This Week In Black History

Jet, July 23, 2001

July 18, 1998--

The African-American Civil War Soldiers Memorial was dedicated on this day in Washington, D.C. The sculpture stands 10 feet tall and features uniformed Black soldiers and a sailor poised to leave home. It was designed by Ed Hamilton of Louisville, KY, and was the first major art piece by a Black sculptor to be placed on federal land anywhere in the District of Columbia. The Wall of Honor lists the names of 209,145 United States Colored Troops (USCT) who served in the Civil War. The names also include the 7,000 White officers who served with USCT.

July 22, 1933--

Caterina Jarboro, soprano singer, became the first Black prima donna of the United States Opera Company on this day. She performed Aida with the Chicago Opera Company at the Hippodrome in New York City. Jarboro was born Katherine Yarborough, on July 24, 1898, in Wilmington, NC. She went to New York at age 13 to study music. In 1930, she debuted in the role of Aida at the Puccini Theatre in Milan, Italy. Her distinguished career included appearances in Paris, Madrid, Vienna, Warsaw, Moscow and many of the great opera houses throughout the world. She died in August 1986, in Manhattan at the age of 88. On December 11, 1999, she was inducted into the Celebrate Wilmington Walk of Fame.