Art Blakey, an iconic American drummer and bandleader, revolutionized jazz drumming by blending swing, blues, funk, and hard bop into a dynamic new... Continue →
On this day, President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation, declaring all enslaved people in Confederate states to be free. However,... Continue →
Omega Psi Phi, the first international fraternal organization founded on the campus of a historically Black college, was incorporated on this day.... Continue →
On this day, C. W. Allen invented the self-leveling table, an innovative device designed to maintain a level surface regardless of movement. He was... Continue →
William Monroe Trotter, a Harvard-educated activist and outspoken advocate for civil rights, launched The Guardian as a platform to challenge racial... Continue →
A law took effect in Arkansas prohibiting the employment of free Black individuals on boats and ships navigating the state's rivers. This legislation... Continue →
The first celebration of Kwanzaa, created by Dr. Maulana Karenga in 1966, concluded on January 1 with "Imani," the seventh principle of the Nguzo... Continue →
Lola Falana, an American singer, dancer, and actress, was born in Camden, New Jersey. Known as the "First Lady of Las Vegas," Falana broke barriers... Continue →
Kofi Annan began his term as the seventh Secretary-General of the United Nations, making history as the first Black person and the first sub-Saharan... Continue →
On January 1, 1960, Cameroon gained independence from France, becoming the Republic of Cameroon. This marked a significant moment in the broader wave... Continue →
On January 1, 1956, Sudan officially declared its independence from joint British-Egyptian rule. The event marked the emergence of Sudan as a... Continue →
On January 1, 1808, the African Benevolent Society for Education was founded in New York City. Created by free African Americans, the society aimed... Continue →
On this day, a federal law went into effect prohibiting the importation of enslaved Africans into the United States. While slavery itself remained... Continue →
James Meredith became the first Black student to enroll at the University of Mississippi, marking a significant milestone in the American Civil... Continue →
On this day in 1961, James B. Parsons made history as the first African American appointed to a lifetime position on the federal bench in the United... Continue →
Sharon Pratt Dixon was sworn in as mayor of the District of Columbia. Dixon succeeded Marion Barry who was convicted of cocaine possession in the... Continue →
Oprah Winfrey, one of the most influential media moguls in history, was born in Kosciusko, Mississippi. Overcoming a challenging childhood marked by... Continue →
On this date in 1990, David Norman Dinkins officially began his tenure as the 106th mayor of New York City, making history as the city's first... Continue →
On this date in 1977, Erroll Garner passed away. He was an influential jazz pianist and composer, best known for his timeless jazz standard "Misty."... Continue →
On this date in 1977, Ellis Wilson, an influential African American painter, passed away on January 2, 1977. Born in 1899 in Mayfield, Kentucky,... Continue →
On this date in 1970, Dr. Benjamin E. Mays, a prominent educator, minister, and civil rights leader, was named president of the Atlanta Board of... Continue →
On this date in 1970, Clifton Reginald Wharton Jr. made history on January 2, 1970, when he became the president of Michigan State University (MSU).... Continue →
On this date in 1968, actor Cuba Gooding Jr. was born on January 2, 1968, in The Bronx, New York. He is an Academy Award-winning actor best known for... Continue →
On this date in 1965, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) launched a voter registration drive in... Continue →
On this date in 1915, Historian John Hope Franklin was born. He was a highly influential historian, scholar, and educator, best known for his work on... Continue →
On this date in 1898, Sadie Tanner Mossell Alexander was born on, in Philadelphia, PA, and she made history as a trailblazing African American woman... Continue →
On this date in 1872, the Mississippi Legislature convened, and John R. Lynch, at the age of 24, was elected Speaker of the Mississippi House of... Continue →
Organized by Daniel Rudd, a Black Catholic journalist and activist, the Congress brought together over 100 Black Catholic men from across the United... Continue →
On this day, free Black residents of Philadelphia, led by Reverend Absalom Jones and joined by 70 other free Black men, submitted a historic petition... Continue →
Bryant Gumble resigns after 15 years as host of NBC's Today Show
On this date in 1989, The Arsenio Hall Show premiered, making history as the first regularly scheduled nightly talk show to be hosted by an African... Continue →
On this date in 1984, Rev. Jesse Jackson successfully negotiated the release of U.S. Navy Lt. Robert Goodman, a pilot who had been shot down over... Continue →
On this date in 1969, Louis Stokes made history when he was sworn in as the first African American congressman from Ohio. He represented Ohio's 21st... Continue →
On this date in 1969, Rep. Adam Clayton Powell Jr. was seated by Congress after a long political battle. Powell, a Democratic congressman from... Continue →
On this date in 1966, Floyd B. McKissick, a civil rights attorney from North Carolina, was named the national director of the Congress of Racial... Continue →
On this date in 1966, Sammy Younge Jr. was a 21-year-old civil rights activist and a student at Tuskegee Institute who was tragically shot and killed... Continue →
On this date in 1961, Adam Clayton Powell Jr. was elected Chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee, making him one of the most powerful... Continue →
On this date in 1947, the **NAACP's 1947 report** highlighted the extreme racial violence that African Americans, particularly returning Black... Continue →
On this date in 1947, Congressman William L. Dawson of Illinois made history as the first African American to chair a standing committee of the U.S.... Continue →
On this date in 1947, the total population of the United States was approximately 150,697,361. The Black population was about 15,042,286, making up... Continue →
On this date in 1621, First African American, William Tucker, born. William Tucker is recognized as the first recorded African American born in the... Continue →
Congressman William H. Gray is elected chairman of the House Budget Committee, the highest congressional post held by an African American.
Prince Hall, founder of the first African American Masonic lodge petitioned the Massachusetts legislature for fund to return to Africa. The plan is... Continue →
Nearly 1,500 African American students in Selma, Alabama, boycotted classes to protest the dismissal of Norward Rousell, the city's first Black... Continue →
Patrick Kelly, an acclaimed fashion designer and a native of Vicksburg, Mississippi, passed away in Paris at the age of 35. Known for his bold,... Continue →
Renowned African American soprano Leontyne Price gave her final performance at the Metropolitan Opera, singing the title role in Aida. Her farewell... Continue →
Dr. Melvin H. Evans was inaugurated as the first elected governor of the United States Virgin Islands on January 4, 1971. Prior to his election,... Continue →
On this date, the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) was officially organized by 13 African American members of the United States House of... Continue →
Archie A. Alexander, architectural engineer and former governor of the Virgin Islands, died on this day in 1958 at the age of 69. He had been... Continue →
William Levi Dawson was elected as a United States Representative from Illinois on November 3, 1942, and began his congressional service on January... Continue →
Grace Bumbry, born on January 4, 1937, in St. Louis, Missouri, was a pioneering American opera singer renowned for her rich mezzo-soprano voice and... Continue →
Floyd Patterson, the first Olympic gold medalist to become a world heavyweight boxing champion, was born in Waco, North Carolina. Known for his speed... Continue →
On this day, Andrew “Rube” Foster, a former player, manager, and executive, established the Negro National League (NNL), the first successful,... Continue →
C.L.R. James, a Trinidadian historian, journalist, and socialist, was born on this day. He is best known for his influential work The Black Jacobins... Continue →
On January 5, 1943, George Washington Carver Day was established by President Franklin D. Roosevelt following Carver’s death. This day honors the... Continue →
William H. Hastie, the first African American to serve as a civilian aide to the U.S. Secretary of War, resigned his position to protest the ongoing... Continue →
Alvin Ailey, born on January 5, 1931, in Rogers, Texas, was a seminal American dancer, choreographer, and activist. His early experiences in the... Continue →
Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. was founded at Indiana University by Elder W. Diggs, Bryan K. Armstrong, John M. Lee, Harvey T. Asher, Marcus P.... Continue →
Amidst a wave of violence and political unrest aimed at suppressing Black voters and Republican officials during Reconstruction, President Ulysses S.... Continue →
The Ohio legislature passed the first in a series of "Black Laws" designed to restrict the rights and movement of free Black people in the North.... Continue →
The Peabody Fund was established by philanthropist George Peabody to support education in the post-Civil War Southern United States, particularly for... Continue →
Mamie Till-Mobley, the mother of 14-year-old Emmett Till—whose brutal lynching in 1955 became a catalyst for the American civil rights... Continue →
Legendary jazz trumpeter, composer, and bandleader John Birks "Dizzy" Gillespie passed away at age 75. A key figure in the development of bebop and... Continue →
On January 6, 1971, Cecil A. Partee was elected President Pro Tempore of the Illinois State Senate, becoming the first African American to hold this... Continue →
John Singleton, acclaimed director and screenwriter, was born in Los Angeles, California. He is best known for his groundbreaking 1991 film Boyz n... Continue →
In Rock Hill, South Carolina, nine African American students from Friendship Junior College were arrested for a sit-in at a segregated lunch counter.... Continue →
On this day, Congressman Robert Brown Elliott delivered one of the most powerful and eloquent speeches in defense of Senator Charles Sumner’s civil... Continue →
The New England Anti-Slavery Society was organized at the African Baptist Church on Boston’s Beacon Hill. Led by William Lloyd Garrison, the... Continue →
In Boston, Massachusetts, abolitionist William Lloyd Garrison released the first issue of The Liberator, an anti-slavery newspaper that would become... Continue →
The first organized emigration to Africa begins as 86 free African Americans depart New York Harbor aboard the Mayflower of Liberia. Their... Continue →
On this day, a group of enslaved Black men in Massachusetts submitted a petition to the colonial legislature, seeking their freedom. Citing natural... Continue →
Michael Griffith, a 23-year-old African-American man, was chased by a group of white teenagers in the Howard Beach neighborhood of Queens, New York.... Continue →
African American inventor William B. Purvis was granted U.S. Patent No. 419,065 for improvements to the fountain pen. His design helped regulate ink... Continue →
Breaking significant racial and gender barriers, Shirley Franklin took office as the 58th mayor of Atlanta. Her election marked a historic moment as... Continue →
On this day, Marian Anderson became the first African American to perform at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City. She appeared as Ulrica in... Continue →
On this day, Yale University opened the James Weldon Johnson Memorial Collection of African American Arts and Letters at the Beinecke Rare Book &... Continue →
Zora Neale Hurston, an influential African American author, anthropologist, and filmmaker, was born in Notasulga, Alabama. Best known for her novel... Continue →
On January 7, 1868, the Mississippi Constitutional Convention convened in Jackson, Mississippi, as part of the Reconstruction efforts following the... Continue →
The Arkansas constitutional convention convened in Little Rock with a racially mixed delegation—eight Black and forty-three white delegates. This... Continue →
Celebrated on January 7 by Ethiopian Orthodox Christians, Genna marks the birth of Jesus Christ according to the Julian calendar. Rich in tradition,... Continue →
The original lawsuit was filed in 1952 by John Hall and supported by the NAACP, following the U.S. Supreme Court’s Brown v. Board of Education... Continue →
On this day in 1875, William P. Powell, an African American entrepreneur and civic leader, founded the city of Centerville in California. Amidst the... Continue →
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) denied the license renewal application of the Alabama Educational Television Commission due to persistent... Continue →
Colonel Charles Young, the first African American to reach the rank of colonel in the U.S. Army, passed away on this day. A trailblazer and military... Continue →
The African National Congress (ANC) was established in Bloemfontein, South Africa, to unite African people and spearhead the struggle for political,... Continue →
Congress passed legislation granting African American men the right to vote in the District of Columbia, overriding President Andrew Johnson's veto.... Continue →
Fannie M. Jackson (later Coppin), a trailblazing educator and missionary, was born. In 1865, she became the first African American woman to graduate... Continue →
The final major battle of the War of 1812 was fought between American forces, led by General Andrew Jackson, and the British Army. Among Jackson’s... Continue →
On this day, U.S. federal troops and local militias suppressed the 1811 German Coast Uprising in Louisiana, one of the largest slave revolts in U.S.... Continue →
Charles Deslondes, a free man of color from Saint-Domingue (present-day Haiti), led one of the largest slave revolts in U.S. history in the Territory... Continue →
Time, Inc. agrees to sell NYT Cable for $420 million, to a group led by J. Bruce Llewellyn, the largest cable TV acquisition by an African American
Fraternity, Phi Beta Sigma, founded at Howard University, 1914. Among the founders were Langston Taylor, Leonard F. Morse and C.I. Brown. Special... Continue →
The Southern Christian Leadership Conference was founded in New Orleans, Louisiana by five ministers including Martin Luther King, Jr., Ralph... Continue →
Robert E. Lee, with his armies at low tide, recommended the employment of blacks in the Confederate forces because it was "not only expedient but... Continue →
Michael Jordan announce his second retirement from the NBA and the most illustrious career of any professional sports figure to date.
In Richmond, Virginia former Lt. Governor Lawrence Douglas Wilder took office as the first popularly elected African American governor of an American... Continue →
Martin Luther King Jr. born in Atlanta. He was first given the name of Michael Luther King Jr. The name was formally changed to Martin at a later... Continue →
Richard Parsons, chief executive, is tapped to be the next chairman of AOL Time Warner.
? January 17, 1992 – Jimi Hendrix Inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Legendary guitarist Jimi Hendrix, known for his revolutionary... Continue →
Muhammad Ali(Cassius Marcellus Clay, Jr), 57 former heavyweight champion boxer. Born Lousivlle, Ky. Jan,17, 1942.
Grant Fuhr, goalie for the world champion Edmonton Oilers, is picked in the first round of the National Hockey League draft to become the first Black... Continue →
UCLA renames its social science buildings to honor alumnus Ralph Bunche.
Colin Luther Powell is sworn in by President George W. Bush as Secretary of State. He is the first black secretary of state in U.S. history.
Cheryl Mills, White House Deputy Counsel, becomes the first Black to argue a case before a U.S. Senate impeachment hearing in the case of Pres.... Continue →
Zeta Phi Beta sorority, with the help of Phi Beta Sigma Robert Samuel Taylor, was founded at Howard University by Arizona Stemmons, Myrtle Faithful,... Continue →
Twelve Black congressman boycotted Richard Nixon's State of the Union message because of his "consistent refusal" to respond to the petitions of... Continue →
Samuel Pierce is named Secretary of HUD in the Reagan Administration.
The 24th Amendment to the US Constitution is ratified. It abolishes poll tax, which was used as a means of preventing african americans from voting
Jackie Robinson was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm begins her campaign for President of the U.S.
Executive Order 9981, to end segregation in US Armed Forces is signed by President Harry Truman
First Black American woman aviator, Bessie Coleman was born, 1893
Anita Baker, the celebrated American singer-songwriter renowned for her soulful ballads and powerful contralto voice, was born on January 26, 1958,... Continue →
World renowned opera singer, Leontyne Price, makes her debut at the Metropolitan Opera House
After 62 years, the Colgate-Palmolive Co. redesigned packaging for its "Darkie" tooth paste made and sold only in Asia. The nickname for Darkie tooth... Continue →
Arthur Ashe, first Black male to win Wimbledon, is denied entry to compete on the US Team for the South African Open tennis championships due to... Continue →
Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, founded at Cornell University in 1906, incorporated.
Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, founded at Howard University in 1908, incorporated.
Leroy "Satchel" Paige, major league baseball player, named all-time outstanding player by National Baseball Congress
Washington Redskins quarterback Doug Williams, the first African American quarterback to play in a Super Bowl game, is named MVP in Super Bowl XXII.
Ida Wells, a black reformer who compiled records on lynching, is the subject of a United States Postal Service stamp.
Alfred L. Cralle invented the ice cram scooper, patent #576,395
On Wednesday, February 3rd, for the first time in history, America's urban students will have a Web site specifically designed to address their... Continue →
J.C. Watts becomes the first Black selected to respond to a state of the union address.
Columbia University graduate and Harvard University law student Barack Obama became the first African American named president of the Harvard Law... Continue →
Jail-in movement started in Rock Hill, S.C., when students refused to pay fines and requested jail sentences. Students Nonviolent Coordinating... Continue →
Carter G. Woodson creates Negro History week originated by Carter G.Woodson is observed for the first time in 1926.In 1976 it became Black History... Continue →
Figure skater Debi Thomas became the first African American to win the Women's Singles of the U.S. National Figure Skating Championship competition,... Continue →
Author Ralph Ellison's novel Invisible Man wins the National Book Award
1967-The 25th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution went into effect. That amendment provided that in the case of a vice president's become president,... Continue →
On this date in 1965, Malcolm X delivers speech at the London School of Economics, to a meeting sponsored by the school's Africa Society.
Nelson Mandela's greatest pleasure, his most private moment, is watching the sun set with the music of Handel or Tchaikovsky playing. Locked up in... Continue →
Gertrude E. Downing and William Desjardin Corner Cleaner Attachment, Patent No. 3,715,772 on February 13, 1973
On this date in 1965, Malcolm X delivers last speech at Ford Auditorium, after his home in New York was firebombed.
National Negro Congress organized at Chicago meeting attended by 817 delegates representing more than 500 organizations. Asa Phillip Randolph of the... Continue →
Louis Armstrong's "Hello Dolly" recording becomes his first and only number one record.
On this dates in 1965, Malcolm X delivers "There is a World Wide Revolution Going Speech." Malcolm X - "You and I are living at a time when there... Continue →
Joe Frazier knocked out Jimmy Ellis in the second round of their New York fight and became the world heavyweight boxing champion.
On this date in 1965, Malcolm X's "Not just an American problem, but a world problem,” address delivered in the Corn Hill Methodist Church in... Continue →
Virginia House of Delegates votes unanimously to retire the state song, "Carry me back to old Virginia", a tune which glorifies slavery.
Grenon, H. Razor Stropping Device Feb. 18, 1896 Patent No. 554,867
On February 18, 1965, Malcom X engages in a heated debate live on the air with Gordon Hall, who considered himself an expert on extremism. Malcolm X... Continue →
Vonetta Flowers became the first black gold medalist in the history of the Winter Olympic Games. She and partner Jill Brakken won the inaugural... Continue →
Otis Boykin, Inventor, patented the Electrical Resistor. U.S. 2,972,726 He is responsible for inventing the electrical device used in all guided... Continue →
DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince win the first rap Grammy for the hit single "Parents Just Don't Understand."
Frank E. Peterson Jr. named the first Black general in the Marine Corps.
Rebecca Lee Crumpler becomes the first black woman to receive an M.D. degree. She graduated from the New England Female Medical College. Rebecca Lee... Continue →
Adrienne Mitchell, first African American woman to die in combat in the Persian Gulf War is killed in her military barracks in Dharan, Saudi Arabia
On this day, the Kentucky boxer known to all as Cassius Clay, changed his name to Muhammad Ali as he accepted Islam and rejected Christianity. "I... Continue →
Fifteenth Amendment guaranteeing the right to vote sent to the states for ratification.
Alabama State Board of Education expelled nine Alabama State students for participating in sit-in demonstrations.
On this dated in 1867, Howard University, in Washington, D. C. named for General Oliver O. Howard, was established.
On this day in 1962, "Wilt the Stilt" Chamberlain scored 100 points in a single basketball game-a professional record that still stands today. He... Continue →
Martin Luther King, Jr. announced plans for Poor People's Campaign in Washington. He said he would lead a massive civil disobedience campaign in the... Continue →
The Mary McLeod Bethune commemorative stamp is issued by the U.S. Postal Service as the eighth stamp in its Black Heritage USA series.
On March 6, 1857, the Dred Scott decision of the Supreme Court denied Blacks U.S. citizenship and denied the power of Congress to restrict slavery in... Continue →
First cadets graduated from flying school at Tuskegee.
Alexander Thomas Augusta, first African American faculty member of an American medical school, Howard University, is born free
White firemen of the Cincinnati, New Orleans and Texas Pacific Railroad struck to protest the hiring of Black firemen.
Through the 12th - three thousand delegates and five thousand observers attended the first Black political convention in Gary, Indiana. The NAACP and... Continue →
Through 12th Manifesto denouncing Supreme Court ruling on segregation in public schools issued by one hundred Southern senators and representatives.
Malcolm X resigned from the Nation of Islam.
John Lee, first black commissioned officer in the U.S. Navy is assigned to duty. Dec 1944-Jan 1945 The U.S. Army integrated black volunteers with... Continue →
Quincy Jones, Music Impresario, Born March 14, 1933 in Chicago’s South Side. He first fell in love with music when he was in elementary school. He... Continue →
Eli Whitney patented cotton gin which made cotton king and increased demand for slave labor.
NAACP began a coordinated attack on segregation and discrimination, filing a suit against the University of North Carolina on behalf of Thomas... Continue →
First Black newspaper, Freedom's Journal, published in New York City.
Jackie Roosevelt Robinson made his professional debut as a member of the Montreal Royals in the Daytona Beach ballpark that now bears his name. One... Continue →
George Monroe was on of 2 Black men who carried mail on the famous Pony express. Monroe had the honor of driving Presidents Grant and Hayes along the... Continue →
Howard University students seized administration building. Students were demanding campus reform and Black-oriented curriculum. Civil rights... Continue →
Birthday of William Tucker, the first African child born in the colonies. Tucker was baptized in Jamestown, Virginia. There are unconfirmed reports... Continue →
Uncle Tom's Cabin, a novel by Harriet Beecher Stowe, published in Boston.
The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. leads thousands of people on a 54 mile march from Selma to Montgomery Alabama to call for voting rights for... Continue →
Alonzo Pietro, explorer, sets sail with Christopher Columbus.
Marcus Mosiah Garvey arrives in America from Jamaica.
Halle Berry becomes the first black woman to win an Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance in the movie "Monster's Ball."
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. along with other notable civil rights leaders and thousands of supporters reach Montgomery Alabama after marching 4 days... Continue →
Thomas J. Martin is awarded a patent for the fire extinguisher.
Bill Russell named head coach of the Boston Celtics, becoming the first African American to coach an NBA team.
Football star Earl Campbell was born in Tyler, Texas.
On March 30, 1870, the ratification of the 15th Amendment secured voting rights for all male U.S. citizens.
Cab Calloway recorded "Minnie the Moocher"-the first jazz album to sell a million copies.
Marvin Gaye dies in his parents Los Angeles home. Marvin attacked his father for verbally abusing his mother. His father responded by shooting his... Continue →
Engineer Lenell Geter convicted falsely in armed robbery charge. His conviction, which would draw national protest, was finally overturned after... Continue →
In 1968, on this date, Martin Luther King Jr. delivers his final address at Bishop Charles J. Mason Temple in Memphis, Tennessee.
Reynolds, H. H. Window Ventilator for Railroad Cars Apr. 03, 1883 Patent No.275,271
Martin Luther King Jr. assassinated by white sniper in Memphis, Tennessee. Assassination precipitated a national crisis and rioting in more than one... Continue →
FBI documents, released in response to a freedom of information suit, revealed that the government mounted an intensive campaign against civil rights... Continue →
Matthew Henson reached the North Pole. Traveling with the Admiral Peary Expedition, Henson, with his exceptional navigational skills managed to reach... Continue →
The first U.S. stamp ever to honor an African American is issued bearing the likeness of Booker T. Washington.
Joseph Nathan Oliver, better known as King Oliver or Joe Oliver, was an American jazz cornet player and bandleader. He was particularly recognized... Continue →
On April 8, 1920, American Jazz Singer Carmen McRae was born. After winning an amateur contest at Harlem's legendary Appolllo Theatre in her home... Continue →
Henry ("Hank") Aaron broke Babe Ruth's major league baseball record, by hitting his 715th home run in a game at Atlanta stadium.
Civil Rights Bill passed over the president's veto. The bill conferred citizenship on Blacks and gave them "the same right, in every State and... Continue →
U.S. Congress pass Civil Rights Bill banning racial discrimination in sale or rental of approximately 80 per cent of the nation's housing.
Idaho became the 47th state to recognize Jan. 15 as Martin Luther King, Jr. Day and as a national holiday.
Sugar Ray Robinson, five-time winner of the world middleweight boxing championship and unbeaten welterweight champion, dies.
Eldrick Tiger Woods wins the 61st Masters Tournament in Augustus,Georgia at the age of 21 becoming the youngest person to ever win this tournament.
On this day, Sidney Poitier became the first African American man to win the Academy Award for Best Actor, for his role as Homer Smith in Lilies of... Continue →
Tiger Woods wins his third Masters Golf title and becomes only the second person ever to win two of the titles in a row.
Jackie Robinson debuts for the Brooklyn Dodgers, breaking baseball's color line.
African Freedom Day is declared at the All-African People's Conference in Accra, Ghana.
Louisiana voters approved new constitution and elected state officers, including the first Black lieutenant governor, Oscar J. Dunn, and the first... Continue →
Playwright August Wilson won his second Pulitzer Prize for drama with the play "The Piano Lesson."
Nicholas Biddle becomes the first African American in uniform to be wounded in the Civil War. Nicholas (Nick) Biddle, did odd jobs around town, and... Continue →
Alice Walker is awarded the Pulitzer Prize for The Color Purple. Ten days later the novel will also win the American Book Award for fiction.
Max Robinson (1939-1988) overcame racial barriers in the media industry when he became the first African-American television anchor in Washington,... Continue →
National Education Association study revealed that Blacks had lost thirty thousand teaching jobs since 1954 in seventeen Southern and Border states... Continue →
U.S. Supreme Court ruled unanimously that busing was a constitutionally acceptable method of integrating public schools.
Jordan scores 63 points against Boston Celtics.
Charles Mingus Jr. Bio Civil Rights Activist, Pianist, Guitarist, Songwriter (1922–1979) Quick Facts Name : Charles Mingus Occupation : Civil... Continue →
Art Tatum was a jazz pianist and virtuoso who was nearly blind. He is acknowledged by many to be one of the greatest pianists of all time,... Continue →
Some of the most complex and dissonant harmonies can be found in the repertoire of pianist and composer Thelonious Monk, one of the most important... Continue →
American jazz trumpet player, singer, composer and bandleader, Gillespie was very significant in the development of bebop and modern jazz. His... Continue →
Max Roach is considered to be one of the greatest drummers in history, and was a renowned bebop pioneer. He is, along with a select few, essentially... Continue →
“Lady Day” was perhaps the most exceptional popular music singer of the 20th century. She wrote few songs, but when she sang, she took on a deep,... Continue →
John Coltrane is virtually synonymous with the word “cool.” At the forefront of hard bop, Coltrane, a composer and saxophone virtuoso, made... Continue →
On April 24, 1950, the United Negro College Fund was founded.
In 1943, Dr. Frederick D. Patterson, president of Tuskegee Institute (now Tuskegee University), wrote an open letter in the Pittsburgh Courier to the... Continue →
Joyce, J. A. Ore Bucket Apr. 26, 1898 Patent No. 603,143
Coretta Scott is born in Marion, Ala. She will marry Martin Luther King, Jr. In 1953 and be an integral part of his civil rights activities. After... Continue →
World Boxing Association and New York State Athletic Commission withdrew recognition of Muhammad Ali as world heavyweight boxing champion because of... Continue →
Poor People's Campaign began with Ralph Abernathy, SCLC president, leading delegations of leaders representing poor White, Black,... Continue →
Edward "Duke" Ellington, born in Washington, D. C.
Calvin Peete was a professional golfer who won 12 PGA events during his long career. Peete was famous for his ability to hit long and accurate... Continue →
Bill Cosby's successful show of upper middle class black family life ran its final original episode after an eight season run.
First game of the National Negro Baseball League played in Indianapolis.
Macon Bolling Allen, first African American lawyer admitted to the bar, passed examination at Worchester, Massachusetts. Macon B. Allen was the... Continue →
J. H. Smith patents Lawn Sprinkler May 4, 1897. Patent Number 581785.
Cowboy Bill Pickett invented the technique of bulldogging, the skill of grabbing cattle by the horns and wrestling them to the ground. It was known... Continue →
Robert S. Abbott was founded The Chicago Defender with an initial investment of 25 cents. The Defender, which was once heralded as "The World's... Continue →
On this date in 1950, Gwendolyn Brooks awarded Pulitzer Prize (May 1) for her book of poetry, Annie Allen. She was the first Black cited by the... Continue →
President Eisenhower signed Civil Rights Act of 1960. The Civil Rights Act of 1960 (Pub.L. 86–449, 74 Stat. 89, enacted May 6, 1960) was a United... Continue →
On May 6, 1886, M. A. Cherry created the tricycle a three wheeled vehicle that is used for transportation.
Joseph Richard Winters was an African-American abolitionist and inventor who, on May 7, 1878 received U.S. Patent number 203,517 for a wagon-mounted... Continue →
The Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Poters (BSCP) ,an influential African American labor union, was organized by Founding President A. Philip Randolph,... Continue →
The South Carolina Gazette reports that a South Carolina slave and medical practitioner named Caesar granted freedom and lifetime... Continue →
Jackie Robinson appears on the cover of Life Magazine. This marked the first time an African American was featured on the cover of Life Magazine is... Continue →
Louis Farrakhan Muhammad, Sr , born Louis Eugene Walcott, was born on this day.
Summit meeting of National Negro Leaders called for stepped up campaign againts discrimination and desegregation. Then President Eisenhower was... Continue →
JOSEPH LOUIS BARROW (Joe Louis) was born on this day. Joseph Luis Barrow , the legendary "Brown Bomber," is still considered by many to be the... Continue →
John B. Mclendon becomes first African American American Basketball Association (ABA) head coach and the first African American professional head... Continue →
Birthday of Academy Award winning actress Halle Berry.
Camilla Ella Williams, believed to be the first African American women to sign a contract with a major American opera company, appears in the role of... Continue →
Congressman John Conyers, Jr , the founder of the Congressional Black Caucus was born.
Dr. Patricia E. Bath, a renowned ophthalmologist and inventor, patented the Laserphaco Probe, a medical device that improves on the use of lasers to... Continue →
Ernie Davis, an American football halfback at Syracuse University and the first African-American athlete to win the Heisman Trophy in 1961, dies... Continue →
Patricia Roberts Harris names ambassador to Luxembourg. She was the first African American woman ambassador. Quote -"You do not seem to... Continue →
Boxer Marvelous Marvin Hagler born in Newark, New jersey on this date. Marvelous Marvin Hagler was the undisputed middleweight champion of the world... Continue →
Christopher J. Perry, a pioneering black businessman who championed racial equality, established the Philadelphia Tribune in 1884. The Tribune is... Continue →
Benjamin O. Davis, Jr., pilot, officer, and administrator, became the first African American officer to reach the rank of major general (a two-star... Continue →
Landrow Bell patents Locomotive Smoke Stack on this day. Patent #115,153.
On May 23, 1953, Dr. Rufus E. Clement, then president of Atlanta University, was elected to the Atlanta Board of Education, becoming the first... Continue →
Racial Segregation in Washington, D. C. ruled illegal by the city's Municipal Court of Appeals.
Miles Davis, American jazz musician, trumpeter, bandleader, and composer was born on this date. Miles Davis was, together with his musical... Continue →
Lincoln Alexander becomes the first black member of the Canadian Parliament.
National Black Economic Development Conference adopted manifesto in Detroit meeting calling for $500 Million in reparations from white churches.
Doris (Dorie) Miller, a Messman Third Class in the United States Navy noted for his bravery during the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941,... Continue →
Singer, songwriter, businesswoman, humanitarian and author Gladys Knight , "The Empress of Soul" was born in Atlanta, Georgia on this date.
Thomas J. "Tom" Bradley elected Mayor of Los Angeles on this date. Bradley was the 38th Mayor of Los Angeles, serving from 1973 to 1993. He was... Continue →
Frederick M. Jones, a prolific African American inventor, was granted a patent for a two-cycle gasoline engine on May 29, 1945 (U.S. Patent No.... Continue →
Gale Eugene Sayers, also known as "The Kansas Comet", was born on this date in Wichita, Kansas. Sayers' is a former American college and... Continue →
On May 31, 1955, The Supreme Court ruled in what became known as "Brown II,” that the task of carrying out school desegregation was delegated to... Continue →
South Africa rejoined the Commonwealth after an absence of 33 years.
Sojourner Truth leaves New York and begins career as an antislavery activist.
The 5th National Negro Convention meets in Philadelphia and urged African Americans to abandon the use of terms "African" and "colored" when... Continue →
On this date in 1973 - WGPR is given a permit and becomes the 1ST television station owned by African Americans.
On this date in 1966 approximately 2,400 persons attended White House Conference on Civil Rights.
On this date in 1921 - a race riot occurred in Tulsa, Oklahoma. A white mob started the Tulsa race riot, attacking residents and businesses of the... Continue →
On this date in 1868 a constitutional convention convened in Austin. The ninety delegates consisted of eighty whites and ten blacks.
On this date in 1864, Solomon George Washington Dill, poor white ally of Black Republicans was assassinated in his home by white terrorists. Dill had... Continue →
On this date in 1864, the Florida General Assembly (nineteen Blacks, fifty-seven whites) met in Tallahassee.
James A. Healy, first African American Roman Catholic Bishop, consecrated in the cathedral at Portland, Maine.
Kenneth Irvine Chenault is an American business executive. Chenault has been the CEO and Chairman of American Express since 2001and is the third... Continue →
On this date in 1967 - A Race riot in the Roxbury section of Boston, Massachusetts. Roxbury was a predominantly Black section of the city, which was... Continue →
On this day ion 1943, the Ninety-ninth Pursuit Squadron flew P-40 Warhawks over the Mediterranean Sea for their first combat mission, strafing enemy... Continue →
ON this day in 1899, Black Americans observed day of fasting and prayer called by National Afro-American Council to protest lynching and racial... Continue →
On this day in 1875, James Augustine Healy, the first African American Roman Catholic Bishop, born in Macon, Georgia.
