Little Known Black History Facts

Robert Robinson Taylor is  recognized as the first Black student to attend the prestigious Massachusetts Institute of Technology, along with becoming its first Black graduate. Taylor is also regarded as the nation’s first Black architect, and his likeness has appeared on a Black Heritage Forever stamp. Born June 8, 1868 in Wilmington, N.C., Taylor’s father […]

Little Known Black History Facts

The 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion was an all-Black battalion of the Women’s Army Corps, whose main function was to ensure mail delivery to troops fighting in World War II and to boost morale. Nicknamed the “Six Triple Eight,” the battalion’s motto was “No Mail, No Morale.” In 1944, Mary McLeod Bethune used her deep […]

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The story of Recy Taylor might not have known to many, but  her memory was honored emphatically after Oprah Winfrey‘s rousing Golden Globes speech Sunday night. Taylor was a victim of a horrific kidnapping and sexual assault by a group of six white men who escaped justice simply due to the color of the skin. […]

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The 2016 motion picture Hidden Figures starring Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer, and Janelle Monae zeroed in on the lives of three dynamic Black women and their contribution to the Space Race. The real-life hidden figures, Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, and Mary Jackson, are not only linked by their time at NASA, but also the […]

Little Known Black History Facts

Willie Mae Thornton, better known as Big Mama Thornton, was a blues singer and songwriter who was the first to sing the hit track, “Hound Dog,” made famous by Elvis Presley in the ‘50s. She was born December 11, 1926, just outside of Montgomery, Ala. SIGN UP FOR OUR NEWSLETTER:  Thornton’s singing career began in […]

Little Known Black History Facts

John H. Sengstacke (pictured, right) was a newspaper publisher who once owned the largest chain of Black publications in the country. The Savannah, Ga. native was born November 25, 1912. Sengstacke was groomed for the newspaper business, working as a boy alongside his father, Alexander, for “The Woodville Times,” and his uncle, Robert Sengstacke Abbott, […]

Little Known Black History Facts

A number of Brazilian residents identify as either Black or of mixed racek as determined by a controversial census survey. However, South America’s largest country widely celebrates Black Brazilians annually with “Black Awareness Day.” Black Awareness Day was founded in the 60s and was typically celebrated in May to coincide with the abolition of slavery […]

Little Known Black History Facts

George Washington Henderson was born into slavery in Clarke County, Va. on November 11, 1850, and he went on to become a respected scholar and minister. He was the first Black person inducted into Phi Beta Kappa, the nation’s top honors society. Not much is known about Henderson’s early life, but as a teenager, he […]

Little Known Black History Facts

Ernest J. Gaines first gained fame with the release of his 1971 novel, “The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman,” which was adapted into a film starring Cicely Tyson. The Louisiana novelist died this past Tuesday of natural causes. Ernest James Gaines was born January 15, 1933 in Oscar, La., the eldest of 12 children to […]

Little Known Black History Facts

Hulan Jack made history on November 4, 1953 after he was elected as the borough president of Manhattan, the first for a Black man. However, Jack’s historic feat has been nearly wiped from public memory due to scandal, nearly erasing his years of good work in public service. Jack was born on December 29, 1906 […]

Little Known Black History Facts

Hal Jackson was a broadcaster who broke a number of barriers and worked hard to bring balance in a field dominated by whites. The pioneering disc jockey was born November 3, 1915. Harold Baron Jackson was born in Charleston, S.C. and was raised in Washington, D.C. after losing both parents as a boy. His career […]

Little Known Black History Facts

Before 1891, folks who wanted to send a letter would have to visit their local post office to do so. Philip Downing invented a metal mailbox that is the predecessor for the modern version of the ones we use today. Downing was born March 22, 1857 in Providence, R.I., although some have written that he […]