Independent Historian

Samuel Momodu, a native of Nashville, Tennessee, 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 areas of research interest are African and African American History. His passion for learning Black history led him to contribute numerous entries to BlackPast.org for the last few years. Momodu has also worked as a history tour guide at President Andrew Jackson’s plantation home near Nashville, the Hermitage.  He is currently an instructor at Tennessee State University. His passion for history has also helped him continue his education.  In 2024, he received his Ph.D. in History from Liberty University, writing a dissertation titled The Protestant Vatican: Black Churches Involvement in the Nashville Civil Rights Movement 1865-1972. He hopes to use his Ph.D. degree to become a university professor or professional historian.

The Charleston Cigar Factory Strike (1945-1946)

The Charleston Cigar Factory Strike was a labor strike that involved workers at the Charleston Cigar Factory in Charleston, South Carolina, from October 22, 1945, to April 1, 1946. The strike resulted from the company refusing to institute raises and racial discrimination. The modern version … Read MoreThe Charleston Cigar Factory Strike (1945-1946)

Nashville Operation Open City Movement (1961-1964)

The Nashville Operation Open City Movement was a civil rights campaign in Nashville, Tennessee, between 1961 and 1964. This three-year campaign would become one of the longest ongoing efforts to desegregate public accommodations in any city in the nation in the 1960s. The main goal … Read MoreNashville Operation Open City Movement (1961-1964)

UCLA Shootout between the Panthers and US (1969)

The University of Los Angeles (UCLA) shootout between the Southern California chapter of the Black Panther Party (BBP) and the US Organization occurred on January 17, 1969. The shooting happened during a meeting of the Black Student Union at UCLA’s Campbell Hall, where the founder … Read MoreUCLA Shootout between the Panthers and US (1969)

The First Black Power Conference (1967)

The First Black Power Conference occurred in Newark, New Jersey, from July 20 to July 23, 1967. More than 1,000 delegates representing 286 organizations and institutions from 126 cities and 26 states gathered in Newark just days after the 1967 Newark Riot, the worst civil … Read MoreThe First Black Power Conference (1967)

The Read Drug Store Sit-Ins (1955)

The Read Drug Store Sit-Ins, also known as the Baltimore Sit-Ins, occurred on January 20, 1955, in Baltimore, Maryland. The sit-ins were organized by the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) and students from Morgan State College (Now Morgan State University) against two locations of Read … Read MoreThe Read Drug Store Sit-Ins (1955)

Alexandria Library Sit-In (1939)

The Alexandria Library sit-in was one of the first acts of civil disobedience of its type in United States history involving racial discrimination and is credited with pioneering the use of nonviolent direct action. The sit-in occurred at the racially segregated Alexandria Public Library in … Read MoreAlexandria Library Sit-In (1939)

The Charleston Hospital Strike (1969)

The Charleston Hospital Strike occurred between March 19, 1969, and June 27, 1969, in Charleston, South Carolina. The leading causes of the strike were pay inequality based on race, racial discrimination, and racial segregation of African American hospital workers. On March 17, 1969, a group … Read MoreThe Charleston Hospital Strike (1969)

Memphis Sanitation Strike (1968)

The Memphis Sanitation Strike occurred between February 12 and April 16, 1968. The sanitation strike was called in response to the deaths of sanitation workers Echol Cole and Robert Walker and in response to the racial discrimination that Black sanitation workers experienced. Dr. Martin Luther … Read MoreMemphis Sanitation Strike (1968)