On this day 1868 - John Hope was born on this day in Augusta, Georgia. John Hope was an African American educator and political activist, the first... Continue →
On this day in 1854 - Fugitive slave Anthony Burns was returned to the South from Boston. In 1854, Burns took steps to find freedom. While working in... Continue →
On this date in 1834, the Fifth National Black convention met in New York with 50 delegates from eight states.
Wesley A. Brown becomes first African American graduate of Annapolis Naval Academy.
On this day in 1942, Curtis Mayfield was born in Chicago, Illinois, where he quickly absorbed the music of that area, which consisted of the local... Continue →
On this day in 1919, Liberty Life Insurance Company (Chicago), the first old-line legal reserve company organized by Blacks in the North,... Continue →
On this day in 1906, Entertainer Josephine Baker was born. At the age of sixteen, she starred in the musical Shuffle Along. Her vibrant and humorous... Continue →
On this day in 1877, Roland Hayes, the first African American to give a recital in Boston's Symphony Hall, was born.
ON this date in 1871, Miles Vandehurst Lynk, founder of the first African American medical journal and organizer of the National Medical Association,... Continue →
On this day in 1854, Anthony Burns, a fugitive slave, was arrested in Boston. His master refused an offer of $1200 made by Boston citizens for his... Continue →
On this day in 1833, Fourth national Black convention met in Philadelphia with sixty-two delegates from eight states. Abraham D. Shadd of... Continue →
Baltimore Orioles Manager Frank Robinson names Assistant General Manager on this date. Robinson was the third African American to become an... Continue →
On this day in 1989, Four African Americans win Tony Awards for Black and Blue
On this day in 1973, Arna Bontemps (72), writer and educator, passed away in Nashville, Tennessee.
On this day in 1972, Angela Davis was acquitted by white jury in San Jose, California, of charges stemming from a 1970 courtroom shoot-out.
On this day in 1946, Mississippi Valley State University was founded in Itta Bena, Mississippi.
On this day in 1922, Samuel L. Gravely was born. Samuel Gravely was appointed captain of the Navy Destroyer Escort, U.S.S. Falgout, the first African... Continue →
On this day in 1832, the Third National Black convention met in Philadelphia with twenty-nine delegates from eight states. Henry Sipkins of New York... Continue →
Doris A. Davis, of Compton California, becomes the first African-American woman mayor of a metropolitan city in the United States.
Federal Court Rules that racial segregation on Montgomery City buses violated Constitution.
On this day in 1973, Cardiss R. Collins of Chicago was elected to Congress. She succeeded her late husband.
On this date in 1969, there a Race riot occurred in Hartford, Connecticut.
On this day in 1955, Martin Luther King Jr. is awarded his doctorate from Boston University.
ON this date in 1950, U.S. Supreme Court undermined the legal foundations of segregation in three landmark cases, Sweatt v. Painter, McLaurin v.... Continue →
On this day 1945, Olympic track and field star John Carlos born in New York City. John Carlos would become famous at the 1968 Olympic Summer Games... Continue →
On this day in 1940, the American Negro Theater was organized by Frederick O'Neal and Abram Hill.
On this day in 1894, G.W. Murray patents Fertilizer Distributor Patent No. 520,889
On this day in 1894, G.W. Murray patents Cotton Chopper, Patent No. 520,888.
On thus day in 1894, G.W. Murray patents Planter, Patent No. 520,887
On this day in 1872, the Republican National Convention met in Philadelphia with substantial Black representation from Southern States. For the first... Continue →
On this day in 1783, Oliver Cromwell, soldier in the Revolutionary War, receives an honorable discharge and the Badge of Merit from George Washington... Continue →
Mae C. Jemison, M. D. was chosen by NASA to begin training as a space shuttle astronaut on this date.
On this day in 1977, Joseph Lawson Howze installed as bishop of the Roman Catholic diocese of Biloxi, Mississippi.
On this day in 1966, James Meredith wounded by white sniper as he walked along U.S. Highway 51 near Hernando, Mississippi, on second day of 220-mile... Continue →
On this day in 1950, Frank Petersen enlisted in the Navy. At the age of 20, he was the first Afro-American to be named a naval aviator in the Marine... Continue →
On this day in 1939, Children's Advocate Marian Wright Edelman was born.
On this day in 1869, Dillard University chartered in New Orleans, Louisiana.
On this day in 1863, at the Battle of Milken's Bend a Negro soldier takes his former master prisoner.
On this day in 1831, the Second National Black convention met in Philadelphia. There were fifteen delegates from five states.
On this day in 1790, Jean Baptist Pointe Desable, a French speaking Santo Domingo native, becomes the first permanent resident and thus founder of... Continue →
Respecting Negro demand, the New York Times announces that the "N" in the word "Negro" and "Negress" would be capitalized in its pages. The New York... Continue →
On this day in 1987, Lloyd Richards wins a Tony as best director for the August Wilson play Fences. The play also wins Tony's for best play, best... Continue →
On this date in 1958, Composer, musician and singer Prince Rogers Nelson born in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
On this day in 1943, Born Yolande Cornelia Giovanni, Jr. on June 7, 1943 in Knoxville, Tennessee. Nikki Giovanni became a leading poet of the Black... Continue →
On this date in 1917, Pulitzer Prize winning poet Gwendolyn Brooks was born in Topeka, Kansas.
On this day in 1868, Marie Laveau, the "Queen of the Voodoo," was dethroned because of old age. Believed to be born in New Orleans in 1794 and died... Continue →
On this day in 1863, Three regiments and small detachment of white troops repulsed division of Texans in hand-to-hand battle at Milliken's Bend,... Continue →
Legendary Pitcher Satchel Paige dies in Kansas City, Missouri. Satchel was an American Negro league baseball and Major League Baseball pitcher who... Continue →
On this day in 1968, James Earl Ray, alleged assassin of Martin Luther King Jr., captured at London airport.
On this day in 1953, King, Sr., performs the marriage ceremony of King, Jr., and Coretta Scott at the Scott home near Marion, Alabama.
Oliver W. Hill elected to Richmond, Virginia, City Council becoming the first African American to do so since Reconstruction.
On this day in 1989, Congressman John Conyers D-Michigan announced a call for a reparations study.
On this day in 1939, R&B singer Johnny Ace was born John Marshall Alexander, Jr. in Memphis, Tennessee. His major hits include "My Song" and... Continue →
Heavy Weight Boxer Jack Johnson dies on this date.
Oscar Award Winning Actress Hattie McDanial born on this date.
African Methodist Episcopal Church founder Richard Allen was born on this date. Allen was born a slave near Philadelphia.
On this day in 1964, the U.S. Senate imposed cloture for first time on a civil rights measure, ending Southern Filibuster by a vote of 71-29. Civil... Continue →
On this day in 1941, Marcus Garvey (52) died in London, England.
On this day in 1910, Rhythm & blues singer Howlin' Wolf is born Chester Arthur Burnett in West Point, Mississippi. His most popular and influential... Continue →
On this day in 1899, the Improved Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks founded in Cincinnati.
On this day in 1854, James Augustine Healy, first Black American Roman Catholic bishop, ordained a priest in Notre Dame Cathedral, Paris.
Nelson Mandela was sentenced to Life imprisonment for allegedly attempting to sabotage the White South African government.
United States Congressman Charles Rangel born on this date
On this day in 1967, there was a Race riot in Tampa, Florida. The National Guard was mobilized.
On this day in 1963, Vivian Malone and James Hood, accompanied by U.S. Deputy Attorney General Nicholas Katzenbach attempt to register at the... Continue →
On this day in 1963, President Kennedy told nation in radio-TV address that segregation was morally wrong and that it was "time to act in the... Continue →
On this day in 1991, Natalie Cole's album, Unforgettable is released.
The National Black MBA Assciation is incorporated.
Medgar W. Evers , NAACP field secretary in Mississippi, assassinated in front of his Jackson home by a segregationist.
ON this date in 1904, Negro Baseball League player, William Hendrick "Bill" Foster was born. was an American left-handed pitcher in baseball's Negro... Continue →
ON this day in 1991, Michael Jordan lead Chicago Bulls in win over L.A. Lakers in five games to capture his first NBA Championship.
On this day in 1967, U.S. Supreme Court ruled that a Virginia law banning inter-racial marriage was unconstitutional.
On this day in 1967, a Race riot occurred in Cincinnati, Ohio. Three hundred persons were arrested, and the National Guard was mobilized.
On this day in 1963, Civil rights groups demonstrated at Harlem construction sites to Protest discrimination in building trades unions.... Continue →
IN this day in 1886, the Georgia State Supreme Court sustained the will of the late David Dickson, thus making Amanda Eubanks, the daughter of a... Continue →
The first known monument erected by African Americans to honor one of our heroes is dedicated to Richard Allen in Philadelphia's Fairmont park.
On this day in 1840, the World's Anti-Slavery Convention convenes in London, England.
Thurgood Marshall, United States Solicitor General, name to the Supreme Court by President Johnson. Marshall was confirmed by the Senate on August... Continue →
On thus day in 1990, Bernadette Locke becomes the first female on-court coach when she is named assistant coach of the University of Kentucky men's... Continue →
On this day in 1937, Eleanor Holmes (later Eleanor Norton) is born in Washington, DC. A graduate of the Yale University School of Law, Norton will... Continue →
On this day in 1910, William D. Crum (1859-1912), a South Carolina physician, appointed minister to Liberia.
On this day in 1868, Ex-slave Oscar J. Dunn becomes lieutenant governor of Louisiana. It is the highest executive office held by an African American... Continue →
Congressman William Gray elected Democratic Whip of the House of Representatives, the highest ranking position ever held by a African American in... Continue →
Cheryl Adrienne Brown wins Miss Iowa pageant and becomes the first African American to compete in the Miss America beauty pageant.
On this day in 1971, Justice Department filed suit against the St. Louis suburb of Black Jack, charging the community with illegally using municipal... Continue →
On this day in 1952, Dr. Harold D. West is named President of Meharry Medical College
On this day in 1946, Marla Gibbs, television personality, born
On this day in 1941, John Edgar Wideman, Rhodes scholar, writer, born
On this day in 1939, The Ethel Waters Show, a variety special appears on NBC. It is the first time an African American appears on television
Henry O. Flipper receives degree at West Point and becomes the first African American graduate.
On this day in 1971, Vernon E. Jordan Jr., former executive director of the United Negro College Fund, appointed executive director of the National... Continue →
On this day in 1968, Ellen Holly becomes the first African American on daytime television as Carla on One Life to Live.
On this day in 1921, Erroll Garner born in Pittsburgh,PA
On this day in 1921, Bessie Coleman attended the "...Ecole d'Aviation des Freres Caudron at Le Crotoy in Somme for a 10 month flight training course.... Continue →
On this day in 1864, Grant outwitted Lee by shifting campaign from Cold Harbor to Petersburg. Surprise attack by Gen. W.F. ("Baldy") Smith succeeded... Continue →
On this day in 1864, Congress passed bill equalizing pay, arms, equipment and medical services of Black troops.
Tiger Woods wins U. S. Open Gold Tournament.
United States Supreme Court rules that the suspension of Clayton Powel Jr. from the House of Representatives was unconstitutional.
ON this day in 1812,the United States declared war on Britain War. Although the U.S. Army did not enlist African Americans after the Revolutionary... Continue →
ON this day in 1976, Hector Petersen, a 13 year old Soweto schoolboy is the first to die in what will become the "Children's Crusade", the first... Continue →
On this day in 1975, Adam Wade hosts the Nationally televised game show Musical Chairs. He is the first African American game show host.
On this day in 1970, Kenneth A Gibson elected the first African American mayor of Newark. In 1976, he will be elected the first African American... Continue →
On this day in 1943, Race riot, Beaumont, Texas. Two killed.
On this day in 1964, Siege of Petersburg and Richmond began. Thirty-two Black infantry regiments and Black cavalry regiments were involved in siege.... Continue →
Tuskegee Boycott began. African American's boycotted city stores in protest against act of state legislature that deprived them of municipal votes... Continue →
On this date in 1775, Peter Salem a free slave and a private in Captain Simon Edgel's company at the battle of Bunker Hill, was the first military... Continue →
On this date in 1972, Frank Wills, Washington security guard, foiled break-in at offices of Democratic National Committee in first event of the... Continue →
On this date in 1948, Actress Phylicia Rashad was born in Houston, Texas.
ON this date in 1937, Journalist Robert Clyve Maynard, owner, editor and publisher of "The Oakland Tribune," was born in the borough of Brooklyn, NY.
On this date in 1928, Blues singer, "the Godfather of Soul," James Brown was born in Pulaski, Tennessee.
On this date in 1897, William Frank Powell, New Jersey educator, named minister to Haiti.
ON this date in 1871, Author, lyricist, poet and educator James Weldon Johnson, also the first Black executive of the NAACP, is born in Jacksonville,... Continue →
On this date in 1862, Congress authorized President Lincoln to accept blacks in Union Army.
On this date in 1775, Blacks soldiers fought at Battle of Bunker Hill and Breed's Hill. Among the heroes of the battle were Peter Salem and Salem... Continue →
Supreme Court banned racial discrimination in sale and rental of housing.
Slavery Abolished in United States territories in congress.
On this date in 1942, the U.S. Navy commissions its first black officer, Harvard University medical student Bernard Whitfield Robinson.
ON this date in 1966, Samuel Nabrit is the first African American to serve on the Atomic Energy Commission
On this date in 1963, Three thousand Black students boycotted Boston public schools as protest against de facto segregation.
ON this date in 1953, Egypt becomes a republic after the forced abdication of King Farouk I.
On this date in 1941, President Roosevelt conferred with A. Philip Randolph and other leaders of the March on Washington movement and urged them to... Continue →
On this date in 1941, Tuskegee scientist George Washington Carver was awarded an honorary Doctor of Science degree by the University of Rochester.
Albert W. dent, president of Dillard University, elected president of National Health Council.
ON this date in 1991, City Auditor Wellington Webb is elected mayor of Denver, Colo. He is the first African American to hold the post.
Muhammad Ali convicted in Houston, Texas in federal court for violating Selective Service Act by refusing induction into the armed services. Ali was... Continue →
National Congress of Racial Equality organized
United States Supreme Court (Guinn v United States) said "Grandfather Clause" in the Oklahoma and Maryland constitutions violated the 15th Amendment.
Marcus Garvey sentenced to five years in prison after his conviction on charges of using the mail to defraud.
On June 21, 2001, legendary blues musician John Lee Hooker passed away at the age of 83. Hooker was one of the most influential blues artists of all... Continue →
Richard Nixon signed bill extending Voting Rights Act of 1965 to 1975.
Joe Louis defeated James J. Barddock for heavyweight boxing championship.
Ezzard Charles defeats Jersey Joe Walcott for the world heavy weight championship.
Wilma Glodean Rudolph, the first African American women to with three gold medals, was born on this dated in Clarksville, Tennessee.
Maynard Jackson, three term mayor of Atlanta, dies at the age of 65.
Mary Mcleod Bethune , founder-president of Bethune-Cookman College, named Director of Negro Affairs of the National Youth Administration. Mary was... Continue →
John R. Lynch, former congressman from Mississippi, elected temporary chairmen of Republican convention and becomes the first African American to... Continue →
Isaiah Dorman dies at battle to Little Bighorn under the leadership of Colonel George Custer.
Prince Edward County, Virginia, Board of Supervisors abandoned school system to prevent integration.
James Weldon Johnson dies of injuries received in an automobile accident near his summer home in Wiscosset, Maine.
W. E. B. DuBois resigns from his position at the NAACP in a disagreement over policy and racial strategy.
Frederick Jones invents the ticket dispensing machine, patent #2163754.
United States Supreme Court Thurgood Marshall announces his retirement.
Freedman's Bank closed. African American depositors had some $3 million in the bank. The Freedman's Bank had an imposing headquarters in... Continue →
The NAACP annual report said the unemployment of "urban blacks in 1971 was worse than at anytime since the great depression of the thirties." The... Continue →
Louisiana legislature met in New Orleans. The temporary chairman of the house was African American Representative, R. H. Isabelle. Oscar J.... Continue →
Major Robert H. Lawrence Jr. named First African American astronaut. Major Lawrence was killed during a training flight on December 8, 1967.
Actress -Singer Lena Horne was born in Brooklyn, New York.
Kenneth Gibson, Mayor of Newark, became the first African American president of the U.S. Conference of Mayors.
Olympic track and field star Carl Lewis was born in Willingboro, New Jersey.
On this date in 1889, it was reported that 94 Black individuals had been lynched in the United States during that year. This was part of the broader... Continue →
On this date in 2001, the Higher Education Act (HEA) of 1965 was amended in 1998 to include a provision that denied federal financial aid to students... Continue →
On this date in 1991, Clarence Thomas was nominated to the U.S. Supreme Court by President George H.W. Bush to replace retiring Justice Thurgood... Continue →
On this date in 1987, or the first time in U.S. history, three African American women were serving simultaneously as presidents of four-year colleges... Continue →
On this date in 1960, Somalia officially gained independence and was formed as a sovereign nation. This date marks the unification of British... Continue →
On this date in 1924, Roland Hayes, a pioneering African American tenor, was named a soloist with the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Born in 1887 in a... Continue →
On this date in 1917, The East St. Louis Race Riot of July 1-3, 1917, was one of the deadliest episodes of racial violence in U.S. history. It was... Continue →
On this date in 1899, Thomas A. Dorsey, known as the Father of Gospel Music, was born, in Villa Rica, Georgia. Originally a blues musician, Dorsey... Continue →
On this date in 1898, during the Spanish-American War, the Tenth Cavalry, a regiment of the famed Buffalo Soldiers, played a crucial role in the... Continue →
On this date in 1893, Walter Francis White was born in Atlanta, Georgia. He was a prominent civil rights activist, writer, and leader of the NAACP... Continue →
On this date in 1889, Frederick Douglass was appointed as the U.S. Minister Resident and Consul General to Haiti by President Benjamin Harrison.... Continue →
On this date in 1873, Henry Ossian Flipper became the first African American cadet to be admitted to the United States Military Academy at West... Continue →
On this date in 1870, James Webster Smith became the first Black cadet to enter the United States Military Academy at West Point. However, he faced... Continue →
On this date in 1868, the North Carolina legislature convened with a historic composition: 21 Black legislators and 149 white legislators. This was a... Continue →
On this date in 1863, the Kingdom of the Netherlands officially abolished slavery in its colonies, including Suriname and the Dutch Caribbean islands... Continue →
The Clotilda was the last recorded slave ship to bring enslaved Africans to the United States, arriving illegally in Mobile Bay, Alabama, in July... Continue →
On this date in 1925, Medgar Evers was born, in Decatur, Mississippi. He was a civil rights activist and World War II veteran who played a crucial... Continue →
On this date, Thurgood Marshall was born, in Baltimore, Maryland. He made history as the first African American Supreme Court Justice, serving from... Continue →
On this date, Elijah McCoy was granted a patent for the steam engine lubricator (U.S. Patent No. 129,843). This device automatically lubricated steam... Continue →
On this date in 2001, Robert Tools became the first person to receive the AbioCor, a self-contained artificial heart, at Jewish Hospital in... Continue →
On this date in 1961, Bishop Robert Clarence Lawson passed away. He was the founder of the Church of Our Lord Jesus Christ of the Apostolic Faith... Continue →
On this date in 1946, Anthony Overton, an influential African American entrepreneur, banker, and publisher, passed away. Overton was best known for... Continue →
On this date in 1943, Lt. Charles B. Hall, a member of the legendary Tuskegee Airmen, became the first Black pilot to shoot down an enemy aircraft... Continue →
On this date in 1937, Walter F. White was honored by the NAACP in New York City for his significant contributions to civil rights. As the Executive... Continue →
On this date in 1935, Ed Bullins was born. He was a groundbreaking playwright and a major figure in the Black Arts Movement, known for his works that... Continue →
On this date, President James A. Garfield was shot at the Baltimore and Potomac Railroad Station in Washington, D.C. by Charles J. Guiteau, a... Continue →
On this date in 1822, Denmark Vesey, a formerly enslaved man and skilled carpenter, was hanged in Charleston, South Carolina, after being accused of... Continue →
On this date, Vermont made history on July 2, 1777, by becoming the first American colony to abolish slavery in its state constitution. This was a... Continue →
On this date, a Black enslaved woman was acquitted of sorcery during the infamous Salem Witch Trials in colonial Massachusetts. While many were... Continue →
On this date in 1941, Cab Calloway and his orchestra recorded the famous jazz standard "St. James Infirmary Blues". This song, originally a... Continue →
On this date in 1904, Dr. Charles Drew, born in Washington, D.C., made groundbreaking contributions to the field of medicine. He attended McGill... Continue →
On this date in 1775, Prince Hall founded Africa Lodge No. 1 in Boston, Massachusetts, marking a pivotal moment in history as it became the first... Continue →
On this date in 1983, Calvin Smith of the United States became the fastest man alive, setting a new 100m world record with a time of 9.93 seconds... Continue →
On this date in 1966, Moises Alou was born. He is a former Major League Baseball (MLB) outfielder, known for his successful career playing for teams... Continue →
On this date in 1966, race riots broke out in Omaha, Nebraska, amid growing racial tensions in the city. The unrest was part of a broader wave of... Continue →
On this date in 1962, Jackie Robinson was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame, cementing his legacy as one of the most influential figures in... Continue →
On this date in 1956, Montel Williams was born. He is an American television personality, actor, and former Navy officer, best known for hosting the... Continue →
On this date in 1953, Harry Belafonte made history by appearing on the cover of Ebony magazine alongside actress Janet Leigh and film star Tony... Continue →
On this date in 1940, Fontella Bass was born in St. Louis, Missouri. She was an iconic American singer known for her powerful voice and contributions... Continue →
On this date in 1936, John Hope, who was the president of Atlanta University, was honored in New York City by the NAACP (National Association for the... Continue →
On this date in 1929, David Lynch, a legendary member of the iconic Platters, was born. He became a key figure in the group, which is known for its... Continue →
On this date in 1848, slavery was abolished in the Danish West Indies, now known as the U.S. Virgin Islands. This historic event was marked by a... Continue →
On this date in 2002, Four Star General Benjamin O. Davis Jr., the first African American general in the United States Air Force, passed away at age... Continue →
On this date in 1900, Louis Armstrong, known as "Satchmo," was born, in New Orleans, Louisiana. He would go on to become one of the most influential... Continue →
On this date in 1881, the Tuskegee Normal and Industrial Institute (now Tuskegee University) was established in Tuskegee, Alabama. This institution,... Continue →
On this date in 1776, the Declaration of Independence was adopted, marking the United States' formal declaration of independence from Great Britain.... Continue →
On this date in 1999, the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) celebrated Caribbean Integration with a focus on strengthening regional cooperation and... Continue →
On this date in 1991, the National Civil Rights Museum officially opened at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee, marking a significant moment in... Continue →
On this date in 1972, during its National Convention, the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) adopted an emergency... Continue →
On this date in 1970, Asbury Park, New Jersey, was the site of significant rioting, with over one hundred people injured. The unrest was fueled by... Continue →
On this date in 1963, Marian Anderson, the renowned African American contralto, and Ralph Bunche, the distinguished diplomat and Nobel Peace Prize... Continue →
On this date in 1910, Jack Johnson, the first Black heavyweight boxing champion, made history by successfully defending his title against Jim "The... Continue →
On this date in 1881, Booker T. Washington officially opened Tuskegee Institute (now Tuskegee University) in Alabama. Washington, an influential... Continue →
On this date in 1876, Edward Mitchell Bannister, an acclaimed African American painter, was awarded the gold medal for his painting "Under the Oaks"... Continue →
On this date in 1875, a violent and tragic event occurred in Vicksburg, Mississippi, where White Democrats targeted and killed several Black... Continue →
On this date in 1868, the Georgia legislature convened in Atlanta following the end of the Civil War and during the Reconstruction period. This was a... Continue →
On this date in 1861, Thaddeus Stevens, a prominent American politician and leader of the Radical Republicans during the Civil War, delivered a... Continue →
On this date in 1845, Mary Edmonia Lewis, also known as Wildfire Lewis, was born. She was a groundbreaking sculptor of African-American and Native... Continue →
On this date in 1827, New York State officially abolished slavery, making it one of the last northern states to do so. The decision came after years... Continue →
On this date in 1975, Arthur Ashe made history by winning Wimbledon in an unforgettable moment for tennis and sports history. Ashe defeated Jimmy... Continue →
On this date in 1975, racial disturbances erupted in Miami, Florida, as tensions between African American communities and law enforcement escalated.... Continue →
On this date in 1966, the National Guard was mobilized in Omaha, Nebraska, following the third consecutive night of violent rioting. The unrest began... Continue →
On this date in 1899, Anna Arnold Hedgeman was born. She made history as the first woman to serve in the cabinet of a New York City mayor. Hedgeman... Continue →
On this date in 1892, Andrew Beard, an African American inventor, was granted Patent No. 478,271 for his rotary engine design. His invention aimed to... Continue →
On this date in 1971, Henry Sampson, an African American inventor, received a patent for his work related to the cellular phone. He is credited with... Continue →
On this date in 2002, Serena Williams made history by defeating her sister Venus Williams in the Wimbledon Women's Singles Final. Serena won the... Continue →
On this date in 1971, the legendary jazz musician Louis "Satchmo" Armstrong passed away at the age of 69. Armstrong, one of the most influential... Continue →
On this date in 1964, Malawi officially proclaimed its independence from British colonial rule. The country, which was previously known as the... Continue →
On this date in 1957, Althea Gibson made history by becoming the first African American to win a Wimbledon singles title. She defeated Darlene Hard... Continue →
On this date in 1931, Della Reese was born Delorese Patricia in Detroit, Michigan. She became an iconic jazz vocalist, actress, and television... Continue →
On this date in 1869, Dr. J.D. Harris, an African American physician, ran for lieutenant governor of Virginia on the Republican ticket. Despite his... Continue →
On this date in 1868, the 14th Amendment to the United States Constitution was officially ratified. This amendment is one of the most significant in... Continue →
On this date in 1854, the South Carolina General Assembly met at Janney's Hall in Columbia, marking a historic moment. This session included 85 Black... Continue →
On this date in 1853, William Wells Brown published Clotel; or, The President's Daughter, which is widely regarded as the first novel written by an... Continue →
On this date in 1853, the National Black Convention took place in Rochester, New York, with 140 delegates from nine states. This significant... Continue →
On this date in 1906, Satchel Paige, one of baseball's greatest pitchers, was born. His incredible talent and career in the Negro Leagues made him a... Continue →
On this date in 1972, Lisa Leslie was born in Compton, California. She is widely regarded as one of the greatest women's basketball players of all... Continue →
On this date in 1940, Aubrey F. Lowe, a prominent financial analyst from Suffolk, Virginia, was born. His contributions to the field of finance are... Continue →
ON this date in 1915, Margaret Walker, the famous American writer, was born in Birmingham, Alabama. She is best known for her novel "Jubilee", which... Continue →
On this date in 2001, Venus Williams defended her Wimbledon title, winning her second consecutive championship by defeating Justine Henin in the... Continue →
On this date in 1965, the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) officially elected Roy Wilkins as its new Executive... Continue →
On this date in 1943, Faye Wattleton was born. She is a notable activist, nurse, and the first African American president of Planned Parenthood.... Continue →
On this date in 1914, Billy Eckstine was born, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He was a groundbreaking jazz and pop singer, bandleader, and musician... Continue →
On this date in 1876, the Hamburg Massacre took place in Hamburg, South Carolina, when a white supremacist mob attacked a group of Black Republican... Continue →
On this date in 1870, Governor William Woods Holden of North Carolina declared Caswell County in a state of insurrection due to violent resistance... Continue →
On this date in 1805, Bill Richmond, the son of formerly enslaved parents, made history as the first African American to gain recognition as a... Continue →
On this date in 1868, Francis L. Cardozo was installed as Secretary of State of South Carolina, making him the first Black person to hold a statewide... Continue →
On this date in 1979, Dr. Walter E. Massey was appointed as the director of Argonne National Laboratory, making him the first African American to... Continue →
On this date in 1955, E. Frederic Morrow became the first Black person to hold an executive position in the White House. He served as an... Continue →
On this date in 1927, Attorney William T. Francis was appointed U.S. Minister to Liberia by President Calvin Coolidge. This was a significant... Continue →
On this date in 1901, Jester Hairston was born. He was an American composer, songwriter, choral conductor, and actor. He is best known for his work... Continue →
On this date in 1863, the siege of Port Hudson was a significant moment in the Civil War. After a long and grueling siege that lasted from May 22 to... Continue →
On this date in 1972 Democratic National Convention opened, in Miami Beach, Florida. It was a historic convention, with Black delegates making up 15%... Continue →
On this date in 1962, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was arrested during a protest in Albany, Georgia, as part of the Albany Movement, a campaign to end... Continue →
On this date in 1910, First Black heavyweight champion, Jack Johnson successfully defended his heavy weight title against former champion James "The... Continue →
ON this date in 1943, Arthur Ashe was born in Richmond, Virginia. He became a legendary tennis player, known for being the first Black man to win... Continue →
On this date in 1941, Ferdinand "Jelly Roll" Morton, one of the most influential early jazz pianists and composers, passed away, at the age of 56 in... Continue →
On this date in 1927, David Norman Dinkins was born. He later became a prominent American politician and served as the 106th Mayor of New York City... Continue →
On this date in 1893, Dr. Daniel Hale Williams, a pioneering African American surgeon, performed the first successful open-heart surgeries. James... Continue →
On this date in 1891, African American jockey William "Monk" Overton achieved a remarkable feat by winning six consecutive horse races at Washington... Continue →
On this date in 1875, Mary McLeod Bethune was born in Mayesville, South Carolina. She was a pioneering educator, civil rights leader, and founder of... Continue →
On this date in 1818, Cyrus Tiffany: African American heroism was not daunted by Captain Oliver H. Perry's opinion of African American sailors. An... Continue →
On this date in 1775, Horatio Gates, serving as George Washington's adjutant general, issued an order prohibiting Black men—both free and... Continue →
ON this date in 1915, Mifflin Wistar Gibbs, an important figure in the African American community, died. Gibbs was born in 1823 in Philadelphia, and... Continue →
On this date in 1954, the first White Citizens’ Council (WCC) was established in Indianola, Mississippi. This organization was created by white... Continue →
On this date in 1905, W.E.B. Du Bois and a group of like-minded African American activists founded the Niagara Movement. This was a significant civil... Continue →
On this date in 1925, Mattiwilda Dobbs was born. She was an influential African American soprano opera singer, known for breaking barriers in the... Continue →
On this date in 1766, Olaudah Equiano, an African man who had been enslaved, purchased his freedom. Equiano had been born in what is now Nigeria,... Continue →
On this date in 1949, F.M. Jones was granted Patent No. 2,475,841 for an air conditioning unit. This patent was for an invention relating to a... Continue →
On this date in 1980, John W. Davis dies at the age of 92 in Englewood, New Jersey. John W. Davis was a notable civil rights activist and an... Continue →
On this date in 1967, racial violence erupted in Newark, New Jersey, marking one of the most significant riots during the period of civil unrest in... Continue →
On this date in 1966, the city of Chicago experienced a race riot that was part of a larger wave of unrest in American cities during the 1960s. The... Continue →
On this date in 1963, the National Guard was deployed to impose limited martial law in Cambridge, Maryland, following violent clashes between... Continue →
On this date in 1951, Governor Adlai Stevenson of Illinois called out the National Guard to restore order in Cicero, Illinois, following violent... Continue →
On this date in 1949, Patent No. 2475842, was granted to F. M. Jones for a starter generator. This patent relates to a device that functions both as... Continue →
On this date in 1937, Bill Cosby was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He became widely known as a comedian, actor, and producer, particularly for... Continue →
On this date in 1936, Rose McClendon, an influential African-American actress and founder of the Negro People's Theatre, passed away. McClendon was a... Continue →
On this date in 1926, Beah Richards, born Beulah Elizabeth Richardson in Vicksburg, Mississippi, was an acclaimed American actress, poet, playwright,... Continue →
On this date in 1887, Mound Bayou was founded, by Isaiah Montgomery and his fellow freedmen. Isaiah Montgomery was a key figure in the establishment... Continue →
On this date in 1972, during the Democratic National Convention in Miami Beach, Florida, Shirley Chisholm made history by becoming the first African... Continue →
On this date in 1972, the Bureau of Census report from this date, highlighted several significant socio-economic disparities between Black and white... Continue →
On this date in 1965, Thurgood Marshall was appointed as the first Black solicitor general of the United States. He served as Solicitor General under... Continue →
On this date in 1919, during the "Red Summer" of 1919 was a period of intense racial violence and unrest in the United States, where race riots broke... Continue →
On this date in 1868, the Alabama Legislature convened in Montgomery, marking a significant moment in American history. This was the first... Continue →
On this date in 1868, Oscar J. Dunn, a former slave, formally installed as lieutenant governor of Louisiana, the highest elective officer held to... Continue →
On this date in 1863, the New York Draft Riots of 1863 were a violent and tragic expression of racial and class tensions. The riots erupted due to... Continue →
On this date in 1863, the "Enrollment Act" (mandatory draft) takes effect, with exemption for the wealthy, which led to summer draft riots in New... Continue →
On this date in 1863, during the Civil War era in the United States, a violent mob of white rioters destroyed the Colored Orphan Asylum in New York... Continue →
On this date in 1787, the Continental Congress passed the Northwest Ordinance, which effectively excluded slavery from the Northwest Territory. This... Continue →
On this date in 1951, the George Washington Carver National Monument, located in Joplin, Missouri, was established to honor the life and legacy of... Continue →
