The Arts
1885?1941, Originally named Ferdinand Joseph La Menthe, b. Gulfport, La. He began studying piano as a child and in his youth was a pianist in the colorful Storyville district of New Orleans. Later he played with Johnny Dodds, Baby Dodds, Kid Ory, Barney Bigard, and other noted jazz musicians, but his popularity severely declined in the 1930s. Although Morton is regarded by many as the greatest New Orleans pianist, his egocentricity, moodiness, and quarrelsome disposition led many musicians and critics to disparage him. His compositions and arrangements, many of which reflect his Creole background, include Dead Man Blues, Jelly Roll Blues, King Porter Stomp, Mama Nita, Mamie’s Blues (or 219 Blues), Moi pas l’aimez
Slavery
c. 1744?1803. A self-educated slave freed shortly before the uprising in 1791, he joined the black rebellion to liberate the slaves and became its organizational genius. Rapidly rising in power, Toussaint joined forces for a brief period in 1793 with the Spanish of Santo Domingo and in a series of fast-moving campaigns became known as L’Ouverture [the opening], a name he adopted. Although he professed allegiance to France, first to the republic and then to Napoleon, he was singleheartedly devoted to the cause of his own people and advocated it in his talks with French commissioners. Late in 1793 the British occupied all of Haiti’s coastal cities and allied themselves with the Spanish in the eastern part of the island. Toussaint was the acknowledged leader against them and, with the generals Dessalines and Christophe, recaptured (1798) several towns from the British and secured their complete withdrawal. In 1799 the mulatto general Andr
Military
1920 – 1978
James joined the segregated United States Army Air Corp while attending Tuskegee Institute. He was made a second lieutenant during World War II. James received the Distinguished Service Medal for his service in the Korean War, during which he flew more than 100 combat missions. In 1957 he graduated from the Air Command and Staff College in Alabama. James was named deputy commander for operations of the Eighth Tactical Fighter Wing in Thailand in 1966. After a series of promotions, he was named a four-star general in 1975, including command of the North American Air Defense system. During his career, James received the Legion of Merit, the Distinguished Flying Cross, and a Presidential Unit Citation.
Entertainment
1910 – 1986
b. Terre Haute, Indiana. A supporting player, he appeared in a wide range of movies from the 1950s to the 1980s, including The Aristocats (as the voice of Scat Cat; 1970), Lady Sings the Blues (1972), One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975), The Shining (1980), and The Journey of Natty Gann (1985). He also made numerous television guest appearances.
Dance
1906 ? 1975,
b. St. Louis, Mo., as Freda Josephine McDonald. In 1923 and 1924 she appeared in Broadway chorus lines. She became a sensation in Paris in La Revue n
