8 may 1968 & stokely carmichael & miriam makeba are newlyweds
#OTD 8 May 1968 Stokely Carmichael and Miriam Makeba had been married for nine days. On 29 April, Carmichael and Makeba went to the DC Court of General Sessions to pick up their marriage license, which cost two dollars. Carmichael wore a blue Nehru suit and Makeba wore a yellow and brown dress. They were married by Rev. Douglas E. Moore at his Calloway United Methodist Church, in Arlington, the same day. 500 guests helped them celebrate at the reception that included a long night of dancing and music.
Your comments are welcome below. Did you, a family member or a neighbor attend the wedding? Did you attend the reception? Did you ever visit the couple at their home? Do you remember Douglas E. Moore before he became a City Council member? Do you know the other person in the photo? You may comment privately here.
Photo source: DC Public Library Special Collections. This photo was taken in Mount Vernon, NY. c1968. Photographer unknown. The other person in the photo (on the right) was not identified.
Peniel Joseph, Stokely: A Life. 2016.
"Carmichael Gets Marriage License," Washington Post 30April 1968. It is important to note that Carmichael and Makeba were heavily surveilled by the federal government, under its illegal counter intelligence program, which fed lies to voracious white-owned newspapers, including the Washington Post and the Evening Star. Therefore, it's important to be careful when using them as sources.
