Omega Psi Phi, the first international fraternal organization founded on the campus of a historically Black college, was incorporated on this day.... Continue →
William Monroe Trotter, a Harvard-educated activist and outspoken advocate for civil rights, launched The Guardian as a platform to challenge racial... Continue →
Oprah Winfrey, one of the most influential media moguls in history, was born in Kosciusko, Mississippi. Overcoming a challenging childhood marked by... Continue →
On this date in 1990, David Norman Dinkins officially began his tenure as the 106th mayor of New York City, making history as the city's first... Continue →
On this date in 1977, Erroll Garner passed away. He was an influential jazz pianist and composer, best known for his timeless jazz standard "Misty."... Continue →
On this date in 1898, Sadie Tanner Mossell Alexander was born on, in Philadelphia, PA, and she made history as a trailblazing African American woman... Continue →
On this day, free Black residents of Philadelphia, led by Reverend Absalom Jones and joined by 70 other free Black men, submitted a historic petition... Continue →
On this date in 1989, The Arsenio Hall Show premiered, making history as the first regularly scheduled nightly talk show to be hosted by an African... Continue →
On this day, Andrew “Rube” Foster, a former player, manager, and executive, established the Negro National League (NNL), the first successful,... Continue →
Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. was founded at Indiana University by Elder W. Diggs, Bryan K. Armstrong, John M. Lee, Harvey T. Asher, Marcus P.... Continue →
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) denied the license renewal application of the Alabama Educational Television Commission due to persistent... Continue →
Time, Inc. agrees to sell NYT Cable for $420 million, to a group led by J. Bruce Llewellyn, the largest cable TV acquisition by an African American
Fraternity, Phi Beta Sigma, founded at Howard University, 1914. Among the founders were Langston Taylor, Leonard F. Morse and C.I. Brown. Special... Continue →
Richard Parsons, chief executive, is tapped to be the next chairman of AOL Time Warner.
Zeta Phi Beta sorority, with the help of Phi Beta Sigma Robert Samuel Taylor, was founded at Howard University by Arizona Stemmons, Myrtle Faithful,... Continue →
After 62 years, the Colgate-Palmolive Co. redesigned packaging for its "Darkie" tooth paste made and sold only in Asia. The nickname for Darkie tooth... Continue →
Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, founded at Cornell University in 1906, incorporated.
Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, founded at Howard University in 1908, incorporated.
On Wednesday, February 3rd, for the first time in history, America's urban students will have a Web site specifically designed to address their... Continue →
First Black newspaper, Freedom's Journal, published in New York City.
On this date in 1973 - WGPR is given a permit and becomes the 1ST television station owned by African Americans.
On this day in 1919, Liberty Life Insurance Company (Chicago), the first old-line legal reserve company organized by Blacks in the North,... Continue →
On this day in 1946, Mississippi Valley State University was founded in Itta Bena, Mississippi.
On this day in 1869, Dillard University chartered in New Orleans, Louisiana.
ON this date in 1937, Journalist Robert Clyve Maynard, owner, editor and publisher of "The Oakland Tribune," was born in the borough of Brooklyn, NY.
