1967 - Virginia's inter-racial marriage deemed unconstitutional
On this day in 1967, U.S. Supreme Court ruled that a Virginia law banning inter-racial marriage was unconstitutional.
1970 - Angela Davis arrested in New York City and charged.
ON this date in 1970, Angela Davis arrested in New York City and charged with unlawful flight to avoid persecution for her alleged role in California... Continue →
1999 - Pennsylvania governor signs death warrant.
On this date in 1999, the governor of Pennsylvania, Thomas Ride, signs the death warrant for Mumia Abu-Jamal. Mumia is charged with the early... Continue →
1958 - The District of Columbia Bar Association votes to accept African Americans as members.
On this date in 1958, the District of Columbia Bar Association votes to accept African Americans as members.
1949 - William Hastie nominated for the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
ON this date in 1949, William Hastie nominated for the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. He was the first Black to sit on the court.
1883 - U.S. Supreme Court declared Civil Rights Act of 1875 unconstitutional.
ON this date in 1883, U.S. Supreme Court declared Civil Rights Act of 1875 unconstitutional.
1859 - John Brown took direct action to free slaves by force.
On this date in 1859, John Brown whom was an abolitionist took direct action to free slaves by force. He led a raid on Harpers Ferry, in mid-October... Continue →
1871 - President Grant suspended the writ of habeas
On this date in 1871, President Grant suspended the writ of habeas corpus and declared martial law in nine South Carolina counties affected by Klan... Continue →
1787 - Equal Education Rights
On this date in 1787, Prince Hall submitted, to the State Legislature of Boston, Massachusetts, a petition asking for equal educational rights. His... Continue →
1904 - Enolia Pettigen McMillan born
Born October 20, 1904 in Willow Grove, Pennsylvania, Enolia Pettigen McMillan became the first female president of the National Association for the... Continue →
1911 - Urban League Formed
On this date in 1911, Three organizations the Committee for Improving the Industrial Conditions of Negroes in New York, the Committee on Urban... Continue →
1988 - Two units of the Ku Klux Klan and eleven individuals ordered to pay $ 1 million.
On this date in 1988, two units of the Ku Klux Klan and eleven individuals are ordered to pay $ 1 million to African Americans who were attacked... Continue →
1976 - Gov. George Wallace grants a full pardon
On this date in 1976, Gov. George Wallace granted a full pardon to Clarence ("Willie") Norris, the last known survivor of the nine Scottsboro Boys... Continue →
1915 - Attorney James L. Curtis named minister of Liberia
On this date in 1915, Attorney James L. Curtis named minister of Liberia.
1934 - Charles H. Houston, named director of the NAACP legal campaign.
ON this date in 1934, at a New York City conference, representatives of the NAACP and the American Fund for Public Service planned a coordinated... Continue →
1960 - Martin Luther King Jr. released on bond
On this date in 1960, Martin Luther King Jr. released on bond from the Georgia State Prison in Reidsville. Political observers said the Kennedy call... Continue →
1969 - U.S. Supreme Court said school systems must end segregation.
On this date in 1969, U.S. Supreme Court said school systems must end segregation "at once" and "operate now and hereafter only unitary schools." In... Continue →
1947 - President's Committee on Civil Rights condemned racial injustices
On this date in 1947, President's Committee on Civil Rights condemned racial injustices in America when ity published the formal report, "To Secure... Continue →
1966 - Black Panther Party Emerges
On this date in 1966, Huey Newton and Bobby Seale students at a California college create the Black Panther Party for Self Defense.
1831 - Nat Turner, leader of a slave revolt captured
On this date in 1831, Nat Turner is captured after his role in the Slave Revolt that took place in Southampton county, Virginia on August 21, 1831.
1945 - Irving C. Mollison sworn in as U.S. Customs Court judge
ON this date in 1945, Irving C. Mollison, a Chicago Republican, sworn in as U.S. Customs Court judge in New York City.
1883 - Danville, VA coup and massacre
On this date in 1883, A political coup and a race riot occurred. White conservatives in Danville, Virginia, seized control of the local government,... Continue →
1974 - Spingarn Medal awarded to Damon J. Keith
On this date in 1974, Spingarn Medal awarded Damon J. Keith "in tribute to his steadfast defense of constitutional principles as revealed in a series... Continue →
1935 - Courts order University to admit an African American
On this date in 1935, Maryland Court of Appeals ordered the University of Maryland to admit Donald Murray.
1917 - U.S. Supreme Court decision (Buchanan v. Warley) struck down.
ON this date in 1917, U.S. Supreme Court decision (Buchanan v. Warley) struck down Louisville, Ky., ordinance which required Blacks and whites to... Continue →
1862 - Frazier A Boutelle is commissioned as second lieutenant in the Fifth New York Calvary
On this date in 1862, Frazier A Boutelle is commissioned as second lieutenant in the Fifth New York Calvary.
1989 - Renowned attorney Sadie Tanner Mossell Alexander dies.
