Born on this day. These are the birthdays we celebrate on July 9 — the people whose lives added to the story of Black history. June Jordan Born July 9, 1936 — died June 14, 2002 Poet, essayist, teacher, journalist, and social justice activist. Jordan was born in Harlem and became one of the most […]
James Baldwin “Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced.” Writer and truth-teller whose work exposed the emotional core of racism and exile. Baldwin explains that confronting an injustice does not guarantee change, but avoiding it guarantees that nothing will change. Wear the history: James Baldwin […]
Honoring those we lost on July 8 — remembered for what they gave, and for what they left behind. David Blackwell Full name: David Harold Blackwell Born April 24, 1919 — died July 8, 2010 Mathematician, statistician, professor, game theory scholar, and first Black scholar admitted to the National Academy of Sciences. Blackwell made major […]
What happened on this day. These are the July 8 moments in Black history worth knowing, remembering, and passing on. 1777 — Vermont adopts a constitution that limits slavery On July 8, 1777, Vermont formally adopted its constitution. The document included language that limited slavery and stood as one of the earliest legal challenges to […]
Born on this day. These are the birthdays we celebrate on July 8 — the people whose lives added to the story of Black history. Billy Eckstine Birth name: William Clarence Eckstein Born July 8, 1914 — died March 8, 1993 Jazz and pop singer, bandleader, style icon, and bebop-era music pioneer. Eckstine became known […]
Hallie Quinn Brown “We must lift as we climb.” Educator, orator, and suffragist; advocate for Black women’s education and political power. Brown’s words express collective advancement: as individuals rise, they should help their communities rise with them.
Honoring those we lost on July 7 — remembered for what they gave, and for what they left behind. Helene Johnson Real name: Helen Johnson Born July 7, 1906 — died July 7, 1995 Poet, writer, Harlem Renaissance figure, and literary voice of Black modernism. Johnson was part of the Harlem Renaissance and became known […]
What happened on this day. These are the July 7 moments in Black history worth knowing, remembering, and passing on. 1834 — New York anti-abolitionist riots begin On July 7, 1834, anti-abolitionist riots began in New York City and lasted nearly a week. White mobs attacked abolitionists, Black neighborhoods, churches, homes, and businesses, showing how […]
Born on this day. These are the birthdays we celebrate on July 7 — the people whose lives added to the story of Black history. Margaret Walker Full name: Margaret Abigail Walker Born July 7, 1915 — died November 30, 1998 Poet, novelist, educator, and Black literary historian. Walker became a major voice in Black […]
Marsha P. Johnson “No pride for some of us without liberation for all of us.” Trans activist and Stonewall figure; known for defending Black and queer liberation. Johnson teaches that pride is incomplete unless liberation includes every marginalized person.