October 3

T. Thomas Fortune (October 3, 1856 – June 2, 1928) studied journalism briefly at Howard University before founding The New York Globe newspaper in 1881, which later became The New York Age. It was one of the leading African American newspapers, and published the writing of Ida B. Wells-Barnett after her press and headquarters in Memphis were destroyed by arsonists. Fortune was a founder of the National Afro-American League in 1887, which was a forerunner of the Niagara Movement and the NAACP. While on a tour of the South in 1899 he met Booker T. Washington, becoming an adviser and ghost-writing Washington's autobiography and other material until they parted ways in 1907. Later in his career, Fortune was also editor of Marcus Garvey’s Negro World.

Birthdays

Dudley W. Woodard (October 3, 1881 - July 1, 1965) taught mathematics at Tuskegee, Wilburforce, and Howard, where he was Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, created the graduate program in mathematics, and established a math library in 1929. Despite living in the Jim Crow Era, he moved into an all-white neighborhood, often ignored the "colored" signs and visited any men's room of his choice, and used the phrase "black is beautiful" as early as the 1930's.

Chubby Checker (born Ernest Evans; October 3, 1941) is known for popularizing the twist dance style, with his 1960 hit cover of Hank Ballard's R&B hit "The Twist". In September 2008 "The Twist" topped Billboard's list of the most popular singles to have appeared in the Hot 100 since its debut in 1958, an honor it maintained for an August 2013 update of the list. He also popularized the Limbo Rock and its trademark limbo dance, as well as various dance styles such as the fly.

Gerald Michael Boyd (October 3, 1950 – November 23, 2006) was an American journalist. He was the first African American metropolitan editor and managing editor at The New York Times and received a Nieman Fellowship. He won three Pulitzer prizes and shared in coverage of the September 11, 2001 attacks that earned seven Pulitzer prizes. Boyd and executive editor Howell Raines resigned in June 2003 in the wake of the Jayson Blair controversy surrounding plagiarism and fabrication.

Keb' Mo' (born Kevin Moore, October 3, 1951) is a three-time Grammy Award winning blues musician and has been described as "a living link to the seminal Delta blues that travelled up the Mississippi River and across the expanse of America." His post-modern blues style is influenced by many eras and genres, including folk, rock, jazz and pop.

Dave Winfield (born October 3, 1951) played baseball and basketball at the University of Minnesota and after graduation was one of two athletes ever drafted by four leagues -- MLB, NBA, ABA, and NFL (although he had not played collegiate football). He signed with San Diego Padres, playing there eight years before being traded to the New York Yankees where he often conflicted with team owner George Steinbrenner. Winfield is a 12-time MLB All-Star, a seven-time Gold Glove Award winner, and a six-time Silver Slugger Award winner. He was elected to the baseball Hall of Fame in 2001, his first year of eligibility. He is also known for his philanthropy through the David M, Winfield Foundation which he started the first year of his career by helping youth in the San Diego area.

Alfred Charles "Al" Sharpton, Jr. (born October 3, 1954) is an American Baptist minister, civil rights activist, and television/radio talk show host. In 2004, he was a candidate for the Democratic nomination for the U.S. presidential election. He hosts his own radio talk show, Keepin' It Real, and he makes regular guest appearances on Fox News (such as on The O'Reilly Factor), CNN, and MSNBC. In 2011, he was named the host of MSNBC's PoliticsNation, a nightly talk show.  In 2015, the program was shifted to Sunday mornings.

Events

On October 3, 1900, Isom Dart was shot by range detective Tom Horn for allegedly stealing cattle to stock his ranch near Brown's Hole, Colorado. Dart, whose real name was Ned Huddleston was born enslaved in Arkansas around 1849 and accompanied his master to Texas when the Civil War began. He stayed in Texas after the war, living along the Mexico border where he was a rodeo rider and horseman, riding across the border to steal horses in Mexico and bringing them back to Texas to sell. After a cattle drive north, he stayed and successfully mined gold and silver for a while before joining the infamous Tip Gault Gang of southeastern Wyoming. After a narrow escape he went further west and changed his name before returning to Colorado and starting his ranch.

On October 3, 1949, WERD in Atlanta became the first radio station owned and operated by African Americans. Jesse B. Blayton Sr., (left) an accountant, bank president, and Atlanta University professor, purchased WERD in 1949 for $50,000. He changed the station format to "black appeal" and hired his son Jesse Jr. as station manager. The station was housed in the Prince Hall Masonic Temple building on Auburn Avenue over the headquarters of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, formed in 1957, led by Dr. Martin Luther King, who would often come upstairs to make announcements.

On October 3, 1959, The Beulah Show, the first sitcom to star an African American actress, moved from radio to ABC TV. It starred Ethel Waters (left) for the first season. Hattie McDaniel, star of radio's Beulah, joined the cast around September of 1951 but only filmed six episodes of the second season before falling ill. She was quickly replaced by Louise Beavers who stayed with the show until its cancellation in 1952.

On October 3, 1956, The Nat King Cole Show debuted on network TV (NBC). Mr Cole was the first African American performer to host his own TV show. NBC cancelled the show after 13 Months on the air because it failed to attract a National Sponsor. Potential advertisers were reluctant to sign on for fear that their products would be boycotted by disgruntled Southerners.

On October 3, 1974, Frank Robinson signed a contract to manage and play for the Cleveland Indians, becoming the first African American manager in major league history.  His managing career would go on to include Cleveland (1975–77); the San Francisco Giants (1981–84); the Baltimore Orioles (1988–91); and the Montreal Expos/Washington Nationals franchise (2002–06).
Upon joining the Giants, he also became the first African American manager in the National League.

Photo Gallery

President Abraham Lincoln on October 3, 1862, standing on the battlefield of Antietam.

The following day his Emancipation Proclamation was published in Harper's Weekly. Weekly.

The first Negro World Series was played between October 3 and October 20, 1924. The Negro National League champion
 Kansas City Monarchs defeated the Eastern Colored League champion Hilldale Club.

The Obamas on their wedding day - October 3, 1992

Publications

Jet Magazine, October 3, 1952

Jet Magazine, October 3, 1957