On September 11, 1959, Duke Ellington, the legendary jazz composer, pianist, and bandleader, was awarded the prestigious Spingarn Medal by the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) for his outstanding musical achievements. The Spingarn Medal is awarded annually to individuals who have made significant contributions to African American culture and society. Ellington’s influence on jazz and American music as a whole made him a fitting recipient of this honor.

On September 11, 1962, a tragic incident occurred during voter registration efforts in the American South, particularly in Mississippi. This event was part of the larger Civil Rights Movement and the struggle for African Americans to gain the right to vote. Voter registration drives, especially in southern states like Mississippi, faced intense resistance, including violent actions from white supremacist groups and local authorities.

In this instance, many African American citizens, who were attempting to register to vote, were met with hostility, violence, and intimidation. On that day, several voters were wounded during the violent response to their efforts to exercise their constitutional rights.

This type of violence was part of a broader pattern of racial discrimination and violence aimed at suppressing African American voters in the segregated South. Voter registration drives, such as those organized by the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) and other civil rights groups, were critical in challenging the systemic barriers that prevented Black people from voting.

The Civil Rights Movement eventually led to significant changes, with the passage of landmark legislation like the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which aimed to eliminate discriminatory practices and ensure the protection of voting rights for all Americans.

Joseph Harrison Jackson (September 11, 1900 – August 18, 1990) was a prominent African American pastor and leader within the National Baptist Convention (NBC). Born near Rudyard, Mississippi, Jackson pursued higher education diligently, earning a Bachelor of Arts from Jackson College (now Jackson State University) in 1926, a Bachelor of Divinity from Colgate Rochester Divinity School in 1932, and a Master of Arts from Creighton University in 1934.

Jackson’s pastoral career included leading congregations in Mississippi, Nebraska, and Pennsylvania. In 1941, he became the pastor of Olivet Baptist Church in Chicago, Illinois, where he served until his death in 1990. Under his leadership, Olivet Baptist Church grew significantly, becoming one of the largest African American congregations in the United States.

In 1953, Jackson was elected president of the National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc., the largest African American religious organization in the country. He held this position for 29 years, making him the longest-serving president in the convention’s history. His tenure was marked by internal conflicts over the direction of the civil rights movement and the role of the church in social activism. Jackson advocated for achieving civil rights through legal means and was cautious about direct action and civil disobedience, which led to tensions with leaders like Martin Luther King Jr.

These ideological differences culminated in a division within the NBC, resulting in the formation of the Progressive National Baptist Convention in 1961 by those who supported a more activist approach to civil rights. Despite the split, Jackson continued to lead the NBC until 1982, focusing on initiatives such as the establishment of the National Baptist Freedom Farm and promoting educational programs within the church community.

Jackson’s legacy is complex; he was a steadfast leader who prioritized legal approaches to civil rights and the spiritual mission of the church, yet his conservative stance during a pivotal era of social change remains a subject of discussion among historians and religious scholars.

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 figure in the civil rights movement. Charles Evers became well-known for his activism, particularly in Mississippi, where he worked to improve the rights and living conditions of African Americans. He later became the first African American mayor of a Mississippi town, Fayette, in 1969. His work alongside other civil rights leaders helped to further the cause for equality in the United States.

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 educator, minister, and diplomat. Before his diplomatic appointment, he was a formerly enslaved person who became a prominent educator and pastor. His role as Minister to Liberia reflected the U.S. government’s diplomatic relations with the West African nation, which had historical ties to freed African Americans.

On September 11, 1851, the Christiana Riot (also known as the Christiana Resistance) took place in Christiana, Pennsylvania. This event was a significant act of resistance against the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850.

A group of formerly enslaved Black men, along with white abolitionists, defended four freedom seekers who had escaped from Maryland. Edward Gorsuch, a Maryland slave owner, arrived with a group of men to recapture them. However, the local Black community, led by William Parker—a formerly enslaved man and abolitionist—fought back. In the confrontation, Gorsuch was killed, and the slave catchers were forced to retreat.

Following the resistance, federal authorities arrested over 30 people, including Parker and other Black residents, as well as white abolitionists, charging them with treason. However, in the most significant trial, the first defendant, Castner Hanway, a white man, was acquitted, and the government ultimately dropped the charges.

The Christiana Riot became a powerful symbol of Black resistance and the growing tensions leading up to the Civil War. It demonstrated the willingness of free Black communities and their allies to defy unjust laws and protect those escaping slavery.

A reference from the Pennsylvania Gazette on September 11, 1740, is considered one of the earliest documented mentions of an African American practicing medicine or dentistry in the American colonies. Simon, described as being able to “bleed and draw teeth,” was likely skilled in both phlebotomy and tooth extraction—common medical practices of the time.

During the colonial period, African Americans, both enslaved and free, often served as healers, midwives, and herbalists. Many gained medical knowledge through apprenticeships, indigenous and African healing traditions, or informal training under European doctors. Despite systemic barriers, individuals like Simon paved the way for later African American medical professionals such as James Derham (the first recognized African American physician) and Dr. Rebecca Lee Crumpler (the first African American woman to earn an M.D.).

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 groundbreaking miniseries Roots. The series, based on Alex Haley’s novel, became a cultural phenomenon and brought significant attention to the African-American experience. Jones’s powerful and evocative score was widely praised and contributed greatly to the impact of the show.

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 revolutionary group. The coup marked the end of the Ethiopian monarchy and the beginning of the People’s Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, which was ruled by the Derg under Colonel Mengistu Haile Mariam. Haile Selassie, who had ruled Ethiopia for more than 40 years, was arrested and later died under mysterious circumstances in 1975, officially under house arrest. His overthrow is seen as a significant turning point in Ethiopian history, both politically and socially.