Little Known Black History Facts

Cornelia Graves was the only teacher and principal at Bethelda school, the first “colored” school in Stephenville, Texas. In 1907, the Erath County, Texas woman built the small school of less than 12 students, which sat near College Hill road. She taught there for nearly 20 years. Graves was born in 1875 to a family […]

Colonel Stephen Blucke of Barbados was a leader of the black regiment that fought for the Brits during the American Revolution. Colonel Tye had led the black regiment until he died in battle. Soon after, Colonel Blucke, a then free and literate black man, would take over the entire regiment as Commander, around 1782. As […]

The Colored American Magazine was the first monthly publication targeting the African-American culture. Established in May 1900 by editor Pauline Hopkins, the Boston-born publication ran for nine years and was the first black paper to spread throughout the country. The Colored American Magazine was the place where accomplished blacks were celebrated in medicine, art, business, […]

Black Music Magazine is the first major magazine of the UK showcasing Reggae music artists. The first issue was established in December 1973 and featured Stevie Wonder on the cover. Taking a deeper approach to the Reggae genre, Black Music Magazine was a combination of its predecessors, Blues and Soul and Black Echoes, which mostly […]

William H. Johnson, an African-American man, was the personal valet of President Abraham Lincoln. Johnson was employed by the president well before he went to the White House. He was there when Lincoln received the Republican Nomination for president. William Johnson accompanied the president to the famous Gettysburg Address in November 1863. When Lincoln became […]

Eugene Allen was a staple in the White House, serving as a butler for eight presidential administrations for over 34 years. Eugene Allen was born in a log cabin in Virginia in 1919 under segregation. In 1952, he was hired as a "pantry man," washing dishes, stocking cabinets and shining silverware for $2,400 a year. […]

Audra McDonald just became the first black actress to win five Tony Awards. You may also know McDonald as Dr. Naomi Bennett in the drama “Private Practice” by Shonda Rhimes. The Best Performance Tony award-winning production for McDonald this year was Gershwin’s “Porgy and Bess.” Born in Berlin, Germany, McDonald was raised in Fresno, CA. […]

Reverend Fred Luter, Jr. has been elected as the first black President of the Southern Baptist Convention. The organization that has had the tarnished reputation of being a place for white supremecy, racism and segregation since the mid 1800s, made a decision to change their current course in history. Reverend Fred Luter, Jr. was unopposed […]

Today, June 19th, marks the Juneteenth holiday, which celebrates the day in 1865 that slaves in Galveston, Texas found out that slavery had ended. President Abraham Lincoln had actually ended slavery two and a half years prior to the Texas slaves being notified. Union soldiers led by Major General Gordon Granger delivered the good news […]

African-American Jewish musician Joshua Nelson is the first famous Kosher Gospel artist, performing his music in synagogues across the country. Raised in East Orange, NJ, Nelson grew up in a synagogue that was quick to serve fried chicken and collard greens. His grandmother exposed him to both classical music and gospel as a child. He […]

Doc McStuffins is the name of the newest animated TV star featured on Disney Junior. The “Doc” is the first black female lead character of an animated series on the channel. Created by Emmy Award winning Writer and Producer Chris Nee, (Blues Clues, Backyardigans, Little Bill), Doc McStuffins is an animal vet for fictional toys […]

Rosa Guy was an author from Diego Martin, Trinidad who was known for telling the deliberate and unapologetic truth to young readers about life through her novels. Guy used her own experiences to talk to her readers about race, class, poverty, sexuality and tensions between African-Americans and immigrants. Admired by respected authors like Maya Angelou, […]