On this date in 1914, Marcus Garvey’s return to Jamaica marked the beginning of a transformative period for both him and the global Black... Continue →
On this date in 1948, during the Democratic National Convention, the Alabama and Mississippi delegations walked out in protest after the adoption of... Continue →
On this date in 1941, Maulana Karenga, originally named Ronald Everett, was born. He is best known as the founder of Kwanzaa, a week-long celebration... Continue →
On this date in 1940, Peggy Jones, also known as Lady Bo, was indeed a trailblazer as Bo Diddley's original girl guitar player. She made a... Continue →
On this date in 1891, inventor J. Standard (sometimes referred to as John Standard) was awarded a patent US455891A for his non-electrical... Continue →
On this date in 1885, Sara E. Goode was awarded a patent 322,177 for the cabinet bed. The cabinet bed was an innovative piece of furniture designed... Continue →
On this date in 1822, Philadelphia opened its public schools for Black children, which was a significant moment in American history. This move marked... Continue →
On this date in 1970, James McGhee made history as the first African American mayor of Dayton, Ohio. His election was a significant milestone in the... Continue →
On this date in 1929, Francis Bebey was born, was a Cameroonian musician, guitarist, and author. He is well-known for his contributions to African... Continue →
On this date in 1869, A.J. Hayne, a Black captain of the Arkansas militia, was assassinated in Marion, Arkansas. His death occurred in the context of... Continue →
On this date in 1864, General Andrew Jackson Smith, commanding a Union force of around 14,000 men, including a brigade of African American troops,... Continue →
On this date in 1822, first African American woman to practice before the U.S. Supreme Court, born. Violette A. Johnson made history on July 16,... Continue →
On this date in 1991, Miles Davis, one of the most influential jazz musicians of all time, was named a Knight in the French Legion of Honor. This... Continue →
On this date in 1977, Janelle Penny Commissiong of Trinidad and Tobago made history by becoming the first Black woman to win the Miss Universe title.... Continue →
On this date in 1936, the movie The Green Pastures premiered in New York City. The film, directed by Marc Connelly, is based on the 1929 play of the... Continue →
On this date in 1934, Donald Payne, who became the first African American congressman from New Jersey, was born. He served as a member of the U.S.... Continue →
On this date in 1862, Ida B. Wells Barnett, a pioneering African American journalist, educator, and civil rights activist was born. She is best known... Continue →
On this date in 1959, Billie Holiday, the iconic American jazz and blues singer, passed away. She died from heart failure due to cirrhosis of the... Continue →
On this date in 1981, the Atlanta child murders case took a significant turn when Wayne Williams was indicted for the murders of two adult men,... Continue →
On this date in 1967, John Coltrane, one of the most influential and innovative jazz musicians in history, passed away at the age of 40. His... Continue →
On this date in 1967, the race riot in Cairo, Illinois, was a significant event in the Civil Rights Movement. Tensions between the African American... Continue →
On this date in 1935, Diahnn Carroll a celebrated American actress, singer, and model was born. She gained widespread fame for her groundbreaking... Continue →
On this date in 1944, the Port Chicago Naval Magazine in California exploded. The explosion was a significant event during World War II. It occurred... Continue →
On this date in 1942, Muhammad Ali, originally named Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr., was born, in Louisville, Kentucky. He became one of the most famous... Continue →
On this date in 1911, Frank Snowden, a pioneering scholar on the history of Black people in ancient times, was indeed born. His work focused on... Continue →
On this date in 1888, Miriam E. Benjamin, an African American school teacher, was granted a Patent number 386,289 for her invention, which was a... Continue →
The Battle of Honey Springs, fought on July 17, 1863, was a significant engagement during the American Civil War. Union forces, including the First... Continue →
On July 17, 1862, Congress passed the Second Confiscation Act, which was an important step toward granting freedom to enslaved African Americans... Continue →
On July 17, 1794, Richard Allen founded the Bethel African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church in Philadelphia. This church became one of the first... Continue →
On July 17, 1794, Absalom Jones and his followers dedicated the African Church of St. Thomas in Philadelphia. This church was notable for being one... Continue →
On this date 1899, L.C. Bailey was granted U.S. Patent #620,286 for the invention of the folding bed. This design allowed the bed to be conveniently... Continue →
On this date in 1918, Nelson Mandela was born, in the village of Mvezo, in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. He would go on to become one of... Continue →
On this date in 1964, a race riot broke out in Harlem, New York, which later spread to the Bedford-Stuyvesant area of Brooklyn. This was a... Continue →
On this date in 1863, the Fifty-fourth Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry Regiment was one of the first official African American regiments in the... Continue →
On this date in 1863, Sergeant William H. Carney of the 54th Massachusetts Infantry became the first African American to be awarded the Congressional... Continue →
Lemuel Haynes was indeed a remarkable figure in American history. Born on July 18, 1753, in West Hartford, Connecticut, Haynes is recognized as the... Continue →
On July 19, 1941, the first U.S. Army flying school for Black cadets was dedicated at the Tuskegee Army Airfield in Alabama. This was a significant... Continue →
On July 19, 1967, more than 1,000 people gathered in Newark, New Jersey, for the first Black Power Conference. This event was a pivotal moment in the... Continue →
On July 19, 1979, President Jimmy Carter announced the resignation of Joseph A. Califano Jr. as Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare (HEW) and... Continue →
The Durham Riot of 1967 occurred in Durham, North Carolina, and was part of a larger wave of civil unrest that took place in U.S. cities during the... Continue →
On July 19, 1966, Governor James A. Rhodes of Ohio declared a State of Emergency due to severe civil unrest in the city of Cleveland. This... Continue →
On July 19, 1941, President Franklin D. Roosevelt issued an executive order that led to the establishment of the Fair Employment Practices Committee... Continue →
On July 19, 1925, the legendary entertainer Josephine Baker made her Paris debut at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées in the revue La Revue Nègre.... Continue →
On July 19, 1913, the Tri-State Dental Association was formed as a professional organization for African American dentists in the U.S. It served as... Continue →
On July 19-20, 1848, Frederick Douglass attended the Seneca Falls Convention, the first women’s rights convention in the United States. He was a... Continue →
On July 19, 1967, a riot broke out in Memphis, Tennessee, as part of the broader civil unrest occurring across the United States during the late... Continue →
On July 20, 1950, during the Korean War, the 24th Infantry Regiment, an all-Black unit of the U.S. Army, achieved the first U.S. victory in Korea.... Continue →
On this date in July, Mary Church Terrell was a prominent African American activist who played a pivotal role in advancing civil rights and women's... Continue →
On this date in 1939, Jane M. Bolin was appointed as the first African American female judge in the United States on July 22, 1939. She was appointed... Continue →
On July 20, 1967, more than a thousand people gathered in Newark, New Jersey, for the first Black Power Conference. This event was a significant... Continue →
On this date in 1962, ,more than 160 activists jailed after demonstration in Albany. By August 1962, the number of arrests had nearly reached 1,000,... Continue →
On this date in 1951,Private First Class (PFC) William H. Thompson was the first African American to receive the Congressional Medal of Honor during... Continue →
On July 21, 1950, during the Korean War, the U.S. 24th Infantry Regiment, composed primarily of African American soldiers, successfully recaptured... Continue →
On July 21, 1896, the National Federation of Afro-American Women and the Colored Women's League merged to form the National Association of Colored... Continue →
On this date in 1864, the first daily Black newspaper, The New Orleans Tribune, is published in English and French. The New Orleans Tribune was the... Continue →
On July 22, 1963, Floyd Patterson faced Sonny Liston in a highly anticipated rematch for the World Heavyweight Championship. Patterson, who had... Continue →
On this date in 2001, Whitman Mayo, an American actor best known for his role as Grady Wilson on the TV sitcom Sanford and Son, passed away on July... Continue →
On July 22, 1939, Jane Matilda Bolin made history by becoming the first African American woman to be appointed as a judge in the United States. She... Continue →
On July 22, 1862, President Abraham Lincoln read the preliminary version of the Emancipation Proclamation to his Cabinet. This was a pivotal moment... Continue →
On July 22, 1848, President Abraham Lincoln presented a draft of the Emancipation Proclamation to his cabinet, though it would take a few more years... Continue →
On July 22, 1848, Lester Walton was appointed as the U.S. Minister to Liberia on July 22, 1848. His appointment came during the presidency of James... Continue →
Jackie Robinson was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame on July 23, 1962. He was the first African American player to be honored with this... Continue →
On July 23, 1984, Vanessa Williams, who was the first African American to win the title of Miss America in 1983, resigned from her crown. The... Continue →
On July 23, 1968, Cleveland, Ohio, experienced significant racial unrest that came to be known as the "Hough Riots" (sometimes referred to as the... Continue →
The Detroit riot of 1967 was a major event in U.S. history, marking a pivotal moment in the Civil Rights Movement. It started with a police raid at... Continue →
The Progressive Party convention held in Philadelphia on July 23, 1948, was a significant event in American political history. It was at this... Continue →
Louis Tompkins Wright, born on July 23, 1924, was a prominent physician and one of the first African American physicians to make significant... Continue →
The Pan-African Congress held its first major meeting in London on July 23, 1900. It was a significant event in the early history of the Pan-African... Continue →
On July 23, 1868, the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified, which granted citizenship to all persons born or naturalized in the... Continue →
Kenneth Bancroft Clark was born on July 24, 1914, and he went on to become a pioneering African American psychologist. Clark is best known for his... Continue →
The Cambridge riot in Maryland on July 24, 1967, was a significant event in the Civil Rights Movement, sparked by racial tensions between... Continue →
Mary Church Terrell, a prominent African American activist and educator, passed away on July 24, 1954. She made history as one of the first Black... Continue →
Billy Taylor, the renowned jazz musician, was born on July 24, 1921, in Greenville, North Carolina. He became a significant figure in jazz, known for... Continue →
The Washington, D.C. Race Riot of July 1919 was one of the many racial disturbances that occurred during the summer of 1919, which became known as... Continue →
Ira Aldridge, born on July 24, 1904, was a pioneering African American actor. He became one of the first black actors to gain prominence in Europe,... Continue →
The New Orleans race riot of 1900 occurred on July 24, 1900, as part of a period of heightened racial tension in the United States, especially in the... Continue →
Charles S. Johnson, born on July 24, 1893, was a prominent African American sociologist, educator, and civil rights leader. He is perhaps... Continue →
On July 24, 1866, Congress passed a resolution readmitting Tennessee to the Union following the Civil War. Tennessee had been the first state to... Continue →
Ira Frederick Aldridge, an African American Shakespearean actor, was born on July 24, 1807. He became one of the most celebrated actors of... Continue →
Alexandre Dumas was born on July 24, 1802, in Villers-Cotterêts, France to a Haitian mulatto, Thomas Alexandre Dumas, and Marie Labouret Dumas, a... Continue →
Anthony Johnson's story is an important part of early colonial history in the United States. Anthony Johnson, originally brought to Virginia... Continue →
The Tuskegee Syphilis Experiment, where Blacks were used in experiments with syphilis, admitted to by US government officials, 1972
On July 24, 2002, Black Enterprise publisher Earl G. Graves, along with basketball legend Magic Johnson, signed an agreement to purchase Pepsi-Cola... Continue →
On July 24, 1992, General Colin Powell, who was the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff at the time, dedicated the Buffalo Soldiers Monument at... Continue →
On July 25, 1991, Dennis Hightower was appointed as the president of Disney Consumer Products for the Europe and Middle East regions. Hightower had a... Continue →
On July 25, 1972, the U.S. government admitted to the existence of the Tuskegee Syphilis Experiment, a medical study that began in 1932. In this... Continue →
The Moore's Ford Lynching occurred on July 25, 1946, in Walton County, Georgia. It was a horrific and racially charged event in which two African... Continue →
On July 25, 1943, the SS Leonard Roy Harmon was launched in Quincy, Massachusetts. It was a significant moment in history as it was the first warship... Continue →
The Liberty Life Insurance Company was founded on July 25, 1921. It was a prominent life insurance company that played an important role in the... Continue →
Garrett T. Morgan is widely recognized for his significant contribution to safety with the invention of the gas mask. On July 25, 1916, he famously... Continue →
On July 26, 1926, Carter G. Woodson was awarded the Spingarn Medal by the NAACP. Woodson, known as the "Father of Black History," received the... Continue →
July 26, 1847, marks the day Liberia declared its independence, becoming the first independent republic in Africa. The country had been founded by... Continue →
On July 26, 1948, President Harry S. Truman issued Executive Order No. 9981, which desegregated the United States Armed Forces. This historic... Continue →
On July 26, 1926, the National Bar Association (NBA) was incorporated. It is the largest and oldest network of predominantly African American... Continue →
The race riot that occurred in Philadelphia on July 26, 1918, was part of a wave of racial tensions and violence in the U.S. during that time. It was... Continue →
Spottiswood W. Robinson, born on July 26, 1916, was an American educator and innovator in the field of education. He was particularly influential in... Continue →
On July 26, 1865, Patrick Francis Healy became the first African American to be awarded a Ph.D. He earned his doctorate in philosophy from the... Continue →
Frederick Douglass was indeed a key figure in the first Women's Rights Convention held in Seneca Falls, New York, in 1848. While he is best known for... Continue →
On July 26, 1847, Joseph Jenkins Roberts, the first native-born President of Liberia, declared the country an independent republic. Liberia, founded... Continue →
The story of Garcia and Fort Negro is a fascinating chapter in American history. After the War of 1812, a group of African Americans,... Continue →
On July 27, 1968, a riot erupted in Gary, Indiana, amid the racial and social tensions that marked the late 1960s in the United States. The unrest... Continue →
On July 27, 1962, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was jailed in Albany, Georgia, during the Albany Movement, a civil rights campaign aimed at... Continue →
The Chicago Race Riot of 1919 was a significant and tragic event in American history. It was part of the larger "Red Summer" of 1919, during which... Continue →
On July 26, 1847, freed African American slaves in Liberia declared their independence from the American Colonization Society and established... Continue →
Alexandre Dumas fils (1824–1895) was a French writer and playwright, best known for his novel La Dame aux Camélias (The Lady of the Camellias),... Continue →
On July 27, 1816, Fort Blount—more commonly known as Negro Fort—on the Apalachicola River in Florida was attacked by U.S. forces and their Creek... Continue →
The 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified on July 28, 1868, meaning it officially became law on that date. It granted citizenship to... Continue →
On July 28, 1917, thousands of Black Americans participated in the Silent Protest Parade in New York City, marching down Fifth Avenue to protest... Continue →
On July 28, 1915, U.S. Marines landed in Haiti, beginning an occupation that lasted until 1934. This intervention was primarily driven by U.S.... Continue →
On July 28, 1918, the National Liberty Congress of Colored Americans, which was held in Washington, D.C., made a significant request to... Continue →
Dr. Bernard A. Harris Jr. was selected by NASA in January 1990 and officially became an astronaut in July 1991. He was qualified for the mission... Continue →
The Hartford riots of 1970 occurred in the aftermath of racial tensions and community frustrations in the city. They were sparked by a combination of... Continue →
The National Association of Negro Musicians (NAMM) played a crucial role in promoting African American musicians and artists. The first convention in... Continue →
Chester Himes, born on July 29, 1909, was an influential African American crime novelist known for his hard-boiled detective novels. His works often... Continue →
The First National Convention of Black Women was held on July 29, 1885, in Chicago, Illinois. It was a significant event in the history of African... Continue →
George Dixon, the Canadian-born boxer, was indeed born on July 29, 1870. He was a notable figure in the history of boxing, especially famous for his... Continue →
On July 30, 1822, James Varick was consecrated as the first bishop of the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church (AME Zion Church). This was a... Continue →
Louis Lomax, the influential African American journalist and author, passed away on July 30, 1970. He was known for his groundbreaking work in the... Continue →
The Milwaukee riot took place from July 30 to August 3, 1967, during a time of racial tension across the United States. The riot was sparked by an... Continue →
Adam Clayton Powell Jr. was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1944, not July 30, 1945. He represented Harlem, New York, becoming the... Continue →
Buddy Guy was born on July 30, 1936, in Lettsworth, Louisiana. He is often considered one of the greatest blues guitarists of all time and is a key... Continue →
White Democrats, led by police, attacked a convention of Black and white Republicans in New Orleans. More than 40 persons were killed, and at least... Continue →
On July 30, 1866, Edward G. Walker and Charles L. Mitchell made history by becoming the first African Americans to sit in the legislature of an... Continue →
On July 30, 1864, during the American Civil War, the Union forces attempted a major assault by exploding a mine beneath the Confederate lines near... Continue →
President Abraham Lincoln issued the "eye-for-eye" order on July 30, 1863, during the Civil War as part of his efforts to address the treatment of... Continue →
The Amistad mutiny is a famous and significant event in American history. On July 30, 1839, a group of enslaved Africans aboard the Spanish slave... Continue →
On July 31, 1960, Elijah Muhammad, leader of the Nation of Islam, publicly advocated for the creation of a separate, autonomous state for African... Continue →
On July 31, 1981, Arnette R. Hubbard made history by becoming the first woman president of the National Bar Association (NBA). This was a significant... Continue →
On July 31, 1969, the Louisiana National Guard was mobilized in response to racial disturbances in Baton Rouge. These disturbances stemmed from... Continue →
Laurence Fishburne was born on July 31, 1961, in Augusta, Georgia. He began his acting career at a young age and quickly gained recognition. By 11,... Continue →
Whitney Young was born on July 31, 1921, in Lincoln Ridge, Kentucky. He was a prominent African American civil rights leader and the... Continue →
Patrick Francis Healy, S.J., was a trailblazer, not only as the first Black man to earn a Ph.D. but also as the first Black president of Georgetown... Continue →
Benjamin E. Mays, often hailed as "the greatest school master of his generation," was appointed president of Morehouse College on August 1, 1940. His... Continue →
On this date in 1933, Former chairman of the Democratic National Committee, Ronald H Brown was appointed head of the Department of Commerce by... Continue →
On August 1, 1993, Dr. Barbara Ross-Lee made history by becoming the first Black woman to serve as the dean of a U.S. medical school when she assumed... Continue →
On August 1, 1979, James Patterson Lyke was installed as an auxiliary bishop of the Cleveland Diocese in the Roman Catholic Church. He was a member... Continue →
On August 1, 1964, Arthur Ashe made history by becoming the first Black player selected for the U.S. Davis Cup team. His achievement was a... Continue →
On August 1, 1961, Whitney Young Jr. was appointed as the executive director of the National Urban League (NUL). His leadership helped transform the... Continue →
on August 1, 1960, Dahomey (now known as Benin) officially gained its independence from France. This was part of a broader wave of independence... Continue →
Adam Clayton Powell Jr. was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1944, becoming the first African American to represent New York in... Continue →
On August 1, 1943, a race riot erupted in Harlem, New York City, following rising tensions between African Americans and the police. The riot was... Continue →
Ronald H. Brown, born on August 1, 1941, was an American politician and businessman. He is perhaps best known for serving as the Secretary of... Continue →
Geoffrey Holder, a renowned actor, dancer, choreographer, and artist, was born on August 1, 1930, in Port of Spain, Trinidad, in the British West... Continue →
On August 1, 1925, the National Bar Association (NBA) was incorporated in Des Moines, Iowa. It was founded by a group of African American lawyers and... Continue →
On August 1, 1920, the National Convention of Marcus Garvey's Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA) was held in New York City. This event... Continue →
August 1, 1838, marks a significant moment in history—the official abolition of slavery in the British Caribbean. This day, known as Emancipation... Continue →
Benjamin E. Mays was actually born on August 1, 1894 in Ninety Six, South Carolina. He was a prominent African American minister, educator, scholar,... Continue →
On August 1, 1879, Mary Eliza Mahoney became the first African American woman to graduate from a nursing program in the United States. She completed... Continue →
Charles Clinton Spaulding was born on August 1, 1874. He was a prominent African American businessman and one of the most influential figures in... Continue →
On August 1, 1869, Augustus Nathaniel Lushington made history as the first African American to earn a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (D.V.M.) degree.... Continue →
On August 1, 1868, Governor Henry C. Warmoth of Louisiana called for federal military intervention in the state, highlighting a severe... Continue →
On August 1, 1867, Tennessee became the first Southern state to grant African American men the right to vote. This significant development occurred... Continue →
On August 1, 1867, General Philip H. Sheridan, who was overseeing the Reconstruction efforts in Louisiana, dismissed the New Orleans Board of... Continue →
On August 1, 1834, the Slavery Abolition Act came into effect, officially ending slavery throughout the British Empire. This legislation was... Continue →
The arrival of the first Africans at Jamestown in 1619 is often considered the beginning of the history of Black America. These individuals were... Continue →
On August 2, 1966, the Charles R. Drew Postgraduate Medical School was chartered in Los Angeles. It was later renamed Charles R. Drew University of... Continue →
Jewell Jackson McCabe, born on August 2, 1945, is an American civil rights activist, community leader, and philanthropist. She is known for her... Continue →
Thomas "Hit Man" Hearns made history on August 2, 1980, when he won the WBA Welterweight title by defeating Pipino Cuevas. This victory was a... Continue →
The race riot in Jersey City, New Jersey, on August 2, 1964, was part of a wave of racial tensions and unrest that occurred across the United States... Continue →
On August 2, 1982, Jackie Robinson was honored by the U.S. Postal Service with a commemorative stamp. The stamp featured an image of Robinson, who... Continue →
On August 2, 1951, First Lieutenant Vernon Baker became the first African American to be awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions during the Korean... Continue →
James Baldwin, one of the most important American writers and social critics, was born on August 2, 1924, in Harlem, New York. His works tackled... Continue →
On August 2, 1920, Marcus Garvey, the prominent Jamaican political leader, orator, and activist, presented his "Back to Africa" program during the... Continue →
On August 2, 1920, William Leidesdorff, a businessman and one of the early pioneers in California, launched the first steamboat in San... Continue →
The Atlanta Daily World, founded on August 3, 1928, by William A. Scott III, holds a significant place in history as the first Black daily newspaper... Continue →
On August 3, 1865, the provisional governor of Florida, William Marvin, issued a proclamation that officially abolished slavery in the state. This... Continue →
On August 3, 1781, during the American Revolutionary War, African American soldier James Armistead Lafayette played a pivotal role in... Continue →
The Congress of African Peoples (CAP) convention, held in Atlanta on August 3, 1970, was a significant event in the history of African American... Continue →
On August 3, 1957, Archibald J. Carey, a prominent Chicago minister and attorney, made history by being appointed as the first Black chairman of the... Continue →
Calvin Coolidge became the 30th president of the United States on August 3, 1923, after the sudden death of President Warren G. Harding. Coolidge was... Continue →
On August 4, 1897, Henry Rucker was appointed as the Collector of Internal Revenue for Georgia by President William McKinley. This was a significant... Continue →
On August 4, 1885, William C. Carter patented an umbrella stand, a simple yet practical design to hold umbrellas, typically in an upright position.... Continue →
On August 4, 1964, the bodies of three civil rights workers—James Chaney, Andrew Goodman, and Michael Schwerner—were discovered in an earthen dam... Continue →
On August 4, 1953, a Black family moved into the Trumbull Park Homes, a public housing project in the South Deering neighborhood of Chicago. This... Continue →
On August 4, 1936, John "Long John" Woodruff won the Olympic gold medal in the 800-meter run at the Berlin Olympics. He was just 21 years old and a... Continue →
Dr. Daniel Hale Williams, a pioneering African American surgeon, passed away on August 4, 1931. He is best known for performing one of the first... Continue →
On August 4, 1901, Louis Armstrong was born in New Orleans, Louisiana. He became one of the most influential jazz musicians of all time, known for... Continue →
George Washington Williams was a remarkable figure in American history. Born in 1849, he was a soldier, lawyer, historian, and politician.... Continue →
Robert Purvis was born on August 4, 1810. He was a prominent abolitionist, philanthropist, and activist for African American rights. Often... Continue →
On August 5, 1984, Evelyn Ashford won the gold medal in the women’s 100-meter sprint at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics. She clocked an impressive... Continue →
On August 5, 1968, Senator Edward Brooke was named temporary chairman of the Republican National Convention in Miami, Florida. Edward Brooke was the... Continue →
On August 5, 1966, during the Chicago Freedom Movement (also known as the Chicago Open Housing Movement), Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was pelted with... Continue →
On August 5, 1962, Nelson Mandela was arrested by the South African authorities. He had been on the run for over a year, during which he was actively... Continue →
Patrick Ewing, one of the greatest basketball players of his era, was born on August 5, 1962, in Kingston, Jamaica. Ewing is best known for his... Continue →
James Cone, born on August 5, 1938, was a prominent theologian, best known for his work in Black Liberation Theology. He was a significant figure in... Continue →
James Augustine Healy, an American Roman Catholic bishop, passed away on August 5, 1900. He was the first African American to be ordained a priest in... Continue →
On August 5, 1892, Harriet Tubman was granted a pension by the U.S. Congress for her services during the Civil War. Tubman, famous for her... Continue →
John Lawson was a notable African American sailor who served as a gunner on the USS Hartford, Admiral David Farragut's flagship during the Battle of... Continue →
On August 5, 1864, President Abraham Lincoln reversed a policy that had been implemented earlier during the Civil War regarding the distribution of... Continue →
On August 6, 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act into law, a landmark piece of federal legislation aimed at eliminating... Continue →
On August 6, 1989, Congressman George Thomas "Mickey" Leland tragically died in a plane crash in Ethiopia. He was aboard a cargo plane that crashed... Continue →
Sir Alexander Bustamante, Jamaica's first prime minister, passed away on August 6, 1967. He was a key figure in Jamaica's struggle for independence... Continue →
On August 6, 1962, Jamaica gained independence from the United Kingdom. This day marked a significant turning point in the country's history, as... Continue →
On August 6, 1941, in Fayetteville, North Carolina, and involved a violent altercation between Black and white soldiers, resulting in the... Continue →
In 1870, Tennessee saw significant political shifts, marked by the suppression of Black voters and political violence aimed at maintaining... Continue →
On August 6, 1861, the First Confiscation Act was signed into law in the United States. This law was an important step in the fight against slavery,... Continue →
On August 6, 1795, Absalom Jones was ordained a deacon in the Episcopal Church, making him the first African American to hold this position... Continue →
The courthouse shoot-out on August 7, 1970, refers to an event in the United States that occurred in New York City. The incident involved a violent... Continue →
The courthouse shootout on August 7, 1970, was a significant and tragic event in U.S. history. It occurred at the Marin County Courthouse in San... Continue →
On August 7, 1966, a race riot broke out in Lansing, Michigan, which was part of a larger wave of racial unrest across the United States during the... Continue →
On August 7, 1960, Black and white students in Atlanta staged kneel-in demonstrations at segregated churches as part of the Civil Rights Movement.... Continue →
Charles H. Mahoney was confirmed by the Senate on August 7, 1954, as the first African American U.S. delegate to the United Nations. His appointment... Continue →
On August 7, 1948, Alice Coachman made history by becoming the first African American woman to win an Olympic gold medal. She achieved this feat in... Continue →
Rahsaan Roland Kirk was born on August 7, 1936. He was an innovative and multi-talented jazz musician known for his ability to play multiple wind... Continue →
Abebe Bikila was actually born on August 7, 1932. He became famous for winning the 1960 Olympic marathon in Rome while running barefoot, becoming the... Continue →
On the night of August 7, 1930, James Cameron’s life took a dramatic and traumatic turn. As a teenager, he and two other young Black men—Thomas... Continue →
Ralph J. Bunche was an influential diplomat, political scientist, and civil rights advocate. Born on August 7, 1904, in Detroit, Michigan, he played... Continue →
1893 was a particularly brutal year for racial violence in the United States, with at least 118 reported lynchings of Black individuals. Lynching was... Continue →
On August 7, 1893, Black longshoremen in Galveston, Texas, went on strike to demand higher wages and better working conditions. This strike... Continue →
On August 7, 1893, the Fifty-third Congress of the United States convened. During this session, George W. Murray, a Black congressman from South... Continue →
Ira Aldridge, the renowned African American actor, passed away on August 7, 1867. He was celebrated for his groundbreaking work in theater,... Continue →
On August 4, 1968, a riot broke out in Miami, Florida, during the Republican National Convention being held in nearby Miami Beach. The unrest was... Continue →
On August 4, 1989, Congressman George Thomas "Mickey" Leland tragically died in a plane crash. He was a U.S. Representative from Texas, known... Continue →
Julian Dixon, an American politician, was born on August 8, 1934. He served as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from California,... Continue →
Benny Carter, born on August 8, 1907, was an influential American jazz saxophonist, composer, arranger, and bandleader. He was one of the... Continue →
Matthew A. Henson was born on August 8, 1866. He was an African American explorer who is best known for being one of the first people to... Continue →
On August 8, 1805, the African Baptist Church was organized in Boston, Massachusetts. This church played an important role in the religious and... Continue →
The Boston African Society was established on August 8, 1796, by a group of free African Americans in Boston. It was founded with 44 members... Continue →
On August 8, 1987, Reginald Lewis, an African American businessman, acquired Beatrice Foods Company for $985 million. This acquisition was one of the... Continue →
On August 8, 1936, Jesse Owens made history at the Berlin Olympics by winning four gold medals in track and field. This remarkable achievement... Continue →
On August 9, 1995, the United Nations declared this day as the International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples, not August 8. The day is... Continue →
Julian "Cannonball" Adderley, a celebrated American jazz alto saxophonist, passed away on August 8, 1975, not August 9. His death was a great loss to... Continue →
Whitney Houston was born on August 9, 1963, in Newark, New Jersey, as you mentioned. She rose to fame in the 1980s and 1990s, earning critical... Continue →
On August 9, 1961, James B. Parsons made history by becoming the first African American to be appointed to a federal district court in the... Continue →
The Jacksonville race riot occurred on August 9, 1960, in Jacksonville, Florida, following a series of sit-in demonstrations that had taken place... Continue →
Robert N.C. Nix was born on August 9, 1905. He was an important figure in American history, notably serving as the first African American to be... Continue →
On August 9, 1848, the Free Soil Party was officially organized at a convention in Buffalo, New York. This party emerged from the growing... Continue →
On August 10, 1981, a significant boycott organized by PUSH (People United to Save Humanity), a civil rights organization led by the Reverend Jesse... Continue →
Patti Austin, the American singer known for her work in R&B, jazz, and pop, was born on August 10, 1948. She has had a successful career,... Continue →
On August 10, 1944, a significant race riot occurred in Athens, Alabama, during a period of heightened racial tensions in the United States. This... Continue →
on August 10, 1894, George Washington Murray, an African American inventor and politician, read into the Congressional Record a list of 92 patents... Continue →
Clarence C. White, an American composer and violinist, indeed passed away on August 10, 1880. He was known for his work in the late 19th century and... Continue →
The specific incident took place in Canaan, New Hampshire, in August 1835. A mob of white citizens, driven by racial animus, forcibly removed... Continue →
On August 10, 1827, a race riot occurred in Cincinnati, Ohio, a significant event in the city's history. The riot was triggered by rising racial... Continue →
On August 11, 1965, the U.S. Senate confirmed Thurgood Marshall's nomination as the U.S. Solicitor General. Marshall became the first African... Continue →
The Watts Riots, also known as the Watts Rebellion, started on August 11, 1965, in the Watts neighborhood of Los Angeles. The riots were... Continue →
The race riot in Paterson, New Jersey, on August 11, 1964, was part of a series of racial disturbances that erupted across the United States... Continue →
On August 11, 1949, Peter Marray Marshall of New York was appointed to the American Medical Association's (AMA) House of Delegates. The AMA's House... Continue →
Carl Thomas Rowan was born on August 11, 1925, in Baltimore, Maryland. He was a prominent American journalist, author, and civil rights advocate.... Continue →
Alex Haley, the author of the groundbreaking book Roots: The Saga of an American Family, was born on August 11, 1921, in Ithaca, New York. His work,... Continue →
J. Rosamond Johnson was an influential American composer, singer, and actor, born on August 11, 1873. He is best known for co-composing the music for... Continue →
Thaddeus Stevens, a prominent U.S. Congressman from Pennsylvania, passed away on August 11, 1868. He was a key figure in the Radical... Continue →
On August 11, 1820, the African Methodist Zion Church and the Asbury African Methodist Church of New York City established their own separate African... Continue →
Ophelia DeVore-Mitchell was born on August 12, 1923. She was a pioneering model, businesswoman, and advocate for diversity in the fashion and beauty... Continue →
The Mississippi Plan of 1890 was a strategy used by white lawmakers in Mississippi to disenfranchise Black voters through legal and constitutional... Continue →
August Wilson's play The Piano Lesson wins the Pulitzer Prize for drama. It was his second Pulitzer, following Fences, which won in 1987. Wilson was... Continue →
