Little Known Black History Facts
Kurt Schmoke was elected Baltimore’s first Black mayor in November 1987, and was sworn in on this day that same year. Schmoke served three terms and faced several challenges in his attempt to turn Charm City around. Kurt Lidell Schmoke was born in Baltimore on December 1, 1949 into a chemist father and social worker […]
CBS News’ 60 Minutes producer Henry Radliffe II was a producer for the popular new program for the past 26 years. Radliffe passed last week after battling colon cancer since 2008. Radliffe was born January 1, 1949 in Indianapolis, Indiana. Radliffe attended Purdue University for a spell, and also studied at the Universidad Iberoamericano in […]
Abraham Bolden is the first African-American U.S. Secret Service agent assigned to a presidential detail. Mr. Bolden was fired from his post for bribery in the 60s, and has worked in recent times to clear his name and expose misconduct within the department. Bolden, an East Saint Louis, Ill. native, joined the agency in 1960 […]
Chicago painter and printmaker Eldzier Cortor became known in the art world for his graceful depictions of nude Black women and his use of surrealism. Mr. Cortor died this past Thanksgiving, just weeks shy of his 100th birthday. Cortor was born January 10, 1916 in Richmond, Va. His family relocated to Chicago’s South Side and […]
Gloria Richardson was a civil rights leader in Maryland who led a series of protests in the Eastern Shore region. The Cambridge Movement was one of the more violent protests of the ’60’s, ignited by economic and racial inequality. The future activist was born Gloria St. Clair Hayes on May 6, 1922 in Baltimore. Her […]
The storied history of the military’s first Black air squadron, the Tuskegee Airmen, has been well documented over the decades. However, a recent discovery has revealed that the famed group also enlisted a Black Dominican Republic native. Esteban Hotesse, born in the city of Moca in the Dominican Republic, came to America when he was […]
Fans of the legendary Sly and the Family Stone band are reeling from news that original member and trumpeter Cynthia Robinson has died. Robinson had been battling cancer and kept fans aware of her journey combating the disease via social media. Robinson was born on January 12, 1946. According to Robinson’s own account to Family Stone […]
The National Black Independent Political Party (NBIPP) was formed in November 1980 as a response to the growing concerns of the African-American community and their place in the political ecosystem. To date, the NBIPP remains as perhaps the most prominent example of Blacks breaking with the major two-party system of Democrats and Republicans. The NBIPP […]
Suzanne Shank is considered to be the first African-American woman to lead a publicly traded financial institution, along with being one of the most powerful women on Wall Street period. As the CEO of two large financial firms, Shank has overseen over $1 trillion in transactions for state and local government agencies. Shank, a native […]
The late Rev. William E. Summers III was a pioneering figure in Black radio in the state of Kentucky. In 1967, he became the first Black person to manage a radio station in the United States, and in 1971 he was the first Black person in Kentucky to own a station. Born in 1918, Rev. […]
Dr. Barbara Ross-Lee isn’t famous for singing like her sister Diana Ross, but she is a star in her own right. Dr. Ross-Lee is the first Black woman appointed as dean of an American medical school, along with other honors and accolades. Ross-Lee was born June 1, 1942 in Detroit, Michigan. Along with her siblings, […]
The Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. was founded on this day in 1911 on the campus of Howard University. It is the first Black fraternity founded at a Historically Black College or University. Junior students Edgar Amos Love, Oscar James Cooper, Frank Coleman, and Faculty Adviser Dr. Ernest Everett Just founded the fraternity to uphold […]
