Say their names: Addie Mae Collins, 14 Denise McNair, 11 Carole Robertson, 14 Cynthia Wesley, 14 On September 15, 1963, a bomb exploded during Sunday morning services in the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, AL, killing four young girls. With its large African American congregation, the 16th Street Baptist Church served as a meeting… [Read More]
Black History Archives
Seventeen LGBTQ+ Black pioneers who made history
June 24, 2021
From 1960s civil rights activist Bayard Rustin to Chicago’s first black female and lesbian mayor, Lori Lightfoot, black LGBTQ Americans have long made history with innumerable contributions to politics, art, medicine and a host of other fields. “As long as there have been black people, there have been black LGBTQ and same-gender-loving people,” David J…. [Read More]
This Week in Black History
June 17, 2021
June 17. 1775 – Minuteman Peter Salem Fights In The Battle Of Bunker Hill. June 18, 1863 – The 54th Massachusetts Colored Infantry attacks Fort Wagner, S.C. June 19, 1865 – Blacks in Texas are notified of Emancipation Proclamation, issued in 1863. “Juneteenth,” marks the event. June 20, 1953 – Albert W. Dent of… [Read More]
The Overlooked Black History of Memorial Day
May 27, 2021
Nowadays, Memorial Day honors veterans of all wars, but its roots are in America’s deadliest conflict, the Civil War. Approximately 620,000 soldiers died, about two-thirds from disease. The work of honoring the dead began right away all over the country, and several American towns claim to be the birthplace of Memorial Day. Researchers have traced… [Read More]
Six underrated cities in the US to celebrate Black history all year long
May 27, 2021
We are well into the start of a new year, and for Black Americans, that means reconciling all that the last year put us through. We navigated a lot in 2020, both within our own homes and in our nation at large. But now, as the clouds begin to clear, we are beginning to look… [Read More]
Celebrating This Week in Black History
May 20, 2021May 20, 1961 – U.S. Attorney General Robert Kennedy dispatches U.S. Marshals to Montgomery, Ala., to restore order in the “Freedom Rider” disturbance. May 21, 1833 – African Americans enroll for the first time at Oberlin College, Ohio. May 22, 1921 – Shuffle Along, a musical featuring a score by Eubie Blake and Noble Sissle,… [Read More]
This Week in Black History
April 8, 2021
April 8, 1974 – Atlanta Braves slugger Hank Aaron hits 715 home run, surpassing Babe Ruth as the game’s all-time home-run leader. April 9, 1898 – Paul Robeson, actor, singer, activist, born. April 10, 1947 – Brooklyn Dodger Jackie Robinson becomes first African American to play major league baseball. April 11, 1966 – Emmett Ashford… [Read More]
Milwaukee Fire Department Black History
March 18, 2021
MILWAUKEE FIRE DEPARTMENT BLACK HISTORY! In the beginning there were four MFD trailblazers, who paved the way. Pictured (top photo, from left) Chief Stephanie Hampton; first African American Female Firefighter Valerie Woodard; Firefighter Elizabeth Ewing; and (lower photo) Dr. Maureen Aniakudo Firefighter, RIH. We salute these extraordinary women who have blazed the trail to make… [Read More]
The History of the Black Newspaper
February 25, 2021
The history of the Black newspaper in the United States is as rich and long as our own. They have served to tell the story of our Black history in our own words, by our own people. They have been our voice in times when it seemed we had none, and have presented a positive… [Read More]
Great Names in Milwaukee’s Black Press
February 25, 2021
FOUNDERS & PUBLISHERS The Late Nathan Conyers, Founder, The Christian Times and The Milwaukee Times Weekly Newspaper Dr. Mary Ellen Shadd-Strong, Publisher, Milwaukee Community Journal Patricia Pattillo, Founder, CEO and Publisher, Milwaukee Community Journal Robert J. Thomas, Co-founder, Milwaukee Community Journal Jerrell Jones, Publisher, Milwaukee Courier Linda Jackson-Cocroft, Publisher, Black Women 50+ Lynda Jackson Conyers,… [Read More]