On this date in 1989, Renowned attorney Sadie Tanner Mossell Alexander dies in Philadelphia.
1928 - Spingarn Medal: Charles W. Chestnutt
On this date in 1928, Spingarn Medal presented to Charles W. Chestnutt, the first Black to receive widespread critical recognition as a novelist. He... Continue →
1920 - James Weldon Johnson becomes executive secretary of the NAACP
ON this date in 1920, James Weldon Johnson became the first Black executive secretary of the NAACP.
1906 - President Roosevelt ordered discharge
On this date in 1906, President Roosevelt ordered discharge of three companies of Twenty-fifth Regiment for alleged involvement in the Brownsville... Continue →
1746 - Absalom Jones Born into Slavery
ON this date in 1746, Absalom Jones rose from slavery in Sussex, Delaware to become the first black Episcopal priest and principal founder of St.... Continue →
1949 - Spingarn Award presented to Ralph J. Bunche
On this date in 1949, Ralph J. Bunche received the Spingarn Medal for his contributions to the Myrdal study and his achievements as UN mediator of... Continue →
1949 - Hoping To End Segregation in St. Louis
On this date in 1949, CORE chapter pressed sit-in campaign designed to end segregation in downtown facilities in St. Louis.
1872 - South Carolina General Assembly met in Columbia
On this date in 1872, South Carolina General Assembly met in Columbia Stephen A. Swails was elected president pro tem of the senate, and Samuel J.... Continue →
1872 - Macon B. Allen, first black lawyer
ON this date in 1872, Macon B. Allen was elected judge of the Inferior Court of Charleston. Allen, the first Black lawyer, thus became the second... Continue →
1957 - National Council of Negro Women
ON this date in 1957, Dorothy Height, YMCA official, elected president of the National Council of Negro Women.
1841 - Amistad Liberators set Sail
On this date in 1841, the liberators of the ship Amistad set sail for Africa aboard the Gentleman.
1871 - Ku Klux Klan trials began in Federal District
On this date in 1871, Ku Klux Klan trials began in Federal District Court in Columbia, South Carolina.
1753 - Soldier & patriot James Robinson is born.
On this date in 1753, Soldier & patriot James Robinson is born. When he won a medal for bravery at the Battle of Yorktown, he was promised his... Continue →
1961 - Freedom Riders attacked by white mob
On this date in 1961, Freedom Riders attacked by white mob at bus station in McComb, Miss., November 29-December 2.
1944 - Korematsu v. United States
Korematsu v. United States (1944) Parties involved: Fred Korematsu, a twenty year old Japanese American who was born in Oakland, California decided... Continue →
1877 - Jonathan Jasper Wright resigns
On this date in 1877, Jonathan Jasper Wright was the first Black state supreme court justice. He resigned on this day from the state supreme court in... Continue →
1873 - Mifflin Wister Gibb
On this date in 1873, Mifflin Wister Gibb elected city judge in Little Rock and became the first Black to hold such a position.
1774 - Continental Congress
On this date in 1774, The Continental Congress will no longer allow the importation of slaves.
1641 - Colonies give Statutory Recognition
On this date in 1641, Massachusetts became the first colony to give statutory recognition to slavery. Other colonies followed: Connecticut 1650;... Continue →
1951 - Monitor Compliance with Anti-Discrimination
On this date in 1951, President Truman named committee to monitor compliance with anti-discrimination provisions in U.S. government contracts and... Continue →
1883 - Forty-eighth Congress (1883-85) convened.
ON this date in 1883, Forty-eighth Congress (1883-85) convened, Two Blacks representatives, James E. O'Hara, North Carolina; Robert Smalls, South... Continue →
1866 - John S. Rock died.
On this date in 1866, John S. Rock, lawyer and dentist died on this day. He became the first Black to practice before the U.S. Supreme Court in 1865.
1865 - Selection of the first Inter-racial jury is formed.
ON this date in 1865, Selection of the first Inter-racial jury is formed.
1915 - Ku Klux Klan received charter from Fulton County.
On this date in 1915, Ku Klux Klan received charter from Fulton County, Ga., Superior Court. Modern Klan spread to Alabama and other Southern state... Continue →
1895 - South Carolina Constitutional Convention adopted
On this date in 1895, South Carolina Constitutional Convention adopted new constitution with "understanding clause" designed to eliminate Black... Continue →
1833 - Anti-Slavery Society started
On this date in 1833, the American Anti-Slavery Society organized. The Anti-Slavery Movement began in Europe during the 1770s and rapidly spread to... Continue →
1957 - N.Y. against racial discrimination
On this date in 1957, New York became the first city to legislate against racial or religious discrimination in housing market with adoption of Fair... Continue →
1955 - Historic bus boycott began in Montgomery
On this date in 1955, Historic bus boycott began in Montgomery. At a mass meeting at the Holt Street Baptist Church Martin Luther King Jr. was... Continue →
1946 - President Truman created Committee on Civil Rights
On this date in 1946, President Truman created Committee on Civil Rights by Executive Order No. 9808. Two Blacks Attorney Sadie M. Alexander and... Continue →
1946 - Spingarn Medal presented to Thurgood Marshall
On this date in 1946, Spingarn Medal presented to Thurgood Marshall, director of the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, "for his distinguished... Continue →
1946 - Executive Order 9808
On this date in 1946, in the aftermath of World War II, mob violence and lynching of Black Americans, in conjunction with the continuing controversy... Continue →
1935 - Council of Negro Women
On this date in 1935, Educator, Mary McLeod Bethune, founds National Council of Negro Women.
