Feb. 29, 1940 Los Angeles actress-activist Hattie McDaniel becomes the first African American to win a coveted Academy Award when she captures Best Supporting Actress […]
Category: This Week in Black History
This Week in Black History
Feb. 12, 1909 Educator W.E.B. DuBois is one of 60-plus activists who form the NAACP to fight for racial equality for black Americans. As editor […]
This Week in Black History
February 8, 1986 Medical student Debi Thomas becomes the first black skater to win the women’s singles of the U.S. National Figure Skating Championship. She […]
This Week in Black History
January 31, 1988 Doug Williams, the first Black quarterback to start in a NFL championship game, is named MVP of Super Bowl XXII in San […]
This Week in Black History
Jan. 23, 1977 Alex Haley’s award-winning narrative “Roots” is adapted for television in a landmark mini-series that would explore black people’s forced journey from Africa […]
This Week in Black History
January 10, 1957 Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and 60 other black activists organize the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, a direct action organization aimed at […]
This Week in Black History
January 3, 1973 Yvonne Brathwaite Burke is sworn in to the U.S. House of Representatives, becoming California’s first African-American congresswoman. She later became the first […]
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 […]
This Week in Black History
December 18, 2002 A group led by Robert L. Johnson, founder of Black Entertainment Television, was awarded the NBA’s new Charlotte expansion franchise, making Johnson […]
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 […]