Congresswoman Maxine Waters was born on August 15, 1938, in St. Louis, Missouri. She is known for being a long-serving U.S. Representative from California. Waters has made a significant impact in American politics, particularly in advocating for social justice, economic equality, and women’s rights. She has also been a prominent figure in financial reform, particularly in her work overseeing the banking industry and challenging corporate corruption.

Andrew Young, the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, resigned on August 15, 1979, under pressure from President Jimmy Carter’s administration. This resignation followed a controversy involving Young’s private meeting with a representative of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), which was against U.S. policy at the time. Although Young had been a strong advocate for African American civil rights and played a significant role in Carter’s foreign policy, this incident led to tensions with the administration and contributed to his decision to step down from his post.

On August 15, 1975, Joanne Little was acquitted of murder charges after being accused of killing a North Carolina jailer. Little, a 20-year-old African American woman, had been arrested for the theft of a purse and was held in jail in Washington, North Carolina. While in custody, she claimed that the jailer, Clarence Alligood, attempted to sexually assault her. Little fought back and, in the struggle, killed Alligood with an ice pick.

Her defense was that she acted in self-defense, fearing for her life. The case gained national attention, as Little’s acquittal became a significant symbol in the feminist movement and the African American struggle against racial and gender violence. The case was seen as a landmark victory, particularly in the context of the legal system’s treatment of Black women.

The race riot in Dixmoor, a suburb of Chicago, occurred on August 15, 1964. It was sparked by racial tensions between African American residents and white police officers, among other social and economic factors. The incident followed a pattern of civil unrest that was happening across the country during the early 1960s, particularly in urban areas with a history of racial segregation and inequality.

In Dixmoor, tensions had been rising over issues such as police brutality, poor living conditions, and racial discrimination. The riot began after a white police officer allegedly used excessive force against a Black man, which led to protests and violent confrontations between the police and the Black community.

While the riot in Dixmoor was relatively smaller compared to other major urban uprisings, it was part of the larger pattern of racial conflict in the United States during the Civil Rights Movement. The event highlighted the deep divisions in race relations in suburban areas, even as larger cities like Chicago were also experiencing significant unrest.

The Dixmoor race riot was a reminder of the broader struggles faced by African Americans in the 1960s, including fights for better housing, education, and equal treatment under the law.

The burning of Shady Grove Baptist Church in Leesburg, Georgia, on August 15, 1962, was a significant event in the Civil Rights era. The church, which was an important institution in the African American community, was set on fire amid a wave of violence and intimidation aimed at suppressing the rights of African Americans in the South during that time.

While not as widely known as other Civil Rights events, the burning of Shady Grove Baptist Church reflects the hostility and fear that many African Americans faced in their fight for equal rights, particularly in rural areas like Leesburg. Church buildings often served as hubs for civil rights activism, and as such, they were frequently targeted by those opposed to desegregation and racial equality.

This incident is part of a larger pattern of violence that took place during the Civil Rights Movement, where churches, schools, homes, and other symbols of African American life and progress were attacked to intimidate and silence activists. The story of the burning of Shady Grove Baptist Church underscores the struggles many faced in the pursuit of justice and equality.

On August 15, 1931, Richard B. Harrison was awarded the Spingarn Medal for his outstanding portrayal of the character “The Lawd” in the play The Green Pastures. This prestigious medal, presented by the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People), recognized Harrison’s groundbreaking performance in the role. The play, which was written by Marc Connelly, depicted biblical stories with an African American perspective and gained significant acclaim for its unique and respectful representation of Black culture. Harrison’s portrayal was celebrated for its depth, warmth, and powerful delivery, making it a defining moment in his career and in American theater history.

On August 15, 1931, Roy Wilkins joined the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) as assistant secretary. He would go on to become the executive secretary in 1955 and later its executive director. Wilkins played a significant role in the civil rights movement, advocating for racial equality, and working to fight segregation, disenfranchisement, and injustice throughout his long tenure with the NAACP. His leadership helped shape the organization’s direction during some of the most crucial years of the civil rights struggle.

Oscar Peterson, one of the greatest jazz pianists of all time, was born on August 15, 1925, in Montreal, Canada. He was renowned for his virtuosic technique, smooth style, and ability to blend various jazz genres, particularly bebop and swing. Over the course of his career, Peterson became known for his exceptional improvisational skills and his influential recordings, working with jazz legends like Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, and Ray Brown. He earned multiple Grammy Awards and was highly regarded as a true giant of jazz music.

On August 15, 1843, the National Black Convention convened in Buffalo, New York, with around seventy delegates from twelve different states. The convention was an important gathering for Black leaders and activists of the time, aiming to address the pressing issues facing the African American community, particularly slavery and civil rights.

One of the most significant moments of the convention was the powerful address by Henry Highland Garnet, a 27-year-old Presbyterian pastor. Garnet made an impassioned call for a slave revolt and a general strike by slaves as a means to fight for freedom. His speech was a bold and radical demand for emancipation, which was controversial but reflected the growing urgency among some abolitionists to take more direct action against slavery.

In addition to Garnet, other prominent figures like Amos G. Beman, a Black abolitionist from New Haven, Connecticut, participated in the event, contributing to the broader abolitionist movement. The convention was a key moment in the history of African American activism, setting the stage for further efforts to end slavery and promote equality.

On August 15, 1824, the first group of freed American slaves, known as the “American Colonization Society” (ACS), established Liberia as a colony. The society was formed with the goal of relocating free African Americans and formerly enslaved people back to Africa. Liberia became an independent nation in 1847, and its capital, Monrovia, was named after U.S. President James Monroe, who supported the colonization movement.

Liberia’s establishment was part of a broader, controversial movement in the U.S. aimed at solving the “race problem” by sending free Black people to Africa. While it was seen as an opportunity for freedom and self-determination for many African Americans, the colonization efforts were criticized for being driven by a mix of abolitionist and racist motivations.

George was born on August 15, 1817, in historic Frederick County, Virginia. His father was a slave and his mother a woman of English descent. When his father, a slave, was sold and taken from the area soon after George’s birth, his mother left him with a white couple named Anna and James Cochran (or Cochrane), who raised him. While George was still a child, the Cochrans moved west to Ohio and then Missouri. As an adult, Washington tried his hand at several businesses in Missouri and Illinois, but was frustrated each time by discriminatory laws. By 1850 he decided to head farther west in the hope of finding more freedom. The Cochrans joined him, and on March 15, 1850, the family set out with a wagon train heading west. They settled first in Oregon City, but within a few years crossed the Columbia River into what would soon become Washington Territory.