Honoring those we lost on August 31 — remembered for what they gave, and for what they left behind. Lionel Hampton Full name: Lionel Leo Hampton Born Apr 20, 1908 — died Aug 31, 2002 Jazz vibraphonist, drummer, pianist, bandleader, composer, and big-band innovator. Hampton helped make the vibraphone a major jazz voice after recording […]
What happened on this day. These are the August 31 moments in Black history worth knowing, remembering, and passing on. 1836 — Henry Blair receives a patent for a cotton planter On Aug 31, 1836, Maryland inventor Henry Blair received U.S. Patent No. 15 for a mechanical cotton planter. Already recognized as the second known […]
Born on this day. These are the birthdays we celebrate on August 31 — the people whose lives added to the story of Black history. Frank Robinson Born August 31, 1935 — died February 7, 2019 Baseball Hall of Famer, Triple Crown winner, and Major League Baseball’s first Black manager. Robinson became the only player […]
Frederick Douglass “A man’s rights rest in three boxes: the ballot box, the jury box, and the cartridge box.” — Frederick Douglass Douglass understood that freedom requires vigilance. His words speak to the power and responsibility of self-defense and civic action. Wear the history: Frederick Douglass — from the Black Knowledge Wear collection.
Honoring those we lost on August 30 — remembered for what they gave, and for what they left behind. Govan Mbeki Full name: Govan Archibald Mvuyelwa Mbeki Born Jul 9, 1910 — died Aug 30, 2001 South African anti-apartheid leader, journalist, intellectual, and African National Congress organizer. Mbeki organized rural workers, wrote influential analyses of […]
What happened on this day. These are the August 30 moments in Black history worth knowing, remembering, and passing on. 1800 — Gabriel’s planned rebellion against slavery is thwarted On Aug 30, 1800, a severe storm disrupted an uprising planned by the enslaved Virginia blacksmith Gabriel and hundreds of co-conspirators seeking freedom. Informants exposed the […]
Born on this day. These are the birthdays we celebrate on August 30 — the people whose lives added to the story of Black history. Roy Wilkins Born August 30, 1901 — died September 8, 1981 Civil rights leader, journalist, and longtime executive director of the NAACP. Wilkins guided the NAACP through major battles over […]
Alice Walker “The animals of the world exist for their own reasons. They were not made for humans any more than Black people were made for white, or women for men.” — Alice Walker Walker’s words challenge hierarchy and domination. She calls for respect for all life and equality in every form.
Honoring those we lost on August 29 — remembered for what they gave, and for what they left behind. David “Honeyboy” Edwards Birth name: David Edwards Born Jun 28, 1915 — died Aug 29, 2011 Delta blues guitarist, singer, songwriter, storyteller, and living link to prewar blues. Edwards traveled and performed with Big Joe Williams, […]
What happened on this day. These are the August 29 moments in Black history worth knowing, remembering, and passing on. 1957 — Strom Thurmond ends record filibuster against civil rights On Aug 29, 1957, South Carolina senator Strom Thurmond ended a twenty-four-hour, eighteen-minute filibuster against the Civil Rights Act of 1957. The Senate passed the […]