On this day, William Monroe Trotter, a Harvard-educated activist and newspaper editor, co-founded The Guardian in Boston, Massachusetts. The paper became a bold voice against racial injustice, particularly challenging the accommodationist views of Booker T. Washington.

Trotter used The Guardian to advocate for civil rights, political activism, and Black self-determination, making it one of the most influential African American newspapers of its time.

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, songwriter, dancer, record producer, and actor, best known as the lead vocalist of the group Dru Hill. He rose to solo fame with the release of his 1999 hit “Thong Song”, which became a major pop and R&B success.

With his distinctive voice, flamboyant style, and energetic performances, Sisqó left a lasting impact on late 1990s and early 2000s R&B and pop music culture.

Benjamin Banneker was born on this day in Ellicott Mills, Maryland, to a free African American woman and a formerly enslaved father. Despite having little formal education, Banneker became a self-taught mathematician, astronomer, inventor, and author. He is renowned for building one of the first clocks in America, accurately predicting solar and lunar eclipses, and compiling widely respected almanacs that included weather forecasts, astronomical data, and anti-slavery essays.

Banneker also played a role in surveying the land for the future District of Columbia in 1791. His brilliance and accomplishments challenged prevailing beliefs about race and intellect in early America.

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 Zoology (1940, University of Pennsylvania). Born in 1899, Young made significant contributions to the fields of marine biology, zoology, and radiation biology, often overcoming racial and gender barriers throughout her career.

She worked alongside prominent scientists like Ernest Everett Just and inspired generations of Black scientists through her persistence and brilliance, despite facing personal and professional obstacles.

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 Representatives for over 27 years (from 1943 to 1970), making him one of the most influential Black lawmakers of his time.

Dawson was:

• The first African American to chair a standing committee in Congress (Government Operations Committee, 1949).
• A key figure in Chicago’s Black political movement.
• A powerful advocate for civil rights, veterans, and urban communities.

His long-standing service helped pave the way for future generations of Black political leadership in America.

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 as Gilda in Verdi’s Rigoletto, breaking barriers in one of the most prestigious opera houses in the world.

Dobbs’ performance was not only a milestone for representation in classical music but also a defining moment in the Civil Rights Era’s cultural front. A coloratura soprano with extraordinary range and skill, she went on to become one of the first African American singers to achieve a major international opera career, performing in major houses across Europe and the U.S.

On this day, Howard University College of Medicine officially opened in Washington, D.C., with eight students and five faculty members. Among the students, seven were Black and one was white, marking a bold and progressive step in post-Civil War America.

One of the founding faculty members was Dr. Alexander Thomas Augusta, the first Black U.S. Army surgeon and first African American to achieve the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in the Army. As the only Black professor on the founding faculty, Dr. Augusta was a trailblazer in both medicine and civil rights, fighting for equality in medical education and military service.

Howard’s medical school went on to become one of the most significant institutions for training Black doctors in the United States, playing a key role in expanding access to healthcare in underserved communities.

Dorothy Dandridge, groundbreaking actress, singer, and dancer, was born on this day in Cleveland, Ohio. She became the first African American woman to be nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress, for her iconic role in Carmen Jones (1954).

Dandridge broke barriers in Hollywood during a time of extreme racial segregation and limited roles for Black actors. Her talent, elegance, and courage paved the way for generations of Black performers.

Arkansas Governor Powell Clayton declared martial law in ten counties due to widespread racial violence perpetrated by the Ku Klux Klan during the Reconstruction era. The move was aimed at protecting newly emancipated African Americans and suppressing Klan terrorism. Governor Clayton mobilized the state militia, including many Black soldiers, to restore order and uphold civil rights.

This bold action was one of the first major governmental responses to Klan violence and highlighted the intense resistance to Black freedom and political participation during Reconstruction.