On August 12, 1977, Stephen Biko, the leader of the Black Consciousness Movement in South Africa, was arrested at a police roadblock under the... Continue →
On August 12, 1965, a race riot erupted on the West Side of Chicago, following tensions related to civil rights, police brutality, and economic... Continue →
On August 12, 1965, Jonathan Myrick Daniels, an Episcopal seminarian from Massachusetts, was murdered in Hayneville, Alabama, by Tom Coleman, a white... Continue →
On August 12, 1964, a race riot erupted in Elizabeth, New Jersey, as part of a wave of racial unrest that swept across the United States during the... Continue →
On August 12, 1922, the home of Frederick Douglass, known as Cedar Hill, was officially designated a national shrine in Washington, D.C. This... Continue →
Lillian Evans, the world-famous opera star and founder of the National Negro Opera Company, was indeed a remarkable figure in American music history.... Continue →
On August 12, 1890, the Mississippi Constitutional Convention began. This convention was convened to draft a new state constitution, largely in... Continue →
On August 13, 1953, President Dwight D. Eisenhower established the Government Contract Compliance Committee. This committee was created to ensure... Continue →
Kathleen Battle, the celebrated operatic soprano, was born on August 13, 1948, in Portsmouth, Ohio. She is known for her stunning voice and has won... Continue →
Charles Edward Anderson, born on August 13, 1919, was an influential American meteorologist. He is particularly known for his pioneering work in... Continue →
On August 13, 1906, an incident known as the Brownsville Raid occurred in Brownsville, Texas, involving a group of African American soldiers from the... Continue →
On August 13, 1892, the Baltimore Afro-American newspaper published its first issue. Founded by John H. Murphy Sr., it quickly became one of the most... Continue →
On August 13, 1881, Spelman College in Atlanta, Georgia, established the first African American nursing school. This was a significant moment in... Continue →
Halle Berry was born on August 14, 1966, in Cleveland, Ohio. She's a renowned actress, known for her roles in films such as Monster's Ball, Die... Continue →
On August 14, 1970, the City University of New York (CUNY) implemented an open admissions policy, marking a significant shift in higher... Continue →
Magic Johnson, born on August 14, 1959, in Lansing, Michigan, is widely regarded as one of the greatest basketball players of all time. Known for his... Continue →
Rebecca J. Cole was an important figure in American history, making significant strides as one of the first African American women to become a... Continue →
Dr. Herman Branson was an American physicist and chemist, born on August 14, 1914. He made significant contributions to the fields of molecular... Continue →
On August 14, 1908, Springfield, Illinois, experienced a devastating race riot that profoundly impacted the African American community and the... Continue →
Yes, August 14, 1883, marks the birth of Ernest E. Just, an influential biologist known for his groundbreaking work in cell biology, particularly in... Continue →
On August 14, 1876, Prairie View State University (now Prairie View A&M University) was founded. Located in Prairie View, Texas, it is the... Continue →
On August 14, 1862, President Abraham Lincoln met with a group of Black leaders at the White House. This meeting was part of his ongoing exploration... Continue →
Congresswoman Maxine Waters was born on August 15, 1938, in St. Louis, Missouri. She is known for being a long-serving U.S. Representative from... Continue →
Andrew Young, the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, resigned on August 15, 1979, under pressure from President Jimmy Carter's administration.... Continue →
On August 15, 1975, Joanne Little was acquitted of murder charges after being accused of killing a North Carolina jailer. Little, a 20-year-old... Continue →
The race riot in Dixmoor, a suburb of Chicago, occurred on August 15, 1964. It was sparked by racial tensions between African American residents and... Continue →
The burning of Shady Grove Baptist Church in Leesburg, Georgia, on August 15, 1962, was a significant event in the Civil Rights era. The church,... Continue →
On August 15, 1931, Richard B. Harrison was awarded the Spingarn Medal for his outstanding portrayal of the character "The Lawd" in the play The... Continue →
On August 15, 1931, Roy Wilkins joined the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) as assistant secretary. He would go on... Continue →
Oscar Peterson, one of the greatest jazz pianists of all time, was born on August 15, 1925, in Montreal, Canada. He was renowned for his virtuosic... Continue →
On August 15, 1843, the National Black Convention convened in Buffalo, New York, with around seventy delegates from twelve different states. The... Continue →
On August 15, 1824, the first group of freed American slaves, known as the "American Colonization Society" (ACS), established Liberia as a colony.... Continue →
George was born on August 15, 1817, in historic Frederick County, Virginia. His father was a slave and his mother a woman of English descent. When... Continue →
Angela Bassett, the acclaimed American actress, was born on August 16, 1958. She is known for her powerful performances in both film and television,... Continue →
Charles H. Wesley, an influential African American historian, passed away on August 16, 1987. He was renowned for his contributions to the study of... Continue →
On August 16, 1972, Rev. Philip A. Potter, a Black Methodist minister from Dominica, was appointed as the General Secretary of the World Council of... Continue →
On August 16, 1970, Angela Davis, the political activist and scholar, was named in a federal arrest warrant in connection with her involvement in a... Continue →
On August 16, 1963, artist and graphic designer Charles White became the first Black artist to design a U.S. postage stamp. He created the stamp to... Continue →
On August 16, 1938, Robert Johnson, the legendary blues singer and guitarist, died under mysterious circumstances. His death has been the subject of... Continue →
Louis Lomax, an influential African American author, journalist, and television personality, was born on August 16, 1922. He is best known for his... Continue →
On August 16, 1890, Alexander Clark was named the U.S. Minister to Liberia. This appointment marked a significant moment in history, as Clark became... Continue →
Pearl Bailey, the renowned jazz singer and actress, passed away on August 17, 1990. She was known for her powerful voice, charismatic stage presence,... Continue →
On August 17, 1984, Roberto Clemente became the second baseball player to be featured on a U.S. postage stamp. The stamp was part of the U.S. Postal... Continue →
Marcus Garvey was born on August 17, 1887, in St. Ann's Bay, Jamaica. He became one of the most influential leaders in the history of the Black... Continue →
Rafer Johnson, the American decathlete, was born on August 18, 1935, in Hillsboro, Texas. He is best known for his remarkable career in track and... Continue →
On August 18, 1976, Vice Admiral Samuel L. Garvely Jr. assumed command of the U.S. Third Fleet. The Third Fleet is a major fleet of the U.S. Navy,... Continue →
On August 18, 1964, South Africa was officially banned from the Olympic Games. This decision came after the International Olympic Committee (IOC)... Continue →
On August 18, 1963, James Meredith became the first African American to be admitted to the University of Mississippi (Ole Miss). This milestone was a... Continue →
Roberto Clemente, one of baseball's most legendary players, was indeed born on August 18, 1934, in Carolina, Puerto Rico. He became an iconic figure... Continue →
On August 18, 1989, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, a leading anti-apartheid activist in South Africa, defied apartheid laws by delivering a sermon in... Continue →
On August 18, 1963, youth members of the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) Council in Oklahoma City began a series... Continue →
On August 19, 1958, a series of sit-ins took place at lunch counters in Oklahoma City, marking a significant event in the Civil Rights Movement. This... Continue →
On August 19, 1954, Ralph J. Bunche was named Undersecretary-General of the United Nations. Bunche was an influential African American diplomat and a... Continue →
On August 19, 1950, Edith Sampson made history as the first African American woman to be appointed as a representative to the United Nations. She was... Continue →
Charles F. Bolden Jr. was born on August 19, 1946, in Columbia, South Carolina. He is a former NASA astronaut and retired U.S. Marine Corps major... Continue →
On August 19, 1926, Theodore "Tiger" Flowers successfully defended his world middleweight title by defeating former champion Harry Greb in a 15-round... Continue →
On August 19, 1791, Benjamin Banneker, a self-taught African American mathematician, astronomer, and writer, wrote a powerful letter to Thomas... Continue →
Isaac Hayes was born on August 20, 1942, in Covington, Tennessee. He was a legendary soul singer, songwriter, composer, and producer, best known for... Continue →
The first National Black Theatre Festival (NBTF) concluded on August 20, 1989, in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Founded by the late Larry Leon... Continue →
On August 20, 1964, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Economic Opportunity Act (EOA) into law as part of his War on Poverty initiative. This... Continue →
On August 20, 1944, Dr. Charles R. Drew was awarded the Spingarn Medal by the NAACP for his pioneering work in blood plasma preservation and storage.... Continue →
Anna Lucasta opened on Broadway on August 20, 1944, at the Mansfield Theatre (now the Brooks Atkinson Theatre). The play, written by Philip Yordan,... Continue →
The SS Frederick Douglass was a Liberty ship named in honor of the famous abolitionist and orator Frederick Douglass. Liberty ships were... Continue →
William Herbert Gray III, also known as Bill Gray, was born on August 20, 1941. He was a prominent American politician, pastor, and advocate for... Continue →
On August 20, 1939, the National Negro Bowling Association (NNBA) was officially organized in Detroit, Michigan, as a response to racial segregation... Continue →
Wilberforce University was established on August 20, 1856, in Ohio. It is the first private historically Black college and university (HBCU) in the... Continue →
The First National Negro Convention was held on August 20, 1830, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. This event was a significant moment in African... Continue →
On August 20, 1619, a significant event occurred in American history when the first recorded Africans arrived in Jamestown, Virginia, aboard a Dutch... Continue →
Inventor, AP Abourne was awarded patent 194,287 for refining coconut oil, 1877
Wilt Chamberlain, one of the greatest basketball players of all time, was born on August 21, 1936, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He is widely known... Continue →
Robert Tools made a groundbreaking contribution by being the first person to have a self-contained artificial heart implanted. His surgery, which... Continue →
On August 21, 1972, the Republican National Convention opened in Miami Beach, Florida. The convention was significant because it was the first time... Continue →
On August 21, 1943, Major Charity Adams Earley became the first Black woman to be promoted to the rank of major in the Women's Army Corps (WAC)... Continue →
Melvin Van Peebles, born on August 21, 1932, was a highly influential American filmmaker, playwright, and novelist. He is often celebrated for his... Continue →
The Fourth Pan-African Congress met in New York City from August 21 to 28, 1927. It was a significant event in the history of Pan-Africanism,... Continue →
William "Count" Basie, a legendary jazz pianist, composer, and bandleader, was born on August 21, 1904, in Red Bank, New Jersey. He became one of the... Continue →
On August 21, 1831, Nat Turner led one of the most significant slave revolts in U.S. history. Known as Nat Turner's Rebellion, the event took place... Continue →
Black Panther Party Co-founder Huey P. Newton was gunned down by a member of the Black Guerilla Family drug ring.
Huey P. Newton, the co-founder of the Black Panther Party, was tragically shot and killed on August 22, 1989, in Oakland, California. He was 47 years... Continue →
On August 22, 1979, two hundred Black leaders met in New York for a significant gathering known as the National Black Political Convention. This... Continue →
Jomo Kenyatta, the first President of Kenya, passed away on August 22, 1978, at the age of 83. He played a pivotal role in the country's struggle for... Continue →
John Lee Hooker was indeed a legendary figure in the blues genre. Born on August 22, 1917, in Clarkdale, Mississippi, his distinctive style became a... Continue →
Fisk University, founded in 1865 and officially incorporated on August 22, 1867, is one of the oldest historically Black colleges and universities... Continue →
On August 22, 1844, a significant event took place in Boston when a mass meeting of African Americans gathered to protest the segregation of public... Continue →
At the National Convention of Colored Citizens in Buffalo, New York, in 1843. Henry Highland Garnett, a prominent abolitionist, made a... Continue →
The Haitian Revolution began on August 22, 1791, when enslaved people in the northern part of the colony of Saint-Domingue (modern-day Haiti)... Continue →
On August 22, 1791, Benjamin Banneker, a renowned mathematician, astronomer, and surveyor, played a significant role in the surveying of the District... Continue →
On August 23, 1900, the National Negro Business League (NNBL) was founded in Boston by Booker T. Washington. The League's primary goal was to promote... Continue →
Philip Emeagwali, a Nigerian-American inventor, was born on August 23, 1954, in Akure, Nigeria. He is known for his groundbreaking work in... Continue →
The Houston race riot of 1917 took place from August 23 to 30, 1917, in Houston, Texas. It was a violent conflict between Black residents,... Continue →
On August 23, 1908, Martha Minerva Franklin led 52 African American nurses in founding the National Association of Colored Graduate Nurses (NACGN) in... Continue →
James Stone was an African American who fought in the Civil War, and there are records suggesting that he was one of the first Black soldiers to... Continue →
On this date inn 1826, Edward A. Jones received B.A. degree from Amherst College.
John Brown Russwurm's graduation from Bowdoin College in 1826 is indeed a significant milestone in American education, as he is often credited as the... Continue →
Jean-Baptiste Lislet-Geoffrey was an important figure in the history of science and a trailblazer in the French Academy of Sciences. On August 23,... Continue →
Jean Baptiste Lislet-Geoffroy was born on August 23, 1755, in France. He was a notable French geographer and cartographer, particularly recognized... Continue →
John V. DeGrasse was indeed admitted to the Massachusetts Medical Society on August 24, 1854. The Massachusetts Medical Society (MMS) is one of the... Continue →
On August 24, 1950, Edith Sampson, a Chicago attorney, made history as the first Black representative (alternate delegate) in the U.S. delegation to... Continue →
The National Emigration Convention held on August 24, 1854, in Cleveland, was an important gathering of African American leaders and activists who... Continue →
On August 25, 1886, the American National Baptist Convention (ANBC) was organized. It was a significant event in African American religious history,... Continue →
James M. Nabrit Jr. was indeed appointed as an ambassador to the United Nations on August 25, 1961. He was an important figure in civil rights and... Continue →
Althea Gibson, the groundbreaking tennis player who became the first African American to win a Wimbledon singles title, was born on August 25, 1927.... Continue →
On August 25, 1925, the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters (BSCP) was organized at a mass meeting held at the Elks Hall in Harlem. A. Philip... Continue →
1886 was a tragic year in the history of racial violence in the United States, particularly against African Americans. The 74 reported lynchings of... Continue →
Kentucky State College (now known as Kentucky State University) was founded on August 25, 1886. It was established as a historically black college... Continue →
On August 25, 1886, some six hundred delegates organized the American Federation of Labor (AFL) in the United States. The AFL was a federation of... Continue →
On August 25, 1862, during the Civil War, Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton authorized Major General Rufus Saxton to enlist and arm up to 5,000... Continue →
Lucy Terry, an African-American woman, wrote "Bars Fight" in 1746, making it the earliest known poem written by an African-American. The poem was... Continue →
Branford Marsalis, born on August 26, 1960, is a legendary jazz saxophonist. He comes from a musical family, with his father, Ellis Marsalis Jr.,... Continue →
Valerie Simpson, born on August 26, 1946, is a celebrated American singer, songwriter, and producer, best known as half of the musical duo Ashford... Continue →
On August 26, 1943, Congressman William L. Dawson of Chicago was recommended as the Democratic Party's vice-presidential candidate. At that time,... Continue →
Katherine G. Johnson was a pioneering mathematician and aerospace technologist whose work at NASA was crucial in the success of several space... Continue →
George Washington, founder of the town of Centerville (later Centralia), Washington in 1875, dies
Hale Woodruff, born on August 26, 1900, was an influential African American artist and educator. He is best known for his role in founding the... Continue →
On August 26, 1874, a horrific event took place in Tennessee where sixteen African Americans were lynched. This was part of a larger pattern of... Continue →
W.E.B. Du Bois was a trailblazer in the fight for civil rights, education, and social justice. His contributions to both the academic world and the... Continue →
On August 27, 1998, civil rights marchers gathered in Washington D.C. to commemorate the 25th anniversary of Martin Luther King's historic "I Have a... Continue →
On August 27, 1991, a Florida circuit court judge ordered the liquidation of Central Life Insurance Company, the last surviving African American... Continue →
On August 27, 1989, Chuck Berry performed "Johnny B. Goode" for NASA engineers and scientists in celebration of Voyager 2's encounter with Neptune.... Continue →
Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia passed away on August 27, 1975, under mysterious circumstances, though many regard his reign as one of significant... Continue →
On August 27, 1949, Paul Robeson, the renowned African American singer, actor, and civil rights activist, was scheduled to perform at the Lakeland... Continue →
On August 28, 1963, the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom took place in Washington, D.C. This historic event is best known for Dr. Martin... Continue →
On August 28, 1988, Beah Richards won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Performer in a Comedy Series for her role as Mama Joe in Frank's... Continue →
Rev. Channing E. Phillips made history on August 28, 1968, when he became the first Black person to be nominated for president by a major U.S.... Continue →
On August 28, 1966, the National Guard was mobilized in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to protect civil rights marchers protesting against racial segregation.... Continue →
On August 28, 1964, a race riot erupted in North Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. This was part of a larger wave of racial unrest in the 1960s, fueled by... Continue →
On August 28, 1963, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his famous "I Have a Dream" speech on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C.... Continue →
Lola Falana, a talented dancer, singer, and actress, was born on August 28, 1942. She gained fame in the 1960s and 1970s, becoming one of the most... Continue →
The March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom took place on August 28, 1963. It was a historic event in the Civil Rights Movement, where over 250,000... Continue →
On August 28, 1962, a significant event occurred during the Civil Rights Movement. Seventy-five ministers and laymen, both Black and white, were... Continue →
Emmett Till's kidnapping and lynching on August 28, 1955, in Money, Mississippi, is a tragic and pivotal moment in American history. Emmett, a... Continue →
On August 28, 1949, Paul Robeson, the renowned African American singer, actor, and civil rights activist, was scheduled to perform at a picnic in... Continue →
The Second Pan-African Congress met in London from August 28 to September 1, 1921. It was an important event in the Pan-African movement, bringing... Continue →
Michael Jackson, the King of Pop, was born on August 29, 1958, in Gary, Indiana. His groundbreaking contributions to music, dance, and pop culture... Continue →
On August 29, 1979, the Mutual Black Network (MBN) was launched, becoming the first completely Black-owned radio network in the world. It was founded... Continue →
On August 29, 1970, a significant and tragic event occurred in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, during a confrontation between the police and the Black... Continue →
On August 29, 1962, Mal Goode made history by becoming the first African American television news commentator. He began working with ABC, where he... Continue →
The Civil Rights Act of 1957 was a landmark piece of legislation, though its impact was somewhat limited at the time. It was primarily designed to... Continue →
Dinah Washington, the legendary American singer, was born on August 29, 1924, in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. She became one of the most influential and... Continue →
Charlie Parker, the legendary jazz saxophonist, was born on August 29, 1920. He's often considered one of the most influential figures in the... Continue →
E. Franklin Frazier, born on August 29, 1894, was a renowned African American sociologist. He is best known for his work on the sociology of race,... Continue →
On August 30, 1983, Lt. Col. Guion S. Bluford Jr. made history as the first African American astronaut to go to space. He flew aboard the Space... Continue →
On August 30, 1969, the National Guard was mobilized in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, to control racial disturbances that erupted during a period of... Continue →
The race riot in Michigan on August 30, 1966, is often referred to as the Detroit Rebellion or Detroit Riot, which was a significant racial conflict.... Continue →
On August 30, 1966, Constance Baker Motley was confirmed as a U.S. district judge, making her the first Black woman to serve on the federal bench.... Continue →
On August 30, 1956, a white mob in Mansfield, Texas, attempted to prevent the enrollment of Black students at Mansfield High School. This occurred... Continue →
Carrie Saxon Perry, born on August 30, 1931, in Hartford, Connecticut, made history as the first African American woman to serve as mayor of a major... Continue →
Roy Wilkins, born on August 30, 1901, was an influential American civil rights leader and the second Executive Director of the NAACP (National... Continue →
On August 30, 1881, W.S. Campbell patented the self-setting animal trap, which is patent number 246,369. This innovation made it easier for people to... Continue →
On August 30, 1854, during the American Civil War, Union General John C. Fremont, who was commanding the Department of the West, issued a... Continue →
The 1843 Liberty Party Convention in Buffalo marked an important moment in the participation of Black Americans in the political process. This was a... Continue →
On August 30, 1838, Mirror of Freedom, the first African American magazine, was published. It was a short-lived but significant publication, aimed at... Continue →
On August 30, 1800, a storm indeed forced the suspension of an attack on Richmond, Virginia. This event is associated with Gabriel's Rebellion, an... Continue →
Lionel Hampton, the legendary jazz vibraphonist, passed away on August 31, 2002, at the age of 94. He was one of the pioneering figures in the... Continue →
On August 31, 1979, President Jimmy Carter nominated Donald McHenry to succeed Andrew Young as the United States Ambassador to the United Nations... Continue →
On August 31, 1970, Lonnie McLucas, a member of the Black Panther Party, was convicted in New Haven, Connecticut, of conspiracy to murder Alex... Continue →
On August 31, 1962, Trinidad and Tobago became an independent nation, separating from British colonial rule. This marked a significant moment in the... Continue →
Eldridge Cleaver was born on August 31, 1935. He was a prominent civil rights activist, writer, and political thinker, best known for his role in the... Continue →
Frank Robinson was indeed born on August 31, 1935, in Beaumont, Texas. He made a huge impact on the sport of baseball, both as a player and as a... Continue →
thel Waters, the legendary American singer and actress, passed away on September 1, 1977. She was known for her contributions to jazz, blues, and... Continue →
Gen. Daniel ("Chappie") James Jr. promoted to rank of four-star general and named commander-in-chief of the North American Air Defense Command.
On October 1, 1945, noted R&B singer and songwriter, Donny Hathaway was born in Chicago, Illinois. Before his death, he often teamed up with... Continue →
On this date in 1875, White Democrats attacked Republicans at Yazoo City, Mississippi. One white and three Blacks were killed.
The first Black person to graduate from Harvard Dental School is Robert T Freeman on this date in 1867.
On September 1, 1975, General Daniel "Chappie" James Jr. was promoted to the rank of four-star general. This historic promotion made him the first... Continue →
On September 1, 1875, a violent incident occurred in Yazoo City, Mississippi, where white Democrats attacked Republicans. This was during the period... Continue →
On September 1, 1867, Robert Tanner Freeman became the first Black person to graduate from Harvard Dental School. He was a trailblazer in dental... Continue →
On September 2, 1966, Frank Robinson was named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the American League. Robinson had an incredible season that year,... Continue →
On September 2, 1884, John Parker was granted U.S. Patent #304,552 for a "Follower-Screw for Tobacco Presses." This patent was for an innovative... Continue →
On September 2, 1975, the first Black Justice of the Florida Supreme Court, Justice Joseph W. Hatchett, was sworn in. He made history as the first... Continue →
On September 2, 1956, the Tennessee National Guard was sent to Clinton, Tennessee, to restore order after protests erupted over the integration of... Continue →
On September 2, 1945, during World War II, the United States had a significant number of African Americans who served in the armed forces. A total of... Continue →
On September 2, 1945, World War II officially ended with the signing of the Japanese Instrument of Surrender aboard the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay.... Continue →
James Forten was born on September 2, 1766, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He was a prominent African American abolitionist, inventor, and... Continue →
Billy Preston, often referred to as the "Fifth Beatle" due to his work with The Beatles, was born on September 2, 1946, in Houston, Texas. He was an... Continue →
On September 2, 1864, General William Tecumseh Sherman occupied Atlanta, marking a significant moment in the American Civil War. This strategic... Continue →
Jonathan A. Rodgers became president of CBS's television stations division on September 3, 1990. He was tasked with overseeing CBS's... Continue →
On September 3, 1970, representatives from 27 African nations gathered in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, for the first Congress of African People (CAP).... Continue →
On September 3, 1919, the Lincoln Motion Picture Company released its first feature-length film, The Realization of a Negro's Ambition. The film was... Continue →
On September 3, 1918, during World War I, five soldiers from the British Army were hanged for desertion. The soldiers were executed for abandoning... Continue →
Charles Hamilton Houston was born on September 3, 1895. He was a prominent African American lawyer and civil rights activist who played a pivotal... Continue →
On September 3, 1891, John Stephens Durham was appointed as the minister to Haiti. He served as a U.S. diplomat during the presidency of Benjamin... Continue →
On September 3, 1891, cotton pickers in the United States, particularly in the South, organized a union and went on strike. This marked a significant... Continue →
On September 3, 1868, the Georgia legislature expelled 28 Black representatives from the lower house after they were deemed ineligible to hold... Continue →
On September 3, 1865, the Freedmen's Bureau, established by Congress in 1865 to aid formerly enslaved African Americans in the South, was ordered to... Continue →
September 3, 1838, is a significant day in history as it marks the day Frederick Douglass, the renowned abolitionist, and writer, escaped from... Continue →
On September 3, 1783, Richard Allen, who would later become the founder of the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church, purchased his freedom. Born... Continue →
eyoncé Knowles was born on September 4, 1981. She's an incredibly talented singer, songwriter, and actress, known for being a part of Destiny's... Continue →
On this date in 1963, Katherine Dunham (1909-2006). With the "Aida" production in 1963, Katherine Dunham becomes the first Black choreographer for... Continue →
Damon Wayans, the comedian and television actor, was born on September 4, 1960. He is best known for his work on shows like In Living Color and My... Continue →
On September 4, 1957, Arkansas Governor Orval Faubus deployed the National Guard to prevent nine Black students from entering Central High School in... Continue →
On September 4, 1949, a concert by Paul Robeson in Peekskill, New York, was disrupted by a violent mob, preventing the performance from taking place.... Continue →
On September 4, 1923, George Washington Carver, the renowned agricultural scientist and educator, received the Spingarn Medal. The medal, awarded by... Continue →
The Clinton Massacre took place on September 4, 1875, in Clinton, Mississippi. It was a violent event that occurred during the Reconstruction era,... Continue →
On September 4, 1865, Bowie State College (now known as Bowie State University) was established in Bowie, Maryland. It is one of the oldest... Continue →
Louis Latimer was born on September 4, 1848, in Chelsea, Massachusetts. He was an African American inventor and engineer, best known for his work on... Continue →
On September 4, 1781, a group of settlers, including Black settlers, founded the city of Los Angeles, California. The settlement was established... Continue →
On September 5, 1899, J. Ross was granted U.S. Patent No. 632,539 for a Bailing Press. This device was an important innovation in the field of... Continue →
Leopold Sedar Senghor, a prominent poet and politician, was elected as the first President of Senegal on September 5, 1960. He played a key role in... Continue →
On this date in 1916, Novelist Frank Garvin Yerby, winner of the O. Henry short story award winner, born on this date. He was the first African... Continue →
George Washington Murray, born near Rembert, South Carolina, on September 22, 1853, was a prominent African American figure in the late 19th... Continue →
Our Nig: Or, Sketches from the Life of a Free Black was published on September 5, 1859. Written by Harriet E. Wilson, it is considered the first... Continue →
John W. Cromwell was born on September 5, 1846. He was an important figure in American history, particularly known for his work as a writer,... Continue →
on September 5, 1804, Absalom Jones was ordained as the first African American priest in the Episcopal Church. This was a significant moment in... Continue →
Rafer Johnson won the Olympic decathlon at the 1960 Rome Olympics on September 6, 1960. This victory was a major achievement in his career, as he... Continue →
On September 6, 1988, Lee Roy Young made history by becoming the first African American to be inducted into the Texas Rangers, which is one of the... Continue →
Foxy Brown, born Inga DeCarlo Fung Marchand on September 6, 1978, is a Trinidadian-American rapper. She became well-known in the late 1990s for her... Continue →
Macy Gray, the American singer, songwriter, and actress, was born on September 6, 1969, in Canton, Ohio. She became widely known for her unique raspy... Continue →
On September 6, 1967, President Lyndon B. Johnson appointed Walter E. Washington as the commissioner and "unofficial" mayor of Washington, D.C. This... Continue →
The race riot in Atlanta on September 6, 1966, was a significant event during the Civil Rights Movement. It occurred when racial tensions,... Continue →
Leander Jay Shaw Jr. was born on September 6, 1930. He was an important figure in the history of the Florida judicial system, serving as the Chief... Continue →
The Atlanta Life Insurance Company was established on September 6, 1905. It was founded by Alonzo Herndon, an African American entrepreneur, and... Continue →
On this date in 1892, George "Little Chocolate" Dixon defeats Jack Skelly in New Orleans to win the world featherweight title. While some African... Continue →
On September 6, 1876, a race riot occurred in Charleston, South Carolina, during the Reconstruction era following the Civil War. This was a period... Continue →
On this date in 1865, Thaddeus Stevens, powerful U.S. congressman, urged confiscation of estates of Confederate leaders and the distribution of land... Continue →
On this date in 1848, the National Black Convention met in Cleveland with some seventy delegates. Frederick Douglass was elected president of the... Continue →
On September 6, 1865, Thaddeus Stevens, a prominent Republican congressman and a leading advocate for radical Reconstruction, did indeed propose the... Continue →
On September 6, 1848, the National Black Convention was held in Cleveland, Ohio. This gathering was an important event in the history of the... Continue →
John Brown Russwurm made history as one of the first African Americans to graduate from college in the United States. He graduated from Bowdoin... Continue →
On September 6, 1781, Jordan Freeman, an African American soldier, is recorded as having died after killing Major William Montgomery during the... Continue →
On this date in 1968, the Kingdom of Swaziland was founded.
The start of Integration for MD public schools, and Washington DC public school, 1954
On this day in 1957, Ghana becomes a free self-governing nation. This country will be the first of the British Commonwealth of Nations to be... Continue →
O this date in 1930,tenor saxophonist Theodore Walter "Sonny" Rollins, a powerful force in American jazz, was born.
On this date in 1859, Co-organizer of North Carolina Mutual Life Insurance Company, John Merrick was born.
Tennis champion, Althea Gibson, becomes the first Black athlete to win a US national tennis championship, 1957
On this date in 1981, Roy Wilkins (80), longtime executive director of the NAACP, in New York passes away.
On this date in 1965, Actress Dorothy Danridge (41) dies in Hollywood.
On this date in 1925, prominent Detroit Doctor Ossian Sweet, arrested on murder charges after shots were fired into a mob in front of the Sweet home... Continue →
On this date in 1875, Mississippi Governor Ames requested federal troops to protect Black voters. Attorney General Edward Pierrepont refused the... Continue →
Arthur Ashe became the first winner of the U.S. Open Tennis Championship, defeating Tom Okker of the Netherlands at Forest Hills Stadium, New York.
On this date in 1800, Zion AME Church dedicated in New York City.
On this date in 1981, Vernon E. Jordan resigned as president of the National Urban League and announced plans to join a Washington law firm. He was... Continue →
On this date in 1979, Robert Guillaume wins an Emmy for best actor in a comedy series for Soap
On this date in 1962, Two churches burned near Sasser, Georgia. Black leaders asked the president to stop the "Nazi-like reign of terror in southwest... Continue →
On this date in 1957, Nashville's new Hattie Cotton Elementary School with enrollment of 1 Black and 388 whites virtually destroyed by dynamite... Continue →
On this date in 1957, Rev. F.L. Shuttlesworth mobbed when he attempted to enroll his daughters in "white" Birmingham school.
On this date in 1957, the first civil rights bill to pass Congress since reconstruction was passed by President Eisenhower, 1957
On this date in 1934, Poet Sonia Sanchez was born Wilsonia Benita Driver in Birmingham, Alabama.
On this date in 1915, the father of Black history, Carter G Woodson, founded the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History (ASNLH) . The... Continue →
On this date in 1908, Writer Richard Wright, author of "Native Son" and "Black Boy" was born.
On this date in 1884, John R Lynch Presides over Republican National Convention
On this date in 1817, Captain Paul Cuffe (58), entrepreneur and activist, dies in Westport, Massachusetts.
On this date in 1823, Alexander Lucius Twilight, born free in Vermont, was the first African-American person known to have earned a bachelor's degree... Continue →
On this date in 1816, Kentucky abolitionist and founder of Berea College, John Gregg Fee was born.
On this date in 1806, Abolitionist Sarah Mapps Douglass was born
Early in the Morning on this date in 1739, a Slave rebellion in Stono, South Carolina, was led by a rebel named Jemmy. Early on the morning of... Continue →
Death of Mordecai Johnson (86), first Black president of Howard University, in Washington.
On this day in 1973, a commemorative stamp was issued by the U.S. Postal Service to honor Henry Ossawa Tanner, the first African American artist... Continue →
on this day in 1965, Father Divine, born George Baker, dies in Philadelphia.
On this date in 1962, Supreme Court Justice Hugo Black vacated an order of a lower court, ruling that the University of Mississippi had to admit... Continue →
On this date in 1961, Jomo Kenyatta returns to Kenya from exile to lead his country.
on this date in 1930, Charles E. Mitchell, certified public accountant and banker from West Virginia, named minister to Liberia.
On this date in 1913, George W. Buckner, a physician from Indiana, named minister to Liberia.
