock music guitarist Jimi Hendrix dies from a drug overdose. The Beatles break up and go their separate ways.
John M. Burgess became bishop of the Boston diocese of the Episcopal Church. Known for his social progressivism he served until 1976.
The Banking Industry first ATM (Automatic Teller Machine) was installed in Valdosta, Georgia. At that time the amount withdrawn was recorded on the customers magnetized card. This allowed the bank to enforce daily withdrawal amounts. Despite today’s popularity, customers were not enthused by the new machine.
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