On this date, Elijah McCoy was granted a patent for the steam engine lubricator (U.S. Patent No. 129,843). This device automatically lubricated steam... Continue →
On this date in 1946, Anthony Overton, an influential African American entrepreneur, banker, and publisher, passed away. Overton was best known for... Continue →
On this date in 1999, the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) celebrated Caribbean Integration with a focus on strengthening regional cooperation and... Continue →
On this date in 1972, during its National Convention, the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) adopted an emergency... Continue →
On this date in 1970, Asbury Park, New Jersey, was the site of significant rioting, with over one hundred people injured. The unrest was fueled by... Continue →
On this date in 1940, Aubrey F. Lowe, a prominent financial analyst from Suffolk, Virginia, was born. His contributions to the field of finance are... Continue →
On this date in 1965, the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) officially elected Roy Wilkins as its new Executive... Continue →
On this date in 1863, the New York Draft Riots of 1863 were a violent and tragic expression of racial and class tensions. The riots erupted due to... Continue →
On July 19, 1913, the Tri-State Dental Association was formed as a professional organization for African American dentists in the U.S. It served as... Continue →
On this date in July, Mary Church Terrell was a prominent African American activist who played a pivotal role in advancing civil rights and women's... Continue →
On July 20, 1967, more than a thousand people gathered in Newark, New Jersey, for the first Black Power Conference. This event was a significant... Continue →
On July 21, 1896, the National Federation of Afro-American Women and the Colored Women's League merged to form the National Association of Colored... Continue →
On this date in 1864, the first daily Black newspaper, The New Orleans Tribune, is published in English and French. The New Orleans Tribune was the... Continue →
On July 24, 2002, Black Enterprise publisher Earl G. Graves, along with basketball legend Magic Johnson, signed an agreement to purchase Pepsi-Cola... Continue →
On July 25, 1991, Dennis Hightower was appointed as the president of Disney Consumer Products for the Europe and Middle East regions. Hightower had a... Continue →
The Liberty Life Insurance Company was founded on July 25, 1921. It was a prominent life insurance company that played an important role in the... Continue →
Garrett T. Morgan is widely recognized for his significant contribution to safety with the invention of the gas mask. On July 25, 1916, he famously... Continue →
On July 26, 1926, the National Bar Association (NBA) was incorporated. It is the largest and oldest network of predominantly African American... Continue →
Whitney Young was born on July 31, 1921, in Lincoln Ridge, Kentucky. He was a prominent African American civil rights leader and the... Continue →
Ronald H. Brown, born on August 1, 1941, was an American politician and businessman. He is perhaps best known for serving as the Secretary of... Continue →
Charles Clinton Spaulding was born on August 1, 1874. He was a prominent African American businessman and one of the most influential figures in... Continue →
On August 2, 1920, William Leidesdorff, a businessman and one of the early pioneers in California, launched the first steamboat in San... Continue →
The Atlanta Daily World, founded on August 3, 1928, by William A. Scott III, holds a significant place in history as the first Black daily newspaper... Continue →
On August 4, 1897, Henry Rucker was appointed as the Collector of Internal Revenue for Georgia by President William McKinley. This was a significant... Continue →
On August 5, 1864, President Abraham Lincoln reversed a policy that had been implemented earlier during the Civil War regarding the distribution of... Continue →
On August 7, 1893, Black longshoremen in Galveston, Texas, went on strike to demand higher wages and better working conditions. This strike... Continue →
Matthew A. Henson was born on August 8, 1866. He was an African American explorer who is best known for being one of the first people to... Continue →
The Boston African Society was established on August 8, 1796, by a group of free African Americans in Boston. It was founded with 44 members... Continue →
On August 8, 1987, Reginald Lewis, an African American businessman, acquired Beatrice Foods Company for $985 million. This acquisition was one of the... Continue →
Ophelia DeVore-Mitchell was born on August 12, 1923. She was a pioneering model, businesswoman, and advocate for diversity in the fashion and beauty... Continue →
Charles Edward Anderson, born on August 13, 1919, was an influential American meteorologist. He is particularly known for his pioneering work in... Continue →
On August 13, 1892, the Baltimore Afro-American newspaper published its first issue. Founded by John H. Murphy Sr., it quickly became one of the most... Continue →
On August 13, 1881, Spelman College in Atlanta, Georgia, established the first African American nursing school. This was a significant moment in... Continue →
Magic Johnson, born on August 14, 1959, in Lansing, Michigan, is widely regarded as one of the greatest basketball players of all time. Known for his... Continue →
