Our History

March 21, 1965 – Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., led march from Selma to Montgomery, AL, for voting rights. March 22, 1898 – J.W. Smith patented lawn sprinkler. March 23, 1873 – Slavery abolished in Puerto Rico. March 24, 1837 – Canada gives African American citizens the right to vote. March 25, 1843 – Explorer Jacob Dodson set out in search of the Northwest … [Read more...] about This Week In Black History – March 21, 2024

March 1, 1994 – Leonard S. Coleman, Jr., elected president of the National Baseball League. March 2, 1867 – U.S. Congress enacted charter to establish Howard University. March 3, 1865 – Freedman’s Bureau established by the federal government to aid newly freed slaves. March 4, 1965 – Bill Russell of the Boston Celtics honored as NBA most valuable player for fourth … [Read more...] about This Week In Black History – February 29, 2024

December 28, 1905 – Earl “Fatha” Hines, “Father of Modern Jazz Piano”, born. December 29, 1924 – Author, sportswriter A.S. “Doc” Young born. December 30, 1842 – Congressman Josiah Walls born. December 31, 1930 – Odetta, blues and folk singer, born. January 1, 1863 – President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation January 2, 1965 – Martin … [Read more...] about This Week In Black History – December 28, 2023

December 21, 1911 – Baseball legend Josh Gibson born. December 22, 1943 – W.E. B. DuBois become the first African American elected to the National Institute of Arts and Letters. December 23, 1869 – Madam C.J. Walker, businesswoman and first African American female woman millionaire, born. December 24, 1832 – Charter granted to the Georgia Infirmary, the fist black … [Read more...] about This Week In Black History – December 21, 2023

December 14, 1829 – John Mercer Langston, congressman and founder of Howard University Law Department, born. December 15, 1883 – William A. Hinton, first African American on Harvard Medical School faculty and developer of the Hinton test to detect syphilis, born. December 15, 1994 – Ruth J. Simmons named president of Smith College. December 16, 1976 – Andrew Young … [Read more...] about This Week In Black History – December 14, 2023

December 7, 1941 – Doris (Dorie) Miller, U.S. Navy, shoot down four Japanese planes during the attack on Pearl Harbor. December 8, 1925 – Entertainer Sammy Davis, Jr., born. December 9, 1872 – P.B.S. Pinchback of Louisiana became first African American governor in U.S. December 10, 1950 – Dr. Ralph J. Bunche became first black awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. … [Read more...] about This Week In Black History – December 7, 2023

November 30, 1897 – J.A. Sweeting patented cigarette- rolling device. December 1, 1987 – Carrie Saxon Perry began her term as the mayor of Hartford, CT., becomes first black female mayor of a major U.S. city. December 2, 1884 – Granville T. Woods patented telephone transmitter. December 3, 1847 – Frederick Douglass published first issue of North Star. December … [Read more...] about This Week In Black History – November 30, 2023

November 23, 1897 – A.J. Beard patented the “Jenny Coupler”, still in use today to connect railroad cars. John L. Love patented pencil sharpener. November 24, 1868 – Pianist Scott Joplin, the “Father of Ragtime”, born. November 25, 1975 – Suriname gains independence from the Netherlands. November 26, 1970 – Charles Gordone becomes the first black playwright to … [Read more...] about This Week In Black History – November 23, 2023

November 16, 1981 – Pam Johnson named publisher of the Ithaca (NY) Journal, becoming the first African American woman to head a daily newspaper. November 17, 1980 – WHHM, the first African American-operated radio station, went on the air at Howard University. November 18, 1787 – Abolitionist and women’s right activist Sojourner Truth born. November 19, 1953 – Roy … [Read more...] about This Week In Black History – November 16, 2023

November 9, 1731 – Mathematician, urban planner and inventor Benjamin Banneker born. November 10, 1983 – Wilson Goode, Philadelphia’s first African American mayor, elected. November 11, 1989 – Civil Rights Memorial is dedicated in Montgomery, AL. November 12, 1941 – Madame Lillian Evanto founded the National Negro Opera Company. November 13, 1894 – Albert C. … [Read more...] about This Week In Black History – November 9, 2023