Black History Knowledge
Black History Knowledge — May 15
What happened on this day. These are the May 15 moments in Black history worth knowing, remembering, and passing on.
May 15, 1904 — Sigma Pi Phi, also known as the Boulé, is founded in Philadelphia
Category: Black Professional Organizations / Institution Building / Fraternal Leadership
Sigma Pi Phi was founded in Philadelphia by Black professional men and became one of the oldest Black Greek-letter organizations in the United States.
Why it matters: This entry is about Black institution-building under segregation. It shows Black professionals creating networks of leadership, influence, civic responsibility, and mutual support when mainstream institutions often locked them out.
May 15, 1923 — Willis Richardson’s The Chip Woman’s Fortune reaches Broadway
Category: Theater / Harlem Renaissance / Black Playwriting
Willis Richardson’s one-act play The Chip Woman’s Fortune is widely identified as the first nonmusical Broadway production by a Black playwright.
Why it matters: This is a strong Black theater entry. It shows Black writers pushing beyond minstrelsy and musical entertainment into serious dramatic storytelling about Black life.
May 15, 1942 — The U.S. 93rd Infantry Division is activated at Fort Huachuca
Category: World War II / Black Military Service / Segregated Army
The 93rd Infantry Division was activated at Fort Huachuca, Arizona, during World War II. It was a segregated Black division-size infantry unit mobilized during the war.
Why it matters: This connects Black service, segregation, wartime sacrifice, and the contradiction of fighting for democracy abroad while being denied equality at home.
May 15, 1970 — Police kill two Black students at Jackson State College
Category: Campus Protest / State Violence / Black Student History / Antiwar Era
Police opened fire at Jackson State College in Mississippi, killing Phillip Lafayette Gibbs and James Earl Green and injuring others.
Why it matters: Jackson State exposes how Black student protest, police violence, antiwar politics, and racial inequality collided — and how the nation often remembers Kent State louder than Jackson State.