On August 15, 1931, Roy Wilkins joined the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) as assistant secretary. He would go on... Continue →
On August 15, 1843, the National Black Convention convened in Buffalo, New York, with around seventy delegates from twelve different states. The... Continue →
The first National Black Theatre Festival (NBTF) concluded on August 20, 1989, in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Founded by the late Larry Leon... Continue →
On August 20, 1944, Dr. Charles R. Drew was awarded the Spingarn Medal by the NAACP for his pioneering work in blood plasma preservation and storage.... Continue →
On August 22, 1791, Benjamin Banneker, a renowned mathematician, astronomer, and surveyor, played a significant role in the surveying of the District... Continue →
On August 25, 1925, the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters (BSCP) was organized at a mass meeting held at the Elks Hall in Harlem. A. Philip... Continue →
On August 25, 1886, some six hundred delegates organized the American Federation of Labor (AFL) in the United States. The AFL was a federation of... Continue →
On August 27, 1991, a Florida circuit court judge ordered the liquidation of Central Life Insurance Company, the last surviving African American... Continue →
On August 28, 1964, a race riot erupted in North Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. This was part of a larger wave of racial unrest in the 1960s, fueled by... Continue →
The March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom took place on August 28, 1963. It was a historic event in the Civil Rights Movement, where over 250,000... Continue →
On August 29, 1979, the Mutual Black Network (MBN) was launched, becoming the first completely Black-owned radio network in the world. It was founded... Continue →
On August 29, 1962, Mal Goode made history by becoming the first African American television news commentator. He began working with ABC, where he... Continue →
On August 30, 1838, Mirror of Freedom, the first African American magazine, was published. It was a short-lived but significant publication, aimed at... Continue →
Jonathan A. Rodgers became president of CBS's television stations division on September 3, 1990. He was tasked with overseeing CBS's... Continue →
On September 3, 1919, the Lincoln Motion Picture Company released its first feature-length film, The Realization of a Negro's Ambition. The film was... Continue →
On September 3, 1865, the Freedmen's Bureau, established by Congress in 1865 to aid formerly enslaved African Americans in the South, was ordered to... Continue →
On this date in 1859, Co-organizer of North Carolina Mutual Life Insurance Company, John Merrick was born.
On this date in 1916, Cleveland Call established by Cleveland inventor Garrett Morgan and later merged with the Cleveland Post in 1929 to become the... Continue →
On this dated in 1889, in Sanford, Florida of Claude A. Barnett founder of the Associated Negro Press, the first and only Black news wire services in... Continue →
On this date in 1881, Booker T. Washington opens Tuskegee Institute in Alabama
On this dated in 1907, The People's Savings Bank is incorporated in Philadelphia by former African American congressman George H. White of North... Continue →
On this date in 1915, Xavier University, the first Black Catholic college in the US, opens in New Orleans.
On this date in 1875, Branch Normal College opens in Pine Bluff, Arkansas. Branch Normal College was a segregated unit of the state university, the... Continue →
ON this date in 1949, the First Black radio station, WERD, begins operating in Atlanta, Georgia.
On this date in 1856, Timothy ("T.") Thomas Fortune was born on this day.
On this date in 1864, the New Orleans Tribune, the first black daily newspaper, was founded by Dr. Louis C. Roudanez. The newspaper, published in... Continue →
On this date in 1867, Monroe Baker, a well-to-do Black businessman, named mayor of St. Martin, Louisiana, two years after the end of slavery. Monroe... Continue →
On this date in 1895, W.D. Davis patented an improved riding saddle. Davis invented his saddle while serving as a buffalo soldier, African American... Continue →
On this date in 1864, The first African American daily newspaper, the New Orleans Tribune is published in both French and English.
On this date in 1834, Harry Blair patents his corn-planting machine. The planter resembled a wheelbarrow, with a compartment to hold the seed and... Continue →
ON this date in 1890, Alabama Penny Savings Bank organized in Birmingham.
ON this date in 1849, Avery College established in Allegheny, Pennsylvania.
On this date in 1969, Dr. Clifton R. Wharton Jr. elected president of Michigan State University and became the first Black to head a major,... Continue →
On this date in 1888, Capital Savings Bank of Washington, D.C., the first Black bank, opened in Washington, D.C. The Savings Bank of the Order of... Continue →
On this date in 1859, Co-founder of Virginia State College, Byrd Prillerman, born.
On this date in 1898, North Carolina Mutual and Provident Insurance Company founded by John Merrick and associates in Durham, North Carolina as the... Continue →
On this date in 1989, Bertram M. Lee and Peter C.B. Bynoe sign an agreement to purchase the National Basketball Association's Denver Nuggets for $54... Continue →
On this date in 1980, Valerie Thomas invented the illusion transmitter. Patent #US4229761.
