March 15 - BlackFacts.com Black History Fact of the Day

BlackFacts.com: Learn/Teach/Create Black History

BlackFacts.com: Learn/Teach/Create Black History

19:15

Can AI compress the years long research time of a PhD into seconds? Research scientist Max Jaderberg explores how “AI analogs” simulate real-world lab work with staggering speed and scale, unlocking new insights on protein folding and drug discovery. Drawing on his experience working on Isomorphic Labs' and Google DeepMind's AlphaFold 3 — an AI model for predicting the structure of molecules — Jaderberg explains how this new technology frees up researchers' time and resources to better understand the real, messy world and tackle the next frontiers of science, medicine and more. Want to help shape TED's shows going forward? Fill out our survey ! For a chance to give your own TED Talk, fill out the Idea Search Application: ted.com/ideasearch . Interested in learning more about upcoming TED events? Follow these links: TEDNext: ted.com/futureyou TEDAI Vienna: ted.com/ai-vienna Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…

4 years ago 1:27

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March 15 is the Birthday of writer Ben Okri.

He is a Nigerian novelist, short-story writer, and poet who used magic realism to convey the social and political chaos in the country of his birth.

His novel The Famished Road won the Booker Prize for Fiction in 1991, making him the youngest ever winner of the prize at the age of 32.

His first-hand experiences of civil war in Nigeria are said to have inspired many of his works. He has been compared favorably to authors such as Salmon Rushdie and Gabriel García Márquez.

BlackFacts.com is the Internet's longest running Black History Encyclopedia. Our podcast summarizes the vast stories of Black history in daily episodes known as Black Facts Of The Day™.

Since 1997, BlackFacts.com has been serving up Black History Facts on a daily basis to millions of users and followers on the web and via social media.

Learn Black History. Teach Black History.

For more Black Facts, join Black Facts Nation at BlackFacts.com/join.

Because Black History is 365 Days a Year, and Black Facts Matter!

152 episodes

March 15 - BlackFacts.com Black History Fact of the Day

published 4 years ago

MP3•Episode home

March 15 is the Birthday of writer Ben Okri.

He is a Nigerian novelist, short-story writer, and poet who used magic realism to convey the social and political chaos in the country of his birth.

His novel The Famished Road won the Booker Prize for Fiction in 1991, making him the youngest ever winner of the prize at the age of 32.

His first-hand experiences of civil war in Nigeria are said to have inspired many of his works. He has been compared favorably to authors such as Salmon Rushdie and Gabriel García Márquez.

BlackFacts.com is the Internet's longest running Black History Encyclopedia. Our podcast summarizes the vast stories of Black history in daily episodes known as Black Facts Of The Day™.

Since 1997, BlackFacts.com has been serving up Black History Facts on a daily basis to millions of users and followers on the web and via social media.

Learn Black History. Teach Black History.

For more Black Facts, join Black Facts Nation at BlackFacts.com/join.

Because Black History is 365 Days a Year, and Black Facts Matter!

152 episodes

All episodes

BlackFacts.com: Learn/Teach/Create Black History

1
July 5 - BlackFacts.com Black History Minute 2:06

3 years ago2:06

2:06

BlackFacts.com presents the black fact of the day for July 5. Frederick Douglass gave his speech "What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July?". He was an African American abolitionist, orator, newspaper publisher, and author. He became the first Black U.S. marshal. Douglass was born into slavery on the Eastern Shore of the Chesapeake Bay in Talbot County, Maryland. When he was seven years old, he was sent to his master, Captain Aaron Anthony, at a nearby plantation. On September 3, 1838, Douglass escaped from slavery. With identification borrowed from a free Black seaman, he traveled to New York City. He remained an avid reader throughout his adult life. In 1847, he began publishing his own abolitionist newsletter, the North Star. He became a powerful orator, often traveling six months out of the year to give lectures on abolition. When radical abolitionists, under the motto "No Union with Slaveholders", criticized Douglass's willingness to engage in dialogue with slave owners, he replied: "I would unite with anybody to do right and with nobody to do wrong." In July 5, 1852, he delivered his speech at an event commemorating the signing of the Declaration of Independence, held at Corinthian Hall in Rochester, New York. The speech explores the constitutional and values-based arguments against the continued existence of Slavery in the United States. Learn black history, teach black history at blackfacts.com…

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July 4 - BlackFacts.com Black History Minute 1:57

