Little Known Black History Facts
William S. Scarborough was born a slave in Georgia, but went on to become one of the nation’s leading scholars in Greek and Latin literature. In fact, many consider Scarborough to be the first African-American classical scholar. Born in February 16, 1852, in Macon, Georgia, Scarborough’s father was a freed slave but his mother was […]
The efforts of Robert Smalls, an enslaved Black man who became a ship’s captain during the American Civil War and later a politician, were recognized by the U.S. Army a decade ago. Smalls and a crew of fellow slaves took over a Confederate ship, where he sailed to freedom by surrendering to Union Army forces […]
James Brown and his backing band, The J.B.’s, were responsible for some of the funkiest tracks to ever hit the airwaves. With an aggressive style that shifted the tide in the presentation of of Black music, Brown’s band and its sound was imitated by lesser groups but never duplicated. The J.B.’s grooves have been heavily […]
Rev. George Lee, a civil rights leader and activist, is considered by some historians to be the first martyr of the civil rights movement. In the town of Belzoni, Miss., Rev. Lee led a series of voter registration drives which led to his assassination in 1955. The town was given the gruesome nickname “Bloody Belzoni” […]
The case of Richard Loving and Mildred Jeter, a married interracial couple from Virginia, became part of the national conversation back in June 1967. The young couple were arrested and jailed because of their state’s anti-miscegenation law, which 16 states also had on their books. Their case ultimately went all the way to the U.S. […]
Mary McLeod Bethune’s contributions to education and civil rights are well known, as evidenced by the amazing list of achievements the trailblazing educator made in her lifetime. On this day in 1936, Bethune became the first African-American woman to receive a major federal government appointment after being named Director of Negro Affairs for the National […]
On this day in 2007, Anthony “Tony” Reed completed an amazing achievement. The Dallas-based project manager and executive became the first Black person to complete a marathon race on all seven continents of the world. Reed, a St. Louis native, was born on July 22, 1955. At the age of eight, he was diagnosed with […]
Boxer Joe Louis began a historic run of title defenses beginning in 1939, the same year he purchased the Spring Hill Farm in the Shelby Township north of Detroit, Mich. In the 1800s, the farm also served as a stop on the Underground Railroad, marked by what was known as the “Beacon Tree.” Farm owners […]
Mexia, Texas was the site of a horrific drowning of three Black teenagers who were arrested during the town’s large “Juneteenth” celebration on June 19, 1981. The teenagers, Carl Baker, 19 years old; Steven Booker, 19, and Anthony Freeman, 18, all drowned while being transported in a boat with three law enforcement officials across a […]
Millie and Christine McKoy were conjoined twins born into slavery, who later became one of the most notable “human oddities” attractions in the world. Billed as the “Two-Headed Girl” and also the “Two-Headed Nightingale,” the McKoy sisters delighted crowds with song and dance performances, as well as reading aloud poetry they wrote together. Although they […]
Singer and entertainer Joyce Bryant may not be a household name, but her contributions to the entertainment world are noteworthy just the same. The retired vocalist and vocal coach is regarded by some to be the first dark-skinned sex symbol, earning her the nickname “Black Marilyn Monroe.” Bryant was born in Oakland, Calif. on October […]
Singer and entertainer Adam Wade made history on this day in 1975 by becoming the first African-American host of a nationally televised game show. The CBS afternoon program, Musical Chairs, ran from June 16 and ended on October of that year. Wade, who had a series of hit singles in the early 1960s, said that […]