On this date in 1950, The first NBA Black Assistant Coach and first Black chief scout, Earl Lloyd, becomes the first Black person to play in an NBA... Continue →
On this date in 1865, Jamaican national hero, George William Gordon, is unfairly arrested and sentenced to death.
On this date in 1955, the first black post office open, Atlanta Georgia.
ON this date in 1953, Clarence S. Green becomes the first African-American certified in neurological surgery.
On this date in 1950, Charles Cooper joins the NBA and becomes one of the first Blacks to play in an NBA game.
On this date in 1950, Nat Clifton joins the NBA and becomes one of the first Blacks to play in an NBA game.
On this date in 1911, Three organizations the Committee for Improving the Industrial Conditions of Negroes in New York, the Committee on Urban... Continue →
On this date in 1948, Rep. Kweisi Mfume who was born Frizzell Gray in Baltimore, Maryland. In 1996 Mfume became president of the NAACP.
On this date in 1892, In New Orleans, 25,000 Black workers strike.
On this date in 1892, Lincoln F. Brown patents Bridle bit. Patent No. 484,994
ON this date in 1934, at a New York City conference, representatives of the NAACP and the American Fund for Public Service planned a coordinated... Continue →
On this date in 1978, President Carter signed Hawkins-Humphrey full employment bill.
On this date in 1914, Omega Psi Phi Fraternity incorporated,founded at Howard University.
On this date in 1981, William O. Walker (85), publisher of the Cleveland Call and Post newspaper, dies. In 1932, Walker became the publisher and... Continue →
On this date in 1929, the stock market collapsed bringing on the beginning of the Great Depression. By 1937, 26 percent of Black males were... Continue →
BET Holdings, Inc. the parent company of Black Entertainment Television sells 4.2 million shares of stock in an initial public offering on the NYSE,... Continue →
On this date in 1989, Frank Mingo, one of the pioneering advertising executives who specialized in targeting African American consumers, dies. He... Continue →
On this dated in 1820, The "Emancipator," the first anti-slavery magazine, was issued monthly from April 30 to October 31, 1820. It was edited and... Continue →
Jet magazine founded by John H. Johnson, publisher of Ebony magazine.
On this date in 1942, John H. Johnson published first issue of Negro Digest.
ON this dated in 1910, Activist, WEB Dubois, begins publication of the NAACP monthly magazine, Crisis.
ON this date in 1898, C. W. Allen Self-leveling table. Patent No.613,436
On this date in 1989, Renowned attorney Sadie Tanner Mossell Alexander dies in Philadelphia.
On this dated in 1903, Business and civic leader, Maggie L Walker, opens the St Luke Penny Savings Bank in Richmond, Virginia.
Bill and Camille Cosby gave an unprecedented gift of $20 million to Spelman College in Atlanta, Georgia.
On this date in 1988, the Martin L. King, Jr, federal Building is dedicated in Atlanta, Ga. It is the first federal building in the nation to bear... Continue →
On this date in 1879, T. Elkins puts patents on the refrigerating apparatus. U.S. patent #221,222
On this date in 1750, Jean-Baptist-Point Du Sable was a black pioneer, trader and founder of the settlement that later became the city of Chicago.
ON this date in 1917, U.S. Supreme Court decision (Buchanan v. Warley) struck down Louisville, Ky., ordinance which required Blacks and whites to... Continue →
On this date in 1912, Woodrow Wilson elected president.
On this date in 1867, First Reconstruction constitutional convention (eighteen Blacks, ninety whites) opened in Montgomery, Alabama.
On this date in 1976, Benjamin Hooks, Federal Communications Commission member, named to succeed Roy Wilkins as executive director of the NAACP.
ON this date in 1928, the Atlanta Daily World founded by W.A. Scott Jr. The newspaper became a daily in 1933.
On this date in 1884, Novelist and dramatist, William Wells Brown, dies.