3 years ago1:57

1:57

BlackFacts.com presents the black fact of the day for July 4. Marian Anderson and Ralph Bunche receive the first Medals of Freedom. She was an American singer, and an important figure in the struggle for African-American artists to overcome racial prejudice. Bunche was an American political scientist, diplomat, member of the United Nations for more than two decades, activist of the US civil rights movement, and the first African American and first person of African descent to be awarded a Nobel Prize. In 1955, Anderson became the first African American singer to perform as a member of the Metropolitan Opera in New York City. Bunche was one of the leaders of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) for more than 20 years. The Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Congressional Gold Medal are the highest civilian awards of the United States. It was established in 1963 by President John F. Kennedy, superseding the Medal of Freedom that was established by President Harry S. Truman in 1945 to honor civilian service during World War II. JFK’s assassination in November meant that he was not alive to present the awards at the ceremony that December. His successor, Lyndon B. Johnson, presented them in his place. Learn black history, teach black history at blackfacts.com…

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July 3 - BlackFacts.com Black History Minute 2:17

3 years ago2:17

2:17

BlackFacts.com presents the black fact of the day for July 3. Jackie Robinson becomes the first African American to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. He was an American professional baseball player who became the first African American to play in Major League Baseball (MLB) in the modern era. After demonstrating exceptional athletic ability during high school and junior college, he excelled at baseball, football, basketball, and track at the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA). He left UCLA in 1941 and briefly played professional football before being drafted into the U.S. Army. During his service, he refused to sit at the back of a bus and was threatened with a court-martial, but the charges were dropped and he was given an honorable discharge in 1945. Robinson made his major league debut in April 1947. The chief problem he had to overcome was controlling his fiery temper in the face of continual racial slurs from the crowds and other ballplayers, including some of his own teammates. After retiring from baseball early in 1957, Robinson engaged in business and in civil rights activism. He was a spokesperson for the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and made appearances with Martin Luther King, Jr. Robinson's major league debut brought an end to approximately sixty years of segregation in professional baseball, known as the baseball color line. Robinson's character, his use of nonviolence, and his talent challenged the traditional basis of segregation that had then marked many other aspects of American life. Learn black history, teach black history at blackfacts.com…

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July 2 - BlackFacts.com Black History Minute 1:54

3 years ago1:54

1:54

BlackFacts.com presents the black fact of the day for July 2. Lyndon Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act. In the landmark 1954 case Brown v. Board of Education, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that racial segregation in schools was unconstitutional. The 10 years that followed saw great strides for the African American civil rights movement, as non-violent demonstrations won thousands of supporters to the cause. Led by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the Civil Rights movement had been gathering force. John F. Kennedy made passage of a new civil rights bill one of the platforms of his successful 1960 presidential campaign. In early 1964, House supporters overcame the Rules Committee obstacle by threatening to send the bill to the floor without committee approval. Passage of the act was not easy. House opposition bottled up the bill in the House Rules Committee. In the Senate, Southern Democratic opponents attempted to talk the bill to death. The act outlawed segregation in businesses such as theaters, restaurants, and hotels. It banned discriminatory practices in employment and ended segregation in public places such as swimming pools, libraries, and public schools. This document was the most sweeping civil rights legislation since Reconstruction. Learn black history, teach black history at blackfacts.com…

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July 1 - BlackFacts.com Black History Minute 1:52

3 years ago1:52

1:52

BlackFacts.com presents the black fact of the day for July 1st. Roland Hayes named soloist with Boston Symphony Orchestra. He was the first African American singer to achieve success on the classical concert stage. Hayes was born in Curryville, Georgia, to Fanny and William Hayes, who were former slaves. He wanted an education, but he had to drop out of school to help support his family and worked at many jobs. He moved to Louisville, Kentucky, where he found a job singing at a silent movie theater. He had to sing offstage so that people could hear his voice but not see his skin color. To earn money he went on a tour of black churches and colleges in the South. In 1917 he announced his second concert, which would be held in Boston's Symphony Hall. In 1920 Hayes performed his first European concert in London, England. While in London he received a message from King George and Queen Mary of England, requesting that he perform for them. He toured Europe several more times, singing in seven different languages, and by the late 1920s he had become the highest-paid tenor in the world. After the 1930s, Hayes stopped touring in Europe because the change in politics made it unfavorable to African Americans. Learn black history, teach black history at blackfacts.com…

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June 30 - BlackFacts.com Black History Minute 1:54

3 years ago1:54

1:54

BlackFacts.com presents the black fact of the day for June 30. Lena Horne was born. She was an African-American dancer, actress, Grammy-winning singer, and civil rights activist. Horne left school at age 16 to help support her ailing mother and became a dancer at the Cotton Club in Harlem, New York City. She was discovered by producer John Hammond, and soon after she performed in a solo show at Carnegie Hall. A remarkably charismatic entertainer, Horne was one of the most popular singers of her time. One of her albums, Lena Horne at the Waldorf-Astoria, was a longtime best seller, and her first featured performance on Broadway. She also was noted for her work with civil rights and political organizations; as an actress, she refused to play roles that stereotyped African American women. In 1984 Horne received a Kennedy Center honor for lifetime contribution to the arts, and in 1989 she was given a Grammy Award for lifetime achievement. "Stormy Weather", a well-received biography of Horne's life, was published in 2009 and written by James Gavin. Horne also published her own memoir, "Lena", in 1965. Learn black history, teach black history at blackfacts.com…

