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Smokey Robinson born
Soul singer William Smokey Robinson born in Detroit, Michigan. Robinsons first singing group was the Miracles which he formed in 1955 while still in high school. The groups first success came in 1960 with the hit, Shop Around.
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Source: Blackfacts.com
Feb
19
1940
First Black Woman Mayor of Washington, D.C.
Sharon Pratt Dixon (now Kelly) was elected mayor of Washington, D.C., making this a first for a woman of any race.
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Source: Blackfacts.com
Nov
6
1990
Louis Armstrong influenced direction of jazz
Louis Armstrong recorded the first of Hot Five and Hot Seven recordings that influenced the direction of jazz.
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Source: Blackfacts.com
Nov
11
1925
Racial segregation in Washington, D.C.,
Racial segregation in Washington, D.C., restaurants ruled illegal by Municipal Court of Appeals.
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Source: Blackfacts.com
Sponsored by Prospanica Boston Professional Chapter
May
24
1951
Ghana became an independent state
March 6th, 1957, the Gold Coast gained its independence from Great
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Source: Blackfacts.com
Sponsored by Illinois Math and Science Academy
Mar
6
1957
Anti-Slavery Society started
American Anti-Slavery Society
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Source: Blackfacts.com
Dec
4
1833
Duke Ellington Born
Edward Kennedy Duke Ellington, world famous musician, born in Washington, D.C.
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Source: Blackfacts.com
Apr
29
1899
Andre Watts, classical pianist, born
Andre Watts, classical pianist, born
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Source: Blackfacts.com
Jun
20
1946
Charles Drew, born
Dr. Charles Drew was born in Washington DC. Drew attended medical schools in Montreal, Canada. After much research and study, Drew discovered a way to preserve blood in the form of plasma so it could be stored for long periods of time.
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Source: Blackfacts.com
Sponsored by Diversity In Action
Jul
3
1904
School Integration Begins
School integration began in Washington, D.C., and Baltimore, Md., public schools.
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Source: Blackfacts.com
Sep
27
1954
Andrew F. Brimmer first Black governor of the Fede
Andrew F. Brimmer became the first Black governor of the Federal Reserve
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Source: Blackfacts.com
Sponsored by BARBinc
Jun
1
1995
Abolitionist Society Organized
First abolitionist society in United States organized in Philadelphia.
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Source: Blackfacts.com
Sponsored by Pride Academy
Apr
14
1775
U.S. Rep. Jefferson Long dies
U.S. Rep. Jefferson Long, elected from the state of Georgia, died in Washington D.C. Long was the only candidate interested in running for the 60-day term and he was duly elected.
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Source: Blackfacts.com
Sponsored by Center for Critical Race and Digital Studies
Feb
5
1900
Eugene A. Marino, SSJ, is consecrated at the first African American auxiliary bi
Eugene A. Marino, SSJ, is consecrated at the first African American auxiliary bishop in the U.S. He is assigned to Washington, D.C.
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Source: Blackfacts.com
Sep
12
1974
Boxer Sugar Ray Leonard born
Sugar Ray Leonard
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Source: Blackfacts.com
May
17
1956
Jazz pianist Theolonius Monk is born in Rocky Mount, NC.He was only oneof 3
Jazz pianist Theolonius Monk is born in Rocky Mount, NC. He was only one of 3 jazz musicians ever featured on the cover of Time magazine
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Source: Blackfacts.com
Oct
10
1917
Count Basie
William Count Basie, jazz musician, dies.
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Source: Blackfacts.com
Sponsored by BARBinc
Apr
26
1984
Did You Know That In...
1746 - Lucy Terry(1730-1821), a slave, writes Bars Fight, a commemorative poem recrating the Deerfield Massacre. This poem is the first known to be written by a black person in the United States and was not published until 1985.
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Source: Blackfacts.com
Jan
0
1746
Executive Order 9808
In the aftermath of World War II, mob violence and lynching of Black Americans, in conjunction with the continuing controversy about segregation in American society, led President Harry S. Truman to issue Executive Order 9808 on this day which set up a committee to study the protection of civil
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Source: Blackfacts.com
Dec
5
1946
30 million people worldwide joined in pop singer Bob Geldof's "Race Against Time
30 million people worldwide joined in pop singer Bob Geldofs Race Against Time to raise money for the starving in Africa.
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Source: Blackfacts.com
May
25
1986
Resurrection City closed
Resurrection City closed. More than one hundred residents were arrested when they refused to leave site. Other residents, including Ralph Abernathy, were arrested during demonstration at Capitol. National Guard was mobilized later in the day to stop disturbances.
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Source: Blackfacts.com
Jun
24
1968
Opera singer Marian Anderson born
Opera singer Marian Anderson was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Anderson was entered in the New York Philharmonic Competition at age 17 by her music teacher, and placed first over 299 other singers. Awarded a Rosenwald Fellowship in 1930, Anderson went to Europe for a year of study. She
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Source: Blackfacts.com
Sponsored by National Association of Asian American Professionals (NAAP) Boston Chapter
Feb
27
1902
First President of the National Negro Bowling Asso
The National Negro Bowling Association was organized in Detroit, Michigan and Wynston Brown became its first president.
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Source: Blackfacts.com
Aug
20
1939
John H. Johnson (1918-).
In 1942, John H. Johnson published the Negro Digest, the first magazine devoted to summarizing and excerpting articles and news about blacks published in mainstream publications. Immediately successful, the magazine laid the foundation for Johnson Publishing Companys success, which was only
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Source: Blackfacts.com
Jan
0
1942
The shoe-lasting machine invented by Jan Matzeliger not only revolutionized the
The shoe-lasting machine invented by Jan Matzeliger not only revolutionized the shoe industry but also made Lynn, Massachusetts, the shoe capital of the
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Source: Blackfacts.com
Sponsored by New York University
Mar
19
1883
Ethiopia Invaded by Italy
Ethiopia, one of the only two independent African nations at the time, was invaded on October 3,1935 by Facist Italy under Benito Mussolini. The Italians, seeking revenge for their prior
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Source: Blackfacts.com
Sponsored by APEX Museum
Oct
3
1935
Spingarn Medal : Duke Ellington
Spingarn Medal was presented to Edward Kennedy (Duke) Ellington, composer, pianist and jazz pioneer, for his contributions to the arts.
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Source: Blackfacts.com
Dec
21
1959
Evelyn Boyd Granville is born
Evelyn Boyd Granville, Born May 1, 1924 in Washington, D.C. and attended Dunbar High School, a segregated high school at the time. Her interest in mathematics was encouraged by two mathematics teachers. Granville worked with Einar Hille, a distinguished mathematician in the field of functional
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Source: Blackfacts.com
Sponsored by Museum of African American History in Massachusetts
May
1
1924
Musician Miles Davis receives award
In Paris, jazz trumpeter Miles Davis was named a Knight in the (French) Legion of Honor, one of that nations highest cultural honors.
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Source: Blackfacts.com
Sponsored by Massachusetts Black Lawyers Association (MBLA)
Jul
16
1991
War of 1812
War of 1812: Although the U.S. Army did not enlist African Americans after the Revolutionary War, the U.S. Navy continued to use African Americans as seamen because of the perennial shortage of white sailors. The African American presence in the navy placed them at the center of the naval incident
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Source: Blackfacts.com
Jun
16
2002
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