On November 7, 1909, the Knights and Ladies of St. Peter Claver were organized in Mobile, Alabama, by four Josephite priests and three Catholic... Continue →
On November 8, 1966, John H. Johnson, the founder of Ebony and Jet magazines, was awarded the Spingarn Medal by the NAACP. The medal was given to him... Continue →
On this day, William Monroe Trotter, a Harvard-educated activist and newspaper editor, co-founded The Guardian in Boston, Massachusetts. The paper... Continue →
On this day, Howard University College of Medicine officially opened in Washington, D.C., with eight students and five faculty members. Among the... Continue →
On this day, the National Benefit Life Insurance Company was organized in Washington, D.C. by Samuel W. Rutherford. At a time when most mainstream... Continue →
The African Union Society of Newport, Rhode Island was formally established on November 10, 1780, making it the first documented Black mutual aid... Continue →
James Weldon Johnson, a distinguished author, diplomat, and civil rights leader, was awarded the Spingarn Medal by the NAACP in 1925 for his... Continue →
Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. was founded on November 12, 1922, at Butler University in Indianapolis, Indiana, by seven African American... Continue →
Alexander P. Haley, acclaimed author of Roots: The Saga of an American Family, was awarded the Spingarn Medal by the NAACP for his unparalleled... Continue →
On this day, Agbani Darego of Nigeria was crowned Miss World 2001 in Sun City, South Africa. She made history as the first Black African woman to win... Continue →
Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. was founded on the campus of Howard University in Washington, D.C., becoming the first international fraternal... Continue →
On this day, WHMM-TV (now known as WHUT-TV), located on the campus of Howard University in Washington, D.C., became the first African American-owned... Continue →
On this day, Wally "Famous" Amos, founder of Famous Amos Cookies, donated his signature Panama hat and embroidered shirt to the Smithsonian... Continue →
Andrew J. Young, civil rights leader, diplomat, and politician, was awarded the Spingarn Medal by the NAACP in 1978. The Spingarn Medal is the... Continue →
On November 20, 1939, Morgan State College officially became a public institution when the state of Maryland purchased it to provide more... Continue →
Ten members of the First Congregational Society of Washington, D.C. gathered for a missionary meeting and resolved to establish a seminary to train... Continue →
On this day in 1654, Richard Johnson, a free Black man, was granted 100 acres of land in Northampton County, Virginia, as a reward for importing two... Continue →
Colonel Frederick D. Gregory, a U.S. Air Force pilot and NASA astronaut, became the first African American to command a space mission when he led... Continue →
Timothy Thomas Fortune, a pioneering African American journalist and civil rights leader, founded the New York Freeman on this day. The publication... Continue →
Christopher J. Perry founded The Philadelphia Tribune, which would become the oldest continuously published African American newspaper in the United... Continue →
On November 24, 1971, a significant prison rebellion erupted at Rahway State Prison (now known as East Jersey State Prison) in New Jersey. The unrest... Continue →
Southern University was officially established in Louisiana on November 24, 1880, by the state legislature as a public institution for the education... Continue →
On November 25, 1955, the Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) issued an order banning racial segregation on interstate buses and in bus terminals,... Continue →
On this day, the National Negro Medical Association of Physicians, Dentists, and Pharmacists was established in Atlanta, Georgia, during the Cotton... Continue →
On this day, the South Carolina General Assembly convened in Columbia and marked a major milestone during the Reconstruction era: Stephen A.... Continue →
Marjorie Joyner, an African American inventor and businesswoman, was granted U.S. Patent No. 1,693,515 for her invention of the permanent wave... Continue →
Berry Gordy Jr. was born in Detroit, Michigan on November 28, 1929. He would go on to found Motown Records in 1959, a groundbreaking Black-owned... Continue →
Alexander P. Ashbourne, an African American inventor, was granted U.S. Patent No. 170,460 for a biscuit cutter. His invention automated the process... Continue →
On this day, Pearl Stewart became the first African American woman to serve as editor of a major metropolitan daily newspaper—the Oakland Tribune,... Continue →
On December 1, 1874, T. J. Byrd was granted U.S. Patent No. 157,370 for an improvement in car couplings, a device crucial for connecting railroad... Continue →