On this date in 1916, Cleveland Call established by Cleveland inventor Garrett Morgan and later merged with the Cleveland Post in 1929 to become the... Continue →
On this date in 1847, John Roy Lynch, served in the 43rd, 44th, and 47th Congresses representing the State of Mississippi as a Republican, born. He... Continue →
On this date in 1977, Quincy Jones wins an Emmy for musical composition for the miniseries Roots. It is one of nine Emmy's for the series.
On this date in 1974, Haile Selassie I is deposed from the Ethiopian throne.
On September 11, 1959, Duke Ellington, the legendary jazz composer, pianist, and bandleader, was awarded the prestigious Spingarn Medal by the NAACP... Continue →
On September 11, 1962, a tragic incident occurred during voter registration efforts in the American South, particularly in Mississippi. This event... Continue →
Joseph Harrison Jackson (September 11, 1900 – August 18, 1990) was a prominent African American pastor and leader within the National Baptist... Continue →
Charles Evers, born on September 11, 1923, was an influential American civil rights leader and the brother of Medgar Evers, who was also an important... Continue →
On September 11, 1885, Moses A. Hopkins was appointed as the U.S. Minister to Liberia by President Grover Cleveland. Hopkins was an African American... Continue →
On September 11, 1851, the Christiana Riot (also known as the Christiana Resistance) took place in Christiana, Pennsylvania. This event was a... Continue →
A reference from the Pennsylvania Gazette on September 11, 1740, is considered one of the earliest documented mentions of an African American... Continue →
On September 11, 1977, Quincy Jones won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Musical Composition for a Limited Series, Movie or Special for his work on the... Continue →
On September 11, 1974, Haile Selassie I, the last Emperor of Ethiopia, was deposed after a military coup led by the Derg, a Marxist-Leninist... Continue →
Dr. Mae Jemison became the first African-American woman in space when she launched from the Kennedy Center to join Spacelab J, a joint U.S.-Japanese... Continue →
On this date in 1986, the National Council of Negro Women sponsors its first Black Family Reunion at the National Mall in Washington.
On this date in 1974, Eugene A. Marino, SSJ, is consecrated at the first African American auxiliary bishop in the U.S. He was assigned to Washington,... Continue →
On this date in 1974, Haile Selassie deposed by military leaders after fifty-eight years as the ruling monarch of Ethiopia.
On this date in 1956, Black students entered Clay, Ky., elementary school under National Guard protection. They were barred from the school on... Continue →
On this date in 1952, Floyd Patterson's first professional fight took place. He was the first to hold the world heavyweight championship twice.
On this date in 1947, First Black baseball player in the major leagues, Jackie Robinson, named National League Rookie of the Year.
On this date in 1935, Sculptor Richard H. Hunt who soon became known as one of the "most gifted and assured artist working in the direct open form... Continue →
On this date in 1913, James Cleveland Owens, better known as Jesse Owens, winner of four gold medals at the Summer Olympic Games in Berlin, was born
On this date in 1998, Andre Braugher wins Emmy for Lead Actor in a Drama Series for his role on Homicide: Life on the Street.
ON this date in 1996, the talented and controversial rapper and actor Tupac Shakur dies in Las Vegas at the age of 25 a few days after sustaining 4... Continue →
On this date in 1981, Isabel Sanford wins an Emmy award as best comedic actress for The Jeffersons
On this date in 1972, Two Blacks, Johnny Ford of Tuskegee and A.J. Cooper of Prichard elected mayors in Alabama.
On this date in 1971, Fifteen hundred troopers and officers stormed the Attica Prison. Thirty-two convicts and ten guards were killed. Investigation... Continue →
On this date in 1962, Mississippi Governor Ross R. Barnett defied the federal government in impassioned speech on statewide radio-television hookup,... Continue →
On this date in 1962, President Kennedy denounced the burning of churches in Georgia and supported voter registration drive in the South.
On this date in 1948, Tony Award winning Broadway singer Nell Carter was born.
On this date in 1886, Philosopher and first Black Rhodes Scholar, Alain L. Locke was born.
On this date in 1881, Louis Howard Latimer patents his electric lamp with a carbon filament.
On this date in 1867, Gen. E.R.S. Canby ordered South Carolina courts to impanel Blacks jurors.
On this date in 1663, the First serious slave conspiracy in colonial America. Plot of white servants and slaves in Gloucester County, Va., was... Continue →
On this date in 1967, Track star Michael Johnson was born today
US Cabinet member, Constance Baker Motley was born, 1921
On this date in 1940, Blacks were allowed to enter all branches of the US Military Service, when President Franklin D Roosevelt signs Selective... Continue →
On this date in 1874, White Democrats seized statehouse in Louisiana coup d'etat. President Grant ordered the revolutionaries to disperse, and the... Continue →
Inmates seized Attica State Correctional Facility (N.Y.) and held several guards hostage. They issued a list of demands which included coverage by... Continue →
On this date in 1987, the famous boxer Thomas "Hit Man" Hearns becomes the first Black man to win boxing titles in five different weight classes.
On this date in 1978, Muhammad Ali, was the first black prizefight to gross more than a five-million dollars gate in the bout at the Louisiana... Continue →
On this date in 1969, Large-scale racial disorders were reported in Hartford, Connecticut. Five hundred were arrested and scores were injured.
On this date in 1964, Rev. K.L. Buford and Dr. Stanley Smith were elected to Tuskegee City Council and became first Black elected officials in... Continue →
On this date in 1963, Four Black girls killed in bombing of Sixteenth Street Baptist Church in Birmingham.
ON this date in 1945, Jessye Norman, one the worlds most respected opera singers was born. Jessye was known for her stage presence, vocal range, and... Continue →
ON this date in 1943, Actor and activist, Paul Robeson, portrays Othello for the 296th time at New York City's Shubert Theater.
On this date in 1923, Governor said Oklahoma was in a "state of Virtual rebellion and insurrection" because of KKK activities. Martial Law was... Continue →
On this date in 1898, the National Afro-American Council was founded in Rochester, New York. Bishop Alexander Walters of the AME Zion Church was... Continue →
On this date in 1895, D.D.Palmer the founder of Chiropractic adjusted Harvey Lillard an African America in Davenport Iowa. Mr. Lilllard was deaf and... Continue →
On this date in 1876, White terrorists attacked Republicans in Ellenton, South Carolina. Two whites and thirty-nine Blacks were killed.
On this date in 1852, Inventor Jan E. Matzeliger was born in Dutch Guyana and immigrated to the US in 1878. He patented a shoe lasting machine in... Continue →
On this date in 1830, Philadelphia held the First National Negro Convention.
On this date in 1791, Jonathan Edwards Jr. (1745-1801) preached a strong anti-slavery sermon before "the Connecticut Society for the Promotion of... Continue →
Keenan Ivory Wayans's In Living Color wins an Emmy for Outstanding Comedy Series.
On this dated in 1989, Debbye Turner is crowned Miss America. She is the third African American to win the crown since the inception of the pageant... Continue →
On this date in 1971, Six Klansmen arrested in connection with the bombing of ten school buses in Pontiac, Michigan.
ON this date in 1937, Negro Baseball League player, Orlando Cepeda was born.
On this dated in 1933, Emperor Jones, starring Paul Robeson as Brutus Jones is released by United Artists. It is Robeson's first starring movie role... Continue →
ON this date in 1928, more than 3000 African Americans died when Lake Okeechobee flooded Western Palm Beach County, Florida, with a 10-15 foot tidal... Continue →
On this date in 1925, blues singer Ripley "B.B." King was born in Itta Benna, Mississipi.
On this dated in 1889, in Sanford, Florida of Claude A. Barnett founder of the Associated Negro Press, the first and only Black news wire services in... Continue →
On this dated in 1848, the French abolish slavery in all there territories.
On this date in 1787, U.S. Constitution approved at Philadelphia convention with three clauses protecting slavery.
On this date in 1991, ground is broken for the Harold Washington wing of the DuSable Museum in Chicago, Illinois. Founded by artist and poet Margaret... Continue →
On this date in 1983, Vanessa Williams crowned Miss America. Vanessa Williams was the 1st African American Miss America to be crowned.
On this date in 1973,Illinois becomes the first state to honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday as a holiday.
On this date in 1970, The Flip Wilson Show premieres on NBC. It is the first prime time variety show starring an African American male since the Nat... Continue →
ON this date in 1968, Julia premieres on NBC with Diahann Carroll in the title role. It is the first modern television show to star an African... Continue →
On this date in 1962, Fourth Black church burned near Dawson, Georgia. Three white men later admitted burning the church. They were sentenced to... Continue →
On this date in 1861, it was the First day of school for freedmen founded at Fortress Monroe, Va., with a Black teacher, Mary Peake.
Jada Pinkett Smith, actress, born on this date
On this date in 1990, Atlanta, Ga., led by Mayor Maynard H. Jackson, is selected as the site of the XXV Olympiad Summer Games.
On this date in 1980, Cosmonaut Arnold Tamayo, a Cuban, becomes the first black sent on a mission in space. Arnold Tamayo, along with Soviet... Continue →
On this dated in 1948, Ralph J. Bunche confirmed by United Nations Security Council as acting UN mediator in Palestine.
On this date in 1945, One thousand white students walked out of three, Gary, Ind. schools to protest integration. There were similar disturbances in... Continue →
On this date in 1919, Fritz Pollard becomes the first black to play Professional football for a major team, the Akron Indians. Pollard was also the... Continue →
On this date in 1895, Booker T. Washington delivers the Atlanta Exposition Address at a business convention. Due to his view points, many dubbed his... Continue →
On this date in 1850, as part of the Compromise of 1850, Congress passed the Fugitive Slave Law.
First issue of Emerge magazine goes on sale.
On this date in 1989, Gordon Parks' film The Learning Tree is registered in the National Film Registry of the Library of Congress. It joins other... Continue →
On this date in 1981, more than 300,000 demonstrators from labor and civil rights organizations protested the social policies of the Reagan... Continue →
On this date in 1956, theFirst international conference of Black writes and artists met at the Sorbonne in Paris.
On this date in 1941, Singer Otis Redding born in Dawson, GA
On this date in 1931, Brook Benton, holder of 16 gold records including "A Rainy Night in Georgia", was born
On this date in 1881, Booker T. Washington opens Tuskegee Institute in Alabama
On this date in 1868, White Democrats attacked demonstrators, who were marching from Albany to Camilla, Ga., and killed nine Blacks. Several whites... Continue →
Alfre Woodard wins an Emmy for outstanding guest performance in the dramatic series L.A. Law. It is her second Emmy award, her first having been for... Continue →
On this date in 1984, The Cosby Show premieres on NBC.
On this date in 1962, Governor Barnett personally denied James H. Meredith admission to the University of Mississippi.
On this date in 1958, Martin Luther King Jr. stabbed in chest by a deranged Black woman while he was autographing books in a Harlem department store.... Continue →
On this date in 1885, Pianist Ferdinand "Jelly Roll" Morton was born in New Orleans, Louisiana.
On this date in 1847, William A. Leidesdorf elected to San Francisco town council receiving the third highest vote. Leidesdorf, who was one of the... Continue →
On this date in 1830, the First Negro Convention of Free Men agreed to start their boycott on slave-produced goods.
On this date in 1830, the First National Black convention met at Philadelphia's Bethel AME church and elected Richard Allen president. Thirty-eight... Continue →
On this date in 1664, Maryland enacted first anti-amalgamation law to prevent widespread intermarriage of English women and Black men. Other colonies... Continue →
Inventor, FW Leslie, patents the envelope seal, 1891
On this date in 1989, General Colin Powell named Chairman of the joint Chiefs of Staff.
On this date in 1966, National Guard mobilized to stop rioting in Dayton, Ohio.
On this date in 1961, Southern Regional Council announced that Sit-in movement had effected twenty states and more than one hundred cities in... Continue →
On this date in 1947, Archbishop Joseph E. Ritter said he would excommunicate St. Louis Catholics who continued to protest integration of parochial... Continue →
On this date in 1872, John Henry Conyers of South Carolina became the first Black student at Annapolis Naval Academy. He later resigned.
On this date in 1832, Maria W. Stewart (1803-1879) addresses the New England Anti-Slavery Society meeting in Boston's Franklin Hall on the evils of... Continue →
On this date in 1814, Blacks fight in the land and water battles of the War of 1812. A large number of Black sailors fought with Matthew Perry and... Continue →
On this date in 1814, Andrew Jackson issued Proclamation at Mobile, Ala., urging free Blacks "to rally around the standard of the eagle" in the War... Continue →
Sprinter Florence Griffith-Joyner, winner of 3 gold and a silver medal at the 1988 Olympics, dies. She was 38.
On this date in 1961, Interstate Commerce Commission issued regulation prohibiting segregation on interstate buses and in terminal facilities.
On this date in 1954, actress Shari Belafonte, daughter of singer Harry Belafonte, born in New York City.
On this date in 1905, a race riot in Atlanta occurred and ten Blacks and two whites killed. Martial law proclaimed.
On this dated in 1863, the First Black person to Serve on the DC board of education, Mary Church Terrell was born.
On this date in 1862, President Lincoln, in preliminary Emancipation Proclamation, warned South that he would free slaves in all states in rebellion... Continue →
Lou Brock stole a record of 935th bases and became the all-time major league record holder.
On this date in 1951, President Kennedy named Thurgood Marshall to U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
On this date in 1954, Playwright George C. Wolfe was born
On this date in 1930, Blind composer, singer and musician Ray Charles Robinson born in Albany, Georgia.
ON this date in 1926, Innovative and famed jazz musician, John Coltrane was born.
On this dated in 1884, Judy W. Reed patents dough kneader and roller, Patent No. 305,474
Executive Order 11246 enforces affirmative action for the first time Issued by President Johnson, the executive order requires government contractors... Continue →
On this date in 1986, Japanese Prime Minister Yasuhiro Nakasone said the United States "intelligence levels are lower than those in Japan because of... Continue →
On this date in 1977, John T. Walker installed as the first Black bishop of the Episcopal diocese of Washington.
On this date in 1962, U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ordered Board of Higher Education of Mississippi to admit Meredith to the university or be held... Continue →
On this date in 1957, President Eisenhower ordered federal troops to Little Rock, Ark., to prevent interference with school integration at Central... Continue →
On this date in 1957, Soldiers of 101st Airborne Division escorted nine Black students to Central High school.
On this date in 1954, Patrick Kelly, first and only American fashion designer admitted to an exclusive organization of French fashion designers, was... Continue →
On this dated in 1953, Take a Giant Step, drama by playwright Louis Peterson, opened on Broadway.
On this date in 1935, World Heavyweight Champion, Joe Louis, becomes the first Black boxer to draw a million dollar gate. 88,000 fans paid out... Continue →
On this dated in 1931, Representative Cardiss Robertson Collins, elected the U.S. House of Representatives was born
On this date in 1894, Sociologist and author Edward Franklin Frazier was born on this day. During his lofe time Frazier published 8 books, 89... Continue →
On this date in 1883, National Black convention met in Louisville, Kentucky.
On this date in 1825, Author Frances Ellen Watkins Harper was born. In 1859, she became the first black woman to publish a short story. Her only... Continue →
Barbara W Hancock becomes the first Black woman named a White House fellow, 1974
On this date in 1991, Spencer Williams's 1942 movie Blood of Jesus is among the third group of 25 films added to the Library of Congress's National... Continue →
ON thi sdate in 1962, A Black church was destroyed by fire in Macon, Georgia. This was the eighth church burned in Georgia since August 15.
On this date in 1962, Governor Barnett again defied court orders and personally denied Meredith admission to the University.
On this date in 1962, Sonny Liston knocks out Floyd Patterson in the first round to become the world heavyweight boxing champion
ON this date in 1886, Peter "The Black Prince" Jackson wins the Australian heavyweight title, becoming the very first Black man to win a national... Continue →
On this date in 1861, The Secretary of the Navy authorizes the enlistment of African Americans in the Union Navy. The enlistees could achieve no rank... Continue →
Tennis sensation Serena Williams born on this date.
On this date in 1968, The Studio Museum of Harlem opens in NYC
On this date in 1962, Mississippi barred Meredith for the third time. Lt. Gov. Paul Johnson and a blockade of state patrolmen turned back Meredith... Continue →
On this date in 1962, A. Leon Higginbotham, Jr., becomes the first African American member of the Federal Trade Commission. He was also appointed a... Continue →
On this date in 1957, an order alerting regular army units for possible riot duty in other Southern cities canceled by Army Secretary Wilbur M.... Continue →
On this date in 1937, Singer Bessie Smith dies of injuries sustained in an automobile accident near Clarksdale, Mississippi.
On this dated in 1929, Biochemist Ida Stephens Owens was born. Owens received a PhD. in Biology-Physiology from Duke University in 1967. At the... Continue →
On this dated in 1907, The People's Savings Bank is incorporated in Philadelphia by former African American congressman George H. White of North... Continue →
On this date in 1899, William Levi Dawson, composer and arranger of music, was born in Anniston, Alabama. Among his songs are, "I Couldn't Hear... Continue →
On this dated in 1867, Business and civic leader, Maggie L Walker was born.
School integration began in Washington, D.C., and Baltimore, Md., public schools.
On this date in 1967, Washington D.C.'s Anacostia Museum dedicated to informing the community of contributions by African Americans to U.S.... Continue →
On this date in 1966, the National Guard was mobilizing in San Francisco.
On this date in 1950, Ezzard Charles defeated Joe Louis in heavyweight championship fight in New York City.
On this date in 1950, Charles H. Houston awarded the Spingarn Medal posthumously for his pioneering work in developing the NAACP legal campaign.
On this date in 1940, Black leaders protested discrimination in the armed forces and war industries at a White House meeting with President Roosevelt.
On this date in 1915, Xavier University, the first Black Catholic college in the US, opens in New Orleans.
On this date in 1912, The first blues song, William Christopher Handy publishes Memphis Blues, 1912
On this date in 1877, John Mercer Langston named minister of Haiti.
ON this date in 1876, Edward Mitchell Bannister wins a bronze medal for his painting Under the Oaks at the American Centennial Exposition, in... Continue →
On this date in 1875, Branch Normal College opens in Pine Bluff, Arkansas. Branch Normal College was a segregated unit of the state university, the... Continue →
On this date in 1867, Louisiana voters endorsed constitutional convention and elected delegates in first election under Reconstruction acts. The vote... Continue →
On this date in 1862, First Louisiana Native Guards, the first Black regiment to receive official recognition, mustered into army. Regiment was... Continue →
On this date in 1827, Hiram R. Revels, first Black U.S. senator, was born free in Fayetteville, North Carolina.
Jazz trumpeter and composer Miles Davis died in Santa Monica, California from complications following a stroke. He was 65.
On this date in 1986, Shirley Ajayi was the first African American given a part on a television show as a psychic! The show lasted for about one... Continue →
On this date in 1961, Purlie Victorious, a farce by playwright Ossie Davis, opened on Broadway. This stage play was written by and stars Ossie Davis... Continue →
Mabel Fairbanks, 85, the first black women to be inducted into the U.S. Figure Skating Hall of Fame died following a long illness. Fairbanks coached... Continue →
Mike Powell broke the world long jump world record when he jumped 8.95 meters at a meet in Tokyo. The previous mark-8.90 meters-was set by Bob Beamon... Continue →
Virgie M. Ammons of Eglon, West Virginia "Inside the fireplace chimney is a device called a "Damper". The damper is opened and closed to allow smoke... Continue →
Black Panther party founded in Oakland, California by Huey Newton and Bobby Seale.
On this date in 1991, Dr. Mary Schmidt Campbell, art historian, becomes dean of New York University's Tisch School of the Arts.
On this date in 1962, Some twelve thousand federal soldiers restored order on the University of Mississippi campus. James H. Meredith, escorted by... Continue →
On this date in 1962, Joe Black becomes the first black pitcher to win a World Series game. The Dodgers defeated the New York Yankees 4-2. Black was... Continue →
On this date in 1952, Juanita James was born. She is a writer, who has been coined, "The gatekeeper of prose."
On this date in 1951, The Twenty-fourth Infantry Regiment, last of all-Black units military units authorized by Congress in 1866, deactivated in... Continue →
Donny Hathaway, the legendary R&B singer and songwriter, was born on September 1, 1945. Known for his soulful voice and heartfelt performances,... Continue →
Thurgood Marshall is sworn in, and becomes the first Black Supreme Court Justice.
William Tecumseh Sherman occupied Atlanta. In series of battles around Chaffin's Farm in suburb of Richmond, Black troops captured entrenchments at... Continue →
ON this date in 1989, Jump Start premieres in 40 newspapers in the U.S. It is created by 26 year old Robb Armstrong, the youngest African American to... Continue →
ON this date in 1986, the U.S. Senate overrides President Ronald Reagan's veto of legislation imposing economic sanctions in South Africa.
On this date in 1986, President Ronald Reagan appointed Edward J. Perkins ambassador to South Africa.
On this date in 1935, Robert H Lawrence (Named the first Black astronaut), was born on this date.
Ex-football star O.J. Simpson is cleared today of murdering his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ronald Goldman.
ON this date in 1979, artist Charles White (61) dies in Los Angeles.
On this date in 1974, Frank Robinson named manager of the Cleveland Indians and became the first Black manager in the major leagues.
On this day in 1956, Nat King Cole was the first black performer to host his own tv show.
ON this date in 1949, the First Black radio station, WERD, begins operating in Atlanta, Georgia.
ON this day in 1941, Singer Chubby Checker was born. Born Ernest Evans, in Philadelphia. Checker was best known for "The Twist" a hit song that soon... Continue →
On this date in 1935, Ethiopia, one of the only two independent African nations at the time, was invaded by Facist Italy under Benito Mussolini. The... Continue →
ON this date in 1904, Mary McLeod Bethune opened Daytona Normal and Industrial School in Daytona Beach, Florida. In 1923 the school merged with... Continue →
On this date in 1856, Timothy ("T.") Thomas Fortune was born on this day.
On this date in 1974, Professional baseball player, Frank Robinson,becomes the manager of the Cleveland Indians and the first Black manager of a... Continue →
Elgin Baylor announces his retirement from the Los Angeles Lakers. After 14 years in the NBA, Baylor had scored 23,149 points, the third highest in... Continue →
On this date in 1996, Congress passed a bill authorizing the creation of 500,000 Black Revolutionary War Patriots Commemorative coins.
On this date in 1988, the Martin L. King, Jr. Federal Building is dedicated in Atlanta, Ga. It is the first federal building in the nation to bear... Continue →
ON this date in 1982, Rayford Logan, educator, historian, author, dies
On this date in 1969, Howard N. Lee and Charles Evers are elected the first African American mayors of Chapel Hill, N.C. and Fayette, Miss.,... Continue →
On this date in 1864, the New Orleans Tribune, the first black daily newspaper, was founded by Dr. Louis C. Roudanez. The newspaper, published in... Continue →
On this date in 1864, National Black convention met in Syracuse, New York.
ON this date in 1966, The Kingdom of Lesotho declared its independence
Congresswoman, Yvonne Burke, born, 1932.
On this day in 1777, African Americans Replaced Reluctant Whites as, losses on the field of battle and rising White desertions reduced the... Continue →
On this date in 1872, Educator, Booker T Washington, leaves Malden, West VA to enter Hampton Institute.
On this date in 1869, the First Reconstruction legislature (27 Blacks, 150 whites) met in Richmond, Virginia.
On this date in 1867, Monroe Baker, a well-to-do Black businessman, named mayor of St. Martin, Louisiana, two years after the end of slavery. Monroe... Continue →
On this date in 1971, John A. Wilkinson's marriage to Lorraine Mary Turner was the first legalized interracial marriage in North Carolina. Wilkinson... Continue →
On this date in 1895, W.D. Davis patented an improved riding saddle. Davis invented his saddle while serving as a buffalo soldier, African American... Continue →
On this date in 1871, Fisk Jubilee Singers began first national tour.
ON this date in 1868, Black state convention at Macon, Georgia, protested expulsion of Black politicians from Georgia legislature.
ON this date in 1847, National Black convention met in Troy, N.Y., with more than 60 delegates from nine states. Nathan Johnson of Massachusetts was... Continue →
Writer, Toni Morrison, awarded the Nobel Prize in literature, 1993
On this date in 1988,Jazz and ballad singer Billy Daniels dies in Los Angeles.
On this date in 1934, Playwright Imamu Amiri Baraka born Everett LeRoi Jones in Newark, New Jersey.
ON this date in 1931, Archbishop Desmond Mpilo Tutu born.
ON this date in 1897, Elijah Poole, aka The Honorable Elijah Muhammad, born
On this date in 1891, Archibald John Motley, painter, born
On this date in 1890, Humphrey H. Reynolds, patents Safety Gate for Bridges, Patent No. 437,937
On this date in 1888, Sargent C. Johnson, pioneering artist of the Harlem Renaissance , known for his wood, cast stone, and ceramic sculptures, born
On this date in 1873, Henry E. Hayne, secretary of state, accepted as the first student of color at the University of South Carolina medical school.... Continue →
ON this date in 1821, William Still, Chronicler of The Underground Railroad Records, was born.
Police officers and Blacks exchanged sniper fire on Chicago's West Side. One youth was killed and nine policemen were injured.
On this date in 1941, Activist and 1988 candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination, Rev Jesse Jackson, born in Greenville, Sounth Carolina.
On this date in 1775, Council of general officers decided to bar slaves and free Blacks from Continental Army.
ON this date in 1991, Korean store owner shoots and kills teenager Latasha Harlins in the back of the head. Despite widespread protests, the store... Continue →
On this date in 1984, W Wilson Goode becomes the 1st African American mayor of Philadelphia
On this date in 1940, the White House released a statement which said that government "policy is not to intermingle colored and white enlisted... Continue →
ON this date in 1888, Obadiah. B. Clare, patents Trestle, Patent# 390,753
ON this date in 1823, Mary Ann Shadd, publisher of Canada's first antislavery newspaper, The Provincial Freeman and the first woman in North American... Continue →
On this date in 1806, Mathematician Benjamin Banneker (74) dies, in Ellicott's Mills, Maryland.
Jazz pianist Theolonius Monk is born in Rocky Mount, NC. He was only one of 3 jazz musicians ever featured on the cover of Time magazine.
Inventor Isaac R.Johnson patented his frame of a bicycle which can be separated or folded to store in the trunk of a car or other small places. This... Continue →
ON this date in 1978, Congressman Ralph H. Metcalfe (68) dies in Chicago.
On this date in 1966, The Black Panther Party Founded October 10, 1966 Oakland, California by Huey P. Newton annd Bobby Seale
On this date in 1961, Otis M. Smith appointed to Michigan Supreme Court. Otis M. Smith Scholarship
On this date in 1935, Porgy and Bess premieres in New York City
On this date in 1901, Frederick Douglass Patterson, veterinarian and founder of the United Negro College Fund, born
On this date in 1874, South Carolina Republicans carried election with reduced margin. Republican tickets was composed of four whites and four... Continue →
On this date in 1863, The first exclusively Black parish in the United States was Saint Francis Xavier Church in Baltimore, Maryland. It was... Continue →
On this date in 1972, Prison uprising, Washington, D.C., jail.
On this date in 1939, the NAACP organizes the Education Fund and Legal Defense.
ON this date in 1898, C.O. Bailiff patented the shampoo headrest. Patent #US612008 A
On this date in 1887, the elevator as well as safety devices for elevators where invented by Alexander Miles, Patent # 371,207
On this date in 1865, Jamaican national hero, Paul Bogle, leads a successful protest march to the Morant Bay Courthouse.
Basketball legend, Wilt Chamberlain, died today at age 63.
Richard ("Dick") Gregory was born on this day.
On this date in 1814, General Jackson Reneges On His Promise: General Jackson, on order to prepare to meet Packenham, the British General, in the... Continue →
ON this date in 1972, 46 Black and white sailors injured in race riot on the aircraft carrier Kitty Hawk of North Vietnam.
On this date in 1945, Jesse James Payne was lynched in Madison County, Florida.
Nightclub comedian and actor Nipsey Russell born in Buffalo, New York.
ON this date in 1980, an unprovoked slayings of six Blacks in Buffalo, New York, triggered demands for national investigation. Spingarn Medal awarded... Continue →
ON this date in 1970, Angela Davis arrested in New York City and charged with unlawful flight to avoid persecution for her alleged role in California... Continue →
On this date in 1926, First Black naval aviator, Jesse Leroy Brown was born.
ON this date in 1919, a Race riot occurred in , Elaine, Phillips County, Arkansas. Five whites and 25 to 50 Blacks reported killed. 76 Blacks were... Continue →
O this date in 1914, Garrett T Morgan patents the gas mask. Patent #US1113675 A
On this date in 1902, Noted poet, Arna W Bontemps was born.
On thus date in 1901, First Black delegate to United Nations, Edith Sampson was born.
On this day, Martin Luther King Jr became the youngest man ever to win the Nobel Peace Prize.
On this date in 1999, the governor of Pennsylvania, Thomas Ride, signs the death warrant for Mumia Abu-Jamal. Mumia is charged with the early... Continue →
ON this date in 1999, Former Tanzanian President Julius Nyerere dies at the age of 77 from leukemia. Nyerere was lauded as one of the greatest... Continue →
ON this date in 1971, Two killed in Memphis racial disturbances.
On this date in 1969, a race riot occurred in Springfield, Massachusetts.
On this date in 1958, the District of Columbia Bar Association votes to accept African Americans as members.
On this date in 1916, Sophomore tackle Paul Robeson is excluded from the Rutgers football team when Washington and Lee University refused to play... Continue →
On this date in 1902, William Boyd Allison Davis, a leading social anthropologist and educator, challenged the cultural bias of standardized... Continue →
On this date in 1864, The first African American daily newspaper, the New Orleans Tribune is published in both French and English.
On this date in 1834, Harry Blair patents his corn-planting machine. The planter resembled a wheelbarrow, with a compartment to hold the seed and... Continue →
Judge Clarence Thomas is confirmed as the 106th associate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, its second African American.
On this date in 1974, National Guard mobilized to restore order in Boston school busing crisis.
On this date in 1969, Wyomia Tyus becomes the first person to win a gold medal in the 100 meter race in two consecutive Olympic games.
ON this date in 1949, William Hastie nominated for the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. He was the first Black to sit on the court.
ON this date in 1890, Alabama Penny Savings Bank organized in Birmingham.
ON this date in 1883, U.S. Supreme Court declared Civil Rights Act of 1875 unconstitutional.
On this date in 1877, the Forty-fifth Congress (1877-79) convened. One U.S. senator, Blanche K. Bruce, Mississippi. Three U.S. congressmen: Richard... Continue →
On this date in 1859, John Brown whom was an abolitionist took direct action to free slaves by force. He led a raid on Harpers Ferry, in mid-October... Continue →
Nation of Islam's Minister Louis Farrakhan called over one million black men together in Washington DC for "A Day of Atonement and Reconciliation".... Continue →
On this date in 1984, Bishop Desmond Tutu, Awarded Nobel Peace Prize, African activist.
On this date in 1973, Maynard Jackson elected mayor of Atlanta.
ON this date in 1968, John Carlos and Tommie Smith staged Black Power demonstration on victory stand after winning 200-meter event at Olympics in... Continue →
ON this date in 1940, Benjamin Oliver Davis Sr. named the first Black general in the regular army.
On this date in 1922, Leon Howard Sullivan was born on this day.
On this date in 1917, Fannie Lou Hamer was born.
On this date in 1901, Booker T. Washington dined at the White House with President Roosevelt and was criticized in the South.
On this date in 1895, National Medical Association founded in Atlanta.
On this date in 1876, Race riot, Cainhoy, South Carolina. Five whites and one Black killed.
On this date in 1872, South Carolina Republicans carried election with a ticket of four whites and four Blacks: Richard H. Gleaves, lieutenant... Continue →
ON this date in 1859, John Brown attacked Harpers Ferry, Virginia, with thirteen white men and five Blacks. Two of the five Blacks were killed, two... Continue →
On this date in 1855, more than one hundred delegates from six states held a Black convention in Philadelphia. John Mercer Langston, one of the first... Continue →
On this date in 1849, George Washington Williams, the first major Black historian, born in Bedford Springs, Pennsylvania.
ON this date in 1849, Charles L. Reason named professor of belles-lettres and French at Central College, McGrawville, New York. William G. Allen and... Continue →
ON this date in 1849, Avery College established in Allegheny, Pennsylvania.
Author Lerone Bennett, Jr. was born on this day.
On this date in 1969, Dr. Clifton R. Wharton Jr. elected president of Michigan State University and became the first Black to head a major,... Continue →
On this date in 1956, Mae C. Jemison was born the youngest of three children of Charlie and Dorothy Jemison, a maintenance worker and schoolteacher.... Continue →
On this date in 1888, Capital Savings Bank of Washington, D.C., the first Black bank, opened in Washington, D.C. The Savings Bank of the Order of... Continue →
On this date in 1871, President Grant suspended the writ of habeas corpus and declared martial law in nine South Carolina counties affected by Klan... Continue →
On this date in 1817, Samuel Ringgold Ward, minister, abolitionist, author, born on the Eastern Shore of Maryland.
