Born on this day. These are the birthdays we celebrate on June 23 — the people whose lives added to the story of Black history. Wilma Rudolph Born June 23, 1940 — Died November 12, 1994 Title: Olympic sprinter and track-and-field champion Wilma Rudolph overcame childhood illness, including polio, before becoming one of the greatest […]
Monthly Archives: June 2026
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Henry Highland Garnet “Let your motto be resistance! Resistance! Resistance!” Minister and abolitionist who boldly called for uprising against slavery. Garnet’s quote is a bold call to resist oppression and demand freedom.
Honoring those we lost on June 22 — remembered for what they gave, and for what they left behind. Willie Lee Morrow Born October 9, 1939 — Died June 22, 2022 Title: Barber, inventor, entrepreneur, publisher, and Black hair-care pioneer Willie Lee Morrow was a San Diego barber and businessman who helped popularize hair-care tools […]
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What happened on this day. These are the June 22 moments in Black history worth knowing, remembering, and passing on. 1908 — Nine Black men are lynched in Sabine County, Texas On June 22, 1908, a white mob lynched nine Black men in Sabine County, Texas, within a 24-hour period. The mob violence also included […]
Born on this day. These are the birthdays we celebrate on June 22 — the people whose lives added to the story of Black history. Octavia E. Butler Born June 22, 1947 — Died February 24, 2006 Title: Science fiction writer and speculative fiction pioneer Octavia E. Butler changed science fiction by placing Black women, […]
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Phillis Wheatley “In every human breast, God has implanted a principle, which we call love of freedom.” Enslaved woman and first published African American poet in the U.S. (1773). Wheatley’s words declare freedom as a human instinct planted in every person.
Honoring those we lost on June 21 — remembered for what they gave, and for what they left behind. James Chaney Born May 30, 1943 — Died June 21, 1964 Title: Civil rights worker and voting rights martyr James Chaney was a Black civil rights worker from Mississippi who was murdered alongside Andrew Goodman and […]
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What happened on this day. These are the June 21 moments in Black history worth knowing, remembering, and passing on. 1964 — Chaney, Goodman, and Schwerner are murdered in Mississippi On June 21, 1964, civil rights workers James Chaney, Andrew Goodman, and Michael Schwerner disappeared near Philadelphia, Mississippi, while working with the Freedom Summer voting […]
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Born on this day. These are the birthdays we celebrate on June 21 — the people whose lives added to the story of Black history. Henry Ossawa Tanner Born June 21, 1859 — Died May 25, 1937 Title: Painter, illustrator, and internationally recognized Black artist Henry Ossawa Tanner was one of the most important Black […]
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John Henrik Clarke “History is not everything, but it is a starting point.” Pan-African historian and educator who pushed for inclusion of African heritage in world history. Clarke reminds us that history is the starting point for knowing who we are.