Black History

July 25, 1916 – Garrett Morgan, inventor of the gas mask, rescued six people from gas-filled tunnel in Cleveland, OH. July 26, 1948 – President Harry S. Truman issued Executive Order 9981, ending segregation in the U.S. armed forces. July 27, 1880 – Alexander P. Ashbourne patented process for refining coconut oil. July 28, 1868 – 14th Amendment that granted blacks … [Read more...] about This Week In Black History – July 25, 2024

July 18, 1939 – Saxophonist Coleman Hawkins recorded “Body and Soul,” one of the classics of jazz. July 19, 1925 – Josephine Baker, entertainer, activist and humanitarian, made her debut in Paris. July 20, 1950 – First U.S. victory in Korea won by black troops of the 24th Infantry Regiment. July 21, 1896 – Mary Church Terrell elected first president of the … [Read more...] about This Week In Black History – July 18, 2024

July 11, 1905 – W.E.B. DuBois and William Monroe Trotter organized the Niagara Movement, which demanded abolition of all race distinctions. July 12, 1949 – Frederick M. Jones patented air-conditioning unit used in food transportation vehicles. July 13, 1965 – Thurgood Marshall became first African American appointed U.S. Solicitor General. July 14, 1955 – The George … [Read more...] about This Week In Black History – July 11, 2024

July 4, 1900 – Trumpeter Louis “Satchmo” Armstrong, jazz pioneer, was born. July 5, 1892 – Andrew J. Beard patented rotary engine. July 6, 1957 – Althea Gibson won women’s singles title at Wimbledon, becoming first African American to win tennis’s most prestigious award. July 7, 1948 – Cleveland Indians signed pitcher Leroy “Satchel” Paige. July 8, 1943 – Faye … [Read more...] about This Week In Black History – July 4, 2024

June 27, 1991 – Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall announced his retirement. June 28, 1864 – Fugitive Slave Laws repealed by Congress. June 29, 1886 – Photographer James Van Der Zee was born. June 30, 1921 – Charles S. Gilping awarded Spingarn Medal for his performance in Eugene O’Neill's play "Emperor Jones." July 1, 1889 – Frederick Douglass named U.S. … [Read more...] about This Week In Black History – June 27, 2024

June 20, 1953 – Albert W. Dent of Dillard University elected president of the National Health Council. June 21, 1945 – Col. Benjamin O. Davis, Jr., became first African American to command a U.S. Army Air Corps base. June 22, 1897 – William Barry patented the postmarking and canceling machine. June 23, 1940 – Sprinter Wilma Rudolph, winner of three gold medals at … [Read more...] about This Week In Black History – June 20, 2024

June 14, 1864 – Congress ruled that African American soldiers must receive equal pay. June 15, 1913 – Dr. Effie O’Neal, first black woman to hold an executive position in the American Medical Association, born. June 16, 1970 – Kenneth A. Gibson elected mayor of Newark, NJ, first African American mayor of a major eastern U.S. city. June 17. 1775 – Minuteman Peter … [Read more...] about This Week In Black History – June 13, 2024

June 6, 1831 – First annual “People of Color” convention was held in Philadelphia. June 7, 1917 – Poetess Gwendolyn Brooks, first African American to win the Pulitzer Prize (Poetry 1950), was born. June 8, 1953 – Supreme Court ruling banned discrimination in Washington, DC restaurants. June 9, 1995 – Lincoln J. Ragsdale, pioneer fighter pilot of World War II, died. … [Read more...] about This Week In Black History – June 6, 2024

May 30 1965 – Vivian Malone became the first African American to graduate from the University of Alabama. May 31, 1870 – Congress passed the first Enforcement Act, providing stiff penalties for those who deprive others of their civil rights. June 1, 1968 – Henry Lewis became the first black musical director of an American symphony orchestra – the New Jersey Symphony … [Read more...] about This Week In Black History – May 30, 2024