?In 1873, several historically significant educational institutions were established, each playing a pivotal role in advancing education for African... Continue →
Marie Van Brittan Brown, a Black American inventor, was granted U.S. Patent No. 3,482,037 for her invention of the first home security system.... Continue →
On this day, Granville T. Woods, often called the “Black Edison,” was granted a patent for his improved telephone transmitter. This device... Continue →
On this day, Frederick Douglass, in collaboration with Martin R. Delany, published the first issue of The North Star in Rochester, New York. The... Continue →
Roy Wilkins, executive secretary of the NAACP, was awarded the prestigious Spingarn Medal for his lifelong dedication to civil rights and his... Continue →
On this day, the Independence Bank of Chicago was officially organized, becoming one of the largest Black-owned banks in the United States. Founded... Continue →
Ralph Gardner-Chavis, born in Cleveland, Ohio, was a pioneering African American chemist whose research played a crucial role in the development of... Continue →
On this day, the Virginia Constitutional Convention convened in Richmond as part of Reconstruction efforts following the Civil War. For the first... Continue →
On this day, John S. Rock—a lawyer, physician, and abolitionist—passed away. In 1865, he made history as the first African American admitted to... Continue →
Moneta Sleet Jr., a photographer for Ebony magazine, became the first African American man and the first African American photographer to win a... Continue →
Clarence M. Mitchell Jr., director of the NAACP Washington Bureau, received the Spingarn Medal for the pivotal role he played in the enactment of... Continue →
Anthony Overton, a pioneering African American businessman, was awarded the Spingarn Medal by the NAACP for his outstanding achievements in business.... Continue →
On this day, Duke Ellington and his band began their legendary residency at the Cotton Club in Harlem, New York. This engagement catapulted Ellington... Continue →
On this day, the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) organized nationwide protests against the film The Birth of a... Continue →
Founded in Harlem, The Amsterdam News became one of the most influential African American newspapers in the United States. It served as a critical... Continue →
Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., the first intercollegiate Greek-letter fraternity established for African American men, was founded at Cornell... Continue →
Prince Hall, a pioneering African American abolitionist and founder of Prince Hall Freemasonry, died in Boston on this day in 1807. Born in the... Continue →
On this day, New York City became the first city in the United States to enact legislation prohibiting racial and religious discrimination in private... Continue →
In response to Rosa Parks’ arrest for refusing to give up her seat to a white passenger, the Montgomery Bus Boycott was launched on this day. That... Continue →
On this day, educator and civil rights leader Mary McLeod Bethune founded the National Council of Negro Women (NCNW) in New York City. The... Continue →
On this day, renowned Harlem Renaissance poet and playwright Langston Hughes saw his play Mulatto open at the Vanderbilt Theatre on Broadway. The... Continue →
The Swing Era officially took off around this time, with the commercial success of big bands transforming the American music scene. The mid-1930s... Continue →
Mary McLeod Bethune, renowned educator and civil rights leader, was awarded the Spingarn Medal by the NAACP for her outstanding achievements in... Continue →
On this day, Lee P. Brown made history by being elected the first African American mayor of Houston, Texas. A former police chief and federal "drug... Continue →
Eddie Robinson, legendary head coach of Grambling State University, coached his final football game on this day. Over a remarkable 57-year career... Continue →
?On December 6, 1960, in Tucson, Arizona, approximately 500 store owners signed pledges committing to nondiscrimination practices. This collective... Continue →
The first National Black Labor Convention convened in Washington, D.C., bringing together African American workers and leaders from across the... Continue →
On this day, Tougaloo College was established in Tougaloo, Mississippi, by the American Missionary Association. It became a center for African... Continue →
In 1982, John E. Jacob succeeded Vernon E. Jordan Jr. as president of the National Urban League, a historic civil rights organization focused on... Continue →
Reginald F. Lewis, a trailblazer in law and business, was born on this day in Baltimore, Maryland. He earned his law degree from Harvard Law School... Continue →
On the same day as the Pearl Harbor attack, Lester B. Granger was named executive director of the National Urban League, becoming a leading figure in... Continue →
