Charley F. Pride, the first Black country music preformer to gain wide acceptance, was born in Sledge, MS, on March 18, 1938. The Grammy-winning singer preformed on the “Grand Ole Opry” in 1967.

William Henry Johnson, painter, was born in Florence, SC, on March 18, 1901. Johnson became the first Black artist to receive a “Retrospective” by the National Museum of American Art.

Walter Francis White was named Executive Secretary of the NAACP on March 9, 1931.

On March 3, 1990, Carole Gist was the first African American to win the title “Miss USA”. Gist was also the first African American to win the title for Miss Michigan, her home state. She later became first runner-up in the Miss Universe pageant.

Wilt Chamberlain, basketball great, scored 100 points (the most ever) in a NBA game on March 2, 1962. Chamberlain led the Philadelphia Warriors in its win over the New York Knicks.

Claudette Colvin, a 15 year-old high school student in Montgomery, AL, refused to give up her bus seat to a white woman on March 2, 1955. This act, similar to Rosa Parks’ act, occurred nine months earlier. Colvin, ironically was a student in Parks’ NAACP Youth Council.

Ralph Waldo Ellison, author of the Invisible Man, was born in Oklahoma City, OK, on March 1, 1914.

On February 28, 1984, musician and entertainer Michael Jackson won eight Grammy Awards for his album “Thriller” which also broke all records to-date, and remains one of the top-grossing albums of all time.

Casius Clay, boxing legend, changed his name to Muhammad Ali after converting to Islam on February 25, 1964 immediately after winning his first heavyweight title against Sonny Liston in round seven.

On February 25, 1870, Hiram Rhodes Revels of Mississippi was sworn in as the first African American U.S. Senator.