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October 13, 1914~Garret Morgan, an African-American inventor and community leader, invents and patents the gas mask. He is renowned for a heroic rescue in 1916 in which he and three others used the mask he’d developed to save workers trapped within a water intake tunnel, 50 feet beneath Lake Erie.
Morgan made numerous other inventions, but is widely remembered the gas mask and traffic signal.
Black History Every Day
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October 14, 1834~Henry Blair of Maryland successfully patents his corn-planting machine. The patent is one of the first to be filed by a black person in America.
In 1836 he obtained a second patent for a cotton planter. Blair had been a successful farmer for years and developed the inventions as a means of increasing efficiency in farming.
#BlackHistory #History #Farming #BlackCoSo
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At the time that his patents were granted, US patent law allowed both freed and enslaved people to obtain patents (Blair was freed). In 1857, this law was challenged by a slave-owner who claimed that he owned "all the fruits of the slave's labor," including his slave's inventions. This resulted in a change of the law in 1858 which stated that slaves were not citizens, and therefore could not hold patents. In 1871, the law was changed to grant all men patent rights.
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October 15,1883~The U.S. Supreme Court declares the Civil Rights Act of 1875 unconstitutional. The decision was spurred by the end of Reconstruction and helped to usher in the Jim Crow period in the South whereby Black rights won during Reconstruction were taken away.
Black Americans would have to wait eight decades before Congress passed another civil rights law barring discrimination in public accommodations and employment.
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October 16, 1940~Benjamin Oliver Davis Sr. is named the first Black general in the regular U.S. Army.
Davis was a career officer in the United States Army. One of the few black officers in an era when American society was largely segregated. In 1940 he was promoted to brigadier general, the army's first African American general officer.
Davis died in 1970 at the age of 90.
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October 17, 1871—President Ulysses Grant declared martial law suspends the writ of habeas corpus in nine South Carolina counties in order to combat a Ku Klux Klan terror campaign against Blacks and some progressive Whites.
Grant pretty much crushed the Klan during this period. It would not rise again until the 1920s.
https://omny.fm/shows/this-day-in-history-class/u-s-president-ulysses-s-grant-suspends-habeas-corp
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October 18, 1968 ~ Robert (Bob) Beamon sets record for long jump at the Summer Olympics in Mexico City with a first jump of 8.90 m.
His world record stood for 23 years until it was finally broken in 1991 when Mike Powell jumped 8.95 m at the World Championships in Tokyo, but Beamon's jump is still the Olympic record and 55 years later remains the second-longest wind-legal jump in history.
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October 19, 1870~The first African Americans elected to the U.S. House of Representatives came from South Carolina: Joseph H. Rainey, Robert C. Delarge, and Robert B. Elliott.
Rainey was actually seated first and thus became the first African American sworn in as a member of Congress representing South Carolina's 1st District.
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October 20, 1951~The "Johnny Bright Incident" a violent, and likely racially motivated, on-field assault of Bright during a college football game during which his jaw was broken.
Bright chose to forego the NFL draft, opting instead to play in the CFL due to concerns about the potential challenges he might face as the first black player in the NFL. Remarkably, Bright's yards per carry average of 5.5 still stands as a record to this day.
After the assault, the football uniform was changed so that the helmet included the face shield/mask.
The Brutal Tackle That Changed the Face of Football - The Johnny Bright Story
#BlackHistory #Football
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iNHjI2pLe-s
Black History Every Day
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October 21, 1975 ~The Black Fashion Museum is opened in Harlem by Lois Alexander.
The museum traced the historical contributions of black designers and clothing makers to fashion.
Established in Harlem, it was relocated to Washington, D.C. in 1994 and operated until 2007, when the Black Fashion Museum Collection was accepted into the collections of the National Museum of African American History and Culture.
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October 22, 1953 ~ Clarence S. Green becomes the first African-American certified as a neurosurgeon.
Dr. Greene received his M.D. from Howard University with distinction in 1936. After 7 years of general surgery residency and 4 years as a professor of surgery at Howard, he was granted the opportunity by the legendary Wilder G. Penfield to train in neurosurgery at the world-renowned Montreal Neurological Institute from 1947 to 1949.
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October 23, 1947~NAACP sent “An Appeal to the World” to the UN. The petition, authored by W.E.B. Du Bois, charged the U.S. with systematic denial of civil and human rights to African Americans.
It stated, “We appeal to the world to witness that this attitude of America is far more dangerous to mankind than the atom bomb; and far, far more clamorous for attention than disarmament or treaty.”
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October 24, 1935—“Mulatto” opens on Broadway in New York City. The play, written by famed Black poet Langston Hughes, became the first long-run Black play on Broadway.
"Mulatto" is a tragic play about race issues in the American south. The play ran for 11 months and 373 performances. It is one of the earliest Broadway plays to combine father-son conflict with race issues.
