John B. Mclendon becomes first African American American Basketball Association (ABA) head coach and the first African American professional head coach in any sport, when he signs a two year contract with the Denver Nuggets.

Birthday of Academy Award winning actress Halle Berry.

In the early hours of May 14, 1970, officers from the Jackson Police Department and Mississippi Highway Patrol opened fire on a women’s dormitory at Jackson State University, a historically Black college. The barrage of over 150 bullets killed two students—Phillip Lafayette Gibbs, a 21-year-old pre-law student and father, and James Earl Green, a 17-year-old high school senior—and wounded at least 12 others.

The students had been protesting racial injustice and the U.S. invasion of Cambodia, similar to demonstrations occurring nationwide. Just 10 days earlier, four white students had been killed at Kent State University in Ohio, sparking national outrage. However, the Jackson State killings received far less media attention, revealing the deep racial disparities in how tragedy and activism were perceived in America.

On May 14, 1963, 22-year-old Arthur Ashe made history as the first African American selected for the U.S. Davis Cup tennis team. His groundbreaking inclusion into this elite international competition marked a major milestone in both sports and civil rights history. At a time when tennis remained largely segregated and exclusive, Ashe’s selection symbolized both talent and quiet defiance. He would go on to become a three-time Grand Slam champion and global humanitarian, using his platform to speak out against apartheid, racism, and injustice.

On May 14, 1961—Mother’s Day—the first group of interracial Freedom Riders traveling through the Deep South were violently attacked by white segregationists in Alabama. Outside Anniston, a mob firebombed their Greyhound bus and beat passengers as they escaped the flames. Hours later in Birmingham, another group was brutally assaulted at the bus terminal while police deliberately failed to intervene. These riders, organized by the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE), were testing Supreme Court rulings that banned segregation in interstate travel. Their courage, and the images of violence they endured, shocked the nation and galvanized support for the civil rights movement.

On May 14, 1959, Sidney Bechet, the groundbreaking soprano saxophonist and clarinetist, passed away in Paris at the age of 62. A New Orleans native and one of the first major soloists in jazz history, Bechet was known for his passionate, improvisational style and was among the earliest African American musicians to gain international acclaim. Though he briefly played with Duke Ellington early in his career, Bechet truly flourished in France, where he became a beloved cultural icon. His music helped lay the foundation for modern jazz and influenced generations of musicians on both sides of the Atlantic.

Born on May 14, 1913, Clara Stanton Jones would go on to break historic barriers in library science and public service. In 1970, she became the first African American director of the Detroit Public Library, one of the largest library systems in the U.S. Just six years later, in 1976, she made history again as the first African American president of the American Library Association (ALA). Jones was a fierce advocate for equitable access to information and worked tirelessly to diversify library staff, collections, and programming. Her leadership helped redefine what inclusive public libraries could be in the 20th century.

On May 14, 1890, Rosa Jinsey Young was born in Rosebud, Alabama. The daughter of a Methodist circuit rider, Young became one of Alabama’s most influential educators and religious leaders. In 1912, she opened a private school to educate Black children in the segregated South. When financial hardships threatened the school’s survival, she appealed for help—eventually connecting with the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod, which provided critical support. This partnership not only kept her school alive but also led to the establishment of numerous Lutheran churches and schools across the Black Belt region. Rosa Young later became a Lutheran missionary and teacher, playing a foundational role in expanding Black Lutheran education in the U.S. She is widely recognized today as the “Mother of Black Lutheranism in America.”

On May 14, 1885, Joseph “King” Oliver was born in New Orleans, Louisiana. A legendary cornet player, bandleader, and composer, Oliver played a foundational role in the birth and spread of jazz. He became known for his innovative use of mutes and expressive playing style, which shaped the New Orleans jazz sound. As the mentor to a young Louis Armstrong, King Oliver not only elevated the genre but also helped launch one of the greatest careers in music history. His Creole Jazz Band was among the first African American New Orleans bands to gain national recognition through recordings.

On May 14, 1885, African American jockey Erskine Henderson claimed victory at the 11th Kentucky Derby, riding a horse named Joe Cotton. The horse was trained by Alex Perry, a fellow African American and respected trainer of the time. This win continued a powerful legacy of Black excellence in early American horse racing. In fact, 15 of the first 28 Derby winners were ridden by Black jockeys—a testament to their dominance in the sport during the post-Civil War era. Despite being later erased from mainstream recognition due to Jim Crow segregation, pioneers like Henderson and Perry helped build the foundation of one of America’s most iconic sporting events.

On May 14, 1867, a Black political mass meeting in Mobile, Alabama, ended in violence when a white mob attacked attendees, leading to a deadly riot. At least one Black and one white individual were killed in the chaos, which highlighted the dangerous backlash against Black political mobilization during the Reconstruction era. That same year, the Knights of the White Camelia was founded in Louisiana—a paramilitary white supremacist organization similar to the Ku Klux Klan. They used terror and intimidation to suppress Black political participation and maintain white dominance in the South. These events underscored the fierce resistance to Black freedom and the federal attempts to rebuild a multiracial democracy after the Civil War.

On May 14, 1804, the Lewis and Clark Expedition officially began its journey to explore the vast, uncharted lands of the Louisiana Purchase. Among the Corps of Discovery was York, an enslaved African American man owned by William Clark. Though little was recorded in official documents, York played a crucial role in the expedition’s success — assisting with labor, hunting, negotiations with Indigenous tribes, and enduring every hardship faced by the team. Native peoples were reportedly fascinated by York, many never having seen a Black man before. Despite his service, York was denied pay, freedom, or formal recognition during the expedition. His story represents both a hidden contribution and the profound contradiction at the heart of America’s westward expansion.