One day after winning the world heavyweight boxing title, Cassius Clay announced his conversion to Islam and adopted the name Muhammad Ali. The change marked a profound turning point in his life and career, symbolizing his spiritual commitment and alignment with the Nation of Islam. Ali’s embrace of his new identity challenged racial norms and established him as a bold and influential figure in both sports and civil rights history.

The U.S. Congress passed the Fifteenth Amendment to the Constitution, which guaranteed that the right to vote could not be denied based on “race, color, or previous condition of servitude.” This landmark legislation was a major victory for Black men following the Civil War and marked a critical step in the struggle for civil rights and racial equality in the United States.

At the 27th Annual Grammy Awards, African-American musicians achieved sweeping success. Lionel Richie’s Can’t Slow Down won Album of the Year for 1984. Tina Turner claimed Record of the Year for What’s Love Got to Do with It, also earning Best Female Pop Vocal Performance. The Pointer Sisters won Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal for Jump (For My Love), showcasing the broad impact of Black artists on mainstream music.

President Lyndon B. Johnson appointed Andrew Brimmer as the first African American governor of the Federal Reserve Board. A respected economist and academic, Brimmer served on the Board from 1966 to 1974, where he played a key role in shaping U.S. monetary policy during a time of economic and social change.

Jimmie Lee Jackson, a 26-year-old civil rights activist, died from injuries sustained during a peaceful voting rights protest in Marion, Alabama. He was reportedly shot by a state trooper while protecting his family. Jackson’s death became a catalyst for the Selma to Montgomery marches, pivotal events in the Civil Rights Movement that led to the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

A violent race riot erupted in Columbia, Tennessee, after a dispute between a Black Navy veteran and a white shopkeeper. The incident escalated into a broader confrontation between the Black community and white authorities. White mobs and police attacked Black neighborhoods, resulting in two deaths and ten injuries. The NAACP intervened with legal support, and future Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall helped defend the arrested Black men. The event marked a turning point in postwar civil rights activism.

Godfrey Cambridge, a prominent African American actor and comedian, was born on February 26, 1933, in New York City. Known for his sharp wit and social commentary, Cambridge gained fame in the 1960s and 70s with roles in films like The President’s Analyst and Cotton Comes to Harlem. He used humor to address issues of race and civil rights, becoming a powerful voice in entertainment during a transformative era in American history.

The Green Pastures, a groundbreaking play by Marc Connelly, opened at the Mansfield Theatre in New York City. Featuring an all-Black cast, it was one of the first major Broadway productions to do so. The play, which presented biblical stories through the perspective of African American spiritual culture, became a critical and commercial success, winning the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1930.

Antoine “Fats” Domino, an influential American singer, pianist, and songwriter, was born in New Orleans, Louisiana. Known for hits like Blueberry Hill and Ain’t That a Shame, Domino helped shape early rock and roll with his boogie-woogie piano style and smooth vocals. His music bridged rhythm and blues with mainstream pop, paving the way for generations of artists.

Theodore “Tiger” Flowers, known as the “Georgia Deacon” for his devout faith, made history by defeating Harry Greb at Madison Square Garden to become the first African American to win the world middleweight boxing title. Flowers, a southpaw known for his speed and skill, carried a Bible into the ring and recited Psalm 144 before each fight. His victory was a significant milestone in the integration of professional boxing.

Historian Carter G. Woodson initiated the first Negro History Week to promote the study and celebration of Black history in the United States. Timed to coincide with the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass, the week-long observance laid the foundation for what would later become Black History Month, officially recognized in 1976.

On this day, Dr. Carter G. Woodson, often called the “Father of Black History,” founded Associated Publishers to promote and preserve African American history. In February 1926, he launched Negro History Week to encourage the study of Black achievements, aligning it with the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass. This initiative laid the foundation for what became Black History Month, officially expanded in 1976 during the U.S. Bicentennial to honor the broad contributions of African Americans to the nation’s history and culture.

James E. O’Hara, a pioneering African American congressman from North Carolina, was born on this day. First elected to the U.S. House of Representatives on March 4, 1883, he served two terms until March 3, 1887. O’Hara was a strong advocate for civil rights, education, and racial equality during the Reconstruction era and its aftermath, becoming one of the few Black legislators in Congress during the 19th century.

At the Wormley Hotel in Washington, D.C., representatives of presidential candidate Rutherford B. Hayes and Southern Democrats held a private conference to resolve the disputed 1876 election. The resulting agreement, known as the Compromise of 1877, secured Hayes’s presidency in exchange for the withdrawal of federal troops from the South. This marked the end of Reconstruction and led to the disenfranchisement and systemic oppression of Black Americans for decades.

Wyatt Outlaw, a prominent Black leader of the Union League and the first African American town commissioner in Graham, North Carolina, was lynched by the Ku Klux Klan. His murder, carried out in front of the Alamance County Courthouse, was intended to intimidate Black citizens and suppress Reconstruction-era political progress. Outlaw’s death became a symbol of the violent backlash against Black political engagement during Reconstruction.

The U.S. Congress passed the Fifteenth Amendment to the Constitution, prohibiting the federal and state governments from denying citizens the right to vote based on “race, color, or previous condition of servitude.” Although ratified in 1870, this landmark legislation was a major step forward for Black male suffrage during Reconstruction and laid a constitutional foundation for future civil rights advancements.