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Laura Wheeler Waring, portrait painter and illustrator dies.
Laura Wheeler Waring, portrait painter and illustrator dies.
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Source: Blackfacts.com
Sponsored by Massachusetts Black Lawyers Association (MBLA)
Feb
3
1948
The First Black Psychic
Shirley Ajayi was the first African American given a part on a television show as a psychic! The show lasted for about one year[actually six months] in Chicago, Illinois since the show was seasonal! Shirley started her career the minute her predictions came true! She was renamed Aura and hired to
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Source: Blackfacts.com
Sponsored by Museum of African American History in Massachusetts
Mar
27
2002
Founder of Pro-Line
Comer Cottrell, founder and president of Pro-Line Corporation (1970), the largest African American owned business in the Southwest and the first African American to be part owner of a major league baseball team (1989), the Texas Rangers, born
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Source: Blackfacts.com
Dec
7
1931
Rafer Johnson, is born
Born August 18, 1935, Hillsboro, Texas One of the greatest all-around track athletes in history. On Sept. 6, 1960, he won the Olymic Decathlon, the first for an African American.
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Source: Blackfacts.com
Aug
18
1935
Freedmen's Bank closed
Freedmens Bank closed. Black depositors had some $3 Million in the bank, which had an imposing headquarters in Washington and branches in various cities President Frederick Douglass said later that the Freedmens Bank had been the Black mans cow and the white mans milk.
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Source: Blackfacts.com
Sponsored by Center for Critical Race and Digital Studies
May
1
1
Lee Roy Young becomes the first African American Texas Ranger in the police forc
Lee Roy Young becomes the first African American Texas Ranger in the police forces 165 year history.
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Source: Blackfacts.com
Sep
6
1988
The first African American daily newspaper, the New Orleans Tribune is published
The first African American daily newspaper, the New Orleans Tribune is published in both French and English
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Source: Blackfacts.com
Oct
14
1864
Spingarn Medal: Charles R. Drew
Spingarn Medal presented to Charles R. Drew who set up and ran the blood plasma bank in the Presbyterian Hospital in New York City which served as one of the models for the widespread system of blood banks now in operation for the American Red Cross.
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Source: Blackfacts.com
Aug
20
1944
Shirley Franklin is sworn in
Shirley Franklin is sworn in as the first African American Mayor of Atlanta and the only African American female mayor of a major American city.
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Source: Blackfacts.com
Sponsored by Museum of African American History in Massachusetts
Jan
7
2002
James B. Parsons, first African American ap
James B. Parsons, first African American appointed to a lifetime federal judgeship in the U.S. (1961) , born
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Source: Blackfacts.com
Aug
13
1911
Network news anchor
Max Robinson is the first African American to anchor network news. The network is ABC.
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Source: Blackfacts.com
Apr
19
1978
Bill Russell named head coach of the Boston Celtic
Bill Russell named head coach of the Boston Celtics, becoming the first African American to coach an NBA team.
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Source: Blackfacts.com
Sponsored by New York University
Mar
28
1966
COINTELPRO Memorandum
A memorandum sent to field offices of the FBI set goals for what was termed as a new counterintelligence program against African American Nationalist groups. The objective was to block attempts by targeted groups to coalesce, grow and exist. The agencey believed unity was the first step toward
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Source: Blackfacts.com
Mar
3
1968
New York Times agrees to use term Negro
Respecting Negro demands, the New York Times announced that the N in the word Negro would be henceforth capitalized in its pages.
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Source: Blackfacts.com
Jun
7
1930
Writer Wallace Thurman's play Harlem opens in NYC.
Writer Wallace Thurmans play Harlem opens in NYC. It is the first successful play by an African American playwright.
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Source: Blackfacts.com
Sponsored by Christo Rey New York High School
Feb
20
1929
Dorothy Dandridge, actress born
Dorothy Dandrige
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Source: Blackfacts.com
Nov
9
1922
William Levi Dawson
William Levi Dawson is born, first African American representative to chair a committee in Congress.
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Source: Blackfacts.com
Sponsored by Christo Rey New York High School
Apr
26
1883
Gladys Ross dies
Gladys Merritt Ross, co-founder of Phi Delta Kappa sorority for African American teachers, dies in Stockton, California.
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Source: Blackfacts.com
Sponsored by Pride Academy
May
6
1985
Mound Bayou
Mound Bayou, an all African American town in Mississippi is founded by Isaiah Montgomery
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Source: Blackfacts.com
Jul
12
1887
Larry Doby
Larry Doby is born. He will become the first African American in baseballs American League, playing for the Cleveland Indians. He will be the 1954 RBI leader.
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Source: Blackfacts.com
Dec
13
1924
One-Man Show of Art
One-Man Show of Art by Negro, First of Kind Here, Opens Today, read the headline of a front-page article in The New York Times on this day. The article announced the opening of Archibald J. Motley, Jrs show at the New Gallery on Madison Avenue. This was the first time in History that an artist had
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Source: Blackfacts.com
Sponsored by Museum of African American History in Massachusetts
Feb
25
1928
African American Women College Presidents
On July 1, 1987, for the first time in history, there were three African American women serving as Presidents of Four Year Colleges and Universities in America.They were - Dr. Niara Sudarkasa- President of Lincoln University in Pennslyvania; Dr. Johnetta Cole, President of Spelman College in
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Source: Blackfacts.com
Jul
1
1987
Colin L. Powell
Colin L. Powell was the first African American to hold the highest U.S. Military post. In August 1989 he was named chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
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Source: Blackfacts.com
Aug
0
1989
Henry Ossian Flipper, the first African American graduate of the U.S. Military A
Henry Ossian Flipper, the first African American graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, was born in Thomasville, Georgia. Enduring heavy racism during his schooling, Flipper went on to establish a military career. This was ended however after he was falsely accused of embezzling
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Source: Blackfacts.com
Sponsored by Prospanica Boston Professional Chapter
Mar
31
1856
Leander Jay Shaw, Jr., justice of the Florida State Supreme Court (1983), first
Leander Jay Shaw, Jr., justice of the Florida State Supreme Court (1983), first African American chief justice (1990) in Florida, the second African American chief justice in any state supreme court, born
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Source: Blackfacts.com
Sep
6
1930
Rev. George Leile
Rev. George Leile was the first African American to be ordained a Baptist minister in America. He was an early pastor of the First African Baptist Church of Silver Bluf, South Carolina. Curiously, he supported the British during the American Revolutionary war because of the Britishs promise to free
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Source: Blackfacts.com
Jan
0
1770
Wally "Famous" Amos's signature panama hat and embroidered shirt are donated to
Wally Famous Amoss signature panama hat and embroidered shirt are donated to the National Museum of American Historys Business Americana collection. It is the first memorabilia added to the collection by An African American entrepreneur and recognizes the achievement of Amos who built his company
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Source: Blackfacts.com
Sponsored by Intellitech
Nov
18
1980
Columbia University graduate and Harvard University law student Barack Obama bec
Columbia University graduate and Harvard University law student Barack Obama became the first African American named president of the Harvard Law Review.
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Source: Blackfacts.com
Sponsored by New York University
Feb
5
1990
Adam Wade hosts the Nationally televised game show Musical Chairs. He is the fi
Adam Wade hosts the Nationally televised game show Musical Chairs. He is the first African American game show host.
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Source: Blackfacts.com
Jun
16
1975
Phyllis Mae Daley, first of four African American
Phyllis Mae Daley, first of four African American Navy nurses to serve active duty in WW II receives her commission as an ensign in the Navy Nurse Corps.
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Source: Blackfacts.com
Mar
8
1945
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