Today in Black History: December 21st
1959 – Florence Griffith Joyner Born
Florence “Flo-Jo” Griffith Joyner, born Florence Delorez Griffith on December 21, 1959, was an American sprinter who made an extraordinary impact. Growing up in the Los Angeles neighborhood Watts, a young Joyner would begin her competitive sprinting career at seven years old.
In 1979, coach Bob Kersee discovered Joyner working as a bank teller and encouraged her to train at UCLA. While she gained attention for her flamboyant style at the 1984 Olympics, it was the 1988 Olympics where she etched her name in history. Setting world records in the 100m (10.49 seconds) and 200m (21.34 seconds), her feats remain unmatched 35 years after her victorious run at the South Korean Summer Olympics. Joyner retired from track racing in February of 1989, discussing in an interview with Ann Liguori that she retired because “I could no longer train 100%, in which I’m used to training. If I can’t give it my all, I don’t want to give it at all,” as NPR reports.
Honored as the Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year in 1988, Joyner’s impact transcended the track. Inducted into the U.S.A. Track and Field Hall of Fame in 1995, she received a Distinguished Service Award from the United Negro College Fund. Remembered for her speed, distinctive one-legged running suits, and vibrant style, Joyner’s legacy encompasses athletics, fashion, and advocacy. Despite her untimely passing at 38 in 1998, her influence lives on, with an elementary school in Los Angeles bearing her name.
1948– Samuel L. Jackson Born
Samuel Leroy Jackson, a famously talented American actor born on December 21, 1948, in Washington, D.C., encountered a challenging upbringing marked by his father’s abandonment and subsequent struggles with alcohol. Relocating to Chattanooga, Tennessee, with his mother, Jackson’s early education at Riverside High School showcased his musical talents with the trumpet and French horn.
Transitioning to higher education, he pursued a major in dramatic arts at Morehouse College in Atlanta. Notably, Jackson established the Just Us Theater and participated in campus protests, facing a temporary expulsion in 1969 but ultimately graduating in 1972.
His relocation to Harlem in 1976 marked the beginning of his journey into stage acting. A pivotal moment occurred in 1981 with his role in Charles Fuller’s A Soldier’s Play. Despite facing personal challenges, including addiction, Jackson’s career soared with notable performances in films like Coming to America (1988), Jungle Fever (1991) and the breakthrough role of “Jules Winnfield” in Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction (1994).
