On June 13, 1967, President Lyndon B. Johnson nominated Thurgood Marshall to the U.S. Supreme Court, making him the first African American to be appointed to the highest court in the nation. Prior to this, Marshall was best known for his victory in Brown v. Board of Education (1954), the landmark case that led to the desegregation of public schools. As a former NAACP lawyer and Solicitor General, Marshall had argued more cases before the Supreme Court than any lawyer in history at that time. His nomination was both historic and controversial, facing opposition from Southern senators during confirmation hearings. Despite this, Marshall was confirmed later that year. His presence on the Court marked a turning point in American jurisprudence and civil rights, where he served for 24 years, consistently advocating for individual rights, due process, and social justice. Marshall\’s nomination on this day symbolized a stride toward equality in American democracy.

On thus day in 1990, Bernadette Locke becomes the first female on-court coach when she is named assistant coach of the University of Kentucky men’s basketball team.

On this day in 1937, Eleanor Holmes (later Eleanor Norton) is born in Washington, DC. A graduate of the Yale University School of Law, Norton will become chairperson of the New York City Commission on Human Rights, and a Georgetown University law professor before being elected a non-voting delegate to Congress.

On this day in 1910, William D. Crum (1859-1912), a South Carolina physician, appointed minister to Liberia.

On this day in 1868, Ex-slave Oscar J. Dunn becomes lieutenant governor of Louisiana. It is the highest executive office held by an African American to date.

Though Medgar Evers was assassinated on June 12, 1963, his funeral was held on June 13 and became a major civil rights moment. Evers was a Mississippi NAACP field secretary and a fierce advocate for desegregation and voting rights. His assassination stunned the country and became one of the galvanizing tragedies of the civil rights era. Over 5,000 mourners attended his funeral in Jackson, Mississippi, and the event drew national press coverage. The U.S. Navy veteran was buried with full military honors at Arlington National Cemetery. His funeral not only honored his legacy but became a rallying point that added urgency to the Civil Rights Act efforts. The events of June 13 spotlighted the life, sacrifice, and ongoing struggle for civil rights in the United States.

On June 13, 1866, the U.S. House of Representatives reaffirmed the Civil Rights Act of 1866 following President Andrew Johnson’s continued resistance. Originally passed over Johnson’s veto in April, the act declared all persons born in the U.S. (excluding Native Americans) as citizens entitled to equal protection under the law. June 13 is notable because Congress pushed forward with the 14th Amendment on this same date, embedding those rights into the Constitution. This was a turning point in Reconstruction policy, establishing the federal government as the guarantor of civil rights for newly freed African Americans. The reaffirmation was a rejection of presidential obstruction and an assertion of Congressional authority to protect Black citizenship in the post–Civil War era.

On June 13, 1920, James Weldon Johnson was appointed as the first African American Executive Secretary of the NAACP. Already known for his work as a writer, poet, and civil rights activist, Johnson brought strategic vision and intellectual leadership to the organization. During his tenure, he expanded membership, fought lynching through national legislation campaigns, and elevated the NAACP\’s legal and cultural influence. Johnson helped shift the organization’s focus to include both legal defense and cultural empowerment, helping lay the groundwork for the Harlem Renaissance. His appointment marked a significant moment in Black leadership within the oldest civil rights organization in the United States.

On June 13, 1971, acclaimed sculptor Geraldine McCullough was awarded the Widener Gold Medal by the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. The honor was given for her sculpture “Phoenix,” a powerful piece symbolizing rebirth and resilience. McCullough’s work often fused African themes with modernist form and metalworking techniques. Her Widener win was a rare and historic achievement for an African American woman in the visual arts world. The award elevated her profile nationally and internationally and opened doors for other Black women artists. June 13 marks an important cultural milestone in the recognition of African American contributions to fine art.

