On this day, Willie L. Brown Jr., a longtime California political powerhouse and former Speaker of the California State Assembly, defeated incumbent Frank Jordan to become the first African American mayor of San Francisco. His victory marked a major milestone in the city’s political and cultural history. Brown served two terms as mayor (1996–2004), overseeing a period of significant economic growth and urban development.

The National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) was founded on December 12, 1975, in Washington, D.C., by 44 journalists dedicated to strengthening the ties among Black media professionals and advocating for diversity in newsrooms and media coverage.

Today, with over 3,000 members, 74 professional chapters, and 51 student chapters, NABJ is the largest organization of journalists of color in the world. Its mission is to support Black journalists through training, career development, and advocacy, while also pushing for accurate, equitable representation of the Black community in media.

On this day, Kenya officially gained independence from British colonial rule, ending decades of struggle. Jomo Kenyatta, a key leader in the independence movement and former political prisoner, became the country’s first Prime Minister. The event marked a significant milestone in Africa’s decolonization movement and inspired liberation efforts across the continent.

Exactly one year later, on December 12, 1964, Kenya became a republic, and Kenyatta assumed the role of President.

Civil rights activist Medgar Evers was posthumously awarded the Spingarn Medal by the NAACP for his courageous work in the fight against racial injustice. Evers served as the NAACP’s first field secretary in Mississippi and was a central figure in efforts to end segregation and secure voting rights for African Americans. He was assassinated on June 12, 1963, and his death galvanized the civil rights movement.

The Spingarn Medal, awarded annually since 1915, is the NAACP’s highest honor for outstanding achievement by an African American.

More than 700 demonstrators, including Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., were arrested in Albany, Georgia, during five mass marches to city hall protesting segregation. These arrests catalyzed the Albany Movement, one of the first major efforts to desegregate an entire community in the Deep South.

The movement was a coalition of local activists, students, and national organizations like the NAACP and SNCC (Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee). Although the Albany Movement faced challenges, it laid a crucial foundation for future civil rights campaigns, emphasizing mass mobilization and the strategic use of nonviolent resistance.

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 collaborations with legendary songwriters Burt Bacharach and Hal David, Warwick became a pop and R&B icon with hits like “Walk On By,” “I Say a Little Prayer,” and “Do You Know the Way to San Jose.”

She is a five-time Grammy Award winner and an influential figure in music and humanitarian work, including her advocacy for AIDS awareness and support for the LGBTQ+ community.

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 dismantling racial segregation in education.?Library of Congress Tile+6{{meta.siteName}}+6EBSCO+6

The case centered on Lloyd Gaines, an African American who was denied admission to the University of Missouri’s law school solely because of his race. At the time, Missouri did not provide a law school for Black students within the state but offered to pay for their tuition at out-of-state institutions.?Justia

The Supreme Court ruled that this practice violated the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. The Court held that states providing legal education must offer it to all qualified applicants within their borders, regardless of race. If a state chooses to operate a law school, it cannot exclude students based on race, nor can it remedy such exclusion by funding education elsewhere. ?

This landmark decision challenged the “separate but equal” doctrine established by Plessy v. Ferguson in 1896, setting a precedent that would later influence the historic Brown v. Board of Education ruling in 1954. ?

The Gaines case highlighted the inherent inequalities in segregated educational systems and underscored the constitutional obligation of states to provide equal educational opportunities to all citizens within their jurisdiction.

Vincent Smith, an acclaimed African American painter and printmaker, was born in Brooklyn, New York. His work is celebrated for its vivid storytelling and deep engagement with African American life, history, and culture—often focusing on urban Black experiences, jazz, and the Civil Rights Movement.

Smith’s art blended expressionism and social realism, and he became a prominent voice in the Black Arts Movement. His work has been featured in major institutions, including the Smithsonian American Art Museum and the Studio Museum in Harlem.

Joe Williams, acclaimed American jazz vocalist, was born in Cordele, Georgia. Renowned for his smooth baritone voice, Williams rose to fame in the 1950s as the lead male vocalist for the Count Basie Orchestra. His signature blend of blues and jazz earned him critical acclaim and a Grammy Award in 1984. Williams had a long and versatile career, performing with jazz legends and symphony orchestras alike, and remained an influential figure in jazz until his passing in 1999

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 titles in three different weight divisions: Featherweight, Lightweight, and Welterweight—a feat no one else has matched. Known for his relentless style and stamina, Armstrong is considered one of the greatest fighters of all time.

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,” Gibson played in the Negro Leagues and was renowned for his prodigious home runs—some reportedly clearing stadium walls and traveling over 500 feet. Though barred from Major League Baseball due to segregation, he was posthumously inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1972.

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 Harvard-educated dentist and the first African American professor at Harvard, Grant was also an avid golfer. Tired of the messy and inconsistent methods used to tee up balls (like mounds of sand), he created an innovative, more practical solution.

Though his invention didn’t become commercially widespread during his lifetime, Grant’s golf tee laid the groundwork for the modern tees used in the sport today.

Mordecai Wyatt Johnson, born on this day in Paris, Tennessee, became the first African American president of Howard University, serving from 1926 to 1960. A powerful orator, minister, and educator, Johnson was a champion for racial justice and higher education for Black Americans.
Under his leadership, Howard University grew significantly in both academic stature and enrollment, becoming a premier institution for Black intellectuals and professionals. Johnson was a graduate of the University of Chicago and Harvard University, and he used his platform to speak out against segregation and inequality across the U.S.

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 appointment is often mentioned in discussions of Reconstruction-era politics when the federal government was increasingly involved in enforcing civil rights for African Americans—particularly through the Enforcement Acts, aimed at combating the Ku Klux Klan.

However, if you were referring to a Black history-related milestone on this date, it’s possible there’s been a mix-up.

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 fill an unexpired term during the Reconstruction era, marking a major milestone in American political history. A formerly enslaved man, Rainey advocated for civil rights, education, and equal protection under the law.