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June 29 - BlackFacts.com Black History Minute 1:54

3 years ago1:54

1:54

BlackFacts.com presents the black fact of the day for June 29. NAACP chairman S.G. Spottswood criticize Nixon's administration. Stephen Gill Spottswood was born in Boston, Massachusetts. He went on to Albright College, earning a B.A. in history in 1917; Gordon Divinity School; and Yale Divinity School, where he earned his doctorate. He joined the NAACP in 1919 and was an active voice for racial equality throughout his adult life. He became president of the NAACP's Washington branch in 1947 and was elected to the national board of the NAACP in 1955, vice-president in 1959, and finally chairman in 1961, a post he held until 1975. Spottswood earned a reputation as an outspoken critic of racial injustice and several times attracted press coverage for his political censures. His most prominent criticism was directed at Richard Nixon and his administration's treatment of African-Americans, calling it "anti-Negro". At the following year's convention, Spottswood used his keynote address to soften the NAACP's stance on Nixon. Newly unearthed recordings show former President Richard Nixon mentioned racist language in conversations with his close associates. Learn black history, teach black history at blackfacts.com…

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June 28 - BlackFacts.com Black History Minute 1:48

3 years ago1:48

1:48

BlackFacts.com presents the black fact of the day for June 28. The U.S. Supreme Court invalidated the use of racial quotas for university applications. The medical school at the University of California, as part of the university’s affirmative action program, had reserved 16 percent of its admission places for minority applicants. Allan Bakke, a white California man who had twice unsuccessfully applied for admission to the medical school, filed suit against the university. Citing evidence that his grades and test scores surpassed those of many minority students who had been accepted for admission, Bakke charged that he had suffered unfair “reverse discrimination” on the basis of race. The Supreme Court, agreed that the university’s use of strict racial quotas was unconstitutional and ordered that the medical school admit Bakke. Although the ruling legalized the use of affirmative action, in subsequent decisions during the next several decades the court limited the scope of such programs, and several U.S. states prohibited affirmative action programs based on race. Regents of University of California v. Bakke established a pragmatic means of reconciling well-intentioned quota and affirmative action programs with the Constitution's zealous protection of equality. Learn black history, teach black history at blackfacts.com…

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June 27 - BlackFacts.com Black History Minute 1:58

3 years ago1:58

1:58

BlackFacts.com presents the black fact of the day for June 27. Frederick Jones invents the ticket dispensing machine. He was an U.S. inventor credited with more than 60 patents. After a challenging childhood, Jones taught himself mechanical and electrical engineering, inventing a range of devices relating to refrigeration, sound, and automobiles. In the late 1920s, Jones designed a series of devices for the developing movie industry, which adapted silent movie projectors to use talking movie stock. He also developed an apparatus for the movie box office that delivers tickets and returns change to customers. In 1935, he invented the first automatic refrigeration system for long-haul trucks and railroad cars. This system eliminated the risk of food spoilage during long-distance shipping trips. His invention radically altered American consumer's eating habits; now people could eat fresh produce across the United States during the middle of summer or winter. Over the course of his career, Jones received more than 60 patents. While the majority pertained to refrigeration technologies, others related to X-ray machines, engines and sound equipment. He became the first African American elected to the American Society of Refrigeration Engineers. Learn black history, teach black history at blackfacts.com…

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June 26 - BlackFacts.com Black History Minute 2:00

3 years ago2:00

2:00

BlackFacts.com presents the black fact of the day for June 26. Sit-in demonstrations and passive resistance began in Cairo, Illinois. Despite Illinois’s relatively liberal reputation, Cairo, a small city far south from Chicago, was thoroughly segregated and violently racist. Local youths formed the Cairo Nonviolent Freedom Committee (CNVFC) and invited Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) to go to the small city to initiate protests. Soon after, CNVFC launched “Operation Open City,” with an eleven-point plan to segregate all areas of civic life, including schools, housing, and employment opportunities. But most of its energy focused on desegregating public accommodations, including several local restaurants, the public swimming pool, and a roller skating rink. Their efforts met fierce white resistance. By August, the young activists had successfully integrated most of the city’s restaurants, though proprietors continued to harass Black patrons in other ways, like overcharging and providing poor service. Illinois Governor, Otto Kerner, Jr., ordered the city to desegregate in accordance with state law. The violence signaled the end of segregated public accommodations in Cairo. Economic and political discrimination continued, however. Learn black history, teach black history at blackfacts.com…

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June 25 - BlackFacts.com Black History Minute 2:10

