You may also like
Harry Belafonte
Harry Belafonte is an eminent African-American figure in the American entertainment industry. He is a notable singer, lyricist, actor and social activist. Belafonte came to international stardom as “King of Calypso” for his popular Caribbean musical style. He is famous for his
Read more
Source: Black History Resources
Mar
1
1927
James McCune Smith, a physician and writer educatedin New York's African Free
James McCune Smith, a physician and writer educated in New Yorks African Free School and at the University of Glasglow in Scotland, begins to practice medicine in New York City and eventually opens a pharmacy there; he also conducts pioneer work in the scientific study of race.
Read more
Source: Blackfacts.com
Sponsored by Pride Academy
Jan
0
1837
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.
Read more
Source: Blackfacts.com
Aug
20
1944
Arthur Ashe
Born: 7/10/1943 Richmond, VirginiaDied: 2/6/1993 New York City, New YorkArthur Ashe was an American World No. 1 professional tennis player. He won three Grand Slam titles, ranking him among the best tennis players from the United States.Ashe was the first black player selected to the United States
Read more
Source: Blackfacts.com
Sponsored by Concerned Black Men of Massachusetts
Ella Fitzgerald Born
Ella Fitzgerald, First Lady of Song, born. In 1934, an awkward sixteen-year-old girl made her singing debut at the Harlem Apollo Theatre amateur night in New York City. She intended to dance, but she lost her nerve when she got on stage. The man said, do something while youre out there, the singer
Read more
Source: Blackfacts.com
Apr
25
1918
Death of Bishop R. C. Lawson
Bishop R. C. Lawson died July 2, 1961 in New York
Read more
Source: Blackfacts.com
Sponsored by Concerned Black Men of Massachusetts
Jul
2
1961
Matthew Henson
Born: 8/8/1866 Nanjemoy, MarylandDied: 3/9/1955 New York City, New YorkMatthew Henson was the first African-American Arctic explorer, an associate of Robert Peary on seven voyages over a period of nearly 23 years. They made six voyages and spent a total of 18 years in expeditions.Henson served as
Read more
Source: Blackfacts.com
The first African American magazine, Mirror of Freedom, begins publication in Ne
The first African American magazine, Mirror of Freedom, begins publication in New York City.
Read more
Source: Blackfacts.com
Aug
30
1838
Charles Mingus
Charles Mingus was a 20th century jazz musician whose reputation as a great bassist is matched by his influence as a great composer of what has been called orchestral jazz. He was musically trained in public schools and Christian churches in Los Angeles, where he went from trombone to cello to
Read more
Source: Fact Monster - Black History
Sponsored by APEX Museum
Meeks, Gregory W. (1953- )
U.S. Congressman Gregory W. Meeks was born on September 25, 1953 in East Harlem, New York City. He was raised in a public housing project in East Harlem and received his Bachelor of Arts degree in History with a minor in Political Science from New York’s Adelphi University. He earned his Juris
Read more
Source: Black Past
Sep
25
1953
Death of singer Billie Holiday
Death of singer Billie Holiday (44) New York City.
Read more
Source: Blackfacts.com
Jul
17
1959
(1918) Rev. Francis J. Grimke, “Victory for the Allies and the United States a Ground of Rejoicing, of Thanksgiving”
Francis J. Grimke was born a slave in Charleston, South Carolina on November 4, 1850.  After the war he and his older brother, Archibald, went north to Lincoln University.  Francis graduated from Lincoln in 1870.  After working briefly at Lincoln, Grimke attended Princeton Theological Seminary from
Read more
Source: Black Past
Nov
4
1850
Actor Billy Dee Williams born
Actor Billy Dee Williams, known in such works as Mahogany and two Star Wars sequels, was born in New York city.
Read more
Source: Blackfacts.com
Apr
6
1937
Death of Florence Mills, dancer and singer,
Death of Florence Mills (32), dancer and singer, New York City.