The NAACP presented the prestigious Spingarn Medal to novelist Richard Wright for his groundbreaking contributions to American literature. He was... Continue →
Comer Cottrell, born on this day in Mobile, Alabama, would go on to become a pioneering entrepreneur and influential figure in American business. In... Continue →
On this day, Kurt L. Schmoke was inaugurated as the first African American mayor of Baltimore, Maryland. A Rhodes Scholar and Yale Law graduate,... Continue →
On this day, journalist and publisher Louis E. Martin founded the Michigan Chronicle, an African American newspaper based in Detroit. The paper... Continue →
On this day, John Hope was posthumously awarded the Spingarn Medal, the NAACP’s highest honor, recognizing outstanding achievement by an African... Continue →
Sammy Davis Jr., legendary African American singer, dancer, actor, and comedian, was born in Harlem, New York. A child prodigy who began performing... Continue →
Henry Hugh Proctor was born in Fayette County, Tennessee. He became a prominent African American minister, educator, and writer, known for his work... Continue →
President Abraham Lincoln issued his Proclamation of Amnesty and Reconstruction, offering a full pardon and restoration of property (except for... Continue →
On this day, Jack L. Cooper, the first African American radio broadcaster, launched "Search for Missing Persons," a public service program aimed at... Continue →
Andrew “Rube” Foster, founder of the Negro National League (NNL) and a legendary figure in Black baseball, died on this day in 1930. Foster was... Continue →
On this day, Pamela McAllister Johnson broke barriers by becoming the first Black woman to serve as publisher of a mainstream daily newspaper, the... Continue →
Edwin C. Berry, one of the most successful Black entrepreneurs of his era, was born on this day in Oberlin, Ohio. In 1892, he built the Hotel Berry,... Continue →
Lewis H. Latimer, an accomplished African American inventor and engineer, died on this day in Flushing, New York. He began his career as a draftsman... Continue →
Harry T. Burleigh, a pioneering African American composer, arranger, and baritone soloist, was awarded the Spingarn Medal by the NAACP. Burleigh is... Continue →
The National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) was founded on December 12, 1975, in Washington, D.C., by 44 journalists dedicated to... Continue →
Civil rights activist Medgar Evers was posthumously awarded the Spingarn Medal by the NAACP for his courageous work in the fight against racial... Continue →
Kenneth B. Clark, a pioneering psychologist and educator, was awarded the Spingarn Medal by the NAACP for his groundbreaking work on the... Continue →
The San Francisco Sun-Reporter is a prominent African American weekly newspaper serving the San Francisco community. Its origins trace back to 1944,... Continue →
On this day, Maggie Lena Walker, a groundbreaking African American businesswoman and civic leader, passed away. Before her death, she served as... Continue →
On December 15, 1943, the Spingarn Medal was presented to William H. Hastie in recognition of his distinguished career as a jurist and his unwavering... Continue →
On December 15, 1934, William Taylor Burwell Williams was awarded the Spingarn Medal by the NAACP for his exceptional contributions to education.... Continue →
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... Continue →
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... Continue →
George and Noble Johnson founded the Lincoln Motion Picture Company, the first Black-owned film production company in the United States. Based in Los... Continue →
James P. Thomas, a formerly enslaved man who gained his freedom and became a prosperous entrepreneur, died on this day in 1913. After opening a... Continue →
On December 18, 1971, Reverend Jesse Jackson founded Operation PUSH (People United to Save Humanity) in Chicago. The organization was established to... Continue →
On December 18, 1971, the NAACP awarded the Spingarn Medal to Reverend Leon H. Sullivan in recognition of his outstanding leadership and... Continue →
James Weldon Johnson, noted author, educator, lawyer, and civil rights leader, resigned from his role as executive secretary of the NAACP, a position... Continue →
Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, originally founded on January 13, 1913 at Howard University by 22 collegiate women, was officially incorporated on... Continue →
On this day, the Pittsburgh Courier, one of the most influential African American newspapers in U.S. history, was founded. Based in Pittsburgh,... Continue →
The Norfolk Journal and Guide, a significant African American newspaper, was established in 1910 under the leadership of Plummer Bernard (P.B.) Young... Continue →
On this day, the Baltimore City Council passed the first city ordinance in the United States mandating racial segregation in housing, requiring that... Continue →
