On December 16, 1973, during the final game of the regular season, Buffalo Bills running back O.J. Simpson made NFL history by becoming the first player to rush for over 2,000 yards in a single season. In a game against the New York Jets at Shea Stadium, Simpson rushed for 200 yards, bringing his season total to 2,003 yards. ?Wikipedia
Achieving this milestone in a 14-game season, Simpson’s average of 143.1 rushing yards per game remains an NFL record. His performance not only surpassed the previous single-season rushing record held by Jim Brown (1,863 yards in 1963) but also set a new standard for running backs in the league.?
Simpson’s remarkable season earned him the NFL Most Valuable Player (MVP) award in 1973. His achievement paved the way for future running backs, with only a select few joining the exclusive “2,000-yard club” since then.?
On December 16, 1976, President-elect Jimmy Carter nominated Andrew Young to serve as the United States Ambassador to the United Nations, making him the first African American to hold this prestigious position. ?
Early Life and Education: Born on March 12, 1932, in New Orleans, Louisiana, Young pursued higher education at Howard University, followed by a divinity degree from Hartford Seminary. ?
Civil Rights Leadership: As a close confidant of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Young played a pivotal role in the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), contributing significantly to the Civil Rights Movement. ?
Political Career: In 1972, Young was elected as the first African American congressman from Georgia since Reconstruction, serving until his UN appointment in 1977. ?
UN Ambassadorship: During his tenure from 1977 to 1979, Ambassador Young emphasized human rights and advocated for economic development in Third World countries, notably supporting efforts to end apartheid in South Africa. ?
Andrew Young’s nomination and service as UN Ambassador marked a significant milestone in American history, reflecting his enduring commitment to justice and equality on both national and international stages.
On this day, the Booker T. Washington Memorial Half Dollar was officially issued by the United States Mint. It was the first U.S. coin to honor an African American and the first designed by a Black artist, Isaac Scott Hathaway. The 50-cent piece featured a portrait of Booker T. Washington, a prominent educator, author, and founder of the Tuskegee Institute.
This commemorative coin was part of a broader movement to recognize Washington’s legacy and was minted from 1946 to 1951.
John Edward Jacob, born on December 16, 1934, in Trout, Louisiana, and raised in Houston, Texas, was a prominent civil rights leader and advocate for economic and social justice. He earned both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Howard University. Jacob began his career as a social worker in Baltimore before joining the Urban League movement. In 1965, he became the director of education and youth incentives at the Washington, D.C., chapter. He later served as president and executive director of the San Diego Urban League. In 1979, Jacob was appointed executive vice-president of the National Urban League (NUL) under Vernon E. Jordan Jr. Following Jordan’s retirement, Jacob succeeded him as president in 1982, serving until 1994.
During his tenure as NUL president, Jacob advocated for social and economic progress for African Americans and other minority groups. He was outspoken against federal cutbacks in social programs and the weakening of civil rights enforcement during the Reagan administration. Jacob also promoted self-help initiatives, including tutoring programs to raise SAT scores, teenage pregnancy prevention plans, and male responsibility programs for fatherhood. ?
After retiring from the NUL, Jacob joined Anheuser-Busch Companies, Inc., as executive vice president and chief communications officer, where he directed public relations and communications strategies. ?
Jacob’s leadership and advocacy have left a lasting impact on the fight for civil rights and the pursuit of economic empowerment for underserved communities.
On this day in 1933, Charles L. Blockson was born in Norristown, Pennsylvania. A renowned author, historian, and collector, Blockson became one of the leading authorities on the Underground Railroad and African American history. He authored numerous books and was instrumental in preserving Black heritage through archives and public history. He chaired the National Park Service’s first Underground Railroad Advisory Committee and amassed one of the largest private collections of African American historical materials, now housed in institutions such as Temple University and Penn State University.
On December 16, 1875, William J. Whipper, a prominent African American lawyer and legislator, was elected as a circuit court judge in South Carolina by the state legislature. Born free in Pennsylvania in 1834, Whipper was deeply involved in the abolitionist movement before relocating to South Carolina during the Reconstruction era. There, he became a leading figure in politics and law, advocating for civil rights and universal education. ?
