Little Known Black History Facts
The title of the longest-running Black-owned company in the U.S. goes to E.E. Ward Moving & Storage, based in Columbus, Ohio. The roots of the multi-million dollar company were established during the U.S. Civil War and it remains one of the Arch City’s most-reliable companies. John T. Ward, a Richmond, Va. native, moved to Ohio […]
Dwight “Doc” Gooden was one of the most dominant pitchers of his era, a dazzling right-hander that amassed over 2,000 strikeouts in his career. On this day in 1985, Gooden became the youngest player ever to win the coveted Cy Young Award at the age of 20. Gooden, born November 16, 1964, was raised in […]
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission is mourning the loss of its former chair, Jacqueline Berrien. Ms. Berrien passed last Monday, with President Barack Obama and former colleagues praising the late leader for her invaluable contributions to civil and employment rights. Berrien’s career began when she clerked for Alabama’s first federally-appointed Black judge, U.W. Clemon. […]
Norman Lear has been behind the creation of some of television’s most iconic series, including Good Times and The Jeffersons among others. Before his television producer and director fame, Lear was also a World War II veteran with a connection to the Tuskegee Airmen. During the War, Lear served as a bomber plane gunner. These […]
Given the recent resignation of University of Missouri Tim Wolfe due to growing racial tensions at the school, a closer look at Mizzou’s past reveals that the learning institution has a history of racism. Despite notions that the school is one of the more progressive hubs of the Deep South, the university has endured public […]
For over 40 years, Indianapolis broadcaster and community activist Amos Brown was a vocal champion on behalf of the city’s Black citizens. Brown passed away last Friday in his hometown of Chicago, leaving a huge void in the Black media space in the Circle City. Amos C. Brown III, born December 18, 1950, first came […]
Sisters Mary Beatrice Davidson Kenner and Mildred Davidson Austin Smith had the spirit of ingenuity passed on to them via their father and maternal grandfather. The pair eventually patented several household items, women’s products and even a board game over the course of their lives. The sisters were both born in the town of Monroe, […]
Several key elections across the nation on Tuesday set the stage for a trio of historic mayoral wins for Black candidates. Dr. Karen Weaver (pictured) of Flint. Mich., Paula Hicks-Hudson of Toledo, Ohio, and Ed Johnson of Fayetteville, Ga. all made history in their respective elections. Dr. Weaver, a clinical psychologist and businesswoman, was an unlikely victor, […]
Dr. Evelyn F. Crayton is the first Black president of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, a 76,000-member organization for dietitians and nutrition professionals and the largest group of its sort. Dr. Crayton’s selection as the president of the Academy this past June caps a career that spans over 40 years. Crayton, who currently resides […]
The late Coleman Young first made history in 1974 after being elected Detroit’s first Black mayor. On this day in 1981, Mayor Coleman’s third-term win was supported by a pair of elections of Black mayors who also made history. James Everett Chase, born March 29 1914, was elected as the first Black mayor of Spokane, […]
After the Civil War and the abolishment of slavery, newly freed people struggled to adjust to the new world. In West Virginia, the efforts of a local reverend led to the establishment of Storer College, which aimed to train adequate African-American educators to supply the needs of freedmen. Rev. Nathan Cook Brackett opened a Freewill […]
Long before the dominating presence of Venus and Serena Williams in the world of tennis, a pair of sisters from Washington, D.C. and Tuskegee University graduates blazed a mighty trail in the sport. Margaret Peters and Matilda Roumania Peters-Walker were clay court legends in their hometown and stars of the all-Black American Tennis Association. Margaret, […]
