On February 3, 1996, Congressman J.C. Watts of Oklahoma became the first African American chosen to deliver the official Republican response to the U.S. State of the Union address. His selection marked a significant moment in American political history, highlighting increased Black representation within the Republican Party.

On February 3, 1986, the U.S. Postal Service issued a commemorative stamp honoring Sojourner Truth, the renowned abolitionist and women’s rights activist. The stamp was part of the Black Heritage Series and celebrated Truth’s enduring legacy as a powerful voice for justice and equality.

On February 3, 1971, the National Guard was mobilized in Wilmington, North Carolina, to quell civil unrest sparked by racial tensions and protests. The unrest, which lasted until February 9, resulted in the deaths of two individuals and underscored ongoing struggles over civil rights and racial inequality in the South.

On February 3, 1969, the Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) intensified its armed struggle against Portuguese colonial rule. As one of the key liberation movements in Angola, the MPLA played a central role in the fight for independence, which was eventually achieved in 1975. The date is commemorated in Angola as the beginning of the final phase of the country’s fight for liberation.

Rosa Parks, born Rosa Louise McCauley on February 3, 1913, in Tuskegee, Alabama, became a pivotal figure in the American civil rights movement. Her courageous refusal to give up her bus seat to a white passenger in 1955 sparked the Montgomery Bus Boycott and helped ignite nationwide efforts to end racial segregation.

On February 3, 1794, during the French Revolution, France formally abolished slavery in all of its colonies, marking a landmark moment in European abolitionist history. However, this commitment was short-lived—Napoleon Bonaparte reinstated slavery in 1802, along with the “Code Noir,” which restricted the rights of Black and mixed-race people, including prohibitions on their presence in French colonies and intermarriage with whites.