On December 20, 1988, Max Robinson, the first African American man to anchor a nightly network newscast, passed away at the age of 49 due to... Continue →
On December 20, 1956, the African American community in Montgomery, Alabama, voted to end their 381-day bus boycott following the U.S. Supreme... Continue →
On this day, legendary choreographer and dancer Alvin Ailey received the Spingarn Medal from the NAACP, “in recognition of his international... Continue →
The NAACP awarded the Spingarn Medal to Gordon B. Parks “in recognition of his unique creativity, as exemplified by his outstanding achievements as... Continue →
On December 21, 1959, residents of Deerfield, Illinois, approved a referendum that effectively blocked plans for an interracial housing development.... Continue →
Motown Records was established in Detroit, Michigan, by Berry Gordy Jr. Motown became one of the most influential record labels, significantly... Continue →
The Montgomery Bus Boycott officially ended after 381 days, making Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King Jr. national heroes. The U.S. Supreme Court... Continue →
Charles Lenox Remond, a pioneering abolitionist and orator, died on this day in 1873. He was the first Black lecturer employed by the Massachusetts... Continue →
Madame C.J. Walker, born Sarah Breedlove in Delta, Louisiana, was born on this day. She would go on to found a successful Black hair-care business in... Continue →
Henry Highland Garnet, a minister, abolitionist, and diplomat, was born into slavery in Kent County, Maryland. He became a prominent figure in the... Continue →
On this day, approximately five thousand African Americans departed Edgefield County, South Carolina, in what became known as the “Edgefield... Continue →
Octavia V. Rogers Albert, an African American author and former enslaved woman, was born. She is best known for her influential book The House of... Continue →
On Christmas Day in 1971, Rev. Jesse Jackson founded Operation PUSH (People United to Save Humanity) in Chicago. The organization aimed to improve... Continue →
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... Continue →
Henry McKee Minton was born on this day in Columbia, South Carolina. A pioneering African American physician and pharmacist, Minton co-founded Sigma... Continue →
Charles B. Ray was born in Falmouth, Massachusetts. He later enrolled at Wesleyan University in Connecticut but was forced to withdraw due to... Continue →
Following the success of the Montgomery Bus Boycott, African Americans in Birmingham, Alabama, launched a campaign of mass resistance against... Continue →
DeFord Bailey, an influential African American harmonica player, was among the Grand Ole Opry's earliest and most celebrated performers. His first... Continue →
On this day in 1941, Dr. Charles Richard Drew, a trailblazing African American physician and researcher, established a pioneering blood bank in New... Continue →
With the support of his wife, Work went on to publish The Negro Year Book, an annual encyclopedia of African American achievement. In 1928, he... Continue →
Livingstone College and Biddle College (now Johnson C. Smith University) played the first recorded football game between African American colleges.... Continue →
Arthur B. Spingarn, a key figure in the early U.S. civil rights movement and one of the founders of the NAACP (National Association for the... Continue →
Thomas J. "Tom" Bradley was born on December 29, 1917, in Calvert, Texas. He moved with his family to Los Angeles around 1924, where he later... Continue →
Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc., a historically African American Greek-lettered sorority, was officially incorporated on this date in 1929. Founded on... Continue →
Two U.S. courts issued temporary injunctions to stop the eviction of approximately 700 Black sharecroppers in Haywood and Fayette counties,... Continue →
On this day in 1960, renowned poet and writer Langston Hughes was presented with the NAACP Spingarn Medal, honoring his outstanding achievements in... Continue →
The "Don't Buy Where You Can't Work" campaign began in Chicago with the picketing of chain stores on the South Side, demanding fair employment... Continue →
The United Negro College Fund (UNCF) held its first nationally televised telethon, An Evening of Stars, which raised $14.1 million to support... Continue →
On this day in 1953, Hulan Jack was sworn in as the Borough President of Manhattan, becoming one of the first African Americans to hold such a... Continue →
On December 31, 1953, the NAACP awarded the Spingarn Medal to Paul R. Williams for his outstanding achievements in architecture. Williams broke... Continue →
Annie Wealthy Holland, an influential African American educator, was born on this day. She is best known for founding the Parent Teacher Association... Continue →
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