On February 1, 1997, BET Holdings, Inc. and Encore Media Corporation launched BET Movie/Starz, the first 24-hour movie channel dedicated to Black cinema. The channel was a milestone in media representation, offering round-the-clock programming focused on African American stories, filmmakers, and actors.

On February 1, 1965, a peaceful voting rights demonstration in Selma, Alabama, ended with the mass arrest of approximately 700 protesters. The protest was part of a larger campaign to challenge racial discrimination in voter registration, helping to set the stage for the Selma to Montgomery marches and the eventual passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

On February 1, 1967, renowned poet, playwright, and social activist Langston Hughes passed away. A central figure of the Harlem Renaissance, Hughes gave voice to the experiences of Black Americans through his powerful and accessible works, influencing generations of writers and artists.

On February 1, 1974, the groundbreaking sitcom Good Times premiered on CBS. It was one of the first television shows to depict a Black family living in a public housing project, addressing issues such as poverty, racism, and social justice with humor and heart. The show became a cultural touchstone and helped launch the career of Jimmie Walker and Esther Rolle.

On February 1, 1990, Joseph McNeil, Jibreel Khazan (formerly Ezell Blair Jr.), Franklin McCain, and David Richmond—known as the Greensboro Four—returned to the Woolworth store in Greensboro, North Carolina, to commemorate the 30th anniversary of their historic 1960 sit-in. They marked the occasion by having breakfast at the same lunch counter where they had launched one of the most influential acts of civil disobedience in the Civil Rights Movement.

On February 1, 1865, John Sweat Rock, a distinguished Boston lawyer, became the first African American admitted to practice before the U.S. Supreme Court. Rock was also the first Black person to address the U.S. House of Representatives. A physician, dentist, abolitionist, and orator, he was a powerful advocate for civil rights and Black self-determination during the Civil War era.

Henry McNeal Turner was born on February 1, 1834, in what is now known as Hannah Circuit near Newberry, then part of Abbeville County, South Carolina. As a child, Turner was “bound out” to grueling labor in the cotton fields and blacksmith trade until the age of 12. Despite these hardships, he developed an insatiable thirst for knowledge and went on to become a prominent bishop in the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church, a Reconstruction-era politician, and a passionate advocate for African American civil rights and emigration to Africa.

On February 1, 1865, the 38th U.S. Congress passed the 13th Amendment to the Constitution, which formally abolished slavery in the United States. Though passed by Congress on this date, the amendment was not fully ratified by the states until December 6, 1865. This marked a monumental turning point in American history and the legal end of slavery.

On February 1, 1870, Jonathan Jasper Wright was elected to the South Carolina Supreme Court, becoming the first African American to serve on the highest court of a U.S. state. A Reconstruction-era trailblazer, Wright was a strong advocate for civil rights and equal justice under the law.

On February 1, 1978, the U.S. Postal Service issued the first stamp in its Black Heritage USA series, honoring Harriet Tubman. A legendary abolitionist and key figure in the Underground Railroad, Tubman became the first African American woman to be featured on a U.S. postage stamp.