Little Known Black History Facts
Morehouse College of Atlanta, Georgia is one of only three all-male liberal arts colleges in the country. The school began as the Augusta Theological Institute in the basement of Springfield Baptist Church. Springfield is the oldest church in the United States, dating back to 1787. By 1913, the operation had moved to the Atlanta West […]
Howard University was founded in 1866 by missionaries as a training facility for black preachers. It was decided that the school would be named after Civil war hero General Oliver O. Howard, a white man, who was serving as the Commissioner of the Freedman’s Bureau. The bureau, which was founded in 1865, was a U.S. […]
A rare manuscript that was written by a black prisoner in 1858 has been discovered in Rochester, NY. The 304-page memoir entitled either “The Life and Adventures of a Haunted Convict,” or “the Inmate of a Gloomy Prison,” was written by a black man named Austin Reed. Reed had been convicted of theft many times, […]
Black Peter is a Dutch elf-like figure that appears weeks before Christmas in The Netherlands. He serves as a sidekick for his leader, Sinterklass. He sings and dances and plays with the children when he appears. But despite his playfulness, Black Peter is usually a white man in black face, appearing to be half-witted; a […]
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on December 10, 1948. The document was designed for world leaders to guarantee the civil rights of every individual. The Commission responsible for the articles’ adoption was spearheaded by Eleanor D. Roosevelt. The original drafters of the document were Dr. Charles […]
One of the gold medals belonging to Olympic medalist Jesse Owens has been auctioned for $1.46 million. Owens won the medal in the 1936 games after one of three relay events. The piece was purchased by Pittsburgh Penguins co-owner Ron Burkle. It was rumored that Burkle plans a tour with all of his rare purchases, […]
Margaret Bailey was the first woman and African American woman in the southeastern U.S. to complete the pipe fitter’s public apprenticeship program. Bailey spent 20 years as a certified pipe fitter in a Georgia paper mill before retiring due to a work-related injury. Bailey was hired at the Continental Forest Industry paper mill in Port […]
Patrick G. Barclay has become the first American and only African American to earn the Master of Chinese Civil and Commercial Law degree from Renmin University of China. Renmin University is ranked as the best law school in China by the Chinese Ministry of Education. Barclay spent two years completing his courses and thesis and […]
Nelson Mandela, a man who survived the most pressing trials of South Africa’s apartheid history, has passed away at age 95. Nelson Mandela became the first black president of South Africa in 1994. In a special speech, President Barack Obama said that his very first political action was in protest to apartheid in South Africa, […]
Fred Hampton was an activist and deputy chairman of the Illinois Black Panther Party in the 1960’s. His death was a major crime investigation, with charges of conspiracy from the FBI. Hampton studied law and used his knowledge to watch for police brutality cases with the NAACP and the Black Panther Party. After joining the […]
“Jolly” Jerry Boulding, also known as “The Doctor of Radio”, was a radio industry pioneer who started the country’s first urban format for satellite delivery called “Heart & Soul.” As a program director, Boulding has programmed 16 radio stations in over 6 major markets throughout the country. A former radio personality, Boulding referred to himself […]
In Savannah, Georgia, contractors have found artifacts that were believed to be owned by slaves from the William Miller plantation. As workers excavated the site for a new highway, archeologists were called as part of the transportation department’s federal requirements. They have been searching through the area for three months. William Miller was a Savannah, […]
