On August 24, 1950, Edith Sampson made history by becoming the first Black person appointed as a U.S. delegate to the United Nations. A Chicago […]
Category: This Week in Black History
This Week in Black History: George Olden becomes first Black designer of a U.S. postage stamp
August 16, 1963: In a historic moment for American art and Black achievement, television and advertising executive George Olden became the first Black person to […]
This Week in Black History: Arnette Rhinehart Hubbard becomes first woman president of National Bar Association
On July 31, 1981, Arnette Rhinehart Hubbard, a Chicago-based attorney, made history by becoming the first female president of the National Bar Association (NBA). Founded […]
This Week in Black History: Jackie Robinson’s Hall of Fame tribute on July 23, 1962
When Jackie Robinson entered baseball’s Hall of Fame on July 23, 1962, he did more than seal his place among the sport’s legends. He became […]
This Week in Black History: 54th Massachusetts’ charge at Fort Wagner reshaped Black history and the Civil War
On July 18, 1863, the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry Regiment, one of the first United States Army units composed entirely of free Black men, made […]
This Week in Black History: Martin Luther King Jr. leads 60,000 at Chicago Freedom Movement rally
On July 10, 1966, an estimated 60,000 people filled Chicago’s Soldier Field for the largest northern civil rights rally of its era, answering the call […]
This Week in Black History: Serena Williams makes history at Wimbledon, inspiring a new generation
On July 6, 2002, the tennis world witnessed a defining moment in Black history and sports when former Compton resident Serena Williams captured her first […]
Wellington Webb’s 1991 election made history as Denver’s first Black mayor: This Week in Black History
On June 18, 1991, Denver voters made history by electing Wellington Webb as the city’s first African-American mayor. Webb’s victory marked a turning point not […]
Medgar Evers’ Murder on June 12, 1963: This Week in Black History
On June 12, 1963, Medgar Evers, a field secretary for the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), was assassinated in front of […]
This Week in Black History: Doris A. Davis breaks barriers as first Black woman to lead a major U.S. city
On June 5, 1973, Doris A. Davis made history by becoming the first African American woman to govern a major metropolitan city in the United […]