Rev. Jesse Jackson, joined by other prominent members of the African-American community, called for Americans of African descent to abandon identifies such as “colored” or “Black” and to instead refer to themselves as African-American.

''To be called African-Americans has cultural integrity. It puts us in our proper historical context,” the reverend and civil rights veteran famously said. “Every ethnic group in this country has a reference to some land base, some historical cultural base. African-Americans have hit that level of cultural maturity.”

In 1976, Patricia R. Harris is named the secretary of housing and urban development by President-elect Jimmy Carter. She also served as secretary of health, education and welfare secretary of health and human services. Harris died March 23, 1985.

BET National News - Keep up to date with breaking news stories from around the nation, including headlines from the hip hop and entertainment world.

(Photo: The Washington Times/Landov)