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.
Lewis Howard Latimer, The Black Inventor Who Helped Make The Modern World Modern
Today in 1848, the birthday of Lewis Howard Latimer, an inventor whose work helped make the world what it is today.
Jackie Ormes Brought Black Characters To The Comics Page
Today in 1911, the birthday of Jackie Ormes, the first Black woman to have syndicated comic strips in newspapers.
In India, Telegrams Were Still Around Until 2013
Today in 2013, the last traditional telegram message went out, decades after telephones and smartphones and text messages and so on. So why were there still telegrams here in the 21st Century?