On this date in 1787, Prince Hall submitted, to the State Legislature of Boston, Massachusetts, a petition asking for equal educational rights. His... Continue →
On this date in 1720, Jupiter Hammon, a writer and self-educated Calvinist, who was born a slave. Hammon is believed to be the first black poet... Continue →
On this date in 1926, Rock and roll innovator Charles "Chuck" Edward Berry born in San Jose, California, and later taken to St. Louis Missouri, where... Continue →
World long jump was beat by Bob Beamon, record at 29 ft, 2.5 in at the Mexico City Olympics
On this date in 1951, Novelist, editor, and educator Terry McMillan was born on this day. Ms. McMillan will reach acclaim for her books "Mama",... Continue →
On this date in 1948, Born Paulette Williams, she graduated from Barnard College in 1970, and later earned an MA from the University of Southern... Continue →
ON this date in 1945, Actor, singer, athlete and activist, Paul Robeson, receives Spingarn Medal, 1945
Martin Luther King Jr. arrested in Atlanta sit-in and ordered to serve four months in the Georgia State Prison for violating a probated traffic... Continue →
On this date in 1983, Grenada's U.S. educated Prime Minister Maurice Bishop killed in a military coup.
ON this date in 1960, John F. Kennedy, Democratic presidential candidate, called Mrs. Martin Luther King Jr. and expressed his concern about the... Continue →
On this date in 1943, Theater Guild presentation of Othello opened at Shubert Theater with Paul Robeson in title role. Production ran for 296... Continue →
On this date in 1936, Johnetta Betsch Cole was born on this day.
On this date in 1870, First Blacks elected to the House of Representatives. Black Republicans won three of the four congressional seats in South... Continue →
On this date in 1870, Republicans swept South Carolina elections with a ticket of six whites and two Blacks: Alonzo Ransier, lieutenant governor;... Continue →
On this date in 1859, Co-founder of Virginia State College, Byrd Prillerman, born.
Sixty leading Southern Blacks issued "Durham Manifesto" calling for fundamental changes in race relations after a Durham, North Carolina, meeting.
Born October 20, 1904 in Willow Grove, Pennsylvania, Enolia Pettigen McMillan became the first female president of the National Association for the... Continue →
On this date in 1898, North Carolina Mutual and Provident Insurance Company founded by John Merrick and associates in Durham, North Carolina as the... Continue →
Patent # 4,618,380 George E. Alcorn (Reston, VA) patents method of fabricating an imaging X-ray spectrometer.
ON this date in 1994, Dexter Scott King, youngest son of Martin Luther King Jr and Coretta Scott King, is named head of Southern Christian Leadership... Continue →
On this date in 1994, Charles Edward Anderson the first African American to earn a Ph.D. in Meteorology; dies. In 1960, Charles Edward Anderson... Continue →
On this date in 1989, Bertram M. Lee and Peter C.B. Bynoe sign an agreement to purchase the National Basketball Association's Denver Nuggets for $54... Continue →
On this date in 1980, Valerie Thomas invented the illusion transmitter. Patent #US4229761.
On this date in 1979, The Black Fashion Museum is opened in Harlem by Lois Alexander to highlight the achievements and contributions of African... Continue →
On this date in 1950, The first NBA Black Assistant Coach and first Black chief scout, Earl Lloyd, becomes the first Black person to play in an NBA... Continue →
On this date in 1917, Dizzy Gillespie, trumpeter & pioneer of 'behop' jazz was born.
On this date in 1872, John H Conyers becomes the first African American to enter the US Naval Academy.
On this date in 1865, Jamaican national hero, George William Gordon, is unfairly arrested and sentenced to death.
Birthday of Bobby Seale in Dallas, TX, co-founder and former chairman of the Black Panther Party.
ON this date in 1963, some 225,000 students boycotted Chicago schools in Freedom Day protest of de facto segregation.
On this date in 1955, the first black post office open, Atlanta Georgia.
ON this date in 1953, Clarence S. Green becomes the first African-American certified in neurological surgery.
On this date in 1950, Charles Cooper joins the NBA and becomes one of the first Blacks to play in an NBA game.
On this date in 1950, Nat Clifton joins the NBA and becomes one of the first Blacks to play in an NBA game.
On this date in 1906, 3000 blacks demonstrated and rioted in Philadelphia to protest a theatrical presentation of Thomas Dixon's The Clansman. 62... Continue →
NAACP petition on racism, "An Appeal to the World," presented to United Nations at Lake Success.
ON this date in 1940, in Tres Coracoes, in the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais, Edson Arantes do Nascimento, generally known as Pelé, is born.
On this date in 1911, Three organizations the Committee for Improving the Industrial Conditions of Negroes in New York, the Committee on Urban... Continue →
On this date in 1775, Continental Congress approved resolution barring African Americans from the army. Although, throughout the war, Washington, the... Continue →
Death of Jack Roosevelt ("Jackie") Robinson (53), first Black in major leagues in twentieth century, in Stamford, Connecticut.
On this date in 1994, William Jefferson Clinton presented her with the Charles Frankel Award from the National Endowment for the Humanities
On this date in 1948, Rep. Kweisi Mfume who was born Frizzell Gray in Baltimore, Maryland. In 1996 Mfume became president of the NAACP.
Ot this date in 1935, the first Black-authored play to become a long-run Broadway hit, Langston Hughes' "Mulatto" opens, 1935
On this date in 1935, Italy invaded Ethiopia. American Blacks held mass meetings of protest and raised funds for the Ethiopian defenders.
On this date in 1923, Department of Labor said some 500,000 Blacks had left the South in the preceding twelve months.
On this date in 1892, In New Orleans, 25,000 Black workers strike.
Evander Holyfield knocks out James "Buster" Douglas in the third round to become the undisputed world heavyweight champion.
On this date in 1988, two units of the Ku Klux Klan and eleven individuals are ordered to pay $ 1 million to African Americans who were attacked... Continue →
On this date in 1976, Gov. George Wallace granted a full pardon to Clarence ("Willie") Norris, the last known survivor of the nine Scottsboro Boys... Continue →
On this date in 1958, ten thousand students, led by Jackie Robinson, Harry Belfonte and A. Phillip Randolph, participated in the Youth March for... Continue →
On this date in 1940, Committee on the Participation of Negroes in the National Defense Program met with President Roosevelt.
On this date in 1940, Benjamin O Davis becomes the first Black general in US Army.
ON this date in 1925, Emmett W. Chappelle was born in Phoenix, Arizona. He received a Bachelor of Science in 1950 from the University of California,... Continue →
On this date in 1915, Attorney James L. Curtis named minister of Liberia.
On this date in 1892, Lincoln F. Brown patents Bridle bit. Patent No. 484,994
Gospel singer, Mahalia Jackson, born, 1911
On this date in 1977, Dr. Clifford R. Wharton Jr. named chancellor of the State University of New York.
ON this date in 1934, at a New York City conference, representatives of the NAACP and the American Fund for Public Service planned a coordinated... Continue →
On this date in 1921, Solomon Porter Hood named minister to Liberia.
On this date in 1876, President sent federal troops to South Carolina.
On this date in 1868, White terrorists killed several Blacks in St. Bernard Parish, near New Orleans.
On this dated in 1868, B.F. Randolph, state senator and chairman of the state Republic party, assassinated in daylight at Hodges Depot in Abbevile,... Continue →
On this dated in 1806, Benjamin Banneker, inventor and scientist, dies at the age of 74. In 1753, he borrowed a pocket watch from a well-to-do... Continue →
On this date in 1749, British Parliament legalizes slavery in the colony known now as the state of Georgia.
Ruby Dee (Born Ruby Ann Wallace) was born on this day.
On this dated in 1981, Andrew Young, Former UN Ambassador, elected mayor of Atlanta.
On this date in 1978, President Carter signed Hawkins-Humphrey full employment bill.
On this date in 1960, Martin Luther King Jr. released on bond from the Georgia State Prison in Reidsville. Political observers said the Kennedy call... Continue →
On this date in 1954, B.O. Davis Jr. became the first Black general in the U.S. Air Force.
On this date in 1891, P. B. Downing's Street Letter Mail Box patented. Patent No. 462,096 and a patent #462,093 for the mailbox (letterbox).
On this date in 1981, Edward M. McIntrye elected first Black mayor of Augusta, Georgia.
On this date in 1914, Omega Psi Phi Fraternity incorporated,founded at Howard University.
On this date in 1862, First Kansas Colored Volunteers repulsed and drove off superior force of rebels at Island Mound, Missouri. This was the first... Continue →
On this date in 1798, Founder of The Underground Railroad, Levi Coffin was born.
Muhammad Ali regains world heavyweight boxing title.
On this date in 1994, Pearl Primus dies. Primus, who founded her own dance company in 1946, was best known for her "primitive" dances. She was famed... Continue →
On this date in 1981, William O. Walker (85), publisher of the Cleveland Call and Post newspaper, dies. In 1932, Walker became the publisher and... Continue →
On this date in 1969, U.S. Supreme Court said school systems must end segregation "at once" and "operate now and hereafter only unitary schools." In... Continue →
On this date in 1947, President's Committee on Civil Rights condemned racial injustices in America when ity published the formal report, "To Secure... Continue →
On this date in 1945, Actress Melba Moore was born in New York city.
On this date in 1929, the stock market collapsed bringing on the beginning of the Great Depression. By 1937, 26 percent of Black males were... Continue →
On this date in 1924, Dixie to Broadway, "the first real revue by Negroes," opened at Broadhurst Theater, New York City, with Florence Mills in... Continue →
On this date in 1923, Runnin' Wild opened at Colonial Theater, Broadway. Miller and Lyles Productions introduced Charleston to New York and the... Continue →
BET Holdings, Inc. the parent company of Black Entertainment Television sells 4.2 million shares of stock in an initial public offering on the NYSE,... Continue →
On this date in 1989, Frank Mingo, one of the pioneering advertising executives who specialized in targeting African American consumers, dies. He... Continue →
On this date in 1979, Richard Arrington was elected the first Black mayor of Birmingham, Alabama.
On this date in 1976, Reverend Joseph H. Evans elected president of the United Church of Christ.
On this dated in 1974, Muhammad Ali defeated George Foreman for heavyweight boxing title in Zaire.
On this date in 1966, Huey Newton and Bobby Seale students at a California college create the Black Panther Party for Self Defense.
On this dated in 1954, Defense Department announced elimination of all segregated regiments in the armed forces.
On this date in 1831, Nat Turner is captured after his role in the Slave Revolt that took place in Southampton county, Virginia on August 21, 1831.
W.F. Burr patents Switching device Oct.31,1899 Patent # 636,197
On this dated in 1969, a Race riot occurred in Jacksonville, Florida.
On this date in 1945, Educator, Booker T Washington, inducted into the Hall of Fame for Great Americans.
On this dated in 1900, Actor and singer, Ethel Waters was born.
On this date in 1893, Football player, William Henry Lewis, named All-American.
On this dated in 1820, The "Emancipator," the first anti-slavery magazine, was issued monthly from April 30 to October 31, 1820. It was edited and... Continue →
Jet magazine founded by John H. Johnson, publisher of Ebony magazine.
On this date in 1796, an African Free School opened in New York. It was the the first school for Blacks in America opened. The African Free School... Continue →
On this date in 1995, South Africans voted in their first all-race local government elections, completing the destruction of the apartheid system.
On this date in 1964, Dr. Charles S. Johnson became the first Black president of Fisk University.
On this date in 1942, John H. Johnson published first issue of Negro Digest.
On this date in 1927, Dancer and singer Florence Mills (32) dies in New York City.
ON this dated in 1910, Activist, WEB Dubois, begins publication of the NAACP monthly magazine, Crisis.
ON this date in 1898, C. W. Allen Self-leveling table. Patent No.613,436
On this date in 1989, Renowned attorney Sadie Tanner Mossell Alexander dies in Philadelphia.
President Ronald Reagan signs law designating the third Monday in January Martin Luther King Jr Day, in 1983
On this date in 1976, Jimmy Carter, former governor of Georgia, elected president with strong support from Black voters.
On this date in 1976, Seventeen Black congressmen reelected.
On this date in 1954, Spingarn Medal presented to Dr. Theodore K. Lawles for his research on skin-related diseases.
On this date in 1954, Charles C. Diggs Jr. of Detroit elected Michigan's first Black congressman.
On this dated in 1930, upon the death of the Ethiopian Empress Zawditu, Haile Selassie was crowned emperor of Ethiopia.
On this dated in 1903, Business and civic leader, Maggie L Walker, opens the St Luke Penny Savings Bank in Richmond, Virginia.
On this date in 1893, Daniel A. Payne died. The sixth bishop of the American Methodist Episcopal Church, Payne was the first African American... Continue →
On this date in 1889 Menelik II was crowned Negusa-Nagast (King of Kings) of Abysinnia, Ethiopia. By 1899 Abysinnia had extended as far as Kenya in... Continue →
On this dated in 1880, Republican James A. Garfield elected president.
On this date in 1875, Democrats suppressed Black vote by fraud and violence and carried Mississippi election. "The Mississippi Plan" staged riots,... Continue →
Carol Mosely Braun, a Democrat from Illinois, becomes the 1st African American woman elected to the United States Senate.
On this dated in 1983, Jesse Jackson announces his candidacy for the office of President of the US.
On this date in 1981, Thurman L Milnet was elected mayor of Hartford CT, 1981
On this date in 1981, Coleman Young reelected mayor of Detroit. Thurman L. Milner elected mayor of Hartford, Connecticut. James Chase elected mayor... Continue →
On this date in 1979, Klansmen fired on an anti-Klan rally in Greensboro, N.C., and killed five persons.
On this date in 1974, Harold Ford elected congressman from TN.
On this date in 1970, Twelve Blacks elected to the Ninety-second Congress, including five new congressmen: Ralph H. Metcalfe (Ill.), George Collins... Continue →
On this dated in 1970, Wilson Riles elected superintendent of Public instruction in California. Richard Austin elected secretary of state in Michigan.
On this date in 1964, A.W. Willis, Jr., was elected to the General Assembly making him the first black to hold this position.
On this date in 1964, John Conyers Jr. elected to House of Representatives from Detroit.
On this date in 1949, boxer Larry Holmes who began his career around age 13 was born. He would win the heavyweight title in 1970 and defend it some... Continue →
On this date in 1945, Spingarn Medal presented to Paul Robeson "for his outstanding achievement in the theater, on the concert stage, and in the... Continue →
ON this date in 1945, Irving C. Mollison, a Chicago Republican, sworn in as U.S. Customs Court judge in New York City.
On this date in 1942, William L. Dawson elected to Congress from Chicago.
On this date in 1920, Emperor Jones opened at the Provincetown Theater with Charles Gilpin in the title role.
On this date in 1896, Republican William McKinley defeated Democratic candidate William J. Bryan in presidential race.
On this date in 1896, South Carolina State College established.
On this date in 1896, J. H. Hunter Portable Weighing Scales. Patent No. 570,533
On this date in 1883, A political coup and a race riot occurred. White conservatives in Danville, Virginia, seized control of the local government,... Continue →
On this date in 1874, James Theodore Holly, a Black American who emigrated to Haiti in 1861, elected bishop of Haiti. He was consecrated in a... Continue →
On this date in 1868, First Black elected to Congress John W. Menard, defeated a white candidate, 5,107 to 2,833, in an election in Louisiana's... Continue →
Bill and Camille Cosby gave an unprecedented gift of $20 million to Spelman College in Atlanta, Georgia.
Birthday of musician Sean "P. Diddy" Combs. Combs had early training working for record companies before setting off on his own with Bad Boy... Continue →
On this date in 1868, Arkansas Governor Powell Clayton declared martial law in ten counties and mobilized the state militia due to a Ku Klux Klan... Continue →
On this date in 1997, in a low-turnout election on this day, Chuck E. Burris defeated the incumbent, Pat Wheeler, by 278 votes to 260; a third... Continue →
On this date in 1988, the Martin L. King, Jr, federal Building is dedicated in Atlanta, Ga. It is the first federal building in the nation to bear... Continue →
On this date in 1981, Zena Garrison becomes the 1st African American player to win the junior singles tennis championship at Wimbledon, England
On this date in 1978, William Howard Jr., elected president of the National Council of Churches.
On this date in 1969, Howard N. Lee and Charles Evers are elected the first African American mayors of Chapel Hill, N.C. and Fayette, Miss.,... Continue →
ON this date in 1958, World renowned opera singer, Shirley Verrett, makes her debut in New York City, 1958
On this date in 1953, Hulan Jack was elected first Black Borough President of Manhattan, NYC.
On this date in 1949, Berlinda Tolbert played Jenny Willis, Lionel Jefferson's girlfriend, on the long running comedy "The Jefferson."
On this date in 1884, Grover Cleveland won election and became the first Democratic president of the United States since the Civil War.
On this date in 1879, T. Elkins puts patents on the refrigerating apparatus. U.S. patent #221,222
On this date in 1874, Democrats swept off-years elections, winning a majority in the House of Representatives.
On this date in 1872, Three Blacks elected to major offices in Louisiana elections: C.C Antoine, lieutenant governor; P.G. Deslonde, secretary of... Continue →
On this date in 1872, P.B.S. Pinchback was elected congressman at large. Pinckney Benton Stewart Pinchback (May 10, 1837 – December 21, 1921) was... Continue →
On this date in 1872, Fourth Black official, Treasurer Antoine Dubuclet, won elections in 1870 and 1874.
On this date in 1750, Jean-Baptist-Point Du Sable was a black pioneer, trader and founder of the settlement that later became the city of Chicago.
On November 4, 1980, four African American politicians were elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. They officially took office on January 3,... Continue →
Shirley Chisholm, a New York Democrat, is the 1st African American woman elected to Congress.
On this date in 1986, The governor of Arizona refuses to recognize Dr Martin Luther King Jr's birthday as a national holiday.
On this date in 1974, George Brown was elected Lt Governor of Colorado, becoming one of the first two Black Lt Governors in the USA.
ON this date in 1974, Harold Ford of Memphis elected to House of Representatives.
On this date in 1974, Spingarn Medal awarded Damon J. Keith "in tribute to his steadfast defense of constitutional principles as revealed in a series... Continue →
On this date in 1974, State Sen. Mervyn M. Dymally elected lieutenant governor of California. State Sen. Georgia L. Brown elected lieutenant governor... Continue →
On this date in 1974, Walter E. Washington, became the first elected mayor of Washington, D.C., in the twentieth century.
On this date in 1970, National Guard mobilized in Henderson, N.C., due to riots.
On this date in 1968, Shirley Chisholm becomes first Black woman to be elected to Congress, representing Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, NYC.
On this date in 1968, a record number of Black congressmen and the first Black woman representative were elected to Congress. The nine Black... Continue →
On this dated in 1956, pianist Art Tatum (46) dies in Los Angeles, California.
On this date in 1935, Maryland Court of Appeals ordered the University of Maryland to admit Donald Murray.
ON this date in 1917, U.S. Supreme Court decision (Buchanan v. Warley) struck down Louisville, Ky., ordinance which required Blacks and whites to... Continue →
ON this date in 1917, Emmett J. Scott, former secretary to Booker T. Washington, was appointed special assistant to the Secretary of War. His role... Continue →
On this date in 1912, Woodrow Wilson elected president.
On this date in 1867, First Reconstruction constitutional convention (eighteen Blacks, ninety whites) opened in Montgomery, Alabama.
On this date in 1862, Frazier A Boutelle is commissioned as second lieutenant in the Fifth New York Calvary.
On this date in 1836, Theo Wright becomes the first Black person to get a Theology Degree in the US.
Thomas Bradley was elected mayor of Los Angeles at a time when Blacks represented only 15 percent of the Los Angeles electorate, becoming one of the... Continue →
On this date in 1990, Sharon Pratt Dixon (now Kelly) was elected mayor of Washington, D.C., making this a first for a woman of any race.
On this date in 1976, Benjamin Hooks, Federal Communications Commission member, named to succeed Roy Wilkins as executive director of the NAACP.
On this date in 1973, Coleman Young was elected mayor of Detroit, becoming one of the first two Black mayors of city's with over a million citizens.
On this date in 1973, Spingarn Medal presented to Wilson C. Riles, superintendent of public instruction, California, "in recognition of the stature... Continue →
ON this date in 1973, Marcus A. Foster, superintendent of schools in Oakland, Calif., killed in ambush after Board of Education meeting. Two members... Continue →
In one voting day, ninety-seven Blacks were elected to state legislatures, seven were elected to mayor, and four hundred to local governments in the... Continue →
On this date in 1962, Edward W. Brooke elected attorney general of Massachusetts. Gerald Lamb elected treasurer of Connecticut. Otis M. Smith elected... Continue →
ON this date in 1928, Oscar DePriest elected to Seventy-first Congress from Illinois' First Congressional District (Chicago). He was the first... Continue →
ON this date in 1928, the Atlanta Daily World founded by W.A. Scott Jr. The newspaper became a daily in 1933.
On this date in 1928, Spingarn Medal presented to Charles W. Chestnutt, the first Black to receive widespread critical recognition as a novelist. He... Continue →
ON this date in 1920, James Weldon Johnson became the first Black executive secretary of the NAACP.
On this date in 1920, Spingarn Medal awarded to W.E.B. Du Bois for "the founding and calling of the Pan African Congress."
On this date in 1906, President Roosevelt ordered discharge of three companies of Twenty-fifth Regiment for alleged involvement in the Brownsville... Continue →
On this date in 1901, Juanita Long Hall was born in Keyport, New Jersey, and died February 29, 1968, in Bayshore, New York. This singer, actress, and... Continue →
On this date in 1900, Republican William McKinley defeated William Bryan in presidential elections.
On this date in 1900, James Weldon Johnson and J. Rosamond Johnson composed "Lift Ev'ry Voice and Sing."
On this date in 1888, Republican Benjamin Harrison elected president.
On this date in 1884, Novelist and dramatist, William Wells Brown, dies.
On this date in 1868, Jonathan Gibbs, minister and educator, appointed secretary of state by the Florida governor.
On this date in 1860, Abraham Lincoln elected president.
On this date in 1858, Samuel E. Cornish died. Samuel Cornish was an American Presbyterian minister, abolitionist, publisher, and journalist. He was a... Continue →
ON this date in 1746, Absalom Jones rose from slavery in Sussex, Delaware to become the first black Episcopal priest and principal founder of St.... Continue →
On November 6, 1934, Arthur W. Mitchell defeated incumbent Oscar De Priest in Chicago's First Congressional District election, becoming the first... Continue →
On November 7, 1989, David Dinkins was elected as the first African American mayor of New York City. Prior to his mayoralty, Dinkins served as... Continue →
Carl Stokes was elected mayor of Cleveland, Ohio. Stokes was sworn in on November 13 becoming the first African American to lead a major U.S.... Continue →
Supreme Court in Baltimore case banned segregation in public recreational facilities. The Interstate Commerce Commission banned segregation on... Continue →
The Black Student Movement (BSM) was established at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to address issues of Black student... Continue →
On November 7, 1989, Lawrence Douglas Wilder was elected governor of Virginia, becoming the first African American to be elected as governor of a... Continue →
On November 7, 1978, five African American politicians were elected to the U.S. Congress, marking a significant moment in Black political... Continue →
November 7, 1978, marked a significant political upset in the U.S., particularly affecting two prominent Black politicians: ? Mervyn Dymally... Continue →
On November 7, 1972, Barbara Jordan was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, becoming the first African American woman from a Southern state... Continue →
On November 7, 1970, race riots erupted in Daytona Beach, Florida, reflecting the intense racial tensions prevalent in the United States during that... Continue →
1967 was a year of intense civil unrest in the United States, marked by numerous racial uprisings and protests against racial injustice, economic... Continue →
On November 7, 1967, Edward W. Brooke was awarded the Spingarn Medal by the NAACP for his outstanding public service. Who Was Edward W. Brooke? ... Continue →
On November 7, 1963, Elston Howard made history by becoming the first African American player to win the American League Most Valuable Player (MVP)... Continue →
During the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Doris "Dorie" Miller, a Mess Attendant Third Class in the U.S. Navy, displayed extraordinary bravery.... Continue →
On November 7, 1934, Arthur Wergs Mitchell made history by defeating Oscar DePriest in a Chicago election, becoming the first Black Democratic... Continue →
On November 7, 1916, Colonel Charles Young was awarded the Spingarn Medal by the NAACP for his outstanding military service and leadership in... Continue →
1916 was a particularly violent year in American history regarding racial violence and lynching. While the exact number of lynchings that occurred on... Continue →
On November 7, 1916, incumbent President Woodrow Wilson was re-elected, narrowly defeating Republican nominee Charles Evans Hughes. Wilson secured... Continue →
On November 7, 1909, the Knights and Ladies of St. Peter Claver were organized in Mobile, Alabama, by four Josephite priests and three Catholic... Continue →
On November 7, 1876, Meharry Medical College was founded as the medical department of Central Tennessee College in Nashville, Tennessee. It became... Continue →
On November 7, 1876, the U.S. presidential election between Republican Rutherford B. Hayes and Democrat Samuel J. Tilden ended in dispute and... Continue →
On November 7, 1876, Edward Alexander Bouchet made history by earning a Ph.D. in physics from Yale University, becoming the first African American to... Continue →
On November 7, 1876, Edward Mitchell Bannister became the first Black artist to receive wide critical acclaim when he was awarded a first-prize medal... Continue →
One of the most successful slave revolts in U.S. history took place aboard the Creole, a ship transporting over 130 enslaved people from... Continue →
On November 7, 1837, Elijah Parish Lovejoy, an abolitionist journalist and newspaper editor, was murdered by a pro-slavery mob in Alton,... Continue →
On November 7, 1775, Lord Dunmore's Proclamation was issued, marking a significant moment in Black history during the American Revolution. ? Lord... Continue →
On November 8, 1933, Esther Rolle was born in Pompano Beach, Florida. She became a pioneering actress, best known for her role as Florida Evans on... Continue →
Edward W. Brooke Elected to the U.S. Senate On November 8, 1966, Edward W. Brooke, a Republican from Massachusetts, made history by becoming: ... Continue →
On November 8, 1966, John H. Johnson, the founder of Ebony and Jet magazines, was awarded the Spingarn Medal by the NAACP. The medal was given to him... Continue →
On November 8, 1960, Otis M. Smith made history by being elected Auditor General of Michigan, making him the first African American chosen in... Continue →
On November 8, 1960, Senator John F. Kennedy defeated Vice President Richard M. Nixon in one of the closest presidential elections in U.S. history.... Continue →
Award-winning actress Alfre Woodard was born on November 8, 1953, in Tulsa, Oklahoma. With a career spanning decades, she is known for her powerful... Continue →
On November 8, 1938, Crystal Bird Fauset made history by becoming the first African American woman elected to a state legislature in the United... Continue →
On November 8, 1932, Franklin D. Roosevelt was elected as the 32nd President of the United States, defeating incumbent President Herbert Hoover in a... Continue →
On November 8, 1932, Robert Russa Moton, the second president of Tuskegee Institute, was awarded the Spingarn Medal by the NAACP. Who was... Continue →
In Wilmington, North Carolina, a violent white mob—led by prominent white citizens, including politicians and businessmen—carried out a violent... Continue →
The year 1892 marked one of the deadliest years for racial violence in the United States, with 161 recorded lynchings of Black Americans by... Continue →
On November 8, 1892, Grover Cleveland, a Democrat, was elected as the 24th President of the United States, defeating the incumbent Republican... Continue →
On November 8, 1878, Marshall Walter "Major" Taylor was born in Indianapolis, Indiana. He became the first African American world cycling... Continue →
On November 8, 1870, former Confederate General John C. Brown, a Democrat, was elected Governor of Tennessee, defeating Republican candidate William... Continue →
On this day, William Monroe Trotter, a Harvard-educated activist and newspaper editor, co-founded The Guardian in Boston, Massachusetts. The paper... Continue →
Mark Althavean Andrews, better known by his stage name Sisqó, was born on this day in Baltimore, Maryland. Sisqó is an American R&B singer,... Continue →
Benjamin Banneker was born on this day in Ellicott Mills, Maryland, to a free African American woman and a formerly enslaved father. Despite having... Continue →
Roger Arliner Young, a pioneering African American scientist, died on this day in 1964. She was the first African American woman to earn a Ph.D. in... Continue →
William L. Dawson, a trailblazing African American politician, passed away on this day in 1970. He represented Chicago, Illinois in the U.S. House of... Continue →
On this day, Mattiwilda Dobbs became the first African American to sing a romantic lead role at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City. She starred... Continue →
On this day, Howard University College of Medicine officially opened in Washington, D.C., with eight students and five faculty members. Among the... Continue →
Dorothy Dandridge, groundbreaking actress, singer, and dancer, was born on this day in Cleveland, Ohio. She became the first African American woman... Continue →
Arkansas Governor Powell Clayton declared martial law in ten counties due to widespread racial violence perpetrated by the Ku Klux Klan during the... Continue →
On this day, Charlie Sifford made history by winning the Long Beach Open, becoming the first African American golfer to win a significant... Continue →
On this day, Andrew T. Hatcher made history as the first African American associate press secretary to a U.S. president, serving under President John... Continue →
While traveling near Marion, Arkansas, soul singer Sam Cooke, gospel great Lou Rawls, and a young Bobby Womack were involved in a serious automobile... Continue →
After being captured for leading the Southampton, Virginia slave rebellion, Nat Turner was interviewed in jail by Thomas R. Gray, a Baltimore lawyer.... Continue →
Carmen McRae, a celebrated American jazz singer, pianist, and composer, died on November 10, 1994, at the age of 74. Known for her distinctive... Continue →
