Honoring those we lost on July 11 — remembered for what they gave, and for what they left behind. Mifflin Wistar Gibbs Born April 17, 1823 — died July 11, 1915 Businessman, newspaper publisher, lawyer, judge, diplomat, banker, and Black political pioneer. Gibbs moved through many fields during the 19th century, from abolitionist circles and […]
What happened on this day. These are the July 11 moments in Black history worth knowing, remembering, and passing on. 1905 — Niagara Movement begins first major meeting On July 11, 1905, Black activists led by W. E. B. Du Bois and William Monroe Trotter began gathering near Niagara Falls for the first major meeting […]
Born on this day. These are the birthdays we celebrate on July 11 — the people whose lives added to the story of Black history. Mattiwilda Dobbs Born July 11, 1925 — died December 8, 2015 Opera singer, coloratura soprano, professor, and international classical music pioneer. Dobbs broke major racial barriers in opera, becoming one […]
Henry Box Brown “I got out so I could speak — and show others the way to freedom.” Escaped slavery by shipping himself in a wooden box from Virginia to Philadelphia. Brown’s escape from slavery became testimony: gaining his own freedom allowed him to expose slavery and encourage resistance.
Honoring those we lost on July 10 — remembered for what they gave, and for what they left behind. Jelly Roll Morton Real name: Ferdinand Joseph LaMothe Born about 1890 — died July 10, 1941 Jazz pianist, composer, arranger, bandleader, and early New Orleans jazz pioneer. Morton was one of the foundational figures in early […]
What happened on this day. These are the July 10 moments in Black history worth knowing, remembering, and passing on. 1893 — Dr. Daniel Hale Williams performs landmark heart surgery In July 1893, Dr. Daniel Hale Williams performed a landmark operation at Provident Hospital in Chicago after James Cornish arrived with a serious stab wound […]
Born on this day. These are the birthdays we celebrate on July 10 — the people whose lives added to the story of Black history. Mary McLeod Bethune Born July 10, 1875 — died May 18, 1955 Educator, civil rights leader, institution builder, organizer, and presidential advisor. Bethune was born in South Carolina to formerly […]
Daisy Bates “No man or woman who tries to pursue an ideal in his or her own way is without enemies.” Civil rights advocate and mentor to the Little Rock Nine. (Born July 10, 1914) Bates reminds reformers that pursuing justice inevitably creates opposition from people invested in the existing order.
Honoring those we lost on July 9 — remembered for what they gave, and for what they left behind. James Farmer Full name: James Leonard Farmer Jr. Born January 12, 1920 — died July 9, 1999 Civil rights leader, organizer, educator, Freedom Rider, and co-founder of CORE. Farmer helped build the Congress of Racial Equality […]
What happened on this day. These are the July 9 moments in Black history worth knowing, remembering, and passing on. 1868 — Fourteenth Amendment ratified On July 9, 1868, the Fourteenth Amendment was ratified. The amendment granted citizenship to people born or naturalized in the United States, including formerly enslaved people, and promised equal protection […]