Honoring those we lost on August 13 — remembered for what they gave, and for what they left behind. Caterina Jarboro Birth name: Katherine Lee Yarborough Born Jul 24, 1898 — died Aug 13, 1986 Opera singer and pioneering Black prima donna on the American opera stage. Jarboro built an international career in Europe before […]
Monthly Archives: August 2026
What happened on this day. These are the August 13 moments in Black history worth knowing, remembering, and passing on. 1906 — The Brownsville Affair begins in Texas On the night of August 13, 1906, gunfire in Brownsville, Texas, was blamed on Black soldiers of the Twenty-fifth Infantry despite conflicting evidence and their denials. President […]
Born on this day. These are the birthdays we celebrate on August 13 — the people whose lives added to the story of Black history. James B. Parsons Full name: James Benton Parsons Born August 13, 1911 — died June 19, 1993 Attorney, federal judge, educator, musician, and judicial trailblazer. Parsons became the first African […]
Gwendolyn Brooks “Live not for battles won, live not for the end-of-the-song.” — Gwendolyn Brooks Gwendolyn Brooks, the first Black Pulitzer Prize winner, celebrated life’s continuous rhythm. Her message: joy and purpose exist in the journey, not the ending.
Honoring those we lost on August 12 — remembered for what they gave, and for what they left behind. Luther Allison Full name: Luther Sylvester Allison Born Aug 17, 1939 — died Aug 12, 1997 Blues guitarist, singer, songwriter, bandleader, and Chicago blues powerhouse. Allison carried the electric Chicago blues tradition onto international stages with […]
What happened on this day. These are the August 12 moments in Black history worth knowing, remembering, and passing on. 1922 — Frederick Douglass’s Cedar Hill home is dedicated as a memorial On August 12, 1922, the restored Frederick Douglass Memorial Home at Cedar Hill was formally dedicated in Washington, D.C. Black women’s organizations, including […]
Born on this day. These are the birthdays we celebrate on August 12 — the people whose lives added to the story of Black history. Lillian Evanti Birth name: Annie Wilson Lillian Evans Born August 12, 1890 — died December 6, 1967 Opera singer, composer, concert artist, and civil rights advocate. Evanti became the first […]
Ida B. Wells “No man can rob me of the dignity which God has conferred upon me.” — Ida B. Wells Ida B. Wells fought racial violence with fearless truth. Her words declare that dignity cannot be taken — only surrendered. Wear the history: Ida B. Wells — from the Black Knowledge Wear collection.
Honoring those we lost on August 11 — remembered for what they gave, and for what they left behind. Samuel Harrison Born Apr 15, 1818 — died Aug 11, 1900 Minister, abolitionist, Civil War chaplain, and advocate for equal military pay. Harrison served as chaplain of the 54th Massachusetts Infantry, one of the Civil War’s […]
What happened on this day. These are the August 11 moments in Black history worth knowing, remembering, and passing on. 1965 — The Watts Rebellion begins in Los Angeles On August 11, 1965, the arrest of Marquette Frye after a traffic stop sparked six days of unrest in the Watts neighborhood of Los Angeles. The […]