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October 25, 1958~ A. Philip Randolph, Jackie Robinson, Coretta Scott King, Harry Belafonte, and more led a Youth March for Integrated Schools in Washington, D.C. with over 10,000 participants.
March organizers also included Daisy Bates and NAACP’s Roy Wilkins. Belafonte led a delegation of the students to the White House to meet with President Eisenhower. They were turned away.
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October 26, 1977~Dr. Clifford Wharton Jr. named chancellor of the State University of NY. He was the first African-American to head the largest university system in the nation.
During his tenure, he achieved greater management flexibility, strengthened research capability, and improved the quality image of the university.
He was appointed Chancellor Emeritus on May 10, 2012 and served as US Deputy Sec of State under President Clinton.
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October 27, 1954 ~ B. O. Davis, Jr. becomes the first black general in the US Air Force. He followed in his father's footsteps in breaking racial barriers, as B. O. Davis Sr. was the 1st black brigadier general in the US Army.
Davis Jr, was also the Commander of the Tuskegee Airmen. Upon retirement he held the rank of lieutenant general and on December 9, 1998, President Clinton awarded him a 4th star, raising him to full general rank.
General Davis Sr.(Army) and General Davis Jr. (Air Force)
Prior to joining the Airforce Davis Jr was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Army. At the time he was commissioned, the Army had only two black officers who weren't chaplains – Benjamin O. Davis Sr. and Benjamin O. Davis Jr
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October 28, 1908 ~In 1905 the Western Colored Library opened at a private home in Louisville, KY. It was the first public library in the nation to serve and be fully operated by black residents. During that time, virtually all other public libraries around the country were closed to African Americans.
In 1908, the newly constructed Carnegie Library, fully funded by philanthropist Andrew Carnegie, opened at its current location at 604 S 10th St.
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October 29, 1969 ~ SCOTUS ordered immediate school desegregation. This decision, known as Alexander v. Holmes County Board, came 15 years after the groundbreaking Brown v. Board ruling in 1954, which declared segregated public schools unconstitutional.
Despite the Brown decision, many Southern states continued to delay. This decision marked a crucial milestone in the ongoing struggle for civil rights and equal education.
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October 30, 1954 ~Dept of Defense announced elimination of all segregated regiments in the armed forces.
This was a crucial step in the process of desegregation and the broader civil rights movement. It was the result of an Executive Order signed by President Truman in 1948, which called for equality in the armed services, regardless of race.
Despite challenges, the military became more inclusive and diverse over the next decades.
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October 31, 1945 ~ Educator, Booker T. Washington, inducted into the Hall of Fame for Great Americans.
Washington was born a slave and rose to become a leading African American intellectual of the 19 century, founding Tuskegee Normal and Industrial Institute (Now Tuskegee University) and the National Negro Business League. He advised Presidents Roosevelt and Taft and is remembered as the most influential African American speaker of his time.
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November 1, 1945 ~The 1st issue of Ebony magazine is published by John H. Johnson selling 25,000 copies.
After 71 years, in 2016, Johnson Publishing sold both Ebony and Jet, to a private equity firm called Clear View Group. The new publisher is known as Ebony Media Corporation. After the publication went bankrupt in July 2020, it was purchased for $14 million by Junior Bridgeman in December 2020.
https://myauctionfinds.com/2019/04/03/my-first-look-at-ebonys-first-issue-nov-1945/
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November 2, 1920 (Election Day) ~The Ocoee Massacre, the largest election-related massacre in the 20th Century. occurred in the town of Ocoee, Florida. This mass racial violence event that saw a white mob attack African-American residents was intended to keep black citizens from voting. Approximately 50 Blacks and two whites died in the violence and the entire Black community of Ocoee was forced to flee the town.
https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/the-ocoee-massacre-1920/
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November 3, 1992—Carol Moseley Braun, D-Ill., becomes the first Black woman elected to the US Senate.
Moseley Braun was also the first black U.S. Senator from the Democratic Party, the first woman to defeat an incumbent U.S. Senator in the primaries for the nomination by a major party, and the first female U.S. Senator from IL.
In January 2023, she was nominated by President Joe Biden to serve as chair of the US African Development Foundation
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November 4, 2008~Illinois Senator Barack Obama was elected the first African American President of the United States.
The man, his character, speaks volumes, and that's all I have to say about that.
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November 5, 1974 ~ George L. Brown becomes the Lieutenant Governor for Colorado, making him the first black Lieutenant Governor in the US.
Brown served on the Colorado State Senate for 18 years. He was also the first Black editor to work for a major daily newspaper in the Rocky Mountains, and the first black corporate officer in a major US aerospace company.
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November 6, 1900—James Weldon Johnson composes “Lift Ev’ry Voice And Sing.” The song becomes the “Black National Anthem.” In 1920, Johnson becomes the first Black head of the NAACP.
