Black History Knowledge — May 1

What happened on this day. These are the May 1 moments in Black history worth knowing, remembering, and passing on.

May 1, 1865 — Freed Black people hold one of the earliest Memorial Day-style commemorations in Charleston, South Carolina

Category: Civil War / Memory / Emancipation / Public Mourning

In Charleston, South Carolina, formerly enslaved Black people helped organize a large commemoration for Union soldiers who had died in captivity at a former racecourse. The event included reburial, public procession, and collective remembrance.

Why it matters: This entry places freed Black people at the center of American memory-making after the Civil War. It shows that Black Americans were not just waiting to be included in national history — they were actively shaping how the nation remembered sacrifice and freedom.

May 1, 1950 — Gwendolyn Brooks wins the Pulitzer Prize

Category: Literature / Poetry / Black Women Writers / Cultural Firsts

Gwendolyn Brooks won the Pulitzer Prize for Annie Allen, becoming the first African American to receive a Pulitzer Prize.

Why it matters: Brooks brought Black interior life, working-class neighborhoods, girlhood, womanhood, and community memory into one of the highest spaces in American letters.

May 1, 1997 — Alexis Herman becomes U.S. Secretary of Labor

Category: Politics / Labor / Federal Leadership / Black Women Firsts

Alexis Herman became the first African American to serve as U.S. Secretary of Labor.

Why it matters: Her appointment connects Black political leadership to labor, wages, workplace rights, and federal power — issues that have always been central to the Black freedom struggle.