On February 20, 1864, the Battle of Olustee, also referred to as the Battle of Ocean Pond, was fought in Baker County, Florida. Notably, it was a major battle fought by Black Union Army troops as well as the final Civil War battle in Florida, … Read MoreThe Battle of Olustee (February 20, 1864)
Sammy Davis, Jr. was born on December 8, 1925 in Harlem, New York. His parents, Sammy Davis, Sr., an African American, and Elvera Sanchez, a Cuban American, were both vaudeville dancers. They separated when young Davis was three years old and his father took him on tour with … Read MoreSammy Davis, Jr. (1925-1990)
“Image Ownership: Public Domain” Former president and president emeritus of Howard University, Dr. James Edward Cheek is credited with major changes and improvements to one of the oldest historically African American institutions of higher education during his twenty-year tenure. James Edward Cheek was born on … Read MoreJames Edward Cheek (1932–2010)
Congresswoman Mia Love represents Utah’s 4th Congressional District and is the first black Republican woman and the first Haitian-American elected to the United States Congress. She is also the first black person elected to Congress in Utah. Love was born Ludmya Bourdeau on December 6, … Read MoreMia Love (1975 – )
In the extended article that appears below historians Daudi Abe and Quintard Taylor explore the history of African Americans in King County from 1858 to 2014. They analyze the forces which encouraged people of African ancestry to settle in the county and discuss the rapid … Read MoreFrom Memphis and Mogadishu: The History of African Americans in King County, Washington, 1858-2014
The Dred Scott v. Sandford case (1857) was the most important slavery-related decision in the United States Supreme Court’s history. Coming on the eve of the Civil War, and seven years after the Missouri Compromise of 1850, the decision affected the national political scene, impacted … Read MoreThe Dred Scott Decision, 1857
A.T. Walden (left) Image Courtesy of Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Fair Use) Austin Thomas (A.T.) Walden, a noted attorney and civil rights leader, was one of few African American lawyers in Georgia during early 20th century. Walden was born in Fort Valley, Georgia on April 12, 1885 … Read MoreA.T. Walden (1885-1965)
Clilan (C.B.) Powell, longtime owner of the Amsterdam News, was born in 1894 to former Virginia slaves. Very little is known about his childhood. He received his medical degree in 1920 from Howard University School of Medicine and began his career specializing in x-ray technology. … Read MoreC. B. Powell (1894-1977)
William Alexander Scott II, the founder of the Atlanta Daily World newspaper, was born in 1902 in Edwards, Mississippi. Scott, who was educated at Morehouse College around World War I, initially began publishing a business directory in Atlanta. However, he was interested in encouraging conversation … Read MoreWilliam Alexander Scott II (1902-1934)
In 1910 James Edward Shepard founded North Carolina College for Negroes in Durham, North Carolina. Shepard was born and raised in Raleigh, North Carolina along with eleven other siblings. His father was Reverend Augustus Shepard and his mother was Harriet E. Shepard. Shepard received his … Read MoreJames Edward Shepard (1875-1947)
