On April 20, 1971, the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously ruled in Swann v. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education that busing students was a constitutionally permissible method to achieve racial integration in public schools. The decision upheld a North Carolina district court’s plan to use busing and redistricting as tools to dismantle de facto segregation. This landmark ruling reinforced the federal government’s role in enforcing desegregation, nearly 17 years after Brown v. Board of Education. Though controversial, it marked a turning point in civil rights law and set a precedent for similar actions across the country in the 1970s.

On April 20, 1990, Oakland, California hosted the first-ever Bay Area Black Filmworks Festival, a landmark three-day event sponsored by the Black Filmmakers Hall of Fame. The festival showcased 25 films celebrating Black voices, creativity, and cultural storytelling in cinema. One of the highlights was the screening of Making ‘Do the Right Thing’, a behind-the-scenes documentary exploring Spike Lee’s groundbreaking film and its commentary on race, community, and justice. The event not only celebrated established talent but also amplified emerging Black filmmakers whose work challenged industry norms and reshaped the cultural narrative.

On April 20, 1909, Lionel Hampton was born in Louisville, Kentucky. A virtuoso vibraphonist, drummer, pianist, and bandleader, Hampton became one of the first African American musicians to perform with a white band when he joined Benny Goodman in the 1930s. He later formed his own influential big band and helped launch the careers of notable artists like Quincy Jones and Charles Mingus. Known for his electrifying energy and showmanship, Hampton was instrumental in bringing the vibraphone to prominence in jazz music and breaking down racial barriers in the entertainment industry.

On April 20, 1909, E. Frederic Morrow was born in Hackensack, New Jersey. A graduate of Rutgers University and later a vice president at Bank of America, Morrow made history in 1955 when President Dwight D. Eisenhower appointed him as an administrative officer in the White House. He became the first African American to hold an executive position on a U.S. presidential staff. Morrow’s pioneering role marked a quiet but critical step forward for racial representation in American government. His memoir, Black Man in the White House, later detailed the challenges he faced navigating race and politics at the highest level.

On April 20, 1899, Edward Kennedy “Duke” Ellington was born in Washington, D.C. Widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in American music, Ellington was a composer, bandleader, and pianist whose career spanned over 50 years. He helped elevate jazz into a sophisticated art form, blending classical, gospel, blues, and swing into a style that was uniquely his own. With over 1,000 compositions to his name—including “It Don’t Mean a Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing),” “Mood Indigo,” and “Take the ‘A’ Train”—Duke Ellington transformed the sound of the 20th century and left an indelible mark on global music history.

On April 20, 1877, federal troops were withdrawn from public buildings in New Orleans, marking one of the final acts in the collapse of Reconstruction. This retreat effectively ended federal enforcement of civil rights in the South and handed control back to white supremacist “Redeemer” governments. The withdrawal followed the contested presidential election of 1876 and the resulting Compromise of 1877, in which Rutherford B. Hayes was awarded the presidency in exchange for ending federal intervention in Southern affairs. The decision left Black citizens vulnerable to voter suppression, segregation laws, and decades of systemic injustice under Jim Crow.

On April 20, 1871, the U.S. Congress passed the Third Enforcement Act, also known as the Ku Klux Klan Act, in response to widespread racial terrorism in the post-Civil War South. The act defined Klan violence as a rebellion against the federal government and granted President Ulysses S. Grant sweeping powers to protect Black citizens and suppress white supremacist groups. For the first time, the president could suspend the writ of habeas corpus, declare martial law, and use federal troops in areas deemed insurrectionist. The legislation marked a bold assertion of federal authority during Reconstruction and was instrumental in temporarily dismantling Klan influence—though its effects were tragically short-lived.

On April 20, 1853, Harriet Tubman began actively leading enslaved people to freedom as a conductor on the Underground Railroad. After escaping slavery herself in 1849, Tubman returned to the South numerous times over the next decade, guiding more than 70 enslaved men, women, and children to freedom. Her work on the Railroad was part of a vast, secret network of safe houses and allies—many of whom were Black, Indigenous, or Quaker—risking their lives to fight slavery. Tubman’s bravery, strategy, and unwavering commitment earned her the nickname “Moses,” and her missions made her one of the most revered figures in American history.