#BlackHistory Every Day ~Today in Black History
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November 7, 1841 ~ SUCCESSFUL MUTINY ON THE CREOLE SLAVE SHIP
Madison Washington, a slave aboard the the Creole, a slave ship en route to New Orleans, from Hampton, VA leads a successful rebellion. After 128 slaves overpowered their crew they sailed to the Bahamas, where they were granted asylum and freedom.
Because of the number of people eventually freed, the Creole mutiny was the most successful slave revolt in US history.
#BlackHistory Every Day ~Today in Black History
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November 8, 1938 ~ Crystal Bird Fauset becomes the 1st black woman elected to a state legislature in the U.S. acquiring this distinction by being named to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives.
Her accomplishments for African American people earned her a Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission Marker. It was unveiled in 1991 and can be found outside her old home on 5402 Vine Street in Philadelphia.
#BlackHistory Every Day ~Today in Black History
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November 9, 1868—The Howard University Medical School—the first designed to train Black medical personnel—opens in Washington, D.C.
There were eight students in the first class seven were black and one was white.
James T. Wormley became the first student to graduate from the school of medicine in 1870.
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/howard-university-medical_n_4242268
#BlackHistory Every Day ~Today in Black History
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November 10, 1957—Charlie Sifford wins the Long Beach Open, becoming the first Black person to win a major professional golf tournament.
Sifford was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2004, the first African-American so honored. In May 2011 Charlotte’s old Revolution Park Golf Course, which for years was off limits to Black players was renamed after him and in 2014, was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Obama
#BlackHistory Every Day ~Today in Black History
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November 11, 1989 ~Civil Rights Memorial is dedicated in Montgomery, AL
#BlackHistory Every Day ~Today in Black History
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November 12, 1922~ Sigma Gamma Rho, Sorority Inc. founded by seven young educators and established at Butler University in Indianapolis, IN, a predominately white campus.
The sorority has more than 500 chapters in the United States, Bahamas, Bermuda, Canada, Germany, South Korea, U.S. Virgin Islands, and the United Arab Emirates.
The sorority's slogan is "Greater Service, Greater Progress"
#BlackHistory Every Day ~Today in Black History
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November 13, 1940 ~Supreme Court ruled in Hansberry v.Lee that whites can't bar blacks from white neighborhoods. Carl Hansberry, a Black businessman, courageously challenged the discriminatory practices of the a Chicago Property Owners' Association by acquiring a building. Faced with backlash, a lawsuit was filed against him The legal battle reached the SCOTUS in 1940, where a pivotal decision was made, overturning the previous ruling.
#BlackHistory Every Day ~Today in Black History
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November 14, 1960 ~ At just six years old, Ruby Bridges became the first Black child to desegregate the all-white William Frantz Elementary School in New Orleans during the desegregation crisis.
Federal marshals had to escort Ruby, as she was faced with throngs of angry white protestors restrained by barricades.
Today, she is a Civil Rights Icon, Activist, Author, and Speaker.
#BlackHistory Every Day ~Today in Black History
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November 15, 1894 ~ The Freedmen’s Hospital School of Nursing was founded for African–Americans by Black surgeon Dr. Daniel Hale Williams.
The hospital trained Black medical professionals after slavery and during segregation, when Blacks were not allowed to train with whites at other institutions.
In 1967, Congress transferred Freedmen’s to Howard University where it was converted into the Howard University College of Nursing in 1969.
#BlackHistory Every Day ~Today in Black History
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November 16, 2001 ~ Agbani Darego is crowned Miss World becoming the first Black African to win the coveted beauty pageant. She was from the oil-rich West African nation of Nigeria.
Darego has since judged numerous pageants and modelling competitions, and launched a both a fashion reality show and her denim range, AD by Agbani Darego, which includes jeans, dresses, sunglasses and bags.
@nursefrombirth A question - unless you find it disrespectful and offensive in which case I'll delete: Many of us have taken skin tone to approximate the portion of Caucasian ancestry. It was even codified in law in some states in the past, used to determine degree of discrimination.
I learned tone varies widely across Africa and thought regions explained it. The darkest people I've ever met were Nigerian exchange students. Yet she is light skinned with probably no European ancestry.
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@nursefrombirth Thanks. As I've had to spend regular time swimming for rehab I've been reminded than skin tone can vary in the same Caucasian individual 😉.
I'm even more curious about genetic markers as I've tried to find connections to DNA matches on ancestry dot com. They identify many genetic groups, e.g. Bantu, West African, which are likely in common among groups of mutually related folk. Yet I've never been able to use these identifications to solve a mystery.
No offense taken, and it's a great question! Skin tone among Black people is incredibly diverse and can vary widely even within the same family.
The idea that skin tone can approximate
Caucasian ancestry is a misconception, as black people come in a beautiful spectrum of shades, influenced by genetics, geography, and cultural factors.
Your curiosity is appreciated, and it's wonderful to engage in conversations that promote understanding.
@walterbays