(Photo By Flickr User randy stewart)

Black History Today for February 16th:

1857- Frederick Douglass elected President of Freedman Bank and Trust.

1923- Bessie Smith makes her first recording, “Down Hearted Blues,” which sells 800,000 copies for Columbia Records on this day.

1951- New York City Council passed bill prohibiting racial discrimination in city-assisted housing developments.

1957- Actor LeVar Burton was born in Landsthul, Germany. Burton won fame for his acting in the television movie “Roots,” which was based on the novel by Alex Haley. He became known once more in the 1980s and 1990s for his recurring role in the “Star Trek: Next Generation” series and movies.

1970- Joe Frazier knocked out Jimmy Ellis in the second round of their New York fight and became the World Heavyweight Boxing Champion.

(Information courtesy of blackfacts.com)