Today in Black History: February 6th
1898 – Melvin B. Tolson Is Born
Melvin B. Tolson, born February 6, 1898, in Moberly, Missouri, was a significant African American modernist poet and educator. Langston Hughes once called him “the most famous Negro Professor in the Southwest.” After earning his bachelor’s degree from Lincoln University in 1924, he became an English and Speech instructor at Wiley College in Texas, where he also coached football, theater, and debate. Under his leadership, Wiley’s debate team won a National Championship against USC in 1935.
Tolson earned a master’s from Columbia in 1940, later teaching at Langston University. Named Liberia’s Poet Laureate in 1947, he published Libretto for the Republic of Liberia (1953) and Harlem Gallery (1965). He died on August 29, 1966 undergoing surgery for cancer.
1945 – Bob Marley Is Born
Robert Nesta Marley, later known as Bob Marley, was born on February 6, 1945, in Nine Mile, Jamaica. Raised in poverty by his mother, Cedella Malcolm, he spent much of his childhood in the countryside before moving to Kingston’s Trench Town in 1957. At 14, he dropped out of school, crafting makeshift instruments and blending Jamaican Ska with U.S. Rhythm and Blues to create reggae. In 1962, he recorded his first songs, and by 1963, he co-founded The Wailers, a group that would define reggae music.
After The Wailers disbanded in 1975, Marley continued recording and touring until his death in 1981 from cancer at age 36. His music carried powerful political messages and reflected his Rastafarian beliefs. Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Marley’s legacy endures, with millions of records sold worldwide.
1993 – Arthur Ashe Passes Away
Arthur Robert Ashe Jr., born on July 10, 1943, in Richmond, Virginia, was a legendary tennis player, activist, and educator. He began playing tennis at age four and later trained under Dr. Walter Johnson, who also coached Althea Gibson. In 1953, Ashe won the American Tennis Association’s National Championship for boys under 12. He broke racial barriers by competing in the all-white Junior USTA in 1957. Ashe attended UCLA on a full scholarship, won the 1968 U.S. Open as the first African American man to do so, and became the world’s top-ranked player in 1969 and 1975.
Beyond tennis, Ashe fought against apartheid, co-founded the USTA National Junior Tennis League, and became an activist for education and social justice. Diagnosed with AIDS from a tainted transfusion, he became an advocate for awareness until his death on February 6, 1993. His legacy endures through numerous honors, including Arthur Ashe Stadium at the US Open.
