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1991
President Bush’s
nomination of Clarence Thomas for the U.S. Supreme Court set off a firestorm of controversy, topped by an appearance of Anita Hill at the Senate confirmation hearings. She accused Mr. Thomas of sexually harassing her during the time she worked in his law office. Never the less, the man whose opponents called "a black face on the right-wing agenda" was confirmed to take the vacated seat of Thurgood Marshall.In March the name of Rodney King dominated the news. He was the black man who took a severe beating from 4 white policemen. This after the car in which he was a passenger lead police on a high-speed chase finally came to a halt. The savage beating was video taped and occurred after Mr. King exited the car and was being taken into custody. The police stated that he was resisting arrest so they had to use force to subdue him.
George Bush announces that "Kuwait is liberated" after allied forces broke through Iraqi fortifications along the Kuwaiti boarder and completely neutralized their ability to take any aggressive action to defend themselves, Liberation came after six months and twenty-five days.
1992
Mae C. Jemison, MD, a Cornell Medical School graduate is the first female and black woman to travel into outer space. Her duties aboard the 8 day Endeavor space flight included conducting experiments in claustrophobia, and motion sickness to name a few.
L. Douglas Wilder, the man Virginia elected as the first African American Governor in the U.S. ran an unsuccessful campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination. The U.S. Census records 31 million African Americans make up 12.5% of the United States population.
South Central Los Angeles erupted in a riot after a all white jury returned a not guilty verdict for the 4 policeman videotaped beating Rodney King.
At the Olympics held in Barcelona, Spain’s, NBA players, Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Charles Barkley, Clyde Drexler, Karl Malone, David Robinson, Patrick Ewing, and Scottie Pippen were members of United States basketball team. "The Dream Team", as they were called beat each opponent by an average of 40 points to win the gold medal.
Natalie Cole captured a Grammy musical award for her recording of a sound-mix duet with the late Nat King Cole. It was a moving experience to see a background video of her father singing the lyrics of Unforgettable, originally released 42 years ago and Ms Cole singing along as if he were on stage and at her side.
1993
Jocelyn Elders, MD, was appointed by President Clinton and became the first black U.S. Surgeon General. Carol Mosley Braun, Democrat of Illinois was elected the first African American woman United States Senator.
32.8% of African American high school graduates enrolled in college to continue their education. This is a decline of 15.2% from 1977 record year of 48 percent. 41.4% of white high school graduates enrolled. Cypress Hill, a Hip-Hop group is riding high in the charts. Their new CD, Black Sunday is the top selling LP on Billboards pop chart.
1994
Moses Gunn, Broadway and film actor, and co-founder of the Negro Ensemble Company died on Jan 3rd. Winner of OBIE awards for his Titus Andronicus (1967), and The First Breeze of Summer (1975), his many films credits included The First White Hope (1970) and Shaft (1971).
Ernest Finney Jr., elected to the South Carolina Supreme Court in 1985 became Chief Justice. Annice Wagner became the country’s first African American woman Chief Justice as she was appointed and serves for the District of Columbia. She also serves as the Chairperson of the Joint Committee on Judicial Administration, a policy-making body for the courts of Washington, D.C.
Medgar Evers case reopened in Jackson Mississippi with Assistant DA Bobby DeLaughter set to prosecute the case.
At 45 years of age, "Big" George Forman excited old and young boxing fans by knocking out 26 year old Michael Moorer to regain the heavyweight championship he lost 20 years earlier to Muhammad Ali in Zaire.
1995
Celebrating the organizations 150th anniversary in Atlanta, GA, 20,000 Southern Baptist Conventioneers, speaking for their 15.6 million memberships, overwhelmingly to "repent of racism of which we have been guilty" and asked the forgiveness of "all African Americans". Reportedly the church began in 1845, supported slavery and failed to support civil rights movements in the 1950’s and 1960’s.
Robert Benham became Chief Justice of Georgia’s Supreme Court. Vivian Malone Jones Scholarship Fund was established honoring one of the first black enrollees and graduates at the University of Alabama. Danell Tipton is the urban cowboy and International Professional Rodeo Associations bull riding champion.
By a vote of 5 to 4, the United States Supreme Court issued a ruling that voting districts designed to promote the election of minorities was unconstitutional. In doing so, this would affect many of the 39 African Americans elected during the 1994 campaign.
Dr. Jocelyn Elders resigned the position of U.S. Surgeon General. Her views on abortion, public school sex education, and the advocating of condoms to combat Aids and teenage pregnancy proved too much for the Clinton administration to defend.
October 16th will be remembered as the day One Million Black Men descended on Washington, D.C. to show their solidarity and concern for the plight of the communities from which they came. The event first called for by Louis Farrakhan turned out to be a testimony to African American males concern with their status in the United States.
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