On May 12, 1958, a pivotal summit of leading African American civil rights figures was convened in Washington, D.C. The gathering aimed to accelerate the national campaign against racial discrimination and segregation. Leaders—including Martin Luther King Jr., Roy Wilkins, A. Philip Randolph, and Lester Granger—voiced frustration at the slow pace of civil rights progress.

During the meeting, President Dwight D. Eisenhower delivered remarks that urged Black leaders to remain patient in the pursuit of full citizenship and civil rights. The speech was met with widespread criticism. In response, the leaders drafted and delivered a strongly worded letter to the White House, rejecting the notion that patience could be a substitute for justice. The letter became a historic document underscoring the urgency of desegregation and equal protection under the law during the early civil rights era. In response to the speech is a letter of note.

On May 12, 1970, a race riot broke out in Augusta, Georgia, following the death of 16-year-old Charles Oatman, a Black teenager who died under suspicious circumstances in the county jail. Community outrage surged after it was revealed that Oatman had been beaten and tortured by fellow inmates while jailers failed to intervene. That night, peaceful protests turned violent, and clashes erupted between Black residents and police. Six Black men were killed — five of them by law enforcement officers using shotguns. Over 60 people were injured. The incident remains one of the deadliest episodes of racial unrest in the American South during the civil rights era.

On May 12, 1967, fiery orator and activist H. Rap Brown was named chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), succeeding Stokely Carmichael. Brown’s appointment marked a pivotal shift in the civil rights movement as SNCC moved further away from nonviolence and deeper into Black Power ideology. Known for his bold rhetoric and unapologetic stance on racial justice, Brown energized young activists across the country. His leadership reflected the urgency and frustration felt by many in the face of systemic racism, police brutality, and the slow pace of federal reform during the late 1960s.

On May 12, 1951, Oscar Stanton De Priest, a pioneering African American politician, passed away at the age of 80 in Chicago. Elected in 1928, De Priest became the first Black congressman of the 20th century and the first to represent a northern state. A Republican from Illinois, he served three terms in the U.S. House of Representatives, where he fought against racial discrimination and advocated for civil rights legislation. His very presence in Congress challenged Jim Crow-era norms and symbolized a major political breakthrough for African Americans during the Great Migration era.

On May 12, 1940, Al Jarreau—one of the most versatile and beloved jazz vocalists of all time—was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Known for his extraordinary vocal agility and genre-blending style, Jarreau mastered jazz, pop, soul, and R&B with equal brilliance. Over the course of his career, he won seven Grammy Awards across three different categories—a rare feat in the music industry. His 1981 hit “We’re in This Love Together” and his theme song for the television series Moonlighting helped him cross into mainstream fame. Jarreau’s unique phrasing, scat improvisation, and joyful performances left an indelible mark on global music.