Read more
Source: Blackfacts.com
Nov
1
1927
Dinkins, David N. (1927- )
In 1989, David N. Dinkins defeated his challenger, former federal prosecutor Rudolph (Rudy) Giuliani, to become the first African American mayor of New York
Read more
Source: Black Past
Wright, Theodore Sedgwick (ca. 1797-1847)
Theodore Sedgwick Wright, prominent clergyman, antislavery leader, and reformer was thought to have been born in New Jersey in 1797.  He attended the New York African Free School. With the help of New York Governor Dewitt Clinton, Arthur Tappan and others from Princeton Theological Seminary, he
Read more
Source: Black Past
Maynor, Dorothy Leigh (1910–1996)
Dorothy Leigh Maynor was an international concert soprano, founder of the Harlem School of the Arts, the first African American to sing at an American president’s inauguration (Harry S. Truman’s, on January 20, 1949), the first African-American artist to perform at Constitution Hall, the first
Read more
Source: Black Past
Inventor Granville T. Woods dies
Inventor Granville T. Woods dies in New York City on January 30, 1910.
Read more
Source: Blackfacts.com
Sponsored by NSBE Boston
Jan
30
1910
Baskett, James (1904-1948)
James Baskett, the first male African American to win an Academy Award, was born in Indianapolis, Indiana on February 16, 1904.  After high school Baskett planned to study pharmacy, but after he was offered a small part in a show in Chicago, Illinois his career path was forever changed.  Baskett
Read more
Source: Black Past
Jul
9
1948
Zimbabwe
On Nov. 11, 1965, the conservative white-minority government of Rhodesia declared its independence from Britain. The country resisted the demands of black Africans, and Prime Minister Ian Smith withstood British pressure, economic sanctions, and guerrilla attacks in his effort to uphold white
Read more
Source: Fact Monster - Black History
Ellas Neau, a French immigrant, opens the Carechism Schoolfor black slaves in
Ellas Neau, a French immigrant, opens the Carechism School for black slaves in New York City with help from the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts; by 1708 he is instructing more than 200 pupils.
Read more
Source: Blackfacts.com
Jan
0
1704
Leslie M. Alexander (1948- )
Ambassador Leslie M. Alexander was a Career Foreign Service Officer. He was appointed by President William J. Clinton to serve as U.S. Ambassador to three nations: Mauritius and the Comoros where he served from 1993 to 1996, Ecuador where he served from 1996 to 1999, and Haiti where he served from
Read more
Source: Black Past
Sponsored by National Black MBA Association (NBMBAA) Boston Professional Chapter
Nov
9
1948
Irving C. Mollison
Irving C. Mollison, a Chicago Republican, sworn in as U.S. Customs Court judge in New York City.
Read more
Source: Blackfacts.com
Nov
3
1945
Irene Cara born
Actress-singer-songwriter Irene Cara is born in New York City
Read more
Source: Blackfacts.com
Mar
18
1959
Ellison, Ralph
Ellison, Ralph (Ralph Waldo Ellison), 1914–94, African-American author, b. Oklahoma City studied Tuskegee Institute (now Tuskegee Univ.). Originally a trumpet player and aspiring composer, he moved (1936) to New York City, where he met Langston Hughes , who became his mentor, and became friends
Read more
Source: Fact Monster - Black History
Death of Lester Young
Death of Lester Young (49), New York City.
Read more
Source: Blackfacts.com
Sponsored by New York University
Mar
15
1794
Abdul-Jabbar, Kareem
Abdul-Jabbar, Kareem kərēm´ ăb´do͝ol jəbär´ [key], 1947–, American basketball player, b. New York City as Ferdinand Lewis (Lew) Alcindor. At 7 ft 2 in. (218 cm), he led the Univ. of California, Los Angeles, to three national titles (1967–69). He was the National Basketball Associations number one
Read more
Source: Fact Monster - Black History
Sponsored by BARBinc
(1967) Martin Luther King, Jr., “Beyond Vietnam: A Time to Break Silence”
On April 4, 1967, exactly one year before his assassination, Dr. Martin Luther King gave his first major public address on the War in Vietnam at a meeting of Clergy and Laity Concerned at Riverside Church in New York City. In that address he articulated his reasons for his opposition to the
Read more
Source: Black Past
Sponsored by Association of Latino Professionals For America (ALPFA) Boston Professional Chapter