3 years ago2:10

2:10

BlackFacts.com presents the black fact of the day for June 25. Sonia Sotomayor was born. She is an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, the first woman of color, first Hispanic, and first Latina member of the Court. Sotomayor was raised in a housing project in the Bronx. After the death of her father, her mother worked long hours as a nurse to support the family. She graduated summa cum laude from Princeton University before attending Yale Law School on a scholarship. In 1979, Sotomayor was awarded a Juris Doctor. She was admitted to the New York Bar the following year. When President Bill Clinton nominated Sotomayor to be a judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in 1997, Republican senators delayed her appointment for more than a year because of their concerns that the position might lead to a Supreme Court nomination. In May 2009 Pres. Barack Obama nominated Sotomayor to the Supreme Court in order to fill the vacancy left by departing justice David Souter. Sotomayor’s confirmation hearings before the Senate Judiciary Committee in July 2009 went smoothly, and the following month she was confirmed (68–31) by the Senate. During her tenure on the Supreme Court, Sotomayor has been identified with concern for the rights of defendants, calls for reform of the criminal justice system, and making impassioned dissents on issues of race, gender and ethnic identity. Learn black history, teach black history at blackfacts.com…

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June 24 - BlackFacts.com Black History Minute 1:51

3 years ago1:51

1:51

BlackFacts.com presents the black fact of the day for June 24. John R. Lynch became first African-American to preside over deliberations of a national political party. Born into slavery in Louisiana, he became free in 1863 under the Emancipation Proclamation. He became active in the Republican Party by the age of 20. Although too young to participate as a delegate, he attended the state's constitutional convention of 1867, studying its developments closely. At the age of 26 in 1872, Lynch was elected as the youngest member of the US Congress from Mississippi's 6th congressional district, as part of the first generation of African-American Congressmen. Lynch introduced many bills and argued on their behalf. Perhaps his greatest effort was in the long debate supporting the Civil Rights Act of 1875 to ban discrimination in public accommodations. He was one of seven African-American Congressmen present, who all testified in 1874 as to personal and known experience of the effects of discrimination in this area. In 1884, Lynch became the first African American to chair a political party's National Convention. Learn black history, teach black history at blackfacts.com…

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June 23 - BlackFacts.com Black History Minute 2:01

3 years ago2:01

2:01

BlackFacts.com presents the black fact of the day for June 23. Wilma Rudolph was born. She was an American sprinter, the first American woman to win three track-and-field gold medals in a single Olympics. Physically disabled for much of her early life, Rudolph wore a leg brace until she was twelve years old. Because there was little medical care available to African American residents of Clarksville in the 1940s, Rudolph's parents sought treatment for her at the historically black Meharry Medical College in Nashville, Tennessee, about 50 miles away. She attended Tennessee State University from 1957 to 1961. At age 16 she competed in the 1956 Olympic Games at Melbourne, Australia, winning a bronze medal in the 4 × 100-metre relay race. At the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome, Italy, Rudolph competed in three events on a cinder track in Rome's Stadio Olimpico: the 100- and 200-meter sprints, as well as the 4 × 100-meter relays. She won a gold medal in each of these events. These games launched Rudolph into the public spotlight and the media cast her as America's athletic "leading lady" and a "queen," with praises of her athletic accomplishments. Her strikingly fluid style made Rudolph a particular favorite with spectators and journalists. Learn black history, teach black history at blackfacts.com…

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June 22 - BlackFacts.com Black History Minute 2:14

3 years ago2:14

2:14

BlackFacts.com presents the black fact of the day for June 22. Arthur Ashe leads UCLA to the NCAA tennis championship. Ashe was coached and mentored by Robert Walter Johnson at his tennis summer-camp home in Lynchburg, Virginia. Johnson helped fine-tune Ashe's game and taught him the importance of racial socialization through sportsmanship, etiquette and the composure that would later become an Ashe hallmark. In 1958, Ashe became the first African American to play in the Maryland boys' championships. It was also his first integrated tennis competition. In 1963, he became the first black player ever selected for the United States Davis Cup team. In 1965, ranked the number 3 player in the United States, Ashe won both the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) singles title and the doubles title (with Ian Crookenden of New Zealand), helping UCLA win the team NCAA tennis championship. His criticism of South African apartheid racial policy led to denial of permission to play in that country’s open tournament, and, as a consequence, on March 23, 1970, South Africa was excluded from Davis Cup competition. He was the only black man ever to win the singles title at Wimbledon, the US Open, and the Australian Open. After his retirement, Ashe took on many roles, including writing for Time magazine and The Washington Post, commentating for ABC Sports and HBO from the early 1980s. Learn black history, teach black history at blackfacts.com…

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BlackFacts Presents - The History of Juneteenth 5:54

3 years ago5:54

5:54

JUNETEENTH - A Celebration of Freedom. Juneteenth (a portmanteau of June and nineteenth) is also known as Freedom Day, Jubilee Day, Liberation Day, and Emancipation Day. It is a holiday celebrating the emancipation of those who had been enslaved in the United States. It is now celebrated annually on the 19th of June throughout the United States. HISTORY During the American Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation on September 22, 1862. It became effective on January 1, 1863. This Proclamation declared that all enslaved persons in the Confederate States of America in rebellion and not in Union hands were freed. More isolated geographically, planters and other slaveholders had migrated into Texas from eastern states to escape the fighting, and many brought enslaved people with them. Although most lived in rural areas, more than 1,000 resided in both Galveston and Houston by 1860. By 1865, there were an estimated 250,000 enslaved people in Texas. Despite the surrender of General Robert E. Lee at Appomattox Court House on April 9, 1865, the western Army of the Trans-Mississippi did not surrender until June 2. On Monday, June 19, 1865, Union Major General Gordon Granger arrived to Galveston, Texas, to enforce the emancipation of its slaves and oversee a peaceful transition of power. The Texas Historical Commission and Galveston Historical Foundation report that Granger’s men marched Throughout Galveston reading General Order No 3: “ The people of Texas are informed that, in accordance with a proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free. This involves an absolute... ... equality of personal rights and rights of property between former masters and slaves, and the connection heretofore existing between them becomes... ...that between employer and hired labour. The freedmen are advised to remain quietly at their present homes and work for wages. They are informed that they will not... ...be allowed to collect at military posts and that they will not be supported in idleness either there or elsewhere.” It was from that moment that Juneteenth would be born. EARLY CELEBRATIONS Formerly enslaved people in Galveston celebrated after the announcement. The following year, freedmen in Texas organized the first of what became the annual celebration of "Jubilee Day." On January 2, 1866, a Galveston newspaper, reported on an Emancipation Celebration: “ The colored people of Galveston celebrated their emancipation from slavery yesterday by a procession. Notwithstanding the storm some eight hundred or a thousand men, women and children took part in the demonstration.” Flake’s Bulletin, 2 January 1866. Early celebrations were used as political rallies to give voting instructions to newly freed slaves. Early independence celebrations often occurred on January 1 or 4. OFFICIAL RECOGNITION In the late 1970s the Texas Legislature declared Juneteenth a “holiday of significance, particularly to the blacks of Texas", becoming the first state to establish Juneteenth as a state holiday. The bill passed through the Texas Legislature in 1979 and was officially made a state holiday on January 1, 1980. Recognition of Juneteenth varies across the United States. It is not officially recognized by the federal government, although the Senate unanimously passed... ...a simple resolution in 2018 in honour of the day, and legislation has been introduced in Congress to make it either a "national day of observance" or a full-scale federal holiday. The only three states yet to legally recognize Juneteenth as either a state or ceremonial holiday are Hawaii, North Dakota, and South Dakota. In 2020, Juneteenth was formally recognized by New York City (as an annual official city holiday and public school holiday, starting in 2021) CELEBRATIONS The holiday is considered the "longest-running African-American holiday" and has been called "America’s second Independence Day". Juneteenth is usually celebrated on the third Saturday in June. It was common for former slaves and their descendants to make a pilgrimage to Galveston. Observance today is primarily in local celebrations. In many places Juneteenth has become a multicultural holiday, Including lectures and exhibitions on African-American culture. Traditions include public readings of the Emancipation Proclamation, singing traditional songs and reading of works by noted African-American writers. Celebrations include picnics, rodeos, street fairs, cookouts, family reunions, park parties, historical reenactments, blues festivals and Miss Juneteenth contests. Historian Mitch Kachun considers that celebrations of the end of slavery have three goals: " to Celebrate, to Educate, and to Agitate ." To learn more about black history visit www.blackfacts.com.…

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June 21 - BlackFacts.com Black History Minute 2:03

3 years ago2:03

2:03

BlackFacts.com presents the black fact of the day for June 21. Painter Henry Ossawa Tanner was born. He was an American artist and the first African-American painter to gain international acclaim. After a childhood spent largely in Philadelphia, Tanner began an art career in earnest in 1876,painting harbour scenes, landscapes, and animals from the Philadelphia Zoo. Although many artists refused to accept an African-American apprentice, in 1879 Tanner enrolled at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts in Philadelphia, becoming the only black student. In 1891 he traveled to Paris, France, to study at the Académie Julian. He also joined the American Art Students Club. Paris was a welcome escape for Tanner; within French art circles the issue of race mattered little. In 1893 on a short return visit to the United States, Tanner painted his most famous work, The Banjo Lesson, while in Philadelphia. Tanner was not limited to one specific approach to painting and drawing. His works reflect at times meticulous attention to detail and loose, expressive brushstrokes in others. Tanner's Sand Dunes at Sunset hangs in the Green Room at the White House; it is the first painting by an African-American artist to have been purchased for the permanent collection of the White House. Learn black history, teach black history at blackfacts.com…

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June 20 - BlackFacts.com Black History Minute 1:40

3 years ago1:40

1:40

BlackFacts.com presents the black fact of the day for June 20. Harry Belafonte became the first African American to win an Emmy award. As one of the most successful African-American pop stars in history, he was dubbed the “King of Calypso” for popularizing the Caribbean musical style with an international audience in the 1950s. He was an early supporter of the Civil Rights Movement in the 1950s and 1960s, and one of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s confidants. He financed the 1961 Freedom Rides, supported voter registration drives, and helped to organize the 1963 March on Washington. Throughout his career, he has been an advocate for political and humanitarian causes, such as the anti-apartheid movement and USA for Africa. Since 1987, he has been a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador. He was awarded an Emmy for his television special, Tonight Show with Harry Belafonte. In 1989, he received the Kennedy Center Honors. Learn black history, teach black history at blackfacts.com…

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June 19 - BlackFacts.com Black History Minute 1:56

3 years ago1:56

1:56

BlackFacts.com presents the black fact of the day for June 19. Solidarity Day March In November 1967 civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr., and the staff of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) met and decided to launch a Poor People’s Campaign to highlight and find solutions to many of the problems facing the country’s poor. The Poor People’s Campaign was still in the planning stages when King was assassinated in April 1968. The plan for the march was that protestors would come together in Washington, D.C., and demonstrate daily from May 14 to June 24, 1968. June 19th was declared Solidarity Day, and a rally was held, attracting between 50–100,000 people. Addresses were made by Ralph Abernathy, Hubert Humphrey, Eugene McCarthy, Walter Reuther as well as Coretta Scott-King. In 1969, a Poor People's Campaign delegation, including Abernathy, met with President Nixon and asked him to address hunger and malnutrition. The 2nd Solidarity March came near the 10 year anniversary of the first and drew between 250,000 and 325,000 people. Learn black history, teach black history at blackfacts.com…

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June 18 - BlackFacts.com Black History Minute 1:32

3 years ago1:32

1:32

BlackFacts.com presents the black fact of the day for June 18. W.H. Richardson patents Baby Buggy. He was born in Baltimore, Maryland, and he made a huge improvement to the baby carriage. Richardson decided to create a stroller to be shaped more like a symmetrical basket, rather than a shell, as it was back then. This new design made it easier for parents and nannies to move the carriage around 360 degrees, compared to only 90 degrees before. The big part of Richardson’s change to the baby carriage is that it was now reversible, making it possible to have anyone pushing the baby face them instead of facing in the opposite direction. The use of prams became widespread among all economic classes by the 1900s. Many of Richardson's design modification are still in use today. Learn black history, teach black history at blackfacts.com…

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June 17 - BlackFacts.com Black History Minute 2:10

3 years ago2:10

2:10

BlackFacts.com presents the black fact of the day for June 17. Tuskegee Boycott began. The issue of the boycott was segregation and voting rights. The voting districts for the city of Tuskegee were changed dramatically to prevent black citizens from electing local officials. The Tuskegee Civic Association (TCA), a predominantly black organization working for civil rights, challenged the new district boundaries and took it to court. The leader of the Civic Association was Dr. Charles Gomillion, a Tuskegee Institute professor. As a strategy to gain victory, he told the citizens to "Trade with your friends". This had an immediate result on the local businesses because even though blacks were to enter stores from the rear, and had to wait for white customers before they were served, they were significant consumers of goods in Tuskegee. The Boycott also resulted in local Macon County black businesses thriving and multiplying. It effectively created devastating economic consequences for Whites, who preferred to go out of business than give Blacks the right to vote. The use of redrawing voting district lines was ruled illegal and became a landmark case for the United States Civil Rights Movement. Participants in the Tuskegee boycott engaged in unwavering civil activism to end the expulsion of black city residents and re-establish their voting rights. Learn black history, teach black history at blackfacts.com…

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June 16 - BlackFacts.com Black History Minute 2:11

3 years ago2:11

2:11

BlackFacts.com presents the black fact of the day for June 16. Kenneth A. Gibson became the first African American mayor of Newark. He entered politics in the 1960s, during the Civil Rights Movement, by joining the National Urban League, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), and the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE). Gibson ran for mayor in 1966. He joined the mayoral race only six weeks before the election. Mayor Hugh J. Addonizio was reelected, but Gibson got more votes than expected. Gibson would spend the next four years preparing for the 1970 mayoral campaign. In July of 1967, African Americans in Newark rebelled when a black taxi driver was arrested and beaten by white police officers. Over five days, 26 people died, but the violence sent a message that Newark’s African Americans were no longer willing to be treated as second-class citizens. In 1970, Gibson ran for office again and won. He became the first African American mayor of a Northeastern city. He inspired other African Americans to enter politics. Following his term in office, other Northeastern cities like Philadelphia, Baltimore, and New York have elected black mayors. Since leaving city government, Gibson has headed Gibson Associates, a consulting firm that advises building developers and investment bankers on public financing and other construction management issues. Learn black history, teach black history at blackfacts.com…

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June 15 - BlackFacts.com Black History Minute 2:30

3 years ago2:30

2:30

BlackFacts.com presents the black fact of the day for June 15. Henry Ossian Flipper became the first African American to graduate from the United States Military Academy at West Point. He was born into slavery in Thomasville, Georgia, the eldest of five brothers. His mother, Isabelle Flipper, and his father, Festus Flipper, a shoemaker, and carriage-trimmer were owned by Ephraim G. Ponder, a wealthy slave dealer. Flipper attended Atlanta University during Reconstruction. There, as a freshman, Representative James C. Freeman appointed him to attend West Point, where four other black cadets were already attending. The small group had a difficult time at the academy, where they were rejected by white students. Nevertheless, Flipper persevered, and in 1877, became the first of the group to graduate, earning a commission as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army cavalry. He was assigned to the 10th Cavalry Regiment, one of the four all-black "buffalo soldier" regiments in the Army, and became the first black officer to command regular troops in the U.S. Army. In 1881, while serving at Fort Davis, Flipper's commanding officer accused him of embezzling $3,791.77 from commissary funds.. A court-martial found him not guilty of embezzlement but convicted him of conduct unbecoming an officer and ordered him dismissed from the Army. In 1976, the Army granted him an honorable discharge, and in 1999, President Bill Clinton issued him a full pardon. After his discharge was changed, a bust of Flipper was unveiled at West Point. Since then, an annual Henry O. Flipper Award has been granted to graduating cadets at the academy who exhibit "leadership, self-discipline, and perseverance in the face of unusual difficulties. Learn black history, teach black history at blackfacts.com…

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June 14 - BlackFacts.com Black History Minute 1:49

3 years ago1:49

1:49

BlackFacts.com presents the black fact of the day for June 14. William H. Gray was elected Democratic Whip of the House of Representatives. He graduated from Simon Gratz High School in 1959 and enrolled in Franklin and Marshall College in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, majoring in sociology. In 1972, Gray succeeded his father as the senior minister at Bright Hope Baptist Church in Philadelphia, succeeding not only his father but also his grandfather, who had founded the 4,000-member church. He was elected as a Democrat to represent Philadelphia in the United States House of Representatives in 1978. Throughout his tenure, he was dedicated to promoting civil rights and economic advancement in Philadelphia, the United States, and the world. With his ascent to Majority Whip, the third-ranking leadership position in the House, Gray became the highest-ranking African American in congressional history. Outside politics he was also a businessman who has been a director at Dell, J.P. Morgan, Chase & Co., Prudential Financial Inc., Rockwell International Corporation, Visteon Corporation and Pfizer. Learn black history, teach black history at blackfacts.com…

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June 13 - BlackFacts.com Black History Minute 2:04

3 years ago2:04

2:04

BlackFacts.com presents the black fact of the day for June 13. Thurgood Marshall named the first African-American Court's justice. After being rejected by the University of Maryland Law School because he was not white, Marshall attended Howard University Law School; he received his degree in 1933, ranking first in his class. He established a private legal practice in Baltimore before founding the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, where he served as executive director. As an attorney, he successfully argued before the Court the case of Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka (1954), which declared unconstitutional racial segregation in American public schools. In September 1961 Marshall was nominated to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit by President John F. Kennedy, but opposition from Southern senators delayed his confirmation for several months. Marshall’s nomination was confirmed (69–11) by the U.S. Senate on August 30, 1967. He served on the Court for the next 24 years, compiling a liberal record that included strong support for Constitutional protection of individual rights. Thurgood Marshall's Bible was used by Vice President Kamala Harris at her inauguration in Washington on January 20, 2021, when she was sworn into office. Learn black history, teach black history at blackfacts.com…

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June 12 - BlackFacts.com Black History Minute 1:59

3 years ago1:59

1:59

BlackFacts.com presents the black fact of the day for June 12. Michael Jordan leads Chicago to 1st NBA Title. The Chicago Bulls defeated the Los Angeles Lakers 108-101 at the Great Western Forum to capture the NBA Finals in five games. It was the Bulls’ first-ever NBA title in their 25th anniversary season in the league. Jordan scored 30 points and teammate Scottie Pippen hit for 32. This was no easy task for the Bulls going up against the Lakers Big Three in Magic Johnson, Vlade Divac and James Worthy. This was just the beginning for Jordan and the Bulls dynasty. The Bulls would eventually win again in 1992 and 1993, marking the first such “three-peat” since the Celtics won eight straight from 1959-66. After Jordan retired in 1993 to join the White Sox, he came back in 1995. And beginning in the 1995-96 season another three-peat was cemented into the history books, with Jordan leading the Bulls to three consecutive championships from 1996-98. His biography on the official NBA website states: "By acclamation, Michael Jordan is the greatest basketball player of all time." Learn black history, teach black history at blackfacts.com…

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June 11 - BlackFacts.com Black History Minute 2:19

3 years ago2:19

2:19

BlackFacts.com presents the black fact of the day for June 11. Kennedy's Report to the American People on Civil Rights. It was a speech on civil rights, delivered on radio and television by President John F. Kennedy from the Oval Office in which he proposed legislation that would later become the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Kennedy was initially cautious in his support of civil rights and desegregation in the United States. As his term continued, African Americans became increasingly impatient with their lack of social progress and racial tensions escalated. His administration had sent National Guard troops to accompany the first black students admitted to the University of Mississippi and the University of Alabama. In the speech, Kennedy announced that he would be sending civil rights legislation to Congress; that legislation was passed after his death and signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson. Kennedy called Americans to recognize civil rights as a moral cause to which all people need to contribute and was "as clear as the American Constitution." Martin Luther King, Jr., called the speech “one of the most eloquent, profound, and unequivocal pleas for Justice and Freedom of all men ever made by any President.” Learn black history, teach black history at blackfacts.com…

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June 10 - BlackFacts.com Black History Minute 1:59

3 years ago1:59

1:59

BlackFacts.com presents the black fact of the day for June 10. Howlin' Wolf was born. Born as Chester Arthur Burnett, he was an American blues singer and composer who was one of the principal exponents of the urban blues style of Chicago. He was brought up on a cotton plantation, and the music he heard was the traditional tunes of the region. He started singing professionally when quite young and in the 1920s and ’30s performed throughout Mississippi, playing in small clubs. He accompanied himself on guitar and harmonica, but his main instrument was his guttural and emotionally suggestive voice, which gave his songs power and authenticity. After his first record, “Moanin’ at Midnight” (1951), became a hit, he moved to Chicago, where he, along with Muddy Waters, made the city a center for the transformation of the (acoustic) Mississippi Delta blues style into an electrically amplified style for urban audiences. Wolf traveled to Europe as part of the Chess blues revival series. His intense, energetic performances of brought him a new generation of blues-influenced rock ‘n’ roll fans. His work was known only to blues audiences until the Rolling Stones and other British and American rock stars of the 1960s and ’70s acknowledged his influence. Learn black history, teach black history at blackfacts.com…

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June 9 - BlackFacts.com Black History Minute 1:57

3 years ago1:57

1:57

BlackFacts.com presents the black fact of the day for June 9. Oliver W. Hill became the 1st Black person elected to the city council in Richmond, Virginia. He was a prominent civil rights attorney. His work against racial discrimination helped end the doctrine of "separate but equal." Hill first practiced law in Roanoke, Virginia, before settling in Richmond in 1939. He joined the legal team of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). Hill’s first civil rights victory was in 1940 when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that African American teachers had to be paid the same as white teachers. He served as an officer or on the board of many national, state, and local organizations, including the NAACP and the National Bar Association. In 1947, he first ran for the City Council of Richmond but came in 10th in a race for 9 seats. Hill ran again in 1949 and became the first African American on the City Council of Richmond since Reconstruction. He was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1999. Learn black history, teach black history at blackfacts.com…

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June 8 - BlackFacts.com Black History Minute 2:15

3 years ago2:15

2:15

BlackFacts.com presents the black fact of the day for June 8. James Earl Ray, the suspect in Martin Luther King, Jr.'s assassination, was captured. On April 4, 1968, in Memphis, Martin Luther King Jr, was fatally wounded by a sniper’s bullet while standing on the balcony outside his second-story room at the Motel Lorraine. During the next several weeks, the rifle, eyewitness reports, and fingerprints on the weapon all implicated a single suspect: escaped convict James Earl Ray. In May 1968, a massive manhunt for Ray began. The FBI eventually determined that he had obtained a Canadian passport under a false identity, which at the time was relatively easy. On June 8, Scotland Yard investigators arrested Ray at a London airport. He was trying to fly to Belgium, with the eventual goal, he later admitted, of reaching Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe). Extradited to the United States, Ray stood before a Memphis judge in March 1969 and pleaded guilty to King’s murder in order to avoid the electric chair. He was sentenced to 99 years in prison. During the 1990s, the widow and children of Martin Luther King, Jr., spoke publicly in support of Ray and his claims, calling him innocent and speculating about an assassination conspiracy involving the U.S. government and military. According to his family and friends, he was an outspoken racist who told them of his intent to kill King. Ray died in 1998. Learn black history, teach black history at blackfacts.com…

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June 7 - BlackFacts.com Black History Minute 2:21

3 years ago2:21