This week in Black history

Jet, June 9, 2003

June 3, 1949--

Wesley A. Brown, naval officer, became the first Black man to graduate from Annapolis Naval Academy on this day. At that time, Brown was only the sixth Black to ever enroll at the military academy. None of the others made it past the first year. Brown served 20 years in the Navy's Civil Engineer Corps and during that time he rose to the rank of lieutenant commander and built houses in Hawaii, roads in Liberia, wharves in the Philippines, a nuclear power plant in Antarctica and a desalination plant in Cuba. Born and raised in Washington, D.C., Brown's high school was one of several that required boys to be in the Cadet Corps. After his military career, Brown joined the faculty at Howard University as a physical facilities analyst. He retired from the school in 1988 to settle down with his wife.

June 5, 1973--

Cardiss R. Collins, federal legislator, became the first Black Congresswoman from the state of Illinois when elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in a special election in 1973, to fill the vacancy left by the death of her husband, Democratic Rep. George W. Collins, on this day. She was re-elected to 10 consecutive terms. Throughout her political career Collins consistently championed issues concerning Black women and other minorities by bringing them to the attention of federal lawmakers. A native of St. Louis who also resided in Chicago, she graduated from Detroit's High School of Commerce and briefly attended Northwestern University (1949-50). Collins was a revenue auditor with the Illinois Department of Revenue prior to her election. She retired from the House in 1997 and currently resides in the Chicago metropolitan area.