Charles Caldwell, a formerly enslaved man and Reconstruction-era politician, was assassinated in Clinton, Mississippi. He had made history as the first Black person in Mississippi to be acquitted by an all-white jury after being accused of killing a white man. Caldwell later served as a Mississippi state senator and was a prominent advocate for Black civil rights during Reconstruction.

The Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) announced that its national director, James Farmer, a key architect of the Civil Rights Movement and leader of the Freedom Rides, would step down effective March 1, 1966. Farmer cited the need to focus on writing and other forms of activism. His departure marked a turning point as CORE began shifting toward a more militant direction under new leadership.

Seaway National Bank of Chicago, one of the largest Black-owned banks in the United States, was established to serve the financial needs of the South Side’s underserved African American community. It became a vital institution for economic empowerment and development in Chicago’s Black neighborhoods.

On Christmas Day 1956, the home of Rev. Fred L. Shuttlesworth, a key leader in the Birmingham Civil Rights Movement, was bombed by white supremacists. Despite the attack, which miraculously left him unharmed, Shuttlesworth remained steadfast in his activism. The bombing occurred the night before he was set to challenge the city’s segregated bus system, underscoring the violent resistance faced by civil rights activists.

Mabel Keaton Staupers received the NAACP’s prestigious Spingarn Medal for her pioneering leadership in nursing and her tireless advocacy for racial integration in the U.S. healthcare system. She played a crucial role in desegregating the American Nurses Association and securing equal opportunities for Black nurses during and after World War II.

Civil rights activists Harry T. Moore and his wife, Harriette, were killed by a bomb planted beneath their home in Mims, Florida. Harry T. Moore, the Florida NAACP president, was a prominent advocate for voting rights and anti-lynching laws. The bombing occurred on their 25th wedding anniversary. Despite investigations, no one has ever been convicted of the murders.

Bandleader and pioneering jazz singer, Cab Calloway became the first jazz vocalist to sell a million records, leaving a lasting impact on American music and culture.

Henry McKee Minton was born on this day in Columbia, South Carolina. A pioneering African American physician and pharmacist, Minton co-founded Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity (also known as the Boulé) in 1904, the first Black Greek-letter fraternity. The organization was created to foster professional excellence and provide support for African American men during a time of widespread racial discrimination. Minton also served as superintendent of Mercy Hospital in Philadelphia, significantly contributing to medical care and professional opportunities for Black Americans.

On Christmas Day 1865, three prominent historically Black universities were founded: Atlanta University (now part of Clark Atlanta University), Shaw University in North Carolina, and Virginia Union University in Richmond, Virginia. These institutions were established to provide higher education opportunities to newly freed African Americans following the Civil War and have played a pivotal role in Black intellectual and cultural history.

Reports from across the American South indicated that many freedmen had left plantations, anticipating a general distribution of land. General Rufus Saxton, head of the Freedmen’s Bureau in South Carolina, observed, “The impression is universal among the freedmen that they are to have the abandoned and confiscated lands, in homesteads of their own.” This widespread belief was rooted in promises and rumors following the end of the Civil War, particularly General Sherman’s Field Order No. 15, which had raised hopes of “forty acres and a mule.” Ultimately, most land was returned to former Confederates, dashing the aspirations of land ownership for many newly freed Black Americans.

Cheyney University of Pennsylvania, the oldest historically Black university in the United States, was established as the Institute for Colored Youth on December 25, 1837. Founded through the bequest of philanthropist Richard Humphreys, it aimed to provide education for African Americans during a time when access to formal schooling was severely limited. It later became known as Cheyney State College and is now Cheyney University of Pennsylvania.

Remond was one of the first African Americans employed as a lecturer by the antislavery movement. Known for his eloquence and passionate advocacy, he played a key role in raising awareness about the horrors of slavery in both the United States and abroad.

The Mirror of Liberty, the first African American magazine, was published in New York City by abolitionist David Ruggles. It served as a powerful voice against slavery and for civil rights, marking a pioneering moment in Black journalism and media.

During the Second Seminole War, a combined force of Seminole Indians and Black Seminoles was defeated by American troops at the Battle of Okeechobee in Florida. Black Seminole leader John Horse (also known as Juan Caballo) shared command alongside Seminole chiefs Alligator, Sam Jones, and Wild Cat. The battle, although technically a U.S. victory, inflicted heavy casualties and demonstrated the resilience and military skill of the Seminole and Black Seminole fighters.

Charles B. Ray was born in Falmouth, Massachusetts. He later enrolled at Wesleyan University in Connecticut but was forced to withdraw due to opposition from both northern and southern students and faculty. Ray went on to become a prominent Black abolitionist, clergyman, and editor of The Colored American, one of the first African American newspapers. He was also active in the Underground Railroad and a leading voice for racial justice.

Considered the first published African American poet, Jupiter Hammon’s work marked a significant moment in Black literary history. His deeply religious poem reflected both his faith and the early voice of Black American literature during the colonial period.