On January 28, 1989, after 62 years of controversy, Colgate-Palmolive announced the rebranding of its “Darkie” toothpaste—sold primarily in Asia—to “Darlie.” The brand’s logo, which had featured a blackface caricature, was changed to a racially neutral silhouette. The move came amid growing criticism over the product’s racist imagery and name, reflecting increasing corporate awareness of racial insensitivity in global branding.

On January 28, 1997, during South Africa’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission hearings, former apartheid-era police officers publicly confessed to their involvement in the 1977 killing of anti-apartheid activist Steve Biko. Biko’s death in police custody had become a global symbol of the brutality of apartheid, and the confession marked a significant moment in the country’s reckoning with its past.

On January 28, 1986, physicist and astronaut Dr. Ronald McNair was tragically killed when the space shuttle Challenger exploded shortly after liftoff. McNair, a Ph.D. graduate from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, was the second African American in space and the first Black astronaut to die during a space mission. His legacy continues to inspire generations in science and education.

On January 28, 1970, Arthur Ashe, the first Black man to win Wimbledon, was denied a visa to compete in the South African Open as part of the U.S. team. The apartheid government of South Africa refused him entry due to his outspoken criticism of its racial segregation policies. Ashe’s exclusion highlighted the intersection of sports and human rights, and he continued to be a vocal advocate against apartheid.

On January 28, 1963, Harvey Gantt became the first Black student to enroll at Clemson College in South Carolina, peacefully integrating the last state-supported college in the last state to hold out against desegregation. His historic enrollment marked a major victory for the Civil Rights Movement and set a precedent for integration efforts across the South.

On January 28, 1944, Matthew Henson was awarded a joint medal by the U.S. Congress in recognition of his role as co-discoverer of the North Pole. Henson, an African American explorer, was part of the 1909 expedition led by Robert Peary and is now widely acknowledged as a key figure in that historic achievement.

On November 8, 1938, Crystal Bird Fauset was elected to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, becoming the first African American woman to serve in a state legislature in the United States. Representing the 18th District of Philadelphia, which was 66% white at the time, Fauset introduced nine bills and three amendments focusing on public health, housing for the poor, public relief, and women’s workplace rights during her tenure.

William “Bill” White, born on January 28, 1934, in Lakewood, Ohio, was a standout Major League Baseball outfielder and first baseman. Over his career, he played in 1,673 games and recorded 1,706 hits with a .286 batting average. He won the Gold Glove Award in 1960 and 1966. After retiring, White made history as the first African American president of the National League, serving from 1989 to 1994.

Richmond Barthé, a prominent African American sculptor associated with the Harlem Renaissance, was born on January 28, 1901, in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi. Celebrated for his expressive portrayals of Black subjects in bronze, Barthé’s work explored themes of identity, spirituality, and the Black experience.

On January 28, 1787, the Free African Society was organized in Philadelphia by Richard Allen and Absalom Jones. It was one of the first Black mutual aid societies in the United States, created to provide assistance to newly freed African Americans and to foster community, education, and religious life independent of white-dominated institutions.