Today in Black History: September 12th
1913 – Jesse Owens Is Born
James Cleveland “Jesse” Owens, born on September 12, 1913, near Oakville, Alabama, gained fame for his four gold medals at the 1936 Berlin Olympics. The son of sharecroppers Henry and Mary Emma Owens, Jesse was the youngest and suffered from severe pneumonia as a child. His family moved to Cleveland, Ohio, in 1922, where Owens excelled in athletics. At Ohio State University, he set four world records in 1935. He married Minnie Ruth Solomon in 1935, and they had three daughters. Despite his Olympic success, Owens struggled financially and faced setbacks. Later, he became a community advocate before dying of lung cancer on March 31, 1980.
1949 – Harry Thacker Burleigh Passes Away
Harry Thacker Burleigh (1866–1949) was a pioneering African American composer. Born in Erie, Pennsylvania, he studied at New York’s National Conservatory of Music, where he befriended Antonín Dvořák. Burleigh’s career began as a vocalist, performing at St. George’s Episcopal Church and Temple Emanu-El, and he sang for King Edward VII of England. After marrying poet Louise Alston in 1898, he focused on composition, arranging spirituals into art songs. His notable works include Six Plantation Melodies and Southland Sketches. Burleigh received numerous accolades, including the Spingarn Medal and honorary degrees. He passed away in Stamford, Connecticut, on September 12, 1949.
1995 – Malvin Good Russell Passes Away
Malvin Russell Goode, born February 13, 1908, in White Plains, Virginia, was the first African American news correspondent for a major network. Raised in Homestead, Pennsylvania, he worked at U.S. Steel while studying at the University of Pittsburgh, graduating in 1931. He shifted careers from a probation officer and YMCA manager to journalism, starting with the Pittsburgh Courier in 1948. In 1962, Goode became ABC’s first Black network correspondent, covering major events like the Cuban Missile Crisis. He taught journalism in Africa and reported on pivotal stories until retiring in 1973. Goode suffered a stroke and passed away on September 12, 1995, in Pittsburgh.
