African American History and Women Timeline 1970-1979

African American History and Women Timeline 1970-1979 [Previous] [Next] 1970 Cheryl Adrienne Brown, Miss New York, became the first African American contestant in the Miss America pageant(January 14) Diana Ross performs for the last time with the Supremes, and introduces Jean Terrell as her replacement with the group(August 7) Angela Davis, radical black activist and philosopher, was arrested as a suspected conspirator in the abortive attempt to free George Jackson from a courtroom in Marin County, Californiafirst issue of  Essence  published, a magazine targeted at black women 1971 (January 11) Mary J. Blige born (singer)Beverly Johnson appears on the cover of  Glamour, the first African American woman to be featured that way by a major fashion magazineThe Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) founded, an evolution from the Democratic Select Committee founded in 1969. Shirley Chisholm  was the only woman among the first 13 members. 1972 Mahalia Jackson died (gospel singer)Shirley Chisholm became the first African American woman candidate for President, with more than 150 delegate votes at the 1972 Democratic conventionBarbara Jordan elected to Congress, the first African American woman from a former Confederate state to be elected to the HouseYvonne Braithwaite Burke elected to Congress, the first black woman elected to the House from CaliforniaPatricia Roberts Harris became chair of the Democratic National Convention; Yvonne Braithwaite Burke was co-chair of the conventionHaitian boat people begin arriving in FloridaAngela Davis acquitted in California by an all-white jury  of charges from a 1970 shootout(January 27) Mahalia Jackson died (singer)(July 7) Lisa Leslie born (basketball player) 1973 Eleanor Holmes Norton and others found the National Black Feminist Organization.Marion Wright Edelson creates the Childrens Defense Fund.Cardiss Collins elected to Congress from a Chicago district, succeeding her husband 1974 Shirley Chisholm became the first African American woman elected to Congress   Alberta Williams King, Martin Luther King, Jr.s mother, and a deacon, were killed during services at Ebenezer Baptist Church 1975 Mary Bush Wilson becomes first African American woman board chair of the NAACP (the first chair, Mary White Ovington, was a white woman)Joanne Little acquitted of murder charges - she had stabbed a jailer with an ice pick to avoid sexual assaultLeontyne Price awarded Italys Order of Merit(April 12) Josephine Baker died of a stroke 1976 Barbara Jordan was the first woman and the first African American to give the keynote address at a national convention of the Democratic PartyJanie L. Mines becomes the first African  American woman to enter the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis.Clara Stanton Jones becomes the first African Amerian elected as President of the American Library AssociationPresident Jimmy Carter appoints Patricia Harris as Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, the first African American woman selected for the cabinet.Unita Blackwell elected mayor of Mayersville, becoming the first black woman mayor in Mississippigymnast Dominque Dawes born (won three Olympic medals)(February 26) Florence Ballard dies of a heart attack, age 32.   She was one of the original Supremes. 1977 first African American woman ordained as an Episcopal priest: Pauli Murraythe Daughters of the American Revolution admitted the first African American member, Karen Farmer, who traced her ancestry back to William HoodMabel Murphy Smythe appointed as ambassador to Cameroon(September 1) Ethel Waters died, age 80 (singer, actress) 1978 Faye Wattleton became president of the Planned Parenthood Federation the first woman and the first African American to hold that positionUnited States Postal Service issued a stamp honoring Harriet Tubman.Toni Morrison received the National Book Critics AwardJill Brown, flying for Texas International Airlines, is the first black female pilot for any commercial airline(March 29) Tina Turner divorces Ike Turner(June 28) in University of California v. Backke, Supreme Court limits federal affirmative action 1979 Hazel Winifred Johnson became the first African American woman appointed as a general in the US ArmyPatricia Harris, who had served as Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, was appointed by President Carter as secretary of health, education and welfareBethune Museum and Archives established in Washington, DCLois Alexander opens the Black Fashion Museum in Harlem [Previous] [Next] [1492-1699] [1700-1799] [1800-1859] [1860-1869] [1870-1899] [1900-1919] [1920-1929] [1930-1939] [1940-1949] [1950-1959] [1960-1969] [1970-1979] [1980-1989] [1990-1999] [2000-] Janie L. Mines becomes the first African  American woman to enter the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis.