Little-Known Black History Fact

Rosa Parks and her defiant act of refusing to give up her seat in December 1955 in Montgomery, Ala. helped push the Civil Rights Movement forward. Nine months before that incident however, Claudette Colvin stood up for her right to sit where she pleased on a segregated bus yet her story was cast aside. Colvin […]

While Elvis Presley became the face of Rock ‘N’ Roll, the true genius behind the art form was Chuck Berry. Berry passed in his home last Saturday at the age of 90, leaving behind a legendary influence that stretched far beyond rock music. Berry was born October 18, 1926 in St. Louis, Mo. The future […]

In its 130-year history, the prestigious Harvard Law Review has never elected a Black woman to serve as president – until now. ImeIme Umana, a Pennsylvania native and daughter of Nigerian immigrants was elected to the post on Jan. 29 of this year. Umana, 24, was raised in the town of State College. Her late […]

The overwhelming success of the film Hidden Figures, starring Taraji P. Henson, highlighted three African-American women who were instrumental in propelling the U.S. space program. The state of Arkansas has a hidden figure of its own in Raye Montague, who is the first person to design a U.S. Navy ship using a computer. Montague was […]

Oscar Holmes broke three color barriers in his lifetime, although he never set out to become a pioneer. Holmes was not only the first Black air traffic controller, he was also the U.S. Navy’s first Black commissioned officer and the military branch’s first Black pilot. Holmes was born January 31, 1916 in Dunbar. W. Va. […]

Grant Fuhr was once referred to by hockey great Wayne Gretzky as the best goalie to ever play in the National Hockey League. Fuhr achieved a series of firsts as a player and after his career ended, he embraced his role model status. Fuhr was born September 28, 1962 in Spruce Grove, Alberta in Canada. […]

The case of Sipuel v. The Board of Regents of the University of Oklahoma laid the early groundwork for other “separate but equal” cases such as the landmark Brown v. Board of Education ruling. Ada Louis Sipuel’s racial discrimination case against the school was decided on this day in 1948, making it possible for her […]

Ricky Harris and his 20-year plus career had its shares of ups and downs, but the comedian and actor’s comic timing was a notable fixture on the small and big screen. Harris passed away this week at the age of 54, rocking the entertainment world and those who worked alongside him. Harris was born January […]

Dr. Robert C. Weaver worked many years on the state, local and federal level as a quiet cog in the civil rights machine behind the scenes. In 1966, he became the first Black person to be appointed to a presidential cabinet position and the first secretary of the Housing and Urban Development. Weaver was born […]

Alphonse Mouzon was one of the early leaders of the Jazz Fusion movement of the late ’60’s and early ’70’s. Mouzon was a versatile drummer who influenced other musicians beyond his spaces of jazz and R&B. He passed earlier this week after a battle with a rare form of cancer. Mouzon was born November 21, […]

The first intercollegiate football contest between Black colleges took place on this day in 1892. Biddle College, now Johnson C. Smith University in Charlotte, N.C., and Livingstone College in Salisbury, N.C., played against one another on Livingstone’s snowy front lawn and gave way to a bowl game that celebrates HBCU football’s excellance. According to historians of […]

Fans of the long-running Star Trek franchise will be witness to a new era next year. A new spin-off series, Star Trek: Discovery, features a historic first as Sonequa Martin-Green will become the first Black female lead character of the show. Mrs. Martin-Green will be familiar to fans of AMC’s zombie apocalypse smash hit, The […]