On this day, a white supremacist mob violently overthrew the multiracial, elected government of Wilmington, North Carolina, in what is now recognized... Continue →
On this day, the National Benefit Life Insurance Company was organized in Washington, D.C. by Samuel W. Rutherford. At a time when most mainstream... Continue →
George Henry White, an outspoken Republican and the last African American Congressman of the Reconstruction era, represented North Carolina’s... Continue →
On November 10, 1891, prolific African American inventor Granville T. Woods was granted a patent for an electric railway system. Known as the... Continue →
The African Union Society of Newport, Rhode Island was formally established on November 10, 1780, making it the first documented Black mutual aid... Continue →
Ken Saro-Wiwa, a Nigerian author, environmentalist, and human rights activist, was executed by the Nigerian military regime along with eight other... Continue →
Dr. George R. Carruthers, an African American physicist and inventor, was granted a patent for the Image Converter, a device that helped detect... Continue →
The Civil Rights Memorial, designed by renowned artist Maya Lin, was dedicated in Montgomery, Alabama to honor the memory of 40 individuals who died... Continue →
The Bethune Museum and Archives was founded on this day as the first institution in the United States dedicated to African American women's history.... Continue →
After centuries of Portuguese colonial rule, Angola declared its independence on November 11, 1975. The independence movement was led by liberation... Continue →
On this day, Louis Armstrong recorded the first of his legendary Hot Five and later Hot Seven recordings in Chicago. These sessions are widely... Continue →
Xavier University of Louisiana, the only historically Black Roman Catholic university in the United States, was founded on this day in New Orleans.... Continue →
James Weldon Johnson, a distinguished author, diplomat, and civil rights leader, was awarded the Spingarn Medal by the NAACP in 1925 for his... Continue →
On this day, the armistice was signed, ending World War I. Official U.S. military records show that approximately 370,000 African American soldiers... Continue →
D. McCree, an African American inventor, was granted U.S. Patent No. 440,322 for a portable fire escape. His design focused on improving public... Continue →
Nat Turner, an enslaved preacher and leader of one of the most significant slave rebellions in American history, was executed by hanging in... Continue →
Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. was founded on November 12, 1922, at Butler University in Indianapolis, Indiana, by seven African American... Continue →
Wilma Glodean Rudolph, Olympic gold medalist and trailblazing sprinter, died at the age of 54 in her home in Nashville, Tennessee. Overcoming... Continue →
Alexander P. Haley, acclaimed author of Roots: The Saga of an American Family, was awarded the Spingarn Medal by the NAACP for his unparalleled... Continue →
On November 12, 1977, Ernest Nathan "Dutch" Morial was elected as the first African-American mayor of New Orleans, marking a significant milestone in... Continue →
On this day, South Africa was suspended from participating in the United Nations General Assembly due to its apartheid policies, which... Continue →
Sammy Sosa, one of Major League Baseball’s most electrifying sluggers, was born on this day in San Pedro de Macorís, Dominican Republic. Over his... Continue →
Mary Cardwell Dawson, a trailblazing African American music educator and opera singer, founded the National Negro Opera Company (NNOC) in Pittsburgh,... Continue →
On this day, the 1900 Paris Exposition (Exposition Universelle) officially closed. Among the 6,916 American exhibitors was Henry Ossawa Tanner, a... Continue →
On this date, William Edmondson was born in Nashville, Tennessee (not 1863, but 1874). He became the first African American artist to have a solo... Continue →
In the early months of the American Revolutionary War, General George Washington, under pressure from Southern slaveholding interests, issued an... Continue →
At just 20 years old, Dwight “Doc” Gooden, pitcher for the New York Mets, won the Cy Young Award, becoming the youngest pitcher in Major League... Continue →
Carl B. Stokes made history by becoming the first African American elected mayor of a major U.S. city when he won the Cleveland mayoral election on... Continue →
The U.S. Supreme Court upheld a lower court’s decision declaring segregation on Montgomery, Alabama city buses unconstitutional. This landmark... Continue →
Caryn Elaine Johnson, later known as Whoopi Goldberg, was born in New York City on this day. She began performing at the age of eight with New... Continue →
On this day, Janet Collins made history by becoming the first African American prima ballerina to perform with the Metropolitan Opera Ballet in New... Continue →
In a pivotal civil rights decision, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Hansberry v. Lee, a case involving racially restrictive housing covenants in... Continue →
Dr. Daniel Hale Williams, a pioneering African American surgeon, became the first Black physician elected as a charter member of the American College... Continue →
A.C. Richardson, an African American inventor, was granted U.S. Patent No. 529,311 for a casket lowering device. This innovation provided a safer and... Continue →
On this day in Warsaw, New York, the Liberty Party—the first political party in the United States founded explicitly to oppose slavery—was... Continue →
On this day, Lydia D. Holmes, an African American inventor, was granted U.S. Patent No. 2,529,828 for her innovative design of educational wooden... Continue →
On this day, U.S. Marshals escorted four six-year-old Black girls—Leona Tate, Tessie Prevost, and Gail Etienne—into McDonogh 19 Elementary... Continue →
William Levi Dawson’s Symphony No. 1: Negro Folk Symphony premiered at Carnegie Hall on this date, performed by the Philadelphia Orchestra under... Continue →
Booker T. Washington, one of the most prominent African American leaders of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, died at age 59 in Tuskegee,... Continue →
On this day, the Liberty Party—the first political party in the United States dedicated solely to the abolition of slavery—held its founding... Continue →
Mother Mathilda Beasley, born Mathilda Taylor on November 14, 1832, in New Orleans, Louisiana, was a pioneering African American educator and the... Continue →
On this day, the United States Golf Association (USGA) adopted a new policy that prohibited clubs from discriminating on the basis of race or gender... Continue →
Granville T. Woods, a prolific African American inventor known as "the Black Edison," was granted a patent for his Synchronous Multiplex Railway... Continue →
On this day, Henry Ossawa Tanner, renowned African American painter, was posthumously elected to full membership in the National Academy of... Continue →
Richard Allen, founder and first bishop of the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church, compiled and published the first hymnal by a Black... Continue →
A report released by the Anti-Defamation League of B’nai B’rith revealed a significant increase in Ku Klux Klan activity across the United... Continue →
On this day, Rosa L. Parks received the Spingarn Medal, the NAACP’s highest honor, in recognition of her pivotal role in sparking the Montgomery... Continue →
Sir W. Arthur Lewis, a professor at Princeton University, was awarded the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences, becoming the first Black person... Continue →
Arthur Dorrington became the first Black athlete to sign a professional hockey contract when he joined the Atlantic City Sea Gulls of the Eastern... Continue →
On this day, Roland Hayes, one of the first internationally acclaimed African American tenors, began his fifth American tour with a concert at New... Continue →
Lyda A. Newman, an African American inventor and women’s rights activist in New York City, was granted U.S. Patent No. 614,335 for an innovative... Continue →
Langston University was established in Langston, Oklahoma, as a land-grant institution under the Morrill Act of 1890. It is Oklahoma’s only... Continue →
John Mercer Langston, a prominent abolitionist, educator, and politician, died at the age of 67 in Washington, D.C. He was the first African American... Continue →
On November 15, 1884, the Berlin Conference convened in Berlin, Germany, under the leadership of German Chancellor Otto von Bismarck. Representatives... Continue →
Lisa Bonet, an American actress, was born on November 16, 1967, in San Francisco, California, to a Jewish mother and a Black father. She rose to fame... Continue →
On this day, Agbani Darego of Nigeria was crowned Miss World 2001 in Sun City, South Africa. She made history as the first Black African woman to win... Continue →
On November 16, 1972, a tragic incident unfolded at Southern University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Student protests concerning the university's... Continue →
On this day, Dwight Gooden, one of baseball’s most electrifying pitchers, was born in Tampa, Florida. Known as “Doc” or “Dr. K,” Gooden... Continue →
Zina Garrison was born in Houston, Texas, on this day. She would go on to become one of the most accomplished African American tennis players in... Continue →
William Christopher Handy, known as the Father of the Blues, was born on this day in Florence, Alabama. A classically trained musician and composer,... Continue →
Richard T. Greener, the first African American graduate of Harvard University (Class of 1870), was appointed professor of metaphysics and logic at... Continue →
In the 1873 Mississippi state election, African Americans achieved unprecedented political success during the Reconstruction era. Alexander K. Davis... Continue →
On this day, Paul Cuffe, a wealthy African American and Wampanoag businessman, along with other free Black men in Massachusetts, petitioned the state... Continue →
Andrew Young, a prominent civil rights leader and close associate of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives... Continue →
Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. was founded on the campus of Howard University in Washington, D.C., becoming the first international fraternal... Continue →
On this day, WHMM-TV (now known as WHUT-TV), located on the campus of Howard University in Washington, D.C., became the first African American-owned... Continue →
On November 7, 1972, incumbent President Richard Nixon was re-elected in a landslide victory over Democratic Senator George McGovern, carrying 49 out... Continue →
In a major milestone for Black political representation, sixteen African Americans were elected to the U.S. Congress—the largest number to date at... Continue →
George Latimer, an escaped enslaved man, was captured in Boston, Massachusetts, after fleeing from Virginia with his pregnant wife. His arrest led to... Continue →
David Adkins, known professionally as Sinbad, was born on this day in Benton Harbor, Michigan. A natural entertainer from a young age, Sinbad rose to... Continue →
On November 18, 1993, South Africa’s Black and white leaders approved a new interim constitution, marking a historic step toward ending apartheid... Continue →
On this day, Wally "Famous" Amos, founder of Famous Amos Cookies, donated his signature Panama hat and embroidered shirt to the Smithsonian... Continue →
Over 900 people, most of them African American, died in a mass murder-suicide at the People’s Temple Agricultural Project (commonly known as... Continue →
Andrew J. Young, civil rights leader, diplomat, and politician, was awarded the Spingarn Medal by the NAACP in 1978. The Spingarn Medal is the... Continue →
Robert Edward Chambliss, a former member of the Ku Klux Klan, was convicted of first-degree murder for his role in the 1963 bombing of the 16th... Continue →
On this day, Howard Thurman was born in Daytona Beach, Florida. A theologian, philosopher, and civil rights leader, Thurman became one of the most... Continue →
Sojourner Truth, born Isabella Baumfree in Swartekill, Ulster County, New York, was born into slavery but became one of America’s most powerful... Continue →
On this day, Roy Campanella, star catcher for the Brooklyn Dodgers, was named Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the National League for the third time in... Continue →
On this day, the citizens of South Carolina voted in favor of holding a constitutional convention as part of the Reconstruction process following the... Continue →
Dominique Dawes, three-time Olympian and trailblazing gymnast, is born in Silver Spring, Maryland. Nicknamed "Awesome Dawesome," she would go on to... Continue →
President John F. Kennedy issued Executive Order 11063, prohibiting discrimination in the sale, leasing, or rental of properties owned or operated by... Continue →
Robert C. Weaver, an economist, government official, and civil rights advocate, was awarded the Spingarn Medal by the NAACP for his leadership in the... Continue →
On November 20, 1939, Morgan State College officially became a public institution when the state of Maryland purchased it to provide more... Continue →
On this day, Garrett T. Morgan, a Black American inventor and entrepreneur, was granted U.S. Patent No. 1,475,024 for his innovative three-position... Continue →
On November 20, 1922, Louisiana Governor John M. Parker met with President Warren G. Harding to discuss escalating violence perpetrated by the Ku... Continue →
Mary Burnett Talbert, a prominent educator, activist, and former president of the National Association of Colored Women (NACW), was awarded the... Continue →
African Americans in South Carolina held a Colored People's Convention at Zion Presbyterian Church in Charleston to demand equal rights, universal... Continue →
Ten members of the First Congregational Society of Washington, D.C. gathered for a missionary meeting and resolved to establish a seminary to train... Continue →
Jennifer Josephine Hosten of Grenada made history by becoming the first Black woman and the first Caribbean woman to win the Miss World title. She... Continue →
By this date in 1922, at least 51 African Americans had been reported lynched across the United States during that year alone. These acts of racial... Continue →
S.H. Love, an African American inventor, was granted U.S. Patent No. 1,936,515 for an improved vending machine. His design allowed for better control... Continue →
Randall Robinson (founder of TransAfrica), Walter Fauntroy (congressional delegate), and Mary Frances Berry (U.S. Civil Rights Commissioner) were... Continue →
On November 21, 1918, Henry Beard Delany was consecrated as the Suffragan Bishop for Colored Work in the Episcopal Diocese of North Carolina,... Continue →
Shaw University, located in Raleigh, North Carolina, was founded on this day by Henry Martin Tupper, a Union Army chaplain. It holds the distinction... Continue →
On this day in 1654, Richard Johnson, a free Black man, was granted 100 acres of land in Northampton County, Virginia, as a reward for importing two... Continue →
On this date, Wallace D. Fard Muhammad began teaching in Detroit, Michigan, marking the founding of the Nation of Islam (NOI). He taught a unique... Continue →
Colonel Frederick D. Gregory, a U.S. Air Force pilot and NASA astronaut, became the first African American to command a space mission when he led... Continue →
On this day, George Branham III made history by becoming the first African American to win a title on the Professional Bowlers Association (PBA)... Continue →
President John F. Kennedy, the 35th President of the United States, was assassinated at age 46. While not African American himself, JFK played a... Continue →
Guion S. Bluford Jr. was born on November 22, 1942, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. A decorated Air Force pilot, aerospace engineer, and NASA... Continue →
Alrutheus Ambush Taylor, a pioneering African American historian and educator, was born on this day in Washington, D.C. Taylor was instrumental in... Continue →
Timothy Thomas Fortune, a pioneering African American journalist and civil rights leader, founded the New York Freeman on this day. The publication... Continue →
Christopher J. Perry founded The Philadelphia Tribune, which would become the oldest continuously published African American newspaper in the United... Continue →
Oscar J. Dunn, the first African American elected as Lieutenant Governor of Louisiana (and the highest-ranking Black elected official in U.S. history... Continue →
On November 22, 1865, the Mississippi legislature passed one of the first sets of Black Codes in the post-Civil War South. These laws severely... Continue →
On this day, 1,000 Black activists from 25 states gathered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to officially establish the National Black Independent... Continue →
On this day, the Alice Freeman Palmer Institute in Sedalia, North Carolina, founded by educator and activist Charlotte Hawkins Brown, was officially... Continue →
On this day, Henry Watson Furniss, a respected African American physician from Indiana, was appointed U.S. Minister to Haiti, becoming one of the... Continue →
On this date, reports indicated that 57 African Americans had been lynched in 1905 in the United States. Lynching was a brutal and widespread form of... Continue →
Andrew Jackson Beard, an African American inventor and former slave, was granted a patent on November 23, 1897, for an improved version of the... Continue →
John Lee Love, an African American inventor, received U.S. Patent No. 594,114 for his design of a portable pencil sharpener. Known as the "Love... Continue →
The Louisiana Constitutional Convention of 1867 convened at the Mechanics Institute in New Orleans, with a groundbreaking delegation of forty-nine... Continue →
August Wilson’s powerful play, The Piano Lesson, was awarded the 1990 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. The play, part of Wilson’s acclaimed Pittsburgh... Continue →
Shortly after the Civil War, on November 24, 1865, Mississippi became the first former Confederate state to pass the so-called Black Codes. These... Continue →
On November 24, 1971, a significant prison rebellion erupted at Rahway State Prison (now known as East Jersey State Prison) in New Jersey. The unrest... Continue →
Southern University was officially established in Louisiana on November 24, 1880, by the state legislature as a public institution for the education... Continue →
On this day, more than 150 delegates from Baptist churches across eleven U.S. states gathered in Montgomery, Alabama, to organize the Baptist Foreign... Continue →
Stephen Atkins Swails (1832–1900) was a notable African American figure during the Reconstruction era. After serving with distinction in the 54th... Continue →
On November 24, 1874, Robert Brown Elliott, a distinguished African American politician and orator, was elected Speaker of the South Carolina House... Continue →
Scott Joplin, a pioneering African American composer and pianist, was born in Texarkana, Texas. Widely known as the “King of Ragtime,” Joplin... Continue →
Melanie Thornton, an American pop and Eurodance singer best known as the lead vocalist of the group La Bouche, tragically died in a plane crash on... Continue →
On November 25, 1955, the Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) issued an order banning racial segregation on interstate buses and in bus terminals,... Continue →
Ralph J. Bunche, diplomat and scholar, received the Spingarn Medal from the NAACP for his distinguished service as a United Nations mediator in the... Continue →
On this day, the St. Louis chapter of the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) initiated a sit-in campaign to challenge and end racial segregation in... Continue →
Luther "Bill" Robinson, famously known as Bill "Bojangles" Robinson, passed away at the age of 71. A pioneering African American tap dancer, Robinson... Continue →
After a landmark legal battle in the United States, 35 survivors of the Amistad revolt departed from New York aboard the ship Gentleman to return to... Continue →
Tina Turner, born Anna Mae Bullock in Nutbush, Tennessee, was born on November 26, 1939 (not November 25, 1941). Known as the “Queen of Rock... Continue →
On this day, the National Negro Medical Association of Physicians, Dentists, and Pharmacists was established in Atlanta, Georgia, during the Cotton... Continue →
Benjamin O. Davis Sr., the first African American to achieve the rank of general in the U.S. Army, died at age 93 in Chicago. Commissioned as an... Continue →
Charles Gordone became the first African American to win the Pulitzer Prize for Drama for his play No Place to Be Somebody, a powerful work about... Continue →
On this day, William Henry Lewis was appointed Assistant Attorney General of the United States by President William Howard Taft, becoming the first... Continue →
Sojourner Truth, renowned abolitionist, women’s rights advocate, and powerful orator, died on this day in Battle Creek, Michigan, at approximately... Continue →
On this day, the South Carolina General Assembly convened in Columbia and marked a major milestone during the Reconstruction era: Stephen A.... Continue →
On this day, Macon B. Allen was elected judge of the Inferior Court of Charleston, becoming the first African American to hold a major judicial... Continue →
Jaleel White, American actor and writer, was born in Culver City, California. He rose to fame portraying the beloved and iconic character Steve Urkel... Continue →
Robin Givens, an American actress and model, was born on this day in New York City. She rose to fame in the late 1980s for her role as Darlene... Continue →
On this day, federal troops withdrew from Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas, after nearly two months of protecting the Little Rock Nine... Continue →
Dorothy Height was elected as the fourth national president of the National Council of Negro Women (NCNW) in November 1957. She served in this role... Continue →
Mickey Leland, a Democratic Representative from Texas, was born on this day in Lubbock, Texas. A passionate advocate for the poor and... Continue →
Jimi Hendrix, one of the most influential and celebrated rock musicians of all time, was born in Seattle, Washington. Known for his groundbreaking... Continue →
Marjorie Joyner, an African American inventor and businesswoman, was granted U.S. Patent No. 1,693,515 for her invention of the permanent wave... Continue →
After a landmark legal battle in the United States, the formerly enslaved Africans who had taken control of the Spanish schooner La Amistad set sail... Continue →
Coleman A. Young, the first African American mayor of Detroit, passed away on this day at age 79 due to respiratory failure caused by advanced... Continue →
Ernie Davis, a standout running back from Syracuse University, made history by becoming the first African American to win the prestigious Heisman... Continue →
Richard Nathaniel Wright, acclaimed American author of Native Son and Black Boy, died in Paris, France, at the age of 52. Wright was a trailblazing... Continue →
Bill "Bojangles" Robinson, one of the most influential tap dancers in American history, passed away on this day in New York City at the age of 71.... Continue →
Berry Gordy Jr. was born in Detroit, Michigan on November 28, 1929. He would go on to found Motown Records in 1959, a groundbreaking Black-owned... Continue →
The Ku Klux Klan trials began in the Federal District Court in Columbia, South Carolina, marking one of the earliest large-scale federal attempts to... Continue →
James Robinson, an enslaved African American who became a decorated soldier in the Revolutionary War, was born on this day in 1753. He fought... Continue →
Adam Clayton Powell Jr., a groundbreaking politician, minister, and civil rights activist, was born in New Haven, Connecticut. He became the first... Continue →
During a wave of civil rights activism across the South, Freedom Riders were violently attacked by a white mob at the bus station in McComb,... Continue →
Alice Childress, a pioneering playwright, actress, and novelist, became the first African American woman to win an Obie Award for Off-Broadway... Continue →
Pearl Primus, born in Trinidad and raised in New York City, was a groundbreaking dancer, choreographer, and anthropologist. She is celebrated for... Continue →
On this date, the Continental Congress moved to officially allow the enlistment of Black men—both free and enslaved—into the American Army during... Continue →
On this day, John Wesley, founder of the Methodist movement in England, baptized the first two known Black converts to Methodism. This event marked a... Continue →
Robert Tools, the first human to receive the AbioCor fully self-contained artificial heart, died at age 59 due to multiple organ failure after... Continue →
Coleman A. Young, the first African American mayor of Detroit, was awarded the Spingarn Medal by the NAACP “in recognition of his singular... Continue →
Huey P. Newton and Bobby Seale, students at Merritt College in Oakland, California, founded the Black Panther Party for Self-Defense. The... Continue →
On this day, Judith Jamison made her debut with the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, marking the beginning of a legendary career in modern dance.... Continue →
Shirley Chisholm, the first African American woman elected to the U.S. Congress, was born in Brooklyn, New York, to immigrant parents from Barbados... Continue →
Gordon Parks, born on this day in Fort Scott, Kansas, became a groundbreaking photographer, filmmaker, writer, and humanitarian. He was the first... Continue →
Samuel Raymond Scottron, an African American inventor and businessman, received a U.S. patent for a curtain rod (Patent No. 481,720). Scottron held... Continue →
Alexander P. Ashbourne, an African American inventor, was granted U.S. Patent No. 170,460 for a biscuit cutter. His invention automated the process... Continue →
?James D. Lynch was elected as Mississippi's Secretary of State in 1869, becoming the first African American to hold this position in the state. He... Continue →
On this day, Rosa Parks, a 42-year-old Black seamstress and NAACP member, refused to give up her seat to a white passenger on a segregated bus in... Continue →
In a message to Congress, President Abraham Lincoln proposed using federal bonds to compensate states that voluntarily abolished slavery by the year... Continue →
On this day, Pearl Stewart became the first African American woman to serve as editor of a major metropolitan daily newspaper—the Oakland Tribune,... Continue →
James Baldwin, born August 2, 1924, in Harlem, New York, passed away on this day in Saint-Paul-de-Vence, France. A brilliant novelist, essayist, and... Continue →
Richard Franklin Lennox Thomas Pryor III, one of the most influential comedians of all time, was born in Peoria, Illinois. Raised primarily by his... Continue →
Louis Allen Rawls, known as Lou Rawls, was born in Chicago on this day. A three-time Grammy Award-winning singer, Rawls rose to fame in the 1950s and... Continue →
Minnie Evans, a self-taught African American folk artist, was born on December 1, 1892, in Long Creek, North Carolina. Known for her vivid, dreamlike... Continue →
Jonathan Jasper Wright, the first African American to serve on a state supreme court in the United States, resigned from the South Carolina Supreme... Continue →
On December 1, 1874, T. J. Byrd was granted U.S. Patent No. 157,370 for an improvement in car couplings, a device crucial for connecting railroad... Continue →
The 43rd Congress (1873–1875) convened with a historic number of seven African American representatives, all elected during the Reconstruction... Continue →
Mifflin Wistar Gibbs, an accomplished lawyer, publisher, and civil rights advocate, was elected city judge in Little Rock, Arkansas, becoming the... Continue →
?In 1873, several historically significant educational institutions were established, each playing a pivotal role in advancing education for African... Continue →
In a message to Congress, President Abraham Lincoln recommended using federal bonds to compensate any state that voluntarily abolished slavery before... Continue →
On this date, the First Continental Congress enacted the Continental Association, a trade boycott against Great Britain in response to the Coercive... Continue →
On this day, Massachusetts became the first English colony in North America to give statutory recognition to slavery with the passage of the Body of... Continue →
Alvin Ailey, the visionary African American dancer and choreographer who founded the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in 1958, died at age 58. For... Continue →
On December 2, 1975, Archie Griffin, the standout running back from Ohio State University, made history by becoming the first—and so far... Continue →
While the exact date when Maya Angelou was invited to compose a poem for President Bill Clinton's inauguration isn't publicly documented, she... Continue →
Andre Ware, quarterback for the University of Houston, made history by becoming the first African American quarterback to win the prestigious Heisman... Continue →
Marie Van Brittan Brown, a Black American inventor, was granted U.S. Patent No. 3,482,037 for her invention of the first home security system.... Continue →
On this day, Dial Press published Judas, My Brother, a novel by Frank Yerby, one of the first Black American authors to gain international acclaim... Continue →
On this day, Roland Hayes, a groundbreaking African American tenor, became the first Black soloist to perform at Boston's Symphony Hall to widespread... Continue →
Charles C. Diggs Jr. was born on December 2, 1922, in Detroit, Michigan. He became the first African American elected to Congress from Michigan,... Continue →
Henry Armstrong, born Henry Jackson Jr., would go on to become the only boxer in history to simultaneously hold world titles in three weight... Continue →
The 54th Congress of the United States (1895–1897) convened on this day with George W. Murray of South Carolina serving as the only African... Continue →
The 52nd Congress of the United States convened with only one African American representative: Henry P. Cheatham of North Carolina. A Republican and... Continue →
On this date, reports confirmed that 113 African Americans had been lynched in the United States during the year 1891 alone. This horrifying figure... Continue →
The institutions you mentioned—North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University (North Carolina A&T), Delaware State University, and... Continue →
On December 2, 1891, Charles Harris Wesley was born in Louisville, Kentucky. He became a distinguished historian, educator, minister, and author,... Continue →
On this day, Granville T. Woods, often called the “Black Edison,” was granted a patent for his improved telephone transmitter. This device... Continue →
Radical white abolitionist John Brown was executed by hanging after his failed raid on the federal arsenal at Harpers Ferry in October 1859. His goal... Continue →
On this day, Frederick Douglass, in collaboration with Martin R. Delany, published the first issue of The North Star in Rochester, New York. The... Continue →
On this day, Thomas "Hitman" Hearns defeated Wilfred Benítez to win the WBC Junior Middleweight (Super Welterweight) title. With this victory,... Continue →
On December 3, 1964, J. Raymond Jones was elected leader of New York City's Democratic organization, Tammany Hall, becoming the first African... Continue →
Roy Wilkins, executive secretary of the NAACP, was awarded the prestigious Spingarn Medal for his lifelong dedication to civil rights and his... Continue →
On this day, the Independence Bank of Chicago was officially organized, becoming one of the largest Black-owned banks in the United States. Founded... Continue →
On this day, President Harry S. Truman established a presidential committee to monitor and enforce compliance with anti-discrimination provisions in... Continue →
Ralph Gardner-Chavis, born in Cleveland, Ohio, was a pioneering African American chemist whose research played a crucial role in the development of... Continue →
Helen Gray Edmonds was born in Lawrenceville, Virginia. She went on to become a distinguished educator, historian, and civic leader. Edmonds was the... Continue →
The 48th U.S. Congress (1883–1885) convened with two Black representatives: James E. O’Hara of North Carolina Robert Smalls... Continue →
On this day, the Virginia Constitutional Convention convened in Richmond as part of Reconstruction efforts following the Civil War. For the first... Continue →
On this day, John S. Rock—a lawyer, physician, and abolitionist—passed away. In 1865, he made history as the first African American admitted to... Continue →
On this date in 1865, Selection of the first Inter-racial jury is formed.
