The Battle of Negro Fort of 1816, also known as the Massacre of Negro Fort, was a major clash that marked the beginning of the Seminole Wars in Florida. The fort was a haven for freedmen and women, who settled there and aligned themselves with Native Americans in the region. After the British left Florida’s […]
The jazz world is in mourning after news that composer and pianist Geri Allen has died. The University of Pittsburgh educator has worked with some of the genre’s notable players, and was herself an influential figure. Allen, a native of Detroit, celebrated her 60th birthday on June 12. In high school, she was mentored by […]
Carmen Ambar was named the first African-American president of Oberlin College, an institution known for opening its doors to Blacks and women in the 1800s. It is the oldest liberal arts college in the United States and is the first college to admit African-Americans. Ambar, the school’s 15th president, is just the second woman to […]
Brienne Minor made history last month when she won the NCAA Women’s tennis singles championship, achieving the feat as an unseeded player. The 19-year-old University of Michigan sophomore knew going in that she would be the first Wolverine to win the title, but it took days for her to realize she made history on another […]
Tom Bradley made history in the summer of 1973 by becoming Los Angeles’ first, and to date, only Black mayor. The historic feat made the late politician just the second Black person to hold a mayoral seat in a major U.S. city. Bradley was born on December 29, 1917 in Calvert, Texas to sharecropper […]
The late Dr. Fred F. Smith began one of New Haven, Connecticut’s lasting traditions in the early ‘60’s with the “Freddie Fixer” annual parade. Dr. Smith was a man of many talents and used what he knew to provide healing to the community he loved. Smith was born January 30, 1902 in Jersey City, New […]
The Freedom’s Journal was the first Black-owned and operated newspaper in the United States, and its short run had a significant impact on Black publications to come. Started in the early 1800s by free Black men, the paper stood as an informational hub for Black Americans at a time when Black voices were often silenced. […]
The Louisville Free Public Library, Western Branch, is the first public library opened in the United States exclusively for and operated by African-Americans. The library first opened its doors in 1905 in a humble rented facility, expanding in 1908 with the efforts of philanthropist, Andrew Carnegie. Known then as the Louisville Free Public Library, Western […]
Queen Amanirenas was a ruler of the Kush Kingdom of Nubia, which is now Sudan, who famously took on Roman occupiers of Egypt in a short-lived war. While the Kushite queen’s forces faced serious contention from the Romans, the nations negotiated a peace deal that lasted for centuries. Queen Amanirenas was born some time between 60 […]
Cherokee Bill was an outlaw who committed a series of violent crimes across the Indian Territory of the 19th Century, around what is now known as Oklahoma. Bill’s name grew in infamy after running with a crew of Black Indian outlaws and he was hanged for his crimes at the age of 20. Born February […]
Dr. Anna Arnold Hedgeman led a life devoted to education, politics and civil rights. Among her achievements – she was the only woman present at the organizing meetings for the historic 1963 March On Washington event. Hedgeman was born July 5, 1899 in Marshalltown, Ia. and raised in Anoka, Minn. She enrolled in the state’s […]
Little Matthew Smith will embark upon a historic journey early next month as he will lead a 75-piece orchestra. The feat will make Smith the youngest conductor to ever lead an orchestra of that size, besting a previous record held by a 14-year-old Venezuelan youth orchestra conductor. Smith, who resides in Nottingham in the United […]
