which earned an American Music Award, and “Saving
All My Love for You,” which won both a Grammy
Award and an American Music Award.
In 1986, with her popularity continuing to soar,
Houston embarked on her first worldwide tour, the
Greatest Love tour. In 1987, the artist’s second al-
bum,Whitney, debuted in both the United States and
the United Kingdom at number one on theBillboard
pop charts, marking the first time that feat had been
accomplished by a female artist. The record also sold
more than twelve million copies at the time of its re-
lease. Four singles from the album reached number
one on theBillboardHot 100: “I Wanna Dance with
Somebody (Who Loves Me),” which earned Hous-
ton a Grammy Award, “Didn’t We Almost Have It
All,” “So Emotional,” and “Where Do Broken Hearts
Go.” Houston also embarked on the very successful
worldwide Moment of Truth tour to promote her al-
bum. She then recorded the 1988 Olympics theme
song, “One Moment in Time.” In 1990, Houston
ended the decade with the release of her third al-
bum,I’m Your Baby Tonight.
Impact During the 1980’s, Whitney Houston en-
joyed enormous success as a singer. While her first
two albums catapulted her to superstar status, her
natural singing talents set a standard that other fe-
male singers strove to reach. Through hard work
and dedication, Houston witnessed several of her
singles reach number one on the pop charts around
the world. She also won several Grammy Awards and
American Music Awards.
Further Reading
Nathan, David.The Soulful Divas: Personal Portraits of
Over a Dozen Divine Divas, from Nina Simone, Aretha
Franklin, and Diana Ross to Patti LaBelle, Whitney
Houston, and Janet Jackson. New York: Billboard
Books, 1999.
Parish, James Robert.Whitney Houston: The Biography.
London: Aurum Press, 2003.
Bernadette Zbicki Heiney
See also African Americans; Music; Music videos;
Olympic Games of 1988; Pop music.
Howard Beach incident
The Event A racially motivated attack results in
the death of an African American man
Date December 20, 1986
Place New York CityOne of several high-profile incidents of hate-based violence
to occur during the 1980’s, the Howard Beach incident re-
ceived natonal coverage and sparked a debate concerning
the state of race relations in the United States in the 1980’s.On the evening of Friday, December 19, 1986, four
African American men traveling in the vicinity of
Howard Beach in the borough of Queens, New York,
became stranded when their automobile broke
down. Three of the four men walked to the predomi-
nantly white Howard Beach neighborhood to seek
help, stopping at a local pizzeria in search of a tele-
phone. Upon emerging from the restaurant at ap-
proximately 12:40 early Saturday morning, the three
African Americans were confronted by a group of
approximately ten white men, who shouted racial
slurs at them and began beating them with baseball
bats and other objects. In the course of the attack,
one of the African American men, Michael Griffith,
ran into the street to escape his attackers and was
struck by a passing automobile. Griffith died at the
scene as a result of his injuries.
Police later arrested twelve young male residents
of Howard Beach, charging them with crimes rang-
ing from assault to murder. In December of 1987,
three of the men, Jon Lester, Scott Kern, and Jason
Ladone, were convicted of second-degree man-
slaughter and sentenced to prison terms ranging
from five to thirty years. Two of the other defendants
were acquitted, and the rest received light prison
sentences or community service. The attack and the
failure of the judicial system to convict any of the de-
fendants of murder provoked outrage among black
residents of New York City and inspired a number of
protests. On December 27, a predominantly African
American group of approximately twelve hundred
protesters led by the Reverend Al Sharpton marched
through Howard Beach. The marchers were met by
a large number of local residents who shouted racial
epithets and threats. Sharpton rose to national prom-
inence as a result of the protest.Impact The Howard Beach incident was one of a
series of high-profile incidents highlighting racialThe Eighties in America Howard Beach incident 491