Apr
4
1967
Cornel West
Cornel West is an American philosopher, activist, academic and intellectual; he is also the first African-American to have graduated from Princeton University with a PhD in
Read more
Source: Black History Resources
Jun
2
1963
Gaspard, Patrick (1967- )
Patrick Gaspard’s career in politics and diplomacy spans three decades. Gaspard’s work has involved him in politics at the city and national level and has put him in contact with constituencies traditionally associated with the Democratic Party. As of this writing, Gaspard serves as United States
Read more
Source: Black Past
Aug
26
2013
More from Stories About Black History
Eight Acres of History: Lexington's African Cemetery No. 2
Larger Conversation: If And When To Share Videos Of Violence
Minority-Owned Small Businesses Were Supposed To Get Priority. They May Not Have
Coronavirus Infections Continue To Rise On Navajo Nation
Rep. Escobar On Pandemic Employment Challenges Facing Latinos
Why A Historic Wave Of Latino Prosperity Is Under Threat Now
How The Coronavirus Crisis Is Impacting The Latino Community
Georgia Lawmakers Renew Push For Hate Crime Bill After Death Of Ahmaud Arbery
Lawyer Representing Ahmaud Arbery's Family Discusses Case
2 Men Arrested And Charged In Fatal Shooting Of Ahmaud Arbery
Public Health Officials Aim To Communicate Better With Minorities
Former Georgia Police Officer And His Son Arrested In The Death Of Ahmaud Arbery
Sociologist On How Black Men Try To Appear Non-Threatening As A Defense Mechanism
Black-Owned Businesses Are Experiencing Negative Effects Of The Pandemic
Trump Campaign Reworks Its Pitch To Black Voters After Pandemic Slams Economy
The Very Best Code Switch Episodes For Kids
As Georgia Lifts Restrictions, Its Hospitals Are Not Ready For A COVID-19 Surge
Navajo Nation Reports Rapid Spread Of COVID-19
Navajo Nation President Says COVID-19 Has Killed 103
A Troubled Past Of The Police Department That Led The Arbery Case
Shooting Of Unarmed Black Woman In Kentucky Raises A Lot Of Questions
'Sleeping While Black'; Louisville Police Kill Unarmed Black Woman
Family Asks Houston Police Not To Release Fatal Shooting Video Of Gospel Singer
Troubled Past Emerges Of Georgia Police Department That Led Arbery Shooting Case
In Virtual Speech To Black Graduates, Obama Says U.S. Lacks Leadership On Coronavirus
Lawyers Say Father And Son Accused Of Killing Ahmaud Arbery Are Being Vilified
Congressman Who Introduced Emmett Till Antilynching Act Comments On The Arbery Case
Harvard Researchers Find 'Inequality On Top Of Inequality' In COVID-19 Deaths
Biden Pulls Back On 'Cavalier' Remarks About Black Voters
'Brown Album' Centers On The Erasure Of Race In American Culture
The Smithsonian Is Collecting Coronavirus 'Artifacts' To Document The Pandemic
NFL Announces New Rules To Tackle Lack Of Diversity In Its Coaching, Executive Ranks
ProPublica Report On Chicago's Dramatic COVID-19 Health Disparities
Teaching Kids To Hide From Gunfire: Safety Drills At Day Care And At Home
André Leon Talley Writes About Wintour, Lagerfeld In 'Chiffon Trenches'
An Avid Birder Talks About His Conflict In Central Park That Went Viral
4 Police Officers Fired After A Black Man Dies In Minneapolis Police Custody
A Video Of A White Woman Calling The Police On A Black Man In Central Park Goes Viral
Ahmaud Arbery: A Look At His Life Before It Was Cut Short
Federal Officials To Investigate The Death Of A Black Man In Police Custody
White Woman Who Called Police On Black Bird-Watcher In Central Park Has Been Fired
How The Crisis Is Making Racial Inequality Worse
Arbery Shooting Sparks Racism, Corruption Questions About Georgia County
Army Grants Posthumous Promotion To Slain ROTC Student
Student Actions Prompt UMN To Rethink Its Relationship With Minneapolis Police
Protests Sparked By The Death Of George Floyd In Minneapolis Intensify
PBS Series Documents The History Of Asian Americans Over 150 Years
A Look At George Floyd's Life That Ended In The Police Custody
Minnesota Governor Activates National Guard Amid Protests Over George Floyd's Death
Listeners Share Their Experience Of Facing Racism During The Pandemic

Arts Facts

Selma - The Bridget to the Ballot - Movie

Sports Facts

Education Facts