Janie L. Miles made her mark on military history by becoming the first Black woman to graduate from the United States Naval Academy. Miles went on to a stellar career in business after ending her time with the U.S. Navy. Born in 1958 in Aiken, S.C., the 1976 Aiken High School graduate and honor student […]
Agbani Darego became the first native African to be crowned Miss World on this day in 2001. While other African nation-based models have won the coveted title, the women were not of African descent. Ms. Darego was born December 22, 1983 in Lagos State, Nigeria, as one of eight children. After the passing of her […]
On this day in 1960, history was made when Andrew Hatcher was named the associate press secretary by President John F. Kennedy. Hatcher was also a founding member of 100 Black Men of America. Mr. Hatcher was born June 19, 1923 in Princeton, N.J. As a student at Massachusetts’ Springfield College in the early ’40’s, Hatcher interrupted […]
Toni Cade Bambara was an educator, author, and community activist who was one of the leading voices of the Black feminist movement in the early ’70’s. Ms. Bambara’s works include short stories, anthologies, and screenplays that documented varying levels of the Black experience. Bambara was born Miltona Mirkin Cade on March 25, 1939 in Harlem, […]
The phrase “Black is Beautiful” has long been associated with the civil rights and Black power movements but it has roots that reach even further back. John Stewart Rock, one of the America’s first Black doctors and lawyers, is said to have coined the phrase in one of his speeches as an abolitionist. Rock was […]
Thanks to Hollywood blockbusters, the image of the modern jewel thief typically features a dashing leading man who can charm anyone. However, America’s top jewel thief is a Black woman by the name of Doris Payne, who was so infamous at her craft that she was hunted internationally by Interpol. Ms. Payne, 86, celebrated a […]
Haile Selassie became Ethiopia’s final emperor on this day in 1930, ruling the country for over four decades before he was exiled from power. He is remembered not just as the head of an African nation but as a deity in the Rastafarian religion. November 2 is seen among Rastafarian practitioners as a holy day. […]
In the late 60’s in Chicago, tensions between white police officers and Black city residents were tense. Observing the mistreatment of Black people, Black officers on the Chicago force formed the Afro-American Patrolmen’s League to serve as a bridge of communication and protector for their respective communities. The AAPL was formed by Edward “Buzz” Palmer, […]
Black circus performers have found varying levels of fame over the years, but little is known about the stars of Europe. Olga Kaira, better known as Miss LaLa, dazzled audiences across the continent and was the subject of one of the art world’s most prized works. Anna Olga Albertina Brown was born April 21, 1858 […]
The second game of the World Series took place Wednesday night between the Chicago Cubs and the Cleveland Indians at Progressive Field. Some might be surprised to know that there is a rich piece of Black history attached to the former Jacobs Field, along with a connection to actress Kym E. Whitley’s family. In the early […]
Like many cities outside of the Deep South, Duluth, Minnesota was a haven for Blacks looking for better opportunities. However, three Black men who were making their way in Duluth were lynched in 1920 after they were falsely accused of sexually assaulting a white woman and robbing her boyfriend. Issac McGhie, Elmer Jackson, and Elias […]
Blacks oppressed by white and violent hate groups across the Deep South saw reason to celebrate on this day in 1988. The Ku Klux Klan and the Southern White Knights of Forsyth County, Ga. were ordered to pay nearly $1 million to its Black victims. On January 17, 1987, around 55 marchers gathered in the […]
