On February 9, 1952, Ralph Ellison’s groundbreaking novel Invisible Man won the National Book Award for Fiction. The novel explores themes of racial identity and social invisibility in America, and its critical acclaim established Ellison as a major voice in American literature.

On February 9, 1967, the 25th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution officially went into effect. While not exclusively a Black history event, the amendment—clarifying presidential succession and disability procedures—has had implications for all Americans, including during pivotal moments involving civil rights-era leadership transitions and national stability.

On February 9, 1995, Dr. Bernard Harris became the first African American astronaut to perform a spacewalk during the STS-63 mission aboard the space shuttle Discovery. His historic achievement marked a major milestone in the history of African Americans in space exploration.

On February 9, 1971, legendary pitcher Leroy “Satchel” Paige was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame. He became the first player from the Negro Leagues to receive this honor, recognizing his extraordinary talent and contributions to baseball during an era of segregation.

Alice Walker, renowned novelist, poet, and activist, was born on February 9, 1944, in Eatonton, Georgia. She is best known for her Pulitzer Prize-winning novel The Color Purple, a powerful exploration of race, gender, and resilience in the American South.

On February 9, 1906, acclaimed poet and author Paul Laurence Dunbar died at the age of 33 in Dayton, Ohio. One of the first African American writers to gain national recognition, Dunbar was celebrated for his dialect poetry as well as his standard English works, which explored Black life in America at the turn of the 20th century.