On June 13, 1995, Assata Shakur became the first woman placed on the FBI’s Most Wanted Terrorists list. A former member of the Black Liberation Army, Shakur had escaped prison in 1979 and was granted political asylum in Cuba. The FBI alleged her involvement in the 1973 killing of a New Jersey state trooper, though many activists consider her a political prisoner targeted for her revolutionary beliefs. Her addition to the Most Wanted list sparked global attention and debate over the definition of terrorism, the legitimacy of state prosecution, and the boundaries of political resistance. June 13 became a flashpoint in the ongoing conflict between Black liberation movements and state power.

On June 13, 1912, Ralph Ellison was born in Oklahoma City. His most celebrated work, Invisible Man, won the National Book Award in 1953 and remains a seminal novel on Black identity, alienation, and racism in America. Ellison’s lyrical prose and layered storytelling challenged both literary norms and societal injustices. Beyond fiction, he was a prolific essayist, writing on politics, music, and culture. His birth on June 13 is celebrated as the emergence of one of the most important Black intellectual voices of the 20th century. Ellison\’s insights into the Black experience still resonate today, making this date a key moment in African American literary history.

On June 13, 1970, Don Cornelius entered serious negotiations to syndicate Soul Train nationally. Originally a local Chicago program, the show had already proven successful with Black audiences and performers. Cornelius envisioned Soul Train as a national platform for Black music, dance, and culture—and June 13 marks the day the expansion began to take shape. The show would go on to revolutionize American television, becoming the longest-running nationally syndicated show in history. It offered visibility and validation for Black talent during a time of widespread exclusion from mainstream media. The syndication talks that began on June 13 paved the way for an enduring cultural legacy.

On June 13, 1969, Arthur Ashe and Charlie Pasarell won the French Open men\’s doubles title—making Ashe the first African American man to win a French Open title of any kind. Already known for breaking barriers in tennis as a singles player, Ashe\’s win in Paris cemented his legacy as a global sports icon. He used his platform to advocate against apartheid, champion civil rights, and promote education and health causes. This victory not only added to Ashe’s decorated career but also emphasized the international impact of Black athletes in traditionally white-dominated sports. June 13 stands as a testament to Ashe’s athletic brilliance and moral courage.

Herbert Chitepo, Zimbabwean nationalist leader and first Black chairman of the Zimbabwe African National Union (ZANU), was assassinated in 1975. On June 13, 1971, a British intelligence report later declassified confirmed the likelihood that Rhodesian state agents orchestrated the attack. Chitepo had led guerrilla efforts against white minority rule and symbolized the intellectual face of African liberation. His death, caused by a car bomb in Lusaka, Zambia, destabilized ZANU’s leadership but intensified the liberation struggle. The June 13 confirmation marked an early recognition of the role of external colonial sabotage in Black nationalist movements. Chitepo’s legacy is honored in Zimbabwe as a martyr of the independence movement.

While Solomon Mahlangu was executed in 1979, South African youth activists in exile established June 13, 1980, as a commemorative event in Lusaka, Zambia, honoring his sacrifice. Mahlangu was a soldier in Umkhonto we Sizwe, the armed wing of the African National Congress (ANC), executed by apartheid South Africa at age 23. His last words—“Tell my people that I love them and that they must continue the fight”—echoed throughout liberation camps. The June 13 event became an annual rallying point for mobilizing young South Africans abroad and strengthening Pan-African solidarity. Mahlangu remains a symbol of youth resistance against state violence.

On June 13, 1940, French Guianese poet Léon-Gontran Damas released Pigments, a fierce literary denunciation of colonial racism. A founder of the Négritude movement alongside Aimé Césaire and Léopold Sédar Senghor, Damas used sharp verse to explore identity, language, and psychological trauma under French rule. The book, banned shortly after publication by the Vichy regime, became a revolutionary manifesto for Black consciousness across the Francophone world. Pigments was particularly influential among students and intellectuals in Africa, the Caribbean, and Europe, marking a pivotal moment in the literary resistance to colonial assimilation and racial oppression.

