Little Known Black History Facts

Little Known Black History Facts

Thirteen of the 15 riders in the first Kentucky Derby were African-American. One of those riders was Isaac Burns Murphy. A rider from 1876-1895, Murphy carried a 44% victory rate. He was the first jockey elected to the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame and was dubbed one of the greatest race riders […]

Little Known Black History Facts

Pageant Queen Mbathio Beye has been crowned the first Miss Black France. Beye is a 21 year-old marketing student from Senegal. The Miss Black France pageant was created to “celebrate black beauty,” and give opportunities to African-American models that feel they have been underrepresented in France. However, protestors have publicly criticized the event. The pageant […]

Little Known Black History Facts

The Miller-McCoy Academy for Mathematics and Business is the first public all-boys school in New Orleans, LA. The school was created during the city’s rebuilding efforts post Hurricane Katrina in 2008. Just announced – the academy’s 2012 graduating class will have a 100% college acceptance rate for its students. The Miller-McCoy Academy is named after […]

Little Known Black History Facts

African Commander Handsome Thamsanqa Matsane has become the first black officer to assume command of a submarine in Africa. In a ceremony held at Simon’s Town Naval Base in Cape Town, Commander Matsane took over command of the submarine SAS Queen Modjadji I. Matsane joined the South African Navy in 1998. He served on three […]

Little Known Black History Facts

Walter Gordon was a L.A. civil rights lawyer with a list of clients ranging from dining-car waiters aboard the train to singer Billie Holiday. It was Walter Gordon who defended Holiday when she was accused of assaulting a white customer at a local nightclub. The customer disturbed the singer while she was performing “Strange Fruit,” […]

Little Known Black History Facts

In 1992, Dr. Leroy Walker became the first black president of the U.S. Olympic Committee. At the time, he was 74 years old. Walker led the U.S. Olympic Committee from 1992 to 1996. Born in Atlanta, Walker was the youngest of 13 children. His father died when he was nine years old and Walker was […]

Little Known Black History Facts, Originals

On April 26th at Ferris State University in Big Rapids, Michigan, a black collector of antiques named David Pilgrim will open the first Jim Crow Museum of Racist Memorabilia. Pilgrim, a sociology Professor at Ferris, has spent decades collecting racist memorabilia and will now present thousands of pieces of historical artifacts in one museum. Visitors […]

Little Known Black History Facts

George Gibbs, Jr. was the first black man to go to Antarctica, a.k.a the South Pole. Getting his start in exploration through the U.S. Navy, the Jacksonville, Florida native served in WWII as a Navy gunner. In 1939, George Gibbs applied for a chance to accompany Admiral Richard Byrd on a South Pole Expedition. Gibbs […]

Little Known Black History Facts

“Jail House Bound: John Lomax’ First Southern Prison Recordings” was an album released in 1933 by John Lomax. Lomax, who was a graduate student at Harvard, was encouraged by an English professor to pursue a historical collection of meaningful music through travel and experience for his thesis. Lomax was told to “Go out and get […]

Little Known Black History Facts

Photographer Roy DeCarava was an African-American genius of the lens. His use of shadows and darkness in his photos became his staple. His famous shots of Harlem Renaissance jazz musicians has come to be known in prominent museums throughout New York City including the Museum of Modern Art. From 1968-1975, his work was found in […]

Little Known Black History Facts

James Banning was the first African-American male aviator to receive his pilot’s license. Born in 1899, Banning’s family moved to Ames, Oklahoma when he was a young adult. After attending Iowa State as an electrical engineering major, James Banning tried to enroll in flight schools but was rejected because he was black. Banning eventually learned […]

Little Known Black History Facts

Manning Marable was a legendary author of the long-awaited biography called, “Malcolm X: A Life of Reinvention.” The historian has now been awarded a Pulitzer Prize in history for his controversial novel. Marable’s 2011 biography of Malcolm X took over a decade to complete. The Dayton, Ohio native acquired education at several schools; he received […]