The Greenville Library Desegregation Crisis/ The Greenville Eight (1960)

The Greenville (South Carolina) Library Desegregation Crisis involved eight African American students who protested the segregated library system in Greenville, South Carolina, from March 1, 1960, to September 9, 1960. The eight students included future civil rights leader and presidential candidate Jesse Jackson, Dorris Wright, … Read MoreThe Greenville Library Desegregation Crisis/ The Greenville Eight (1960)

Taylor Electric Company (1922- )

In the article below historian Kathleen Thompson describes Taylor Electric Company, founded in 1922 and has the distinction of being the oldest continuously operating Black-owned business in Chicago and one of the oldest in the United States. Taylor Electric Company is one of the oldest … Read MoreTaylor Electric Company (1922- )

Stokely Carmichael’s Black Power Speech (1966)

On the night of June 16, 1966, Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) Chair Stokely Carmichael (Later Kwame Ture) proclaimed to the crowd, “We been saying freedom for six years and we ain’t got nothin’. What we got to start saying now is Black Power! We … Read MoreStokely Carmichael’s Black Power Speech (1966)

Laphonza Romanique Butler (1979- )

On October 1, 2023, California Governor Gavin Newsom chose well-known labor organizer and political strategist Laphonza Butler to be the next US Senator from California, following the death of long-serving Senator Dianne Feinstein on September 29, 2023. Butler, who was sworn in by Vice President … Read MoreLaphonza Romanique Butler (1979- )

Olga (Ollie) Burgoyne (1879-1974)

Olga “Ollie” Burgoyne, also known as Ollie Burgoyne-Calloway, was a singer and dancer specializing in Russian and other ethnic dances. She was also an actress and businesswoman who gained popularity during the Harlem Renaissance and left her mark as one of the most influential African … Read MoreOlga (Ollie) Burgoyne (1879-1974)

David Ray “Doc” Roberts (1972- )

David Ray “Doc” Roberts is a baseball manager and former outfielder. Roberts was born on May 31, 1972, to Waymon Roberts, an African American United States Marine, and Eiko Roberts, a Japanese woman in Naha, Okinawa, Japan. During his early childhood, Roberts and his family … Read MoreDavid Ray “Doc” Roberts (1972- )