Born on this day. These are the birthdays we celebrate on August 9 — the people whose lives added to the story of Black history. Ken Norton Sr. Full name: Kenneth Howard Norton Sr. Born August 9, 1943 — died September 18, 2013 World heavyweight boxing champion, Marine Corps veteran, and Boxing Hall of Famer. […]
Langston Hughes “Hold fast to dreams, for if dreams die, life is a broken-winged bird that cannot fly.” — Langston Hughes Hughes urged Black America to never stop dreaming. His poetry taught that hope is the foundation of freedom.
Honoring those we lost on August 8 — remembered for what they gave, and for what they left behind. William Augustus Hinton Born Dec 15, 1883 — died Aug 8, 1959 Bacteriologist, pathologist, medical educator, public health pioneer, and Harvard professor. Hinton developed a more accurate blood test for syphilis and wrote the first medical […]
What happened on this day. These are the August 8 moments in Black history worth knowing, remembering, and passing on. 1863 — Tennessee’s Eighth of August emancipation tradition takes root According to oral tradition preserved by the National Park Service, Andrew Johnson emancipated the people he enslaved on August 8, 1863. Black communities in Tennessee […]
Born on this day. These are the birthdays we celebrate on August 8 — the people whose lives added to the story of Black history. Matthew Henson Full name: Matthew Alexander Henson Born August 8, 1866 — died March 9, 1955 Arctic explorer, navigator, author, and pioneering figure in polar exploration. Henson spent nearly two […]
Alice Walker “Activism is my rent for living on this planet.” — Alice Walker Walker believed justice is everyone’s duty. Her words remind us that activism is how we pay forward our place in the world.
Honoring those we lost on August 7 — remembered for what they gave, and for what they left behind. Ira Aldridge Full name: Ira Frederick Aldridge Born Jul 24, 1807 — died Aug 7, 1867 Actor, playwright, theater manager, abolitionist, and pioneering Black Shakespearean performer. After racism restricted his opportunities in the United States, Aldridge […]
What happened on this day. These are the August 7 moments in Black history worth knowing, remembering, and passing on. 1930 — White mob lynches Thomas Shipp and Abram Smith in Indiana On August 7, 1930, a white mob broke into the jail in Marion, Indiana, and lynched Thomas Shipp and Abram Smith before either […]
Born on this day. These are the birthdays we celebrate on August 7 — the people whose lives added to the story of Black history. Ralph Bunche Full name: Ralph Johnson Bunche Born August 7, 1904 — died December 9, 1971 Diplomat, political scientist, civil rights advocate, and Nobel Peace Prize winner. Bunche became the […]
Maya Angelou “When you know better, you do better.” — Maya Angelou Angelou’s wisdom teaches that growth is a moral responsibility. Knowledge must lead to kindness and action. Wear the history: Maya Angelou — from the Black Knowledge Wear collection.