Our History

January 26, 1954 – Dr. Theodore K. Lawless, dermatologist, awarded the Spingarn Medal for his research in skin-related diseases. January 27, 1961 – Leontyne Price made her Metropolitan Opera debut. January 28, 1787 – Free Africa Society organized in Philadelphia. January 29, 1926 – Violette Nealy Anderson becomes the first black woman lawyer to argue a case before the … [Read more...] about This Week In Black History

January 19, 1969 – UCLA renames its social science buildings to honor alumnus Ralph Bunche. January 20, 1977 – Patricia Roberts Harris becomes U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, the first black woman to hold a Cabinet position. January 21, 1936 – Former Congressman Barbara Jordan born. January 22, 1949 – James Robert Gladden becomes first African American … [Read more...] about This Week In Black History

January 12, 1948 – U.S. Supreme Court rules that African Americans have the right to study law at state institutions. January 13, 1990 – L. Douglas Wilder becomes first African American U.S. governor (Virginia) since Reconstruction. 1913 – Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Incorporated becomes the 2nd black Greek letter organization. January 14, 1975 – William T. Coleman named … [Read more...] about This Week In Black History

January 5, 1943 – George Washington Carver, agricultural scientist, died. January 6, 1831 – The World Anti-Slavery Convention opens in London. January 7, 1890 – William B. Purvis patents fountain pen. January 8, 1811 – Charles Deslandes leads slave revolt in Louisiana. January 9, 1866 – Fisk University is founded in Nashville. January 10, 1864 – George … [Read more...] about This Week In Black History

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 issues Emancipation Proclamation. January 2, 1965 – Martin Luther King, Jr., calls for nonviolent protests if Alabama blacks are not allowed to … [Read more...] about This Week In Black History

December 22, 1943 – W.E. B. DuBois becomes 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 woman millionaire, born. December 24, 1832 – Charter granted to the Georgia Infirmary, the first black hospital. December 25, 1760 – Jupiter Hammon becomes first … [Read more...] about This Week In Black History

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 nominated by President Jimmy Carter to be U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations. December 17, 1802 – Teacher and … [Read more...] about This Week In Black History

December 8, 1925 – Entertainer Sammy Davis, Jr., born. December 9, 1872 – P.B.S. Pinchback of Louisiana becomes first African American governor in U.S. December 10, 1950 – Dr. Ralph J. Bunche becomes first black awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. December 11, 1938 – Jazz pianist McCoy Tyner born. December 12, 1899 – George F. Grant patents golf tree. December 12, … [Read more...] about This Week In Black History

December 1, 1987 – Carrie Saxon Perry begins her term as the mayor of Hartford, CT, becoming first African American woman mayor of a major U.S. city. December 2, 1884 – Granville T. Woods patents telephone transmitter. December 3, 1847 – Frederick Douglass publishes first issue of North Star. December 4, 1909 – The New York Amsterdam News is founded by James A. … [Read more...] about This Week In Black History