On this day in 1864, the New Orleans Tribune published its first newspaper. It was the first daily Black newspaper and was unique as it printed articles in both English and French. The paper was the brainchild of Dr. Louis Charles Roudanez, a physician who attempted a similar effort just two years prior. The paper’s […]
While many know the incredible story of Henry ‘Box’ Brown who escaped slavery by shipping himself from Virginia to Pennsylvania, Lear Green’s story has been somewhat lost to history. Greer was an enslaved woman who made a daring escape in order to marry the man of her choice and bear free children. Green was able to […]
The Red Summer of 1919 refers to a series of race riots that took place in dozens of cities across the United States. On this day that year, Washington, D.C. endured an ugly race riot that left dozens dead and several more injured. As World War I was becoming a memory, many former military men, […]
Master Chief Williams Goines is officially regarded as the first African-American Navy SEAL member. Master Chief Goines achieved the feat in the early sixties, overcoming the typical racial barriers many soldiers and individuals faced during the times. Goines, a native of Lockland, Ohio, discovered his life’s path when he watched a film about Navy frogmen […]
Nat Fuller was an enslaved chef and business owner who was instrumental in bringing together the city of Charleston, S.C. at the conclusion of the Civil War. In April 1865, Chef Fuller hosted a lavish feast that was racially integrated in a bid to bring together the city. Fuller was born in 1812 to a […]
Dr. Albert Jose “Doc” Jones, a pioneer in the world of scuba diving, has certified thousands as an instructor. Dr. Jones is the founder of the first scuba diving club for African-Americans, and his efforts to increase diversity in the sport has led to an even greater mission. Jones, a native of Washington, D.C., loved the […]
Today marks Youth Day across South Africa, which is meant to observe the start of the Soweto Uprising. Hector Pieterson, a youth shot and killed during the protests in 1976, was the centerpiece of one of the uprising’s most iconic images and helped to rally the world against the country’s racist Apartheid rule. The uprising […]
Ho Chi Minh, the famed Vietnamese Communist revolutionary leader was instrumental in leading North Vietnam to eventual independence from French colonizers. According to historians, Ho was influenced partly by the teachings of Marcus Garvey during a stay in America. Ho Chi Minh was born Nguyễn Sinh Cung on May 19, 1890. Much of Ho’s early […]
The town of Idlewild, Mich. was once a thriving vacation community and a prime destination for the Black elite. The community, once known as “Black Eden,” enjoyed success in the 20th Century and new efforts to revive the town to its former glory have been underway for years. Idlewild was established in 1912 by opportunistic […]
Rev. David E. Gay Jr., the pastor of Beulah Baptist Church in Tuscaloosa, Ala., was the a social and mental health worker prior to his life in ministry. In 2000, he became the first Black director of Bryce Hospital, the largest psychiatric facility in the state. Rev. Gay’s journey began after graduating Druid High School […]
Samuel Sharpe was a Jamaican preacher who led a 10-day slave revolt on the island nation that moved the British Empire to end slavery in 1833. The so-called “Baptist War” because of the denomination of many involved, or the “Christmas Rebellion of 1831,” left over several hundred slaves dead. Sharpe was born around 1801, according […]
The Congressional Black Caucus is one of most active groups within the United States Congress composed of just African-American members. In the group’s early days, they clashed with then-President Richard Nixon and a letter he sent on this day would inspire the CBC to movie forward in solidarity. On May 18, 1971, President Nixon […]
