Robert S. Abbott was founded The Chicago Defender with an initial investment of 25 cents. The Defender, which was once heralded as “The World’s Greatest Weekly”, soon became the most widely circulated black newspaper in the country, and made Abbott one of the first self-made millionaires of African American descent. Abbott also published a short-lived paper called Abbott’s Monthly.

On May 5, 1975, Hank Aaron surpassed Babe Ruth’s long-standing record for career runs batted in (RBIs), marking another historic milestone in his legendary baseball career. Already known for breaking Ruth’s home run record the year prior, Aaron’s new RBI achievement solidified his legacy as one of the most prolific hitters in Major League Baseball history. He ultimately retired with 755 home runs and 2,297 RBIs, the latter of which remains the all-time record. Aaron was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame on August 1, 1982. After retiring, he continued to influence the game through executive roles with the Atlanta Braves and has had stadiums, streets, and scholarships named in his honor.

On May 5, 1969, Moneta Sleet Jr. made history as the first African American to win a Pulitzer Prize for journalism. He earned the award for his deeply moving photograph of Coretta Scott King, widow of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., holding their young daughter Bernice at Dr. King’s funeral. The image, captured for Ebony magazine, conveyed the pain and resilience of a grieving family and a mourning nation. Sleet’s win was not only a personal triumph but also a groundbreaking moment for Black photojournalists in a field where African Americans were historically underrepresented.

Historical Impact:

Moneta Sleet Jr.’s career spanned decades, and he was known for documenting the civil rights movement, from the Montgomery Bus Boycott to the March on Washington. His Pulitzer win symbolized both progress and the power of Black media voices during the era of social change.

On May 5, 1865, Adam Clayton Powell Sr. was born in Franklin County, Virginia. The son of formerly enslaved parents, Powell would rise to become a prominent Baptist pastor and a towering figure in early 20th-century Black America. As senior pastor of the Abyssinian Baptist Church in Harlem from 1908 to 1936, Powell helped grow the congregation into one of the largest and most influential Black churches in the world. Under his leadership, the church expanded its role in community development, civil rights, and education. He laid the foundation for the political rise of his son, Adam Clayton Powell Jr., who became one of the most powerful Black Congressmen in U.S. history.