On this day, the United States Golf Association (USGA) adopted a new policy that prohibited clubs from discriminating on the basis of race or gender if they wished to host USGA-sanctioned events. This was a major step forward in challenging the long-standing exclusionary practices at many golf clubs, opening the door for greater diversity and inclusion in the sport.

Granville T. Woods, a prolific African American inventor known as “the Black Edison,” was granted a patent for his Synchronous Multiplex Railway Telegraph on this day in 1887. The device allowed trains to communicate with stations and other trains while in motion, vastly improving railroad safety and efficiency. This invention laid groundwork for modern wireless communication systems.

Woods held more than 50 patents over his lifetime, many related to electrical systems and railways, and was a key figure in the development of 19th-century technology.

On this day, Henry Ossawa Tanner, renowned African American painter, was posthumously elected to full membership in the National Academy of Design—the first Black artist to receive this honor. Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 1859 and raised in Philadelphia, Tanner studied at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts under Thomas Eakins, then moved to France in the 1890s to escape racial discrimination and pursue his art freely.

Tanner became internationally acclaimed for his biblical scenes, genre paintings, and landscapes, blending realism with spirituality. His most famous works include The Banjo Lesson (1893) and The Thankful Poor (1894).

His 2001 induction recognized not only his artistic excellence but also his role in paving the way for generations of Black artists.

Richard Allen, founder and first bishop of the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church, compiled and published the first hymnal by a Black American:
“A Collection of Spiritual Songs and Hymns, Selected from Various Authors”.
This hymnal was released in 1794 and became a cornerstone of worship in the early Black church, reflecting the spiritual life and resilience of enslaved and free African Americans.

? While the AME Church was officially founded in 1816, Richard Allen’s work in creating Black religious institutions and cultural materials began decades earlier.

A report released by the Anti-Defamation League of B’nai B’rith revealed a significant increase in Ku Klux Klan activity across the United States. The study showed that Klan membership in 22 states grew from 8,000 to 10,000 over a 20-month period ending in November 1979. Additionally, the number of Klan sympathizers surged from 30,000 to 100,000, signaling a troubling rise in white supremacist influence during that time.

On this day, Rosa L. Parks received the Spingarn Medal, the NAACP’s highest honor, in recognition of her pivotal role in sparking the Montgomery Bus Boycott (1955–56). Her courageous refusal to give up her seat to a white passenger became a defining act of resistance that energized the civil rights movement and elevated leaders like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to national prominence.

Often called “the mother of the civil rights movement,” Parks’ quiet strength became a symbol of dignity and unwavering resistance in the face of injustice.

Sir W. Arthur Lewis, a professor at Princeton University, was awarded the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences, becoming the first Black person to win a Nobel in a category other than Peace. Born in Saint Lucia, Lewis was honored for his pioneering research on economic development, particularly in developing countries. His work laid the foundation for development economics and influenced global policy on poverty and industrialization.

Arthur Dorrington became the first Black athlete to sign a professional hockey contract when he joined the Atlantic City Sea Gulls of the Eastern Hockey League. Though he never made it to the NHL, Dorrington broke racial barriers in a sport with few players of color at the time. After retiring, he devoted his life to community work and founded the Arthur Dorrington Ice Hockey Foundation to help underprivileged youth in Atlantic City.

On this day, Roland Hayes, one of the first internationally acclaimed African American tenors, began his fifth American tour with a concert at New York’s Carnegie Hall, which was filled to capacity with admirers.
Hayes broke racial barriers in classical music during the early 20th century, performing for royalty in Europe and for segregated audiences in the U.S. Despite discrimination, he achieved widespread acclaim for his vocal talent and interpretation of both European classical music and African American spirituals.

Lyda A. Newman, an African American inventor and women’s rights activist in New York City, was granted U.S. Patent No. 614,335 for an innovative hairbrush design. Her invention featured synthetic bristles and a detachable compartment, allowing for easy cleaning—a major advancement in personal grooming tools.

Newman’s design laid the groundwork for modern hairbrushes and marked her as one of the few Black female inventors of the 19th century to receive a U.S. patent.

• Langston University was established in Langston, Oklahoma, as a land-grant institution under the Morrill Act of 1890. It is Oklahoma’s only historically Black college or university (HBCU) and has served as a cornerstone for higher education and empowerment for African Americans in the region.

• Voorhees College, now Voorhees University, was founded in Denmark, South Carolina by educator and missionary Elizabeth Evelyn Wright, a Tuskegee Institute graduate and protégé of Booker T. Washington. The school began as the Denmark Industrial School, focused on vocational training and self-sufficiency for African Americans.

Both institutions continue to serve students today, honoring their legacies of education, leadership, and community service.

John Mercer Langston, a prominent abolitionist, educator, and politician, died at the age of 67 in Washington, D.C. He was the first African American elected to public office in the United States (as town clerk in Ohio, 1855) and later became the first Black U.S. Congressman from Virginia. Langston also served as the founding dean of the law department at Howard University and was a tireless advocate for civil rights and Black education.

Tragically, 1897 also marked a grim chapter in American history, with 123 African Americans reported lynched that year—highlighting the harsh and dangerous racial climate in which Langston lived and fought for justice.

On November 15, 1884, the Berlin Conference convened in Berlin, Germany, under the leadership of German Chancellor Otto von Bismarck. Representatives from 14 European countries and the United States gathered to formalize the rules for the colonization and partition of Africa—a process often referred to as the “Scramble for Africa.”

Over the following months (the conference lasted until February 26, 1885), European powers negotiated and divided African territory among themselves without the presence or consent of any African nations.

This event set the stage for nearly every region of Africa—except Ethiopia and Liberia—to fall under European colonial rule by the early 20th century, leading to widespread exploitation, cultural disruption, and long-term consequences still felt today.