On June 13, 1978, Latin American and African scholars gathered in Havana for the inaugural Afro-Latin Congress. A central focus was the legacy of Amílcar Cabral, leader of Guinea-Bissau’s independence struggle. His writings on anti-colonial unity and cultural resistance were republished and distributed across Latin America. The conference emphasized Cabral’s model of ideological training, agrarian organizing, and Pan-African solidarity. Delegates from Brazil, Angola, and Cuba highlighted the interconnectedness of African and Latin American liberation movements. This congress strengthened Black intellectual networks across the Atlantic and affirmed Cabral’s role as a revolutionary theorist beyond African borders.

On June 13, 1893, Anderson Ruffin Abbott’s mentee, Anderson MacAulay, became one of the earliest Black Canadian graduates in higher education. Abbott, the first Black Canadian physician, had encouraged Black youth to pursue education in Ontario. MacAulay’s graduation from the University of Toronto was a landmark in the post-slavery period, as education was still heavily restricted for Black Canadians in many provinces. MacAulay later became a teacher and civil rights advocate in Nova Scotia, promoting equality in education and the press. His journey inspired generations of Black Canadian professionals and educators committed to public service and cultural advancement.

On June 13, 2010, South Africa hosted its first FIFA World Cup match on the African continent—a global affirmation of post-apartheid transformation. Ghana’s national team beat Serbia 1–0, energizing Pan-African pride and dispelling myths about Africa’s capability to host world-class events. The tournament drew attention to economic disparities, but also celebrated African excellence, music, and culture on a world stage. Vuvuzelas became a symbol of local expression, and the global spotlight shifted to African unity, resilience, and creativity. June 13 stood as a day of symbolic global inclusion for the continent’s long-excluded populations.

On June 13, 1831, debates in the British House of Commons referenced Mary Prince’s autobiography—The History of Mary Prince, published earlier that year. Prince, born in Bermuda, was the first Black woman to publish a slave narrative in Britain. The June 13 session featured parliamentary calls to investigate the brutalities revealed in her account. Her testimony was critical in building momentum toward the Slavery Abolition Act of 1833. Prince’s courage became emblematic of enslaved women\’s resistance and marked a shift in British public consciousness about Caribbean slavery. Her narrative helped humanize the realities of imperial violence.

On June 13, 1901, the Africa Times and Orient Review was first conceived during a planning meeting in Trinidad by early Pan-Africanists. Though the newspaper would officially launch in 1912 in London under Duse Mohamed Ali, its ideological roots were laid on this day. The June meeting united Caribbean intellectuals frustrated with British imperial propaganda and laid groundwork for global Black political journalism. The paper would later influence Marcus Garvey and African nationalists. This founding moment in Trinidad underscores the Caribbean’s early leadership in global Pan-African consciousness and media activism.

On June 13, 1985, Nigerian playwright and Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka gave a lecture in Oslo emphasizing the moral obligations of artists in confronting tyranny. Though his Nobel Prize would come the following year, this speech electrified human rights circles. Soyinka criticized military dictatorship in Nigeria and apartheid in South Africa, linking both to global systems of injustice. His address inspired artists across Africa and the diaspora to use their craft for social critique. The event elevated Soyinka as a global conscience and strengthened the connection between Black literature and political resistance.

On June 13, 1974, the Mozambique Liberation Front (FRELIMO) launched its final military offensive against Portuguese colonial forces in northern Mozambique, a decisive push that accelerated the end of centuries-long colonial rule. While the Carnation Revolution in Portugal had begun to shift power back home, FRELIMO capitalized on the moment, intensifying its campaign for national sovereignty. Though often overshadowed by independence movements in Angola or South Africa’s anti-apartheid struggle, FRELIMO’s success was instrumental in igniting a wave of decolonization across Southern Africa. The offensive pressured Portugal to sign the Lusaka Accord just months later, leading to full Mozambican independence on June 25, 1975. The event highlighted a rarely acknowledged truth: that African military strategy and political organization—not just European political shifts—played a central role in ending colonial rule. June 13 remains a turning point in African international resistance movements, especially in Lusophone Africa.