Despite his election to the judiciary, Governor Daniel Chamberlain refused to sign Whipper’s commission, effectively preventing him from assuming the judgeship. This action was part of the broader political struggles during Reconstruction, where African American leaders faced significant resistance despite their electoral successes.
Charles Caldwell, a formerly enslaved man who became a state senator and militia leader during Reconstruction, was assassinated in Clinton, Mississippi, by white supremacists. A staunch Republican and advocate for Black civil rights, Caldwell worked to protect Black communities from racial violence and to promote political participation among freedmen.
Despite warnings, Caldwell chose to remain in Mississippi, famously saying:
“I am as innocent as any man in the world, and I will die before I run.”
His murder marked a violent turning point in Mississippi’s post-Reconstruction history, as white Democrats sought to reclaim political power through intimidation and terror.
On this day, three historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) were founded or formally chartered:
Alabama A&M University (originally Huntsville Normal School) was established by a former slave, Dr. William Hooper Councill, to train African American teachers in the post-Civil War South.
Knoxville College in Tennessee, founded by the United Presbyterian Church, aimed to provide advanced education to freedmen and their descendants.
Lane College, established by the Colored Methodist Episcopal (CME) Church in Jackson, Tennessee, focused on religious and liberal arts education for African Americans.
These institutions played—and continue to play—a vital role in educating generations of Black students and developing African American leadership across the United States.
On December 15, 1875, South Carolina Governor Daniel H. Chamberlain took a significant stand against corruption within the state’s judiciary. The state legislature had elected William J. Whipper and Franklin J. Moses, Jr.—both figures widely criticized for corrupt practices—as circuit court judges. In response, Governor Chamberlain refused to issue their commissions, effectively blocking their appointments. ?
This decisive action alienated many within his own Republican Party but garnered appreciation from prominent citizens, particularly in Charleston, who commended his commitment to reform and integrity in governance. ?westbrookfield.org
Governor Chamberlain’s refusal to commission Whipper and Moses underscored the deep divisions and challenges of the Reconstruction era, highlighting the tensions between efforts to reform government and the entrenched corruption that plagued South Carolina’s political landscape during that period.
On this day, the Colored Methodist Episcopal Church (CME) was officially organized in Jackson, Tennessee, by 41 freedmen and former slaves. The church was established to serve the spiritual needs of African Americans in the South following the Civil War. Supported initially by the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, the CME Church emphasized self-governance, education, and community empowerment.
The denomination later changed its name to the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church in 1954 to reflect a broader, more inclusive identity. Today, it remains one of the historic Black Methodist denominations in the United States, with a lasting legacy in religious, educational, and civil rights leadership.
John Anthony Copeland Jr. and Shields Green, two Black men who joined abolitionist John Brown in his raid on the federal armory at Harpers Ferry, were executed by hanging in Charlestown, Virginia (now West Virginia). The raid, which took place in October 1859, was an attempt to incite a slave uprising and arm enslaved people with weapons seized from the arsenal.
John Copeland was a free Black man from Ohio and a member of the Underground Railroad.
Shields Green, often called “Emperor,” was an escaped enslaved man who reportedly met with Frederick Douglass before deciding to join Brown’s raid.
Though the raid failed militarily, it is widely seen as a catalyst that intensified national tensions leading up to the Civil War. Copeland and Green died fighting for the liberation of enslaved people and are remembered as heroes of the abolitionist movement.
William Cooper Nell was born on this day in Boston, Massachusetts. Recognized by Carter G. Woodson as the first African American historian, Nell devoted his life to documenting Black contributions to American history—especially in the Revolutionary War.
He worked closely with William Lloyd Garrison as a writer and editor for the abolitionist newspaper The Liberator, earning the title of Garrison’s “right-hand man.”
His most celebrated work, “Colored Patriots of the American Revolution” (1855), was one of the earliest published histories highlighting the bravery and patriotism of African Americans in the founding of the United States.
Nell was also a staunch integrationist and civil rights activist. Notably, he became the first African American to hold a federal civilian post in the United States, appointed by the Treasury Department in 1861.
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