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 ruling (1954), which declared segregation in public schools unconstitutional. Despite this, many Southern districts, including St. Helena Parish, resisted integration through legal and bureaucratic means. Over the course of 37 years, the case symbolized both the persistence of systemic racism in education and the tireless efforts of civil rights advocates to enforce constitutional rights. The final settlement marked a significant, though delayed, victory for educational equity in the U.S.

On this day in 1875, William P. Powell, an African American entrepreneur and civic leader, founded the city of Centerville in California. Amidst the challenges of the Reconstruction era and racial discrimination, Powell’s vision led to the establishment of a thriving community. Centerville became a symbol of Black self-determination and resilience in the post-Civil War United States.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) denied the license renewal application of the Alabama Educational Television Commission due to persistent racial discrimination in hiring practices and programming decisions. This landmark decision marked one of the first times a broadcast license was denied on the grounds of civil rights violations, highlighting federal accountability for racial equity in public media.

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 pioneer, Young was also the third Black graduate of West Point and served with distinction in the Buffalo Soldiers and as a military attaché. His career paved the way for future generations of Black military leaders.

The African National Congress (ANC) was established in Bloemfontein, South Africa, to unite African people and spearhead the struggle for political, social, and economic rights. The ANC played a key role in the fight against apartheid and would later become the ruling party after South Africa’s first democratic elections in 1994.

Congress passed legislation granting African American men the right to vote in the District of Columbia, overriding President Andrew Johnson’s veto. This marked one of the earliest federal efforts to extend suffrage to formerly enslaved people during Reconstruction.

Fannie M. Jackson (later Coppin), a trailblazing educator and missionary, was born. In 1865, she became the first African American woman to graduate from college in the United States, earning her degree from Oberlin College. She later became a principal at the Institute for Colored Youth in Philadelphia and dedicated her life to education and racial uplift.

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 troops were two notable Black units: the Battalion of Free Men of Color and a battalion of Black soldiers from Saint-Domingue (present-day Haiti). These troops played a significant role in the American victory, highlighting the often-overlooked contributions of Black soldiers in early U.S. military history.

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. history. The revolt, which began on January 6, involved an estimated 200 to 500 enslaved people who marched toward New Orleans seeking freedom. Armed with tools and a few weapons, they were met with violent resistance. Dozens were killed during the suppression, and many others were captured, tried, and executed. The revolt highlighted both the brutality of slavery and the resistance of enslaved people in the pursuit of liberty.

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 of Orleans (modern-day Louisiana). Beginning at the Andry Plantation, the uprising involved hundreds of enslaved people marching toward New Orleans with makeshift weapons, seeking freedom. Though ultimately suppressed by local militias and federal troops, the 1811 German Coast Uprising remains a powerful symbol of resistance and the struggle for liberation.