On August 23, 1900, the National Negro Business League (NNBL) was founded in Boston by Booker T. Washington. The League’s primary goal was to promote and support African American businesses and entrepreneurs, providing them with a platform for growth and prosperity. It was part of Washington’s broader vision of economic self-sufficiency for Black Americans, which he believed could help in securing civil rights and social advancement.

The formation of the NNBL was an important step in the economic empowerment of African Americans in the early 20th century, advocating for Black entrepreneurship and the establishment of a strong economic base for the Black community. The League held its first annual conference in 1900, with various leaders and business owners attending, and it grew in influence over the years.

Philip Emeagwali, a Nigerian-American inventor, was born on August 23, 1954, in Akure, Nigeria. He is known for his groundbreaking work in supercomputing and his contributions to the development of the internet. Emeagwali’s most notable achievement was his innovative use of a massively parallel computer to simulate oil reservoir modeling, which earned him the 1989 Gordon Bell Prize, often referred to as the “Nobel Prize of Computing.”

His work has had a significant impact on computational science, and he is often recognized for helping to advance the field of high-performance computing.

On August 23, 1908, Martha Minerva Franklin led 52 African American nurses in founding the National Association of Colored Graduate Nurses (NACGN) in New York City. This organization aimed to eliminate racial discrimination in the nursing profession and promote the professional development of Black nurses.

Franklin, the only Black graduate in her 1897 nursing class at the Women’s Hospital Training School for Nurses in Philadelphia, recognized the need for a separate organization to address the challenges faced by Black nurses. Under her leadership, the NACGN worked to improve training, reduce racial inequality, and develop leadership within the Black nursing community.

The NACGN played a pivotal role in advocating for racial equality in nursing, and in 1951, it merged with the American Nurses Association, achieving many of its original goals.

James Stone was an African American who fought in the Civil War, and there are records suggesting that he was one of the first Black soldiers to engage in combat. However, there is limited detailed documentation on his exact actions and contributions. It’s worth noting that African Americans fought for the Union during the Civil War, even before the official formation of the United States Colored Troops (USCT) in 1863.

While Stone’s specific service might not be as well-documented as others, his involvement highlights the critical role African Americans played in the Union Army. The Civil War saw around 180,000 Black soldiers and sailors who contributed significantly to the Union’s victory.

On this date inn 1826, Edward A. Jones received B.A. degree from Amherst College.

John Brown Russwurm’s graduation from Bowdoin College in 1826 is indeed a significant milestone in American education, as he is often credited as the first Black man to graduate from an American college. Mopreover, Edward Jones graduated from Amherst College just two weeks earlier in August 1826, which makes his achievement equally important, though less widely recognized.

These milestones are part of a broader narrative of Black individuals pushing against the boundaries of societal limitations and barriers, particularly in education, during the 19th century. Both of these men contributed significantly to the academic and cultural history of their time.

Jean-Baptiste Lislet-Geoffrey was an important figure in the history of science and a trailblazer in the French Academy of Sciences. On August 23, 1786, he became the first Black correspondent to be elected by the Academy. Lislet-Geoffrey was born in Réunion, a French island in the Indian Ocean, and he made significant contributions to the fields of geography and natural history. His election was a major achievement, as it challenged racial barriers in the scientific community at the time. His work focused on the geography of the Indian Ocean, and he played a key role in the scientific exploration of the region.

Jean Baptiste Lislet-Geoffroy was born on August 23, 1755, in France. He was a notable French geographer and cartographer, particularly recognized for his work on the geography of the Indian Ocean and the Caribbean. One of his most significant contributions was to the mapping and study of the islands and coastlines in those regions. Lislet-Geoffroy’s expertise and exploration helped enhance European knowledge of the area during the 18th century.