Today in Black History: September 19th
1929 – Meredith Gourdine Is Born
Meredith C. Gourdine, born September 26, 1929, was an American engineer, athlete, and inventor known for his work in electrogasdynamics, focusing on energy generation from electrically charged gas molecules. Born in Newark, New Jersey, he graduated from Cornell University, winning a silver medal in the long jump at the 1952 Olympics. Gourdine earned a Ph.D. from Caltech and worked at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. He founded Gourdine Laboratories and Energy Innovation, creating direct-energy conversion devices. Notable inventions include “Incineraid,” for heat dispersion, and the Focus Flow Heat Sink for cooling computer chips. Gourdine held 30 patents and was inducted into the National Academy of Engineering before he passed away, suffering a stroke on November 20, 1998.
1936 – Winnie Madikizela-Mandela Is Born
Winnie Mandela, born on September 26, 1936, was the former wife of South African President Nelson Mandela and leader of the ANC Women’s League. Born in Mbongweni, she earned a degree in social work and became the first qualified Black medical social worker at Baragwanath Hospital. She met Nelson Mandela in 1957 and they married in 1958, having two daughters. After his imprisonment in 1962, she faced government restrictions but continued her activism with the ANC, co-founding the Black Women’s Federation. Despite controversies and a conviction for kidnapping, she served as president of the ANC Women’s League from 1993 to 2003 and returned to Parliament in 2009. After a long illness she passed away on April 2, 2018.
1937 – Bessie Smith Passes Away
Bessie Smith, born April 15, 1894, in Chattanooga, Tennessee, was a powerful jazz and blues vocalist known as the “Empress of the Blues.” Her rich contralto voice conveyed deep emotions, addressing themes of poverty, love, and resilience. Smith began performing as a street singer at age nine and later joined the Moses Stokes minstrel show. In 1923, she married Jack Gee and signed with Columbia Records, releasing hits like “Down Hearted Blues,” becoming the first Black artist to sell a million records. Smith died in a car accident on September 26, 1937. She was posthumously inducted into the Grammy and Rock and Roll Halls of Fame.
