“Sanford and Son” debuts as a TV sitcom set in Watts, starring Redd Foxx and featuring mostly Black actors. The show, which emphasized a strong […]
Category: This Week in Black History
This Week in Black History January 4, 1853
After having been kidnapped and sold into slavery in the American South, Solomon Northup regained his freedom. His memoir, “Twelve Years a Slave,” later became a […]
This Week in Black History January 1, 1863
The Emancipation Proclamation was issued by President Abraham Lincoln as the country entered the third year of the Civil War. It declared that “all persons […]
This Week in Black History December 26, 1966
Black historian Maulana Ron Karenga introduces Kwanzaa, a non-religious holiday designed to celebrate African and African-American culture. The holiday honors seven core principles of African […]
This Week in Black History December 10, 1984
Desmond Tutu, a South African archbishop known for his work as a human rights activist, received the Nobel Piece Prize at Oslo City Hall […]
This Week in Black History December 1, 1955
Rosa Parks is arrested for refusing to move to the back of a bus and give her seat to a white passenger in Montgomery, Alabama. […]
This Week in Black History November 23, 1897
Andrew Jackson Beard, an African American farmer and inventor, was issued a patent for the automatic railroad car coupler. Born a slave, Beard was inducted […]
This Week in Black History November, 18, 1992
The film “Malcolm X,” directed by Spike Lee (pictured) and starring Denzel Washington and Angela Bassett, is released in the United States. The film about […]
This Week in Black History November 11, 1978
Donna Summer’s “MacArthur Park” reaches the top of the Billboard Hot 100, making it her first number one pop hit. Written by Jimmy Webb, the songwriter […]
This Week in Black History November 6, 1962
Augustus Freeman Hawkins of Los Angeles is elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, becoming the first Black member of Congress from west of the […]
