Today in Black History: August 15th
1938 – Maxine Waters Is Born
Congresswoman Maxine Waters, born Maxine Moore Carr on August 15, 1938, in St. Louis, Missouri, has dedicated over thirty years to politics. Moving to Los Angeles in 1961, she earned a B.A. in sociology and worked in education and community programs. Waters began her political career in the California State Assembly in 1976 and was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1990, representing California’s 35th district. She has been a strong advocate for health care, child care, education, and welfare reform. Waters has also been active in national and global issues, including the Minority AIDS Initiative and debt relief for developing nations. Waters still serves as a U.S. Representative today for California’s 43rd Congressional District.
1962 – Shady Grove Baptist Church in Georgia Is Burned
During the era of Civil Rights three churches in Georgia’s Terrell and Lee counties were burned down by terrorists after they were used for voter registration meetings. On August 15, 1962 the Shady Grove Baptist Church near Leesburg burned down and ruins were visited by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. A month later, on Sunday September 9, 1962 a fire destroyed Mount Olive Baptist and Mount Mary Baptist Churches in Sasser, Terrell County, Georgia arousing suspicion. The officials who inspected the sites stated that the fires were caused by either lightning or faulty wiring. In response to the suspected arsons at these voter registration meeting sites, the United States Justice Department considered filing a federal suit alleging voter intimidation.
2002 – Jesse Brown Passes Away
Born in 1944, Jesse Brown was a wounded Vietnam War veteran and prominent advocate for veterans. After being paralyzed in the war and earning a Purple Heart, he advanced through the Disabled American Veterans (DAV), becoming their first African American executive director in 1988. In 1993, he was appointed Secretary of Veterans Affairs by President Clinton, where he reformed healthcare for veterans and addressed issues like PTSD and homelessness. Brown, who resigned in 1997, was honored with the Presidential Unsung Hero Award and the Outstanding Disabled Veteran of the Year award. He died from Lou Gehrig’s disease, leaving behind his wife, mother, and two children on August 15th 2002.
