Little Known Black History Facts

Biddy Mason was born into slavery, enduring the hardships of labor and motherhood under terrible conditions. However, Mason would win her freedom in court on her way to becoming one of the first Black women to own land in the city of Los Angeles. Mason was born August 15, 1818 in Mississippi to owners Robert […]

Emma Didlake was believed by some to be the nation’s oldest living veteran, and was given the opportunity to meet with President Barack Obama inside the Oval Office last month. Ms. Didlake passed last Sunday at the age of 110, leaving behind a long line of service. Didlake was born March 13, 1905 in the […]

Lieutenant Colonel Merryl Tengesdal dreamed when she was a girl growing up in the Bronx that one day she would be an astronaut. Today, she owns the honor of being the first and only Black woman to have flown the U-2 spy aircraft and has logged significant flying and combat hours. Tengesdal survived the temptations […]

Civil rights leader, former politician and educator and Julian Bond passed this weekend at the age of 75. Bond became known as a champion of justice not only for African-Americans, but for all of humanity. Horace Julian Bond was born January 14, 1940 in Nashville, Tenn. His father, Horace Mann Bond, was the first African-American […]

Fritz Pollard was an early pioneer of professional football and was one of the first two Black players in the NFL. Among Pollard’s achievements, his most notable is the distinction he owns as the league’s first Black coach. Born Fredrick Douglass Pollard on January 27, 1894 in Chicago, Ill., Pollard grew up in the German-Immigrant […]

Bishop Vashti Murphy McKenzie made history in 2000 when she was elected by the African Methodist Episcopal church as the first woman to serve as bishop. Bishop McKenzie made history once more five years later after she was named Titular Head of the A.M.E. Church as well. McKenzie was born into a prominent Baltimore family […]

The late Ophelia DeVore died last February, leaving behind a rich legacy in the modeling field and setting a new standard for Black beauty. DeVore was one of the first successful Black models and used her platform to help shape the careers of Diahann Carroll and Cicely Tyson among several others. DeVore was born on this […]

Wanda Rogers might not known outside the confines of her position at the U.S. Treasury, but her story is worth sharing. Ms. Rogers achieved a series of firsts within the Treasury Department, rising from an entry-level position into one of the most powerful positions with the federal agency. A native of Pleasantville, N.J., Rogers graduated […]

  Today’s U.S. Armed Forces features a wealth of racial diversity. Much of that is owed to the efforts of 1st Sergeant Percy Ricks Jr. of Augusta, Ga. Sergeant Ricks was the first Black non-commissioned officer to lead a racially integrated unit in 1946. Ricks was born in the town of Adrian, Ga. in 1920. […]

  Before action actor and martial artist Jim Kelly graced movie screens, Dr. Moses Powell was considered one of the top Black martial artists of his era. Also known as Master Musa Muhammad, Grandmaster Powell developed the Sanuces Ryu Jiu-Jitsu system which is still taught today. Powell was born on January 13, 1941 in Norfolk, […]

  Senior Officer Edward Thomas, a retired Houston police officer, was the Texas city’s first successful Black officer. The Houston Police Department honored Thomas late last month by naming its headquarters after him, capping a career than spans over 60 years. Thomas, now 94, was born near Shreveport, La. A former football player at Southern University, […]

  The sport of hockey has roots that date back to ancient Egypt and Greece, with varying incarnations throughout the generations. Ice hockey developed in the north due to the wintry conditions there, and in 1895, an all-Black league was started in Nova Scotia, Canada. The Coloured Hockey League featured as many as a dozen teams […]