The Twenty-Fifth Corps was officially established within the Union Army of the James, becoming the largest all-Black unit in the history of the U.S.... Continue →
On this day, the Society of Colored People in Baltimore began keeping records in a notebook that continued until September 7, 1845. This group is... Continue →
Fred Hampton and Mark Clark, leaders of the Black Panther Party, were killed during a pre-dawn raid by the Chicago Police Department, coordinated... Continue →
On this date, journalist Emmett J. Scott published early reports highlighting the growing movement of African Americans from the rural South to the... Continue →
Moneta Sleet Jr., a photographer for Ebony magazine, became the first African American man and the first African American photographer to win a... Continue →
Clarence M. Mitchell Jr., director of the NAACP Washington Bureau, received the Spingarn Medal for the pivotal role he played in the enactment of... Continue →
Anthony Overton, a pioneering African American businessman, was awarded the Spingarn Medal by the NAACP for his outstanding achievements in business.... Continue →
On this day, Duke Ellington and his band began their legendary residency at the Cotton Club in Harlem, New York. This engagement catapulted Ellington... Continue →
On this day, the modern Ku Klux Klan was officially chartered by the Fulton County Superior Court in Georgia. This marked the formal rebirth of the... Continue →
On this day, the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) organized nationwide protests against the film The Birth of a... Continue →
Founded in Harlem, The Amsterdam News became one of the most influential African American newspapers in the United States. It served as a critical... Continue →
Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., the first intercollegiate Greek-letter fraternity established for African American men, was founded at Cornell... Continue →
On this day, the South Carolina Constitutional Convention adopted a new state constitution designed to systematically suppress Black voting rights.... Continue →
The American Anti-Slavery Society (AASS) was officially organized in Philadelphia by prominent abolitionists including William Lloyd Garrison, Arthur... Continue →
Prince Hall, a pioneering African American abolitionist and founder of Prince Hall Freemasonry, died in Boston on this day in 1807. Born in the... Continue →
On this day, General George Washington delivered his emotional farewell address to his officers of the Continental Army at Fraunces Tavern in New... Continue →
Marcus Allen, a standout running back from the University of Southern California (USC), won the Heisman Trophy, becoming the first player in NCAA... Continue →
Johnny Rodgers, a standout wingback for the University of Nebraska, was awarded the Heisman Trophy on December 5, 1972, becoming the first wide... Continue →
On this day, Alexandre Dumas, the renowned French author of African descent, passed away at the age of 68. Dumas is best known for his literary... Continue →
On this day, New York City became the first city in the United States to enact legislation prohibiting racial and religious discrimination in private... Continue →
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. received the Spingarn Medal, the highest honor awarded by the NAACP, for his outstanding leadership during the Montgomery... Continue →
Carl Murphy, publisher of the Baltimore Afro-American newspaper, was awarded the Spingarn Medal by the NAACP for his outstanding contributions as a... Continue →
In response to Rosa Parks’ arrest for refusing to give up her seat to a white passenger, the Montgomery Bus Boycott was launched on this day. That... Continue →
President Harry S. Truman issued Executive Order 9808, establishing the President’s Committee on Civil Rights. This was the first national... Continue →
On this date in 1946, Spingarn Medal presented to Thurgood Marshall, director of the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, "for his distinguished... Continue →
In response to post–World War II racial violence, including lynchings and mob attacks on Black veterans and civilians, President Harry S. Truman... Continue →
On this day, educator and civil rights leader Mary McLeod Bethune founded the National Council of Negro Women (NCNW) in New York City. The... Continue →
On this day, renowned Harlem Renaissance poet and playwright Langston Hughes saw his play Mulatto open at the Vanderbilt Theatre on Broadway. The... Continue →
The Swing Era officially took off around this time, with the commercial success of big bands transforming the American music scene. The mid-1930s... Continue →
Mary McLeod Bethune, renowned educator and civil rights leader, was awarded the Spingarn Medal by the NAACP for her outstanding achievements in... Continue →
Reverend James Cleveland was born in Chicago, Illinois, on December 5, 1932. Known as the "King of Gospel Music," he first sang gospel under the... Continue →
Richard Wayne Penniman, known to the world as Little Richard, was born on December 5, 1932, in Macon, Georgia. A pioneer of rock and roll, Little... Continue →
Charity Adams Earley was born in Kittrell, North Carolina. In 1942, she became the first African American woman to be commissioned as an officer in... Continue →
Elbert Frank Cox was born in Evansville, Indiana on this day. In 1925, he made history by becoming the first African American in the world to receive... Continue →
The 47th Congress (1881–1883) convened with two African American Representatives: Robert Smalls of South Carolina, a formerly enslaved man... Continue →
Alexandre Dumas, the renowned French novelist and playwright, died on this day in 1870. Born in 1802, Dumas was of Afro-Caribbean descent—his... Continue →
Bill Pickett was born in Travis County, Texas, on this day. Though only 5'7" and 145 pounds, he became one of the most legendary figures of the... Continue →
Sarah Gorham, born on December 5, 1832, became the first woman appointed by the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church as a missionary to a foreign... Continue →
Phillis Wheatley, the first African American to publish a book of poetry, died in poverty at the age of 31 in Boston. Enslaved as a child and brought... Continue →
Salem Poor, a formerly enslaved Black man and soldier in the American Revolutionary War, was recognized by 14 officers for his extraordinary bravery... Continue →
On or around December 6, 1849, Harriet Tubman escaped enslavement in Dorchester County, Maryland. Risking her life, she later returned to the South... Continue →
William Stanley Braithwaite was born in Boston, Massachusetts. A poet, literary critic, and editor, Braithwaite played a pivotal role in shaping... Continue →
On this day, Lee P. Brown made history by being elected the first African American mayor of Houston, Texas. A former police chief and federal "drug... Continue →
Eddie Robinson, legendary head coach of Grambling State University, coached his final football game on this day. Over a remarkable 57-year career... Continue →
Grace Bumbry, a renowned American opera singer, was celebrated for her exceptional talent and significant contributions to the world of classical... Continue →
On this day, Lewis Franklin Powell Jr. was confirmed as an Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. His nomination faced opposition from civil... Continue →
Frantz Fanon, the Martinican-born psychiatrist, philosopher, revolutionary, and author, passed away from leukemia at age 36. He is best known for his... Continue →
?On December 6, 1960, in Tucson, Arizona, approximately 500 store owners signed pledges committing to nondiscrimination practices. This collective... Continue →
Huddie William Ledbetter, famously known as Lead Belly, passed away on this day in 1949 at the age of 61. A master of the 12-string guitar, Lead... Continue →
Dr. Theodore K. Lawless was born on December 6, 1892, in Thibodaux, Louisiana. He became a renowned dermatologist, medical researcher, and... Continue →
Sergeant Thomas Shaw, a member of the 9th Cavalry Regiment—one of the original Buffalo Soldier units—was awarded the Medal of Honor for his... Continue →
The 44th Congress of the United States (1875–1877) convened with a historic high of eight African American members, the largest number during the... Continue →
Pinckney Benton Stewart (P.B.S.) Pinchback was elected president pro tempore of the Louisiana State Senate on this day in 1871, and shortly after... Continue →
The first National Black Labor Convention convened in Washington, D.C., bringing together African American workers and leaders from across the... Continue →
On December 6, 1869, James H. Harris of North Carolina was elected President of the National Convention of Colored Men, a significant assembly... Continue →
On this day, Tougaloo College was established in Tougaloo, Mississippi, by the American Missionary Association. It became a center for African... Continue →
Billy Sims, star running back for the University of Oklahoma, was awarded the Heisman Trophy on this day, becoming one of the few African American... Continue →
In 1982, John E. Jacob succeeded Vernon E. Jordan Jr. as president of the National Urban League, a historic civil rights organization focused on... Continue →
On December 7, 1972, the Rev. W. Sterling Cary was unanimously elected as the first Black president of the National Council of Churches (NCC), the... Continue →
Reginald F. Lewis, a trailblazer in law and business, was born on this day in Baltimore, Maryland. He earned his law degree from Harvard Law School... Continue →
On the same day as the Pearl Harbor attack, Lester B. Granger was named executive director of the National Urban League, becoming a leading figure in... Continue →
The NAACP presented the prestigious Spingarn Medal to novelist Richard Wright for his groundbreaking contributions to American literature. He was... Continue →
Doris “Dorie” Miller, a mess attendant from Waco, Texas, displayed extraordinary bravery during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor while serving... Continue →
Comer Cottrell, born on this day in Mobile, Alabama, would go on to become a pioneering entrepreneur and influential figure in American business. In... Continue →
Sir Milton Margai was born on this day in Gbangbatoke, Sierra Leone. A trained medical doctor and respected statesman, Margai became the first Prime... Continue →
The year 1885 was marked by the lynching of 74 Black individuals in the United States. However, there is no specific record of 74 Black individuals... Continue →
The 49th Congress (1885–1887) convened on December 7, 1885, with two African American representatives serving: James E. O’Hara of North... Continue →
In Vicksburg, Mississippi, white Democrats orchestrated a violent coup against the legally elected Reconstruction government. Tensions had been... Continue →
On this day, William B. Gibbs Jr., a Black teacher and principal in Montgomery County, Maryland, filed Gibbs v. Board of Education, challenging... Continue →
On this day, Kurt L. Schmoke was inaugurated as the first African American mayor of Baltimore, Maryland. A Rhodes Scholar and Yale Law graduate,... Continue →
U.S. Representative George W. Collins of Illinois died in a plane crash near Chicago Midway Airport at age 47. Collins had served in Congress since... Continue →
On this day, journalist and publisher Louis E. Martin founded the Michigan Chronicle, an African American newspaper based in Detroit. The paper... Continue →
On this day, John Hope was posthumously awarded the Spingarn Medal, the NAACP’s highest honor, recognizing outstanding achievement by an African... Continue →
On this day, the NAACP filed its first lawsuit in a landmark campaign to equalize the salaries of Black and white teachers in the segregated South.... Continue →
Clerow “Flip” Wilson was born on this day in Jersey City, New Jersey. He was the tenth of 24 children, with 18 siblings surviving into adulthood.... Continue →
Sammy Davis Jr., legendary African American singer, dancer, actor, and comedian, was born in Harlem, New York. A child prodigy who began performing... Continue →
Henry Hugh Proctor was born in Fayette County, Tennessee. He became a prominent African American minister, educator, and writer, known for his work... Continue →
President Abraham Lincoln issued his Proclamation of Amnesty and Reconstruction, offering a full pardon and restoration of property (except for... Continue →
On this day, Lucy Ann Stanton made history by becoming the first African American woman to complete a college-level course of study. She graduated... Continue →
On December 9, 1995, Kweisi Mfume, then a Democratic Congressman from Maryland, was unanimously elected as the President and Chief Executive Officer... Continue →
Craig Washington, a Democratic state legislator, won a special election to represent Texas’ 18th Congressional District, succeeding the late Mickey... Continue →
Tony Dorsett, star running back for the University of Pittsburgh, was awarded the Heisman Trophy as the most outstanding player in college football.... Continue →
Ralph J. Bunche, diplomat, scholar, and the first African American to receive the Nobel Peace Prize (1950), passed away at age 67 in New York City.... Continue →
Bill Pickett, a legendary African American cowboy, was posthumously inducted into the National Rodeo Cowboy Hall of Fame on December 9, 1971. Born in... Continue →
On this day, Tanganyika, a territory in East Africa, gained independence from British colonial rule. It became a sovereign nation with Julius Nyerere... Continue →
On this day, Jack L. Cooper, the first African American radio broadcaster, launched "Search for Missing Persons," a public service program aimed at... Continue →
Andrew “Rube” Foster, founder of the Negro National League (NNL) and a legendary figure in Black baseball, died on this day in 1930. Foster was... Continue →
Redd Foxx, born John Elroy Sanford in St. Louis, Missouri, was an iconic comedian and actor known for his quick wit, edgy stand-up routines, and... Continue →
Roy DeCarava, pioneering African American photographer, was born in New York City. He became the first African American photographer to receive a... Continue →
On this day, Pinckney Benton Stewart (P.B.S.) Pinchback became the Governor of Louisiana, making him the first African American to serve as governor... Continue →
The Georgia Constitutional Convention of 1867 began in Atlanta, with 33 Black delegates and 137 white delegates participating. This marked a... Continue →
St. Martin de Porres, a Peruvian of African and Indigenous descent, was born in Lima, Peru, and became the first Black saint of the Americas. Known... Continue →
On this day, Pamela McAllister Johnson broke barriers by becoming the first Black woman to serve as publisher of a mainstream daily newspaper, the... Continue →
On this date in 1950, Ralph J. Bunche, director of the UN Trusteeship division and former professor of political science at Howard University,... Continue →
On this day, William H. Rehnquist was confirmed as an Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. His confirmation faced strong opposition from... Continue →
Soul singer Otis Redding, known for hits like “(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay”, tragically died at age 26 when his plane crashed into Lake... Continue →
On this day, legendary boxer Sugar Ray Robinson officially retired from boxing, ending a storied career that redefined the sport. Robinson amassed... Continue →
On this day, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo, Norway, for his nonviolent struggle against racial segregation and... Continue →
On December 10, 1864, the 5th and 6th United States Colored Cavalry (USCC) Regiments commenced their participation in Stoneman's Raid into... Continue →
Edwin C. Berry, one of the most successful Black entrepreneurs of his era, was born on this day in Oberlin, Ohio. In 1892, he built the Hotel Berry,... Continue →
Norbert Rillieux, a free-born Black inventor and chemical engineer from New Orleans, patented his multiple-effect evaporator under vacuum on this... Continue →
George Rogers, star running back from the University of South Carolina, was awarded the Heisman Trophy, becoming the second Black athlete to win the... Continue →
On this day, iconic soul singer Sam Cooke died at age 33 in Los Angeles, California. According to reports, he was shot and killed by Bertha Franklin,... Continue →
Langston Hughes’ gospel musical Black Nativity premiered Off-Broadway at the 89th Street Theatre in New York City. One of the first plays written... Continue →
The U.S. Supreme Court reversed the convictions of sixteen African American students who had been arrested for participating in a peaceful lunch... Continue →
Lewis H. Latimer, an accomplished African American inventor and engineer, died on this day in Flushing, New York. He began his career as a draftsman... Continue →
Blues singer Willie Mae "Big Mama" Thornton was born in Ariton, Alabama. A powerhouse vocalist and songwriter, she is best known for her 1952 hit... Continue →
On this day, Joe "King" Oliver, a pioneering jazz cornetist and bandleader, left New Orleans and moved to Chicago, marking a key moment in the Great... Continue →
On this day, 13 African American soldiers of the 24th Infantry Regiment were executed by hanging at Fort Sam Houston, Texas, without the chance to... Continue →
Harry T. Burleigh, a pioneering African American composer, arranger, and baritone soloist, was awarded the Spingarn Medal by the NAACP. Burleigh is... Continue →
John E. Bush, born into slavery, rose to become a respected teacher, real estate developer, and civic leader in Arkansas. In 1898, he was appointed... Continue →
On this day, Pinckney Benton Stewart (P.B.S.) Pinchback became the first African American to serve as governor of a U.S. state—Louisiana. He... Continue →
On this day, Willie L. Brown Jr., a longtime California political powerhouse and former Speaker of the California State Assembly, defeated incumbent... Continue →
The National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) was founded on December 12, 1975, in Washington, D.C., by 44 journalists dedicated to... Continue →
On this day, Kenya officially gained independence from British colonial rule, ending decades of struggle. Jomo Kenyatta, a key leader in the... Continue →
Civil rights activist Medgar Evers was posthumously awarded the Spingarn Medal by the NAACP for his courageous work in the fight against racial... Continue →
More than 700 demonstrators, including Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., were arrested in Albany, Georgia, during five mass marches to city hall protesting... Continue →
Dionne Warwick, one of the most-charted female vocalists of all time, was born in East Orange, New Jersey. Known for her smooth vocals and... Continue →
On December 12, 1938, the U.S. Supreme Court delivered a pivotal decision in Missouri ex rel. Gaines v. Canada, marking a significant step toward... Continue →
Vincent Smith, an acclaimed African American painter and printmaker, was born in Brooklyn, New York. His work is celebrated for its vivid... Continue →
Joe Williams, acclaimed American jazz vocalist, was born in Cordele, Georgia. Renowned for his smooth baritone voice, Williams rose to fame in the... Continue →
Boxing legend Henry Armstrong was born on this day in 1912. In 1938, Armstrong made history by becoming the first boxer to simultaneously hold world... Continue →
Josh Gibson, one of the greatest power hitters in baseball history, was born on this day in Buena Vista, Georgia. Known as the "Black Babe Ruth,"... Continue →
Dr. George F. Grant, an African American dentist, professor, and inventor, was granted U.S. Patent No. 638,920 for a wooden golf tee. A... Continue →
Mordecai Wyatt Johnson, born on this day in Paris, Tennessee, became the first African American president of Howard University, serving from 1926 to... Continue →
On this day, George H. Williams was appointed as the U.S. Attorney General by President Ulysses S. Grant. While Williams himself was not Black, his... Continue →
On this day, Joseph H. Rainey became the first African American to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives for South Carolina. He was sworn in to... Continue →
Dewey "Pigmeat" Markham, born on April 18, 1904, in Durham, North Carolina, was a multifaceted African American entertainer renowned for his work as... Continue →
The Metropolitan Council for Educational Opportunity (METCO) is the nation's longest-running voluntary school desegregation program. Established in... Continue →
On December 13, 1957, Daniel Ahmling Chapman Nyaho presented his credentials as Ghana's first Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the... Continue →
On December 26, 1944, Harriet Ida Pickens and Frances Eliza Wills became the first African American women commissioned as officers in the U.S. Navy's... Continue →
On this day, Jackie Robinson, the first African American to play in Major League Baseball in the modern era, was traded from the Brooklyn Dodgers to... Continue →
Larry Doby, born on this day in Camden, South Carolina, would go on to become a trailblazer in Major League Baseball. On July 5, 1947, he became the... Continue →
Menelik II, the visionary emperor who modernized Ethiopia and defended its sovereignty, died on this day in 1913. His reign (1889–1913) was marked... Continue →
Archibald Lee Wright, later known as Archie Moore, was born in Benoit, Mississippi. A legendary figure in boxing, Moore would go on to win the World... Continue →
Ella Baker, one of the most influential yet unsung heroes of the American Civil Rights Movement, was born on this day. A tireless organizer and... Continue →
Under increasing pressure and facing troop shortages, General George Washington reversed a previous policy and allowed free Black men to enlist in... Continue →
Elston Howard, the first Black player to join the New York Yankees, passed away on this day in 1980. A standout catcher during the 1950s and 1960s,... Continue →
The San Francisco State College (now San Francisco State University) student strike of 1968–1969 was a pivotal moment in the history of American... Continue →
Entertainer Sammy Davis Jr. received the prestigious Spingarn Medal from the NAACP for his “superb and many-faceted talent” and his significant... Continue →
On December 14, 1963, the music world mourned the loss of Dinah Washington, a versatile and influential American singer renowned for her... Continue →
Stanley Crouch, born on December 14, 1945, in Los Angeles, California, was an influential American writer, jazz critic, and cultural commentator.... Continue →
On December 14, 1939, Ernie Davis was born in New Salem, Pennsylvania. He would go on to become a trailblazing figure in American football,... Continue →
Clark Terry was a trailblazing musician, best known for his work with Duke Ellington and Count Basie, and later as a member of the Tonight Show Band,... Continue →
John Mercer Langston, a pioneering lawyer, educator, and politician, was born on this day in Louisa County, Virginia. Born free in a slaveholding... Continue →
On this day, George Washington, the first President of the United States, died at his Mount Vernon estate. In his last will and testament, Washington... Continue →
On December 15, 2001, Rufus Thomas, the legendary R&B, soul, and funk singer renowned for hits like "Do the Funky Chicken" and "Walking the Dog,"... Continue →
William Augustus Hinton, a pioneering African American bacteriologist and pathologist, was born on this day. He is best known for developing the... Continue →
In Baton Rouge, Louisiana, approximately 1,500 Black demonstrators gathered to protest segregation and racial injustice. In response, police used... Continue →
Kenneth B. Clark, a pioneering psychologist and educator, was awarded the Spingarn Medal by the NAACP for his groundbreaking work on the... Continue →
The San Francisco Sun-Reporter is a prominent African American weekly newspaper serving the San Francisco community. Its origins trace back to 1944,... Continue →
Renowned jazz pianist, organist, composer, and entertainer Thomas W. “Fats” Waller died at age 39 in Kansas City, Missouri. A towering figure in... Continue →
In one of the decisive battles of the American Civil War, two brigades of United States Colored Troops (USCT) played a crucial role in defeating... Continue →
On December 15, 1896, Julia Terry Hammonds, an African American inventor from Lebanon, Illinois, was granted U.S. Patent No. 572,985 for her... Continue →
On this day, Maggie Lena Walker, a groundbreaking African American businesswoman and civic leader, passed away. Before her death, she served as... Continue →
On December 15, 1943, the Spingarn Medal was presented to William H. Hastie in recognition of his distinguished career as a jurist and his unwavering... Continue →
On December 15, 1934, William Taylor Burwell Williams was awarded the Spingarn Medal by the NAACP for his exceptional contributions to education.... Continue →
On December 16, 1973, during the final game of the regular season, Buffalo Bills running back O.J. Simpson made NFL history by becoming the first... Continue →
On December 16, 1976, President-elect Jimmy Carter nominated Andrew Young to serve as the United States Ambassador to the United Nations, making him... Continue →
On this day, the Booker T. Washington Memorial Half Dollar was officially issued by the United States Mint. It was the first U.S. coin to honor an... Continue →
John Edward Jacob, born on December 16, 1934, in Trout, Louisiana, and raised in Houston, Texas, was a prominent civil rights leader and advocate for... Continue →
On this day in 1933, Charles L. Blockson was born in Norristown, Pennsylvania. A renowned author, historian, and collector, Blockson became one of... Continue →
On December 16, 1875, William J. Whipper, a prominent African American lawyer and legislator, was elected as a circuit court judge in South Carolina... Continue →
Charles Caldwell, a formerly enslaved man who became a state senator and militia leader during Reconstruction, was assassinated in Clinton,... Continue →
On this day, three historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) were founded or formally chartered: Alabama A&M University... Continue →
On December 15, 1875, South Carolina Governor Daniel H. Chamberlain took a significant stand against corruption within the state's judiciary. The... Continue →
On this day, the Colored Methodist Episcopal Church (CME) was officially organized in Jackson, Tennessee, by 41 freedmen and former slaves. The... Continue →
John Anthony Copeland Jr. and Shields Green, two Black men who joined abolitionist John Brown in his raid on the federal armory at Harpers Ferry,... Continue →
William Cooper Nell was born on this day in Boston, Massachusetts. Recognized by Carter G. Woodson as the first African American historian, Nell... Continue →
In December 1991, Michael Jordan was honored as Sports Illustrated's Sportsman of the Year, recognizing his exceptional achievements during the year.... Continue →
George and Noble Johnson founded the Lincoln Motion Picture Company, the first Black-owned film production company in the United States. Based in Los... Continue →
On December 17, 1975, baseball legend Henry "Hank" Aaron was honored with the Spingarn Medal by the NAACP. This prestigious award recognized his... Continue →
Noble Sissle, renowned jazz lyricist, bandleader, and playwright, died on this day in Tampa, Florida. He was best known for his groundbreaking... Continue →
On December 17, 1971, Congressman Charles C. Diggs Jr. of Michigan resigned from his position as a delegate to the United Nations. This action was... Continue →
Marion Perkins, a self-taught African American sculptor from Chicago, died on this day in 1961. Born in 1908, Perkins worked as a newspaper vendor on... Continue →
Eddie Kendricks, future co-founder and falsetto lead singer of the legendary Motown group The Temptations, is born in Union Springs, Alabama. As part... Continue →
Art Neville was born in New Orleans, Louisiana. He would go on to become a pioneering figure in funk and R&B music as a founding member of the... Continue →
On this day, the League of Nations officially granted South Africa a Class C mandate to administer South West Africa (present-day Namibia) following... Continue →
James P. Thomas, a formerly enslaved man who gained his freedom and became a prosperous entrepreneur, died on this day in 1913. After opening a... Continue →
Henry Adams was born enslaved in Forks of the Road, Louisiana. After gaining freedom, he became a Union Army soldier, political leader, and civil... Continue →
Deborah Sampson Gannett, born on December 17, 1760, in Plympton, Massachusetts, was a remarkable figure in American history. She is best known for... Continue →
On this day, Queen Nzinga (also spelled Nzingha or Njinga), the legendary ruler of Ndongo and Matamba in present-day Angola, passed away. Known as... Continue →
On December 18, 1989, the New York Film Critics Circle announced their annual awards, honoring Ernest R. Dickerson with the Best Cinematography award... Continue →
The U.S. Supreme Court, in a 6-3 decision, upheld the constitutionality of Executive Order 9066, which led to the internment of over 120,000 Japanese... Continue →
On December 18, 1996, the Oakland School Board in California made a groundbreaking decision by passing a resolution that recognized Ebonics, also... Continue →
On December 18, 1971, Reverend Jesse Jackson founded Operation PUSH (People United to Save Humanity) in Chicago. The organization was established to... Continue →
On December 18, 1971, the NAACP awarded the Spingarn Medal to Reverend Leon H. Sullivan in recognition of his outstanding leadership and... Continue →
Lori McNeil, born on December 18, 1963, in San Diego, California, is a former professional tennis player renowned for her achievements in both... Continue →
On December 18, 1917, Ossie Davis was born in Cogdell, Georgia. He emerged as a distinguished actor, director, writer, and civil rights activist,... Continue →
Benjamin O. Davis Sr., the first African American to become a General in the U.S. Army, was born in Washington, D.C. on this day. His military career... Continue →
On this day, the 13th Amendment to the United States Constitution was officially ratified, formally abolishing slavery and involuntary servitude... Continue →
By the end of the Civil War, nearly one out of every four sailors in the Union Navy was Black. Out of 118,044 Union naval personnel, 29,511 were... Continue →
South Carolina became the first state to secede from the United States, declaring itself an independent commonwealth, which marked a major step... Continue →
Although this date precedes the U.S. Civil War (1861–1865), it's often cited in historical summaries to highlight the eventual scale of Black... Continue →
George Henry White, born on December 18, 1852, in Bladen County, North Carolina, was a prominent African American attorney, educator, and politician... Continue →
Carter Godwin Woodson was born in New Canton, Virginia. A pioneering African American historian, author, and educator, he is best known as the... Continue →
Cicely Tyson, the acclaimed American actress, was born on December 19, 1924, in Harlem, New York City. Raised by her parents, who were immigrants... Continue →
James Weldon Johnson, noted author, educator, lawyer, and civil rights leader, resigned from his role as executive secretary of the NAACP, a position... Continue →
Henry A. Hunt, a pioneering Black educator and agricultural leader, was awarded the Spingarn Medal by the NAACP for his outstanding contributions to... Continue →
Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, originally founded on January 13, 1913 at Howard University by 22 collegiate women, was officially incorporated on... Continue →
On this day, the Pittsburgh Courier, one of the most influential African American newspapers in U.S. history, was founded. Based in Pittsburgh,... Continue →
On this date, South Carolina State University in Orangeburg, South Carolina, was officially designated a state-supported land-grant institution for... Continue →
On this date, reports indicated that 67 African Americans were lynched in the United States during the year 1910. Lynching was a brutal form of... Continue →
The Norfolk Journal and Guide, a significant African American newspaper, was established in 1910 under the leadership of Plummer Bernard (P.B.) Young... Continue →
On this day, the Baltimore City Council passed the first city ordinance in the United States mandating racial segregation in housing, requiring that... Continue →
On December 19, 1891, Charles Randolph Uncles became the first African American priest ordained in the United States. Born on November 8, 1859, in... Continue →
The gubernatorial election in Georgia on December 19, 1871, was a pivotal event during the Reconstruction era, marked by significant political... Continue →
On December 20, 1988, Max Robinson, the first African American man to anchor a nightly network newscast, passed away at the age of 49 due to... Continue →
On December 20, 1983, Julius "Dr. J" Erving scored his 25,000th career point, becoming the ninth professional basketball player to reach this... Continue →
On December 20, 1981, the musical Dreamgirls premiered at Broadway's Imperial Theatre. The production ran for over three years, totaling 1,521... Continue →
On December 20, 1956, the African American community in Montgomery, Alabama, voted to end their 381-day bus boycott following the U.S. Supreme... Continue →
On this day, Paul Laurence Dunbar, one of the first influential Black poets in American literature, published his debut poetry collection, Oak and... Continue →
Jefferson Franklin Long of Macon, Georgia, became the first African American from Georgia elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. He won a... Continue →
Robert H. Wood, born in 1844 to Susie Harris, an African American housekeeper, and Dr. Robert Wood, a white physician and former mayor of Natchez,... Continue →
Allen University Founded: 1870 Location: Columbia, South Carolina Wikipedia Background: Established by ministers of the... Continue →
On this day, South Carolina became the first state to secede from the United States, a key event leading to the American Civil War. The decision was... Continue →
On December 21, 1988, civil rights leader Rev. Jesse Jackson, alongside other prominent Black leaders, advocated for the adoption of the term... Continue →
Robert S. Duncanson, a pioneering African American landscape painter of the 19th century, faced significant health challenges in his later years. In... Continue →
On December 20, 1986, Michael Griffith, a 23-year-old Black man, was tragically killed in a racially motivated attack in the predominantly white... Continue →
On December 21, 1976, Patricia Roberts Harris was appointed as the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) by President-elect Jimmy Carter,... Continue →
On this day, legendary choreographer and dancer Alvin Ailey received the Spingarn Medal from the NAACP, “in recognition of his international... Continue →
The NAACP awarded the Spingarn Medal to Gordon B. Parks “in recognition of his unique creativity, as exemplified by his outstanding achievements as... Continue →
On December 21, 1972, Horace Mann Bond, an influential African American educator, historian, and college administrator, died. Bond was known for his... Continue →
On December 21, 1959, residents of Deerfield, Illinois, approved a referendum that effectively blocked plans for an interracial housing development.... Continue →
Florence Griffith Joyner, legendary American track and field athlete, was born in Los Angeles, California. Known as "Flo-Jo," she became iconic for... Continue →
The Spingarn Medal was awarded to Edward Kennedy ("Duke") Ellington, renowned composer, pianist, and jazz pioneer, in recognition of his outstanding... Continue →
Motown Records was established in Detroit, Michigan, by Berry Gordy Jr. Motown became one of the most influential record labels, significantly... Continue →
The Montgomery Bus Boycott officially ended after 381 days, making Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King Jr. national heroes. The U.S. Supreme Court... Continue →
Actor Samuel L. Jackson was born in Washington, D.C. Jackson began his acting career while attending Morehouse College and went on to star in over... Continue →
P.B.S. Pinchback, a major Reconstruction-era political leader and the first African American to serve as a U.S. state governor (Louisiana,... Continue →
The Negro Renaissance, later known as the Harlem Renaissance, marked a period of extraordinary creativity among Black artists and writers, coupled... Continue →
A year-end report released on this date revealed that 59 Black Americans were lynched in the United States during 1921. These extrajudicial killings,... Continue →
Actor Charles S. Gilpin received the NAACP's Spingarn Medal for his groundbreaking performance in the title role of The Emperor Jones by Eugene... Continue →
Josh Gibson, born in Buena Vista, Georgia, was one of the most powerful and legendary baseball players of his era. Often referred to as the "Black... Continue →
In response to escalating violence against Black citizens and Republicans during the Reconstruction era, President Ulysses S. Grant issued a... Continue →
South Carolina enacted one of the first sets of Black Codes following the Civil War, aiming "to regulate the relations of persons of color." These... Continue →
James Amos Porter, a pioneering African American art historian and artist, was born on this date in Baltimore, Maryland. Porter was instrumental in... Continue →
W.E.B. Du Bois, a pioneering sociologist, historian, and civil rights activist, was elected to the prestigious National Institute of Arts and... Continue →
Dr. Chancellor Williams, renowned historian and author of The Destruction of Black Civilization, was born. His influential work challenged mainstream... Continue →
Arthur Wergs Mitchell, born on December 22, 1883, near Lafayette, Alabama, was the first African American elected to the U.S. Congress as a Democrat.... Continue →
Charles Lenox Remond, a pioneering abolitionist and orator, died on this day in 1873. He was the first Black lecturer employed by the Massachusetts... Continue →
Alice H. Parker, an African American inventor, was granted a patent for a gas-powered central heating system that used natural gas to provide warmth... Continue →
Madame C.J. Walker, born Sarah Breedlove in Delta, Louisiana, was born on this day. She would go on to found a successful Black hair-care business in... Continue →
On this day in 1863, Robert Blake, serving as a powder boy aboard the USS Marblehead, became the first Black American awarded the Naval Medal of... Continue →
Henry Highland Garnet, a minister, abolitionist, and diplomat, was born into slavery in Kent County, Maryland. He became a prominent figure in the... Continue →
On December 24, 1992, Mike Espy was confirmed as the first Black Secretary of Agriculture in U.S. history. Appointed by President-elect Bill Clinton,... Continue →
On this day, approximately five thousand African Americans departed Edgefield County, South Carolina, in what became known as the “Edgefield... Continue →
Tennessee initiated the modern Jim Crow era by enacting a law mandating segregated railroad cars, becoming the first state to formalize such racial... Continue →
The United Order of True Reformers, an African American fraternal organization, was officially established in Richmond, Virginia. Founded by William... Continue →
Octavia V. Rogers Albert, an African American author and former enslaved woman, was born. She is best known for her influential book The House of... Continue →
On Christmas Day in 1971, Rev. Jesse Jackson founded Operation PUSH (People United to Save Humanity) in Chicago. The organization aimed to improve... Continue →
Charles Caldwell, a formerly enslaved man and Reconstruction-era politician, was assassinated in Clinton, Mississippi. He had made history as the... Continue →
The Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) announced that its national director, James Farmer, a key architect of the Civil Rights Movement and leader of... Continue →
Seaway National Bank of Chicago, one of the largest Black-owned banks in the United States, was established to serve the financial needs of the South... Continue →
On Christmas Day 1956, the home of Rev. Fred L. Shuttlesworth, a key leader in the Birmingham Civil Rights Movement, was bombed by white... Continue →
Mabel Keaton Staupers received the NAACP's prestigious Spingarn Medal for her pioneering leadership in nursing and her tireless advocacy for racial... Continue →
Civil rights activists Harry T. Moore and his wife, Harriette, were killed by a bomb planted beneath their home in Mims, Florida. Harry T. Moore, the... Continue →
Bandleader and pioneering jazz singer, Cab Calloway became the first jazz vocalist to sell a million records, leaving a lasting impact on American... Continue →
Henry McKee Minton was born on this day in Columbia, South Carolina. A pioneering African American physician and pharmacist, Minton co-founded Sigma... Continue →
On Christmas Day 1865, three prominent historically Black universities were founded: Atlanta University (now part of Clark Atlanta University), Shaw... Continue →
Reports from across the American South indicated that many freedmen had left plantations, anticipating a general distribution of land. General Rufus... Continue →
Cheyney University of Pennsylvania, the oldest historically Black university in the United States, was established as the Institute for Colored Youth... Continue →
Remond was one of the first African Americans employed as a lecturer by the antislavery movement. Known for his eloquence and passionate advocacy, he... Continue →
The Mirror of Liberty, the first African American magazine, was published in New York City by abolitionist David Ruggles. It served as a powerful... Continue →
During the Second Seminole War, a combined force of Seminole Indians and Black Seminoles was defeated by American troops at the Battle of Okeechobee... Continue →
Charles B. Ray was born in Falmouth, Massachusetts. He later enrolled at Wesleyan University in Connecticut but was forced to withdraw due to... Continue →
Considered the first published African American poet, Jupiter Hammon's work marked a significant moment in Black literary history. His deeply... Continue →
Kwanzaa, a week-long cultural holiday celebrating African-American heritage, unity, and culture, was first observed on this date. It was founded by... Continue →
Following the success of the Montgomery Bus Boycott, African Americans in Birmingham, Alabama, launched a campaign of mass resistance against... Continue →
Lonne Elder III was an influential American actor, playwright, and screenwriter, renowned for his contributions to African-American theater and film.... Continue →
DeFord Bailey, an influential African American harmonica player, was among the Grand Ole Opry's earliest and most celebrated performers. His first... Continue →
In Sydney, Australia, Jack Johnson defeated Tommy Burns to win the world heavyweight championship, becoming the first Black man to hold the title.... Continue →
By the end of 1908, records from anti-lynching activists and institutions like the Tuskegee Institute documented that 89 Black individuals were... Continue →
Jean Toomer, a pioneering African-American writer and the grandson of P.B.S. Pinchback—the first African-American governor of a U.S. state—was... Continue →
David Ruggles, often considered the first African American bookseller, died in Northampton, Massachusetts. He opened his bookstore in 1834 in New... Continue →
William and Ellen Craft escaped from slavery in Georgia in a daring journey. Ellen, who was light-skinned, disguised herself as a white male... Continue →
The second day of the first-ever Kwanzaa celebration honored Kujichagulia, meaning "self-determination" in Swahili. Kwanzaa, created by Dr. Maulana... Continue →
In a decisive ruling, Judge Devane declared that “every segregation act of every state or city is as dead as a doornail,” reinforcing the legal... Continue →
On this day, Jack Roosevelt "Jackie" Robinson was awarded the Spingarn Medal by the NAACP for his outstanding conduct both on and off the baseball... Continue →
On this day in 1941, Dr. Charles Richard Drew, a trailblazing African American physician and researcher, established a pioneering blood bank in New... Continue →
John Amos was born in Newark, New Jersey. He gained prominence in the 1970s for his role in Good Times, where he portrayed a strong Black father... Continue →
With the support of his wife, Work went on to publish The Negro Year Book, an annual encyclopedia of African American achievement. In 1928, he... Continue →
Livingstone College and Biddle College (now Johnson C. Smith University) played the first recorded football game between African American colleges.... Continue →
William A. Harper, one of the most gifted African American artists of the early 20th century, was born in Ontario, Canada. A student of renowned... Continue →
Actor Denzel Washington was born on this day in Mount Vernon, NY. Washington will star in such films as "Malcolm X", "Glory", "Much Ado about... Continue →
Third Day of Kwanzaa - Ujima (Collective Work and Responsibility)On December 28, 1966, the third day of the first-ever Kwanzaa celebration honored... Continue →
Arthur B. Spingarn, a key figure in the early U.S. civil rights movement and one of the founders of the NAACP (National Association for the... Continue →
On this day, Karen Farmer broke racial barriers by becoming the first African American admitted to the Daughters of the American Revolution. She... Continue →
George H. White was the final Black member of Congress during the post-Reconstruction period, serving North Carolina’s 2nd congressional district... Continue →
The date December 28, 1918, is tied to a tragic and telling report in U.S. history. On that day, The Chicago Whip, a Black newspaper, reported that... Continue →
William Stanley Braithwaite, renowned poet, literary critic, and editor, received the Spingarn Medal from the NAACP for distinguished achievement in... Continue →
Hines revolutionized jazz piano with his innovative "trumpet-style" approach, influencing countless musicians and shaping the future of jazz. His... Continue →
On this day in 1897, inventor C. V. Rickey was granted U.S. Patent No. 596,427 for a fire escape bracket. This innovation contributed to safer... Continue →
Elizabeth Freeman, known as "Mumbet," dies. Born into slavery, she escaped after mistreatment and successfully sued for her freedom in Massachusetts.... Continue →
The American Colonization Society (ACS) was founded with the mission of resettling free African Americans to Africa, specifically to what would... Continue →
Robert C. Weaver, born on this day, became the first African American appointed to a U.S. presidential cabinet. In 1966, President Lyndon B. Johnson... Continue →
On this day in 1845, Texas was admitted to the United States as the 28th state, entering the Union as a slave state. This move heightened tensions... Continue →
Thomas J. "Tom" Bradley was born on December 29, 1917, in Calvert, Texas. He moved with his family to Los Angeles around 1924, where he later... Continue →
Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc., a historically African American Greek-lettered sorority, was officially incorporated on this date in 1929. Founded on... Continue →
Two U.S. courts issued temporary injunctions to stop the eviction of approximately 700 Black sharecroppers in Haywood and Fayette counties,... Continue →
On this day in 1960, renowned poet and writer Langston Hughes was presented with the NAACP Spingarn Medal, honoring his outstanding achievements in... Continue →
The "Don't Buy Where You Can't Work" campaign began in Chicago with the picketing of chain stores on the South Side, demanding fair employment... Continue →
On this day, Mordecai Wyatt Johnson was honored with the prestigious Spingarn Medal by the NAACP, recognizing his significant contributions to... Continue →
On this day in 1928, Bo Diddley was born Ellas Bates on a small farm near McComb, Mississippi, in rural Pike County near the Louisiana border. Raised... Continue →
Dr. Miles V. Lynk, a pioneering African American physician, published The Medical and Surgical Observer, the first Black medical journal in the... Continue →
Josiah T. Walls, the first Black man elected to the U.S. Congress from Florida, was born on this day in 1842. Born into slavery in Virginia, Walls... Continue →
Donna Summer, the iconic "Queen of Disco," is born in Boston, Massachusetts. Rising to fame in the 1970s, she became a defining voice of the disco... Continue →
The United Negro College Fund (UNCF) held its first nationally televised telethon, An Evening of Stars, which raised $14.1 million to support... Continue →
On this day in 1953, Hulan Jack was sworn in as the Borough President of Manhattan, becoming one of the first African Americans to hold such a... Continue →
On December 31, 1953, the NAACP awarded the Spingarn Medal to Paul R. Williams for his outstanding achievements in architecture. Williams broke... Continue →
On this day, Marian Anderson made her debut at Town Hall in New York City. Her performance was widely praised, with New York Times critic Howard... Continue →
Odetta Felious Gordon, known simply as Odetta, is born in Birmingham, Alabama. A powerful folk singer, guitarist, and civil rights activist, Odetta... Continue →
Sculptor and educator Selma Burke was born on this day in Mooresville, North Carolina. She gained national recognition after being commissioned to... Continue →
Annie Wealthy Holland, an influential African American educator, was born on this day. She is best known for founding the Parent Teacher Association... Continue →
Residents of Rochester, New York, joined Frederick Douglass in a solemn vigil on the eve of the Emancipation Proclamation. As midnight approached,... Continue →
Alarmed by the potential impact of the British Governor Lord Dunmore’s Proclamation—which offered freedom to enslaved people who joined British... Continue →
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