The US Almost Put A “Mammy Memorial” In The Middle Of Washington DC
The US Senate once voted to move forward on a plan to put a giant statue celebrating slavery in the middle of Washington DC.
How The Juneteenth Holiday Spread From Galveston, To Texas, To The Whole United States
Holidays don't just show up; people make them happen. Here's the story of how a commemoration of a key moment in ending the institution of slavery eventually became a national holiday across the United States.
The Real-Life Kid Who Inspired Ezra Jack Keats’ “The Snowy Day”
Today in 1940, Life Magazine published a series of photos of a little boy in Liberty County, Georgia - photos that, two decades later, would inspire one of the most famous picture books ever published.
Mitchelville Was The First US Town Led By Formerly Enslaved People
This month in 1863, the founding of a town that made history: Mitchelville was the first town in the United States to be governed by formerly enslaved people.
How Jophery Brown Became One Of Hollywood’s Most Iconic Stuntmen
Today in 1993, the release of the blockbuster movie Jurassic Park. One of the small but key roles in that movie is the work of Jophery Brown, actor and a stuntman who's performed in some of the biggest movies of the last few decades.
Florence Price Finally Takes Her Place On The List Of Great Composers
Today in 1887 (or, by some accounts, 1888), the birthday of a composer who’s really only now getting the acclaim she deserves: Florence Price.
When Missouri Banned Schools For Black Students, John Berry Meachum Started A School On A Riverboat
Today in 1847, the state of Missouri put a significant obstacle in front of a civil rights activist's efforts to educate Black students in St. Louis. But he found a way around it.
The Blackwell Family Tree Traces Black History Through Centuries
For Black History Month, the story of the Blackwell Family Tree, a genealogy project that traces on Black family's history back through thousands of people and hundreds of years.
When Martin Luther King Jr. Won The Nobel Peace Prize, Atlanta Held A Historic Dinner In His Honor
Dr. King's home city gave him a warm welcome after he won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964, though putting that warm welcome together got complicated.
Black Firefighters In Chicago Helped Give The World The Fire Pole
Today in 1872, the Chicago Tribune reported on the launch of a new fire station that would change the profession of firefighting forever by inventing the fire pole.