The 24th Amendment to the United States Constitution was ratified, abolishing the use of poll taxes in federal elections. Poll taxes were historically used in many Southern states to suppress the voting rights of African Americans and poor citizens. This amendment marked a significant victory in the fight for civil rights and equal access to the ballot box.

Nell Carter, celebrated actress and singer, died at age 54. She was best known for her role as the sassy housekeeper on the 1980s sitcom Gimme a Break! and won a Tony Award in 1978 for her powerhouse performance in the Broadway musical Ain’t Misbehavin’. Her work helped redefine portrayals of Black women in television and musical theater.

Rev. Thomas A. Dorsey, known as the “Father of Gospel Music,” passed away in Chicago, Illinois. A prolific composer, performer, and recording artist, Dorsey pioneered the gospel music genre by blending Christian praise with blues. His iconic songs “Take My Hand, Precious Lord” and “Peace in the Valley” have become gospel standards, recorded by countless artists worldwide.

ABC-TV began airing the groundbreaking mini-series Roots, based on Alex Haley’s novel Roots: The Saga of an American Family. The eight-part series traced multiple generations of an African American family, starting with Kunta Kinte, an African man sold into slavery. Roots was a cultural milestone, drawing unprecedented viewership and prompting national conversations about slavery and African American history.

Paul Robeson, a renowned actor, singer, athlete, and civil rights activist, passed away on this day in 1976. Robeson was a multi-talented figure who used his platform to advocate for racial equality and social justice worldwide. Despite facing intense political persecution during the McCarthy era for his outspoken views, he remained a powerful symbol of dignity, resistance, and the global struggle for human rights.

Student activists at the University of Chicago, supported by the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE), launched demonstrations from January 23 to February 5, 1962, to protest discriminatory practices in off-campus housing. CORE accused the university of operating segregated apartment buildings, sparking a pivotal moment in student-led civil rights activism on campus.

The National Association of Colored Graduate Nurses (NACGN) pressured the U.S. Army Nurse Corps to eliminate its racial color bar and admit nurses regardless of race. Their persistent advocacy marked a pivotal step toward desegregation in military medical services and increased opportunities for Black nurses during World War II.

On this day, acclaimed African American author Richard Wright was awarded the Spingarn Medal by the NAACP for his groundbreaking novel Native Son. The novel, which explored systemic racism and the psychological impact of oppression on Black Americans, became a bestseller and a seminal work in American literature. Wright’s win marked a pivotal moment in recognizing Black voices in mainstream publishing and literature.

On this day in 1891, Dr. Daniel Hale Williams, one of the first African American surgeons in the United States, founded Provident Hospital in Chicago, Illinois. It was the first interracial hospital in the U.S. and also established the first nursing school for African Americans. Dr. Williams later became renowned for performing one of the first successful open-heart surgeries in 1893.

Amanda Berry Smith was born into slavery in Long Green, Maryland. After gaining her freedom, she became a renowned evangelist and missionary. Defying the barriers of race and gender, Smith traveled extensively across the United States, as well as to England, India, and Liberia, spreading her Christian message. Her work made her one of the first African American women to serve as an international missionary.

On January 23, 1821, minister and former slave Lott Cary departed the United States, leading a group of freed African Americans to West Africa under the auspices of the American Colonization Society. Their mission was to establish a colony for formerly enslaved people. This settlement laid the foundation for what would become the Republic of Liberia in 1847, making it the first African republic founded by formerly enslaved people from the Americas.