Little Known Black History Facts
Reuben V. Anderson made history this month in 1985 when he was sworn is as the first Black Supreme Court Justice in Mississippi. Born in 1942, Anderson was raised in the city of Jackson. As a young man, he befriended the son of NAACP lawyer Jack H. Young. SIGN UP FOR OUR NEWSLETTER: Young, who […]
Willie Jeffries is a college football Hall of Fame honoree who has amassed a number of championships across three decades. He is also the first Black head coach of a Division I-A and predominately white football team, achieving the feat in 1979. SIGN UP FOR OUR NEWSLETTER: Jeffries was born January 4, 1937 in Union, […]
TV maven Shonda Rhimes has achieved unprecedented success in Hollywood in the typically male realms of TV show creation. Rhimes began her career as a writer, slowly evolving in Hollywood until her breakout success as the showrunner and creator of the hit TV show “Grey’s Anatomy.” SIGN UP FOR OUR NEWSLETTER: Along with her achievement […]
Norman Lewis was an influential Harlem painter whose work helped innovate the abstract expressionist style he was best known for. Lewis didn’t achieve mainstream fame for a variety of reasons but never geared his work to secure commercial success or critical adoration. Born Norman Wilfred Lewis in Harlem, New York to Bermudan parents, the future […]
In 1966, Edward Brooke III became the first African-American United States Senator elected by popular vote. Brooke was born in Washington, D.C. on October 26, 1919. He entered Howard University, graduating in 1941. Shortly after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Brooke entered the U.S. Army and fought in World War II. His service and […]
Zora Neale Hurston was a novelist, folklorist and anthropologist most famous for her 1937 novel, “Their Eyes Were Watching God.” Hurston’s path to prominence came by way of hardship and savvy ingenuity, helping her become one of the most beloved literary figures of all time.’ SIGN UP FOR OUR NEWSLETTER: Hurston was born on January […]
The Friendship Nine are a group of young activists who were jailed and charged for trespassing after a non-violent protest because they refused bail. In a long road to justice, the Friendship Nine’s convictions were finally thrown out of court by a South Carolina judge, cementing the legacy of the brave men. SIGN UP FOR […]
In 1952, the community of Live Oak, Fla. was rocked by the killing of a white doctor and elected official at the hands of a married Black woman. The mysterious case of Ruby McCollum and the shooting of Dr C. Leroy Adams continues to baffle people to this day. SIGN UP FOR OUR NEWSLETTER: […]
It’s no secret that historically Black colleges and universities have produced talent that has gone on to the next level despite the fact that most recruits now prefer to attend top-ranked football programs. Some of the NFL’s best Black players have hailed from a HBCU, with many going on to the Hall of Fame. SIGN […]
The tale of George and Willie Muse, albino brothers living in the rural South during the late 1800s, is stirring. According to accounts, the brothers were living in Truevine, Va., when they were kidnapped as boys, sold off to a local carnival sideshow and paraded around the country. The Muse brothers were a rarity: Black […]
The Fultz Quadruplets were the first identical Black quad babies born in the United States. The Fultz girls became baby celebrities, while Fred Klenner, the white doctor who delivered them into the world, exploited them for fame and money. The Fultz Quads – Mary Louise, Mary Ann, Mary Alice, and Mary Catherine – were born […]
The 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion was an all-Black battalion of the Women’s Army Corps, whose main function was to ensure mail delivery to troops fighting in World War II and to boost morale. Nicknamed the “Six Triple Eight,” the battalion’s motto was “No Mail, No Morale.” In 1944, Mary McLeod Bethune used her deep […]
