Know Your History!
Up to the early 20th century, most American knowledge of Black history was limited to the African American struggle through slavery and emancipation. The significance of Black history is recognition of the advancements and accomplishments of a group of people once defined by the Constitution as three-fifths of a person. While slavery in America hosts the background of Black history, the African American impact on history reaches beyond the country’s early history, as African Americans have made significant contributions to every field of endeavor, including politics, science, culture, social causes, arts, literature, athletics and the economy.
African-American Facts for Week of: November 23, 2014
November 23, 1980
1000 people from twenty five states gather in Philadelphia November 23, 1980
1000 people from twenty five states gather in Philadelphia and form the National Black Independent Party, 1980.
November 24, 1880
Southern University established
Southern University established. Southern University and A&M College is a historically black college located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The University is a member-school of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund and the flagship institution of the Southern University System.
November 25, 1955
Segregation in buses and terminals was banned by Interstate Commerce Commission
Segregation in buses and terminals was banned by Interstate Commerce Commission, 1955. The Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) was a regulatory agency in the United States created by the Interstate Commerce Act of 1887. The agency’s original purpose was to regulate railroads (and later trucking) to ensure fair rates, to eliminate rate discrimination, and to regulate other aspects of common carriers, including interstate bus lines and telephone companies.
November 26, 1872
Macon B. Allen, first black lawyer
Macon B. Allen was elected judge of the Inferior Court of Charleston. Allen, the first Black lawyer, thus became the second Black to hold a major judicial position and the first Black with a major judicial position on the municipal level.
November 27, 1957
National Council of Negro Women
Dorothy Height, YMCA official, elected president of the National Council of Negro Women. Dorothy Irene Height (March 24, 1912 – April 20, 2010) an American administrator and educator, was a civil rights and women’s rights activist specifically focused on the issues of African-American women, including unemployment, illiteracy, and voter awareness. She was the president of the National Council of Negro Women for forty years.
November 28, 1961
Ernie Davis 28, 1961
Ernie Davis became the first African American to win the Heisman Trophy.
November 29, 1961
Freedom Riders attacked by white mob
Freedom Riders attacked by white mob at bus station in McComb, Miss., November 29-December 2. Freedom Riders were civil rights activists who rode interstate buses into the segregated southern United States in 1961 and following years.
About Annette
To me, the omission of any group from history teachings results in a limited understanding of history’s relationship with the present and future. Know your history.
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Twitter: @Annette92J
