Little Known Black History Facts

Blackamericaweb.com and the Tom Joyner Morning Show have always celebrated Black History every single day. Here are some of the most interesting Little Known Black History Facts we’ve discovered. For more information on these facts, check out our archive of Little Known Black History Facts.

Cherokee Bill was an outlaw who committed a series of violent crimes across the Indian Territory of the 19th Century, around what is now known as Oklahoma. Bill’s name grew in infamy after running with a crew of Black Indian outlaws and he was hanged for his crimes at the age of 20. Born February […]

Malvin R. Goode was a pioneer in broadcast journalism, becoming the first African-American news correspondent for a major television network in 1962. Goode arrived at the pinnacle of his career later in life, but his accomplishment serves as a testament to the work ethic he developed in the steel mills of Pittsburgh. Malvin Russell Goode […]

Jewel Lafontant-Mankarious was a Chicago lawyer who achieved a number of firsts as a woman and African-American in her field. Among her achievements, Lafontant-Mankarious was the first Black woman to graduate from the University of Chicago Law School and was also the first Black Deputy Solicitor General. Born Jewel Carter Stradford on April 28, 1922 […]

Many hear about Madame C.J. Walker for her impact on the hair industry. But have you heard of Christina M. Jenkins? She is one of those great minds who is largely credited for creating the hair weaving process. Christina Mae Thomas was born Christmas Day in 1920, although there are conflicting dates regarding her day […]

Thanksgiving is a time-honored tradition among American families that was once used to celebrate the nation’s victory over the British in Saratoga during the Revolutionary War in 1777. Across the 13 colonies, enslaved Blacks also joined in celebration by expressing their thankfulness for the victory at their churches. In October 1863, President Abraham Lincoln signed […]

The NBA’s color lines were broken in the 1950-51 season when three Black players made their mark on a series of teams. The appearance of the players shifted the racial paradigm of the popular sports league, paving the way for the Black superstars of today. On April 25, 1950, the Boston Celtics drafted Charles “Chuck” […]

The C. R. Patterson & Sons Company was the first Black-owned automobile manufacturer in the United States. The company was initially began by a former slave and his eldest son took the family business to greater heights in the early 20th Century. Charles Richard Patterson was a former slave who escaped captivity in Virginia, then […]

June and Jennifer Gibbons were twins born to Barbadian immigrants and raised in Wales in the United Kingdom. Known infamously as the “Silent Twins,” the Gibbons sisters spoke only to one another and sometimes their younger sister in a rapid-fire style of language only they understood. The twins were born on April 11, 1963 and […]

The late Cardiss Collins did not choose a life in politics, but tragedy thrust her into the role in the early ’70’s. As a result, Collins became the first Black woman to represent the Midwest in the U.S. Congress. Collins was born on September 24, 1931 in St. Louis, Mo. Her family relocated to Detroit […]

The late Dr. Cornelius Golightly was one of the 20th Century’s most prominent public intellectuals who also amassed a series of “firsts” over the course of his life. Dr. Golightly was born on May 23, 1917. Cornelius Lacy Golightly was born in Waterford, Mississippi. He entered Alabama’s Talladega College at 17 and became something of […]

Ira Aldridge was an American-born actor who went on to international fame when he arrived in Europe to further his career. Aldridge is considered the first African-American actor to gain worldwide acclaim, and the first Black actor to find fame in a foreign nation. Ira Frederick Aldridge was born on July 24, 1807 in New […]