Independent Historian

Samuel Momodu is a native of Nashville, Tennessee where he was born and raised. Momodu received his Associate of Arts Degree in History from Nashville State Community College in December 2014 and a Bachelor of Arts Degree in History from Tennessee State University in May 2016. He received his Master of Arts Degree in history from Southern New Hampshire University in June 2019. Momodu’s main interest areas in history are African and African American History. His passion for learning more about black history has made him continue to contribute to writing history for Blackpast.org for the last couple of years where he wrote hundreds of entries for the website. Momodu has also worked as a history tour guide at Andrew Jackson the Hermitage in the past and history instructor at his alumni Tennessee State University. His passion for history has also helped him to continue his education as he currently attends Liberty University working on his Ph.D. in history online hoping to be a university professor or professional historian in the future.

Baton Rouge Bus Boycott (1953)

The Baton Rouge (Louisiana) Bus Boycott in 1953 was the first large-scale boycott of a southern segregated bus system. It inspired the Montgomery Bus Boycott that took place two years later. The boycott, however, remains controversial because many supporters felt its leader, Rev. T.J. Jemison, … Read MoreBaton Rouge Bus Boycott (1953)

The Slave Revolt in the Cherokee Nation (1842)

The Slave Revolt in the Cherokee Nation occurred in Indian Territory (now Oklahoma) when a group of twenty-five enslaved blacks, mostly from the Joseph Vann plantation, attempted to escape to Mexico where slavery was abolished. The revolt began on November 15, 1842, when the Vann plantation fugitives gathered … Read MoreThe Slave Revolt in the Cherokee Nation (1842)

Sylville Smith (1993-2016)

The shooting death of Sylville Smith, a 23-year-old African American man, by Dominique Heaggan-Brown, an African-American police officer in the Milwaukee (Wisconsin) Police Department, yet again intensified the national debate over the shooting of unarmed black citizens at the hands of police and reinforced the call by Black … Read MoreSylville Smith (1993-2016)

Leo Austin Brooks, Sr. (1932- )

Leo A. Brooks Sr. is a retired major general formerly in the United States Army. Brooks was born August 9, 1932 in Alexandria, Virginia to the Reverend Houston G. Brooks and Evelyn Lemon Brooks. His grandparents were of mixed African American and American Indian ancestry. Beginning in 1950 Brooks … Read MoreLeo Austin Brooks, Sr. (1932- )

Christian Taylor (1995-2015)

The shooting death of Christian Taylor, a 19-year-old college student, by Arlington, Texas police officer Brad Miller at a car dealership in the city in the early morning hours of August 7, 2015 helped continue the ongoing debate promoted by Black Lives Matter and other social justice groups concerning young African … Read MoreChristian Taylor (1995-2015)

Tamon Robinson (1985-2012)

Tamon Robinson, a twenty-seven-year-old African American man was killed by a police car by two unnamed NYPD officers at the Bayview Housing Project in Canarsie, Brooklyn in 2012.  His death at the hands of law enforcement continued the ongoing debate about unarmed African Americans dying at the … Read MoreTamon Robinson (1985-2012)

Alfred L. Cralle (1866–1920)

Alfred L. Cralle was an African American businessman and inventor best known for inventing the ice cream scoop in 1897. Cralle was born on September 4, 1866, in Kenbridge, Lunenburg County, Virginia, just after the end of the American Civil War. He attended local schools and worked for his father in … Read MoreAlfred L. Cralle (1866–1920)

DeAunta T. Farrow (1994-2007)

Twelve-year-old DeAunta T. Farrow, killed by West Memphis, Arkansas Police Officer Erik Sammis on June 22, 2007, was one of the youngest victims of a police shooting that year.  His death sparked protests in West Memphis and brought national attention to another death of an unarmed black citizen at … Read MoreDeAunta T. Farrow (1994-2007)

John Crawford III (1992-2014)

The shooting death of John Crawford III, a twenty-two-year-old African-American man by Beavercreek, Ohio police officer Sean Williams at a Walmart store in Beavercreek was another death that added to the national debate about the shooting deaths of unarmed black men promoted by the Black Lives Mattermovement. In this instance … Read MoreJohn Crawford III (1992-2014)