1971 - Lewis Franklin Powell confirmed as Supreme Court Justice
On this date in 1971, Lewis Franklin Powell confirmed as Supreme Court justice despite opposition of civil rights organizations.
1874 - Massacre in Mississippi
On this date in 1874, White Democrats killed seventy-five Republicans in massacre at Vicksburg, Mississippi.
1862 - Watch Night
On this date in 1862, Residents of Rochester, N.Y., joined Frederick Douglass in a vigil in anticipation of the Emancipation Proclamation, which went... Continue →
1960 - Two U.S. courts issued temporary injunctions
On this date in 1960, Two U.S. courts issued temporary injunctions to prevent eviction of about seven hundred Black sharecroppers in Haywood and... Continue →
1929 - Chicago Picketing
ON this date in 1929, "Don't Buy Where You Can't Work" campaign began in Chicago with picketing of Chain stores on South Side, fall. The campaign... Continue →
1936 - NAACP filed first
ON this date in 1936, the NAACP filed first suit in campaign to equalize the salaries of Black and white teachers.
1863 - Proclamation on Amnesty and Reconstruction
On this day, President Lincoln issued his Proclamation on Amnesty and Reconstruction for the restoration of the Confederate states into the Union. He... Continue →
1829 - Elizabeth "Mumbet" Freeman, dies.
On this date in 1829, Elizabeth "Mumbet" Freeman, dies. Born into slavery, she ran away form her owners after mistreatment by her master's wife. She... Continue →
1956 - Federal Judge Dozier Devane grants injunction
On this date in 1956, Federal Judge Dozier Devane granted temporary injunction restraining city officials from interfering with integration of... Continue →
1956 - Birmingham Blacks began mass defiance of Jim Crow bus laws.
On this date in 1956, Birmingham Blacks began mass defiance of Jim Crow bus laws.
1848 - William and Ellen Craft escaped from slavery
On this date in 1848, William and Ellen Craft escaped from slavery in Georgia. Mrs. Craft impersonated a slave holder and her husband, William,... Continue →
1881 - Exodus of five thousand Blacks from Edgefield County, South Carolina
On this date in 1881, Exodus of five thousand Blacks from Edgefield County, South Carolina. Migrants, protesting exploitation and violence, settled... Continue →
1881 - Segregation Movements
On this date in 1881, Tennessee started modern segregation movement with Jim Crow railroad car and was followed by Florida (1887), Mississippi... Continue →
1881 - United Order of True Reformer established
On this date in 1881, United Order of True Reformer established.
1970 - United States population: 293,200,000
On this date in 1970, United States population: 293,200,000. Black population: 22,600,000 (11.1 per cent). Dr. Benjamin E. Mays, President-Emeritus,... Continue →
1965 - Voter registration drive started in Selma, Alabama.
ON this date in 1965, voter registration drive, led by Martin Luther King Jr., started in Selma, Alabama.
1898 - Sadie Tanner Mossell Alexander born
On this date in 1898, Sadie Tanner Mossell Alexander was born in Philadelphia ,PA. She would later becomes the second African American to earn a... Continue →
1800 - Antislavery petition from free Blacks
ON this date in 1800, Antislavery petition from free Blacks of Philadelphia presented to Congress.
1984 - Jesse Jackson secures release of Black pilot
On this date in 1984, Rev. Jesse Jackson secures the release of pilot Lt. Robert Goodman, shot down over Damascus.
1966 - Floyd B. McKissick named national director of Congress of Racial Equality.
On this date in 1966, Floyd B. McKissick, North Carolina attorney, named national director of Congress of Racial Equality.
1966 - Shooting of Civil Rights Activist
On this date in 1966, Sammy Younge, Jr., 21, was shot to death by a 67 year old white service station attendant. A Tuskegee Institute student and... Continue →
1961 - Adam Clayton Powell elected Chairman of the House
On this date in 1961, Adam Clayton Powell elected Chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee.
1947 - NAACP report
On this date in 1947, NAACP report said 1946 was "one of the grimmest years in the history of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored... Continue →
1947 - 1st Black to head a standing comm. of Congress
On this date in 1947, Congressman William L. Dawson elected chairman of House Expenditures Committee. He was the first Black to head a standing... Continue →
1947 - U.S. Black Population
On this date in 1947, United States Population: 150,697,361. Black population: 15,042,286 (10 per cent).
