On this day in 1973, Thomas J. “Tom” Bradley was elected as the 38th Mayor of Los Angeles, becoming the first and only African-American to hold the office. Bradley served for five consecutive terms, from 1973 to 1993, making his 20-year tenure the longest in the city’s history. His leadership helped shape modern Los Angeles, fostering economic development, international recognition, and efforts toward greater racial inclusivity.

Frederick M. Jones, a prolific African American inventor, was granted a patent for a two-cycle gasoline engine on May 29, 1945 (U.S. Patent No. 2,376,968). Best known for inventing mobile refrigeration for trucks and trains, Jones held over 60 patents in his lifetime—many in the field of refrigeration, but also covering engines, electronics, and sound equipment. His innovations revolutionized the food and transportation industries and played a key role in preserving medical supplies during World War II.

On May 29, 1980, Vernon E. Jordan Jr., then President of the National Urban League, was critically injured in an assassination attempt in Fort Wayne, Indiana. A prominent civil rights leader and political advisor, Jordan survived the shooting and went on to play a key role in American social and political life. The attack was later linked to white supremacist Joseph Paul Franklin.

On May 29, 1914, Henry Ransom Cecil McBay was born in Mexia, Texas. A brilliant chemist and influential educator, McBay earned his Bachelor of Science from Wiley College in 1934, his Master of Science from Atlanta University in 1936, and a Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of Chicago in 1945. He made significant contributions to the development of chemical agents and served as an instructor at his alma mater, Wiley College, before joining Morehouse College, where he mentored generations of Black scientists and medical professionals. His work helped pave the way for future African Americans in STEM fields.

On this day, President Andrew Johnson unveiled his plan for Reconstruction after the Civil War. His program required former Confederate states to ratify the 13th Amendment, which abolished slavery. However, it did not require any protections for Black suffrage or civil rights, leaving formerly enslaved people vulnerable to new systems of racial oppression in the South.

At the Ohio Women’s Rights Convention in Akron, Sojourner Truth, a formerly enslaved abolitionist and women’s rights advocate, delivered her powerful “Ain’t I A Woman?” speech. With raw clarity and moral force, Truth challenged prevailing notions of racial and gender inferiority, pointing to her own experiences to highlight the strength and dignity of Black women. Her words became a cornerstone of both the feminist and abolitionist movements.