Little Known Black History Facts
Tallahassee’s Carrie P. Meek is a political trailblazer of Florida politics. Meek is the first Black woman to elected to the state’s Senate, and the first Black elected official to represent Florida in the U.S. House of Representatives since Reconstruction. Meek, born April 29, 1926, is the daughter of former slaves and sharecroppers in […]
Pensacola’s Rosamond Johnson Beach stands as a living monument to the heroic efforts of an under-aged Army private from the Gulf Islands region. Private Rosamond Johnson was the first soldier from the area killed in the Korean War, and this pristine beach area was named in his honor shortly after his death. Johnson, who […]
Samuel “Sam” Jones is the first Black mayor of Mobile, Ala. After years of serving in a smaller public office role, Jones took the city’s top job in 2005 before losing an reelection bid in 2013. Jones, a native of the city, gradated from Central High School. He attended college in Jacksonville, Fla., graduating […]
The Almanett Hotel in Gulfport is the only Black-owned hotel in southern Mississippi. In the late ’50’s and 60’s, it was also the site of a series of protests during the height of the Civil Rights Movement. Organized by activist and Gulf Coast NAACP president Dr. Felix Dunn, Dr. Gilbert Mason Sr., Sandy Daniels […]
Fredia Gibbs is a retired boxer, kickboxer and sports legend once billed as “The Most Dangerous Woman In The World.” Gibbs made history by becoming the first Black woman to win a World Kickboxing Championship with the International Sports Karate Association. Born July 8, 1963, Gibbs was raised on the tough streets of Chester, […]
Governor Nikki Haley appointed South Carolina Republican Senator Tim Scott to his position in 2012 after former Senator Jim DeMint stepped down. On Tuesday, Scott was elected into the senatorial seat and became the first Black senator voted into office since the Reconstruction Era. Scott is also the first Black person to serve in […]
For iPhone: Dr. Shirley A. Jackson, one of the world’s leading scientists, endured racism, sexism and segregation during her journey to becoming the first Black woman to earn a doctorate from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dr. Jackson was born August 5, 1946 in Washington, D.C. Jackson’s parents encouraged their daughter’s love of the […]
For iPhone: Charles “Chuck” Burris was elected Stone Mountain, Ga.’s first Black mayor on this day in 1997. Despite low voter turnout in the city near Atlanta, Burris was able to eke out a narrow win to become the mayor of the city known as the birthplace of the modern Ku Klux Klan. Burris […]
For iPhone: Computer scientist, engineer and inventor Dr. Mark Dean has left his mark in the computing world by being part of a number of key developments. Among Dr. Dean’s accomplishments, helping create the PC monitor and creating ports for peripheral devices are notable. Born in Jefferson City, Tenn. on March 7, 1957, Dean […]
For iPhone: Black horror films may not dominate the American mainstream market, but there have been significant films from African-American actors and directors within the genre. While most point to 1972’s Blacula as the start of the Black horror movie trend, there were films prior that deserve some mention as well. In 1942, comedic […]
Richard Arrington, Jr. made history on this day in 1979 after winning a run-off election to become Birmingham, Ala.’s first African-American mayor. For twenty years, Arrington led the city to a new level of prominence and provided grand opportunities for people of color during his tenure. Born October 19, 1934 in the town of Livingston, […]
For iPhone: Michael Donald was a 19-year-old Black man in Mobile, Ala. who was the victim of a brutal hate crime in 1981. Donald’s death is largely regarded as the last known lynching in America. Through efforts by civil rights leaders and the FBI, four Ku Klux Klan members were tried were tried. The […]
