Little Known Black History Facts

The landmark Supreme Court decision of Brown vs. Board of Education of Topeka decision in 1954 was the first step to declare separate schools for Black and white students unconstitutional. On this day in 1969, the high court made its final call to public schools, especially those in the Deep South, to end the unlawful […]

Dorothy Gilliam overcame a major barrier at The Washington Post newspaper by becoming the popular publication’s first Black female reporter. Ms. Gilliam continues to advocate for balance in journalism in her post-retirement career and is a living legend of her field. Gilliam was born November 24, 1936 in Memphis, Tenn. She discovered her love of journalism […]

The case of Underground Railroad conductor Samuel Burris has come full circle, this after the abolitionist will finally be pardoned, 168 years since his conviction for freeing slaves. The state of Delaware will honor Burris in a ceremony next month, clearing him of his charges posthumously in the process. Burris was born in 1808 in […]

Julie Dash, the first Black woman to have a film receive a full theatrical release in the United States, helped set the stage for several Black creatives of the present day. Her 1992 film Daughters of the Dust was a landmark film that examined themes close to Dash’s family roots. Born on October 22, 1952 […]

Growing up in South Central, Los Angeles, Carter Paysinger probably think he’d succeed beyond his meager surroundings. But thanks to the determination of his mother, however, Paysinger was able to attend one of California’s most prestigious high schools and eventually became its first Black principal. Paysinger’s mother applied for a multicultural permit that allowed her […]

There were a number of Black-owned and operated hospitals in Detroit’s urban center throughout the 20th Century. This was a necessity inspired by the segregation and racist mistreatment of Black patients and doctors. One of the most well-known of these facilities was Trinity Hospital, which is now defunct but not without establishing a strong legacy. […]

Dr. Herbert Smitherman Sr. was an innovative chemist who worked for the major consumer goods company, Procter & Gamble. While some thought Smitherman was the inventor of Crest Toothpaste, Folgers Coffee and other products, he actually helped to improve these already established products. Smitherman was born and raised in Birmingham, Ala. on March 23, 1937, […]

Businessman and philanthropist Julius Rosenwald was instrumental in creating a fund that led to the creation of over 5,000 schools in the Deep South geared towards African-American students. Mr. Rosenwald, who was also a co-owner of The Sears Company, is the subject of a documentary that aired this summer which shared details of both his […]

Marlon James achieved international fame after he became the first Jamaican author to win the prestigious Man Booker Prize for Fiction. James, who currently is a professor in the United States, won the award for his 2014 book, “A Brief History of Seven Killings.” James was born in 1970 to police officer parents, who worked […]

Gwen Jimmere, the founder and CEO of Naturalicious, is the first Black woman to patent a natural hair care product. In the fast-growing natural hair care industry, Ms. Jimmere’s company has become a global success, although she has not forgotten her humble beginnings. Jimmere’s natural hair journey began when as a divorced mother with a […]

Aprille Ericsson is award-winning aerospace trailblazer who achieved a pair of historic firsts as part of her engineering career. Dr. Ericsson is the first woman to earn her Ph. D in Mechanical Engineering from Howard University, and the first Black woman to obtain a Ph. D in Engineering from NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center. Aprille […]

On this day in 1919, Marcus Garvey, the Jamaican-born founder of the United Negro Improvement Association, survived an attempt on his life due in part to his first wife shielding him from his assailant. Garvey was shot and wounded twice by a man rumored to be sent by a powerful government enemy who was then found […]