The life of Medgar Evers was cut far too short 50 years ago, when the civil rights activist and war veteran was assassinated at just 37-years-old by a White supremacist. Although Evers would not live to see the Civil Rights Movement blossom, he helped plant early seeds of change in the Deep South that eventually […]
In Detroit, this very day marks the beginning of a violent, race-fueled riot that lasted for days and left dozens dead and countless others injured. Of the persons killed, 25 were African American and 17 of that group were struck down by police officers. SEE ALSO: Scholar, Author James Weldon Johnson Was Born On This […]
James Weldon Johnson (pictured) lives on in history and is often best-known for his leadership of the NAACP by becoming the organization’s first Black manager. Johnson was born in to a family that promoted education, and as a result, he went on to achieve amazing feats despite living in a time period that still shunned […]
The contributions of freed slaves-turned-soldiers for the Union Army during the American Civil War were numerous, with many Black fighters awarded with medals and other accolades. Despite the racism they faced from Confederate leaders in the South and Union leaders in the North, the soldiers showed a prowess for fighting and triumphing against incredible odds. […]
On Friday afternoon, President Barack Obama (seated center) signed a bill effectively awarding the four young victims of the tragic 1963 Birmingham church bombing with the Congressional Gold Medal. With Alabama representatives Terri Sewell, a Democrat, and Spencer Bachus, a Republican, leading the effort, the House swung in favor last month to posthumously award the deceased, […]
Union and United States Army Sergeant William Harvey Carvey (pictured) owns the honorable distinction as the first African-American solider to be awarded the Medal Of Honor for his services to the country during the great Civil War. Although it would be nearly four decades before he would receive his award, Sgt. Carney is widely recognized […]
It’s hard to believe that comedian, actor, and author Bill Cosby never won an Emmy for his groundbreaking NBC sitcom “The Cosby Show,” but he’s collected plenty of hardware in his long and illustrious career. During his run on NBC’s “I Spy” show, Cosby would become the first African-American to win an Emmy Award. Cosby […]
In terms of historic merit, the achievements of Haitian Revolution leader Toussaint L’Ouverture (pictured) are noteworthy but also highlight a complex and sweeping story. In many historic accounts, it has been written that L’Ouverture was a slave, but some writings prove he may have been born free. What historians across the board do agree on […]
Nicknamed “Mister Show Business,” Sammy Davis Jr. (pictured throughout) occupies a significant portion of African-American experience in entertainment. Although the singer, dancer, and Rat Pack member was seen by many as an assimilating “uncle Tom,” Davis lived a complex life full of triumphs, failures, and everything in between before his passing in 1990 on this […]
United States Army soldier Henry L. Johnson (pictured), also known as “Black Death,” earned his fearsome nickname in France during World War I. After being ambushed by German forces and taken captive, Johnson freed himself and other soldiers using just a rifle and a knife. His heroic act was rewarded by France officials and has […]
The life of escaped slave, ship captain, and Republican congressman Robert Smalls (pictured) is an amazing story worthy of the Hollywood treatment. Born in to slavery, Smalls rose from his meager beginnings as a dock worker to planning a daring escape using a Confederate boat he piloted. On this day in 1862, Smalls, 23-years-old at […]
Playwright, lecturer, and author Williams Wells Brown (pictured) is recognized for two historic feats in the literary world: He was the first African American to publish a novel in 1853, although “Our Nig” author Harriet Wilson was the first to do so in North America. Wells Brown’s other achievement came when he became the first […]
