Black History Knowledge
Black History Knowledge — May 28
What happened on this day. These are the May 28 moments in Black history worth knowing, remembering, and passing on.
May 28, 1830 — Indian Removal Act signed into law
Category: U.S. Expansion / Slavery Expansion / Black-Native History / Forced Removal
President Andrew Jackson signed the Indian Removal Act.
Why it matters: This is not a Black-specific event, so it should be used carefully. It belongs only if framed around the expansion of slavery, Southern land hunger, and the intertwined histories of Black and Native dispossession.
May 28, 1863 — The 54th Massachusetts Infantry leaves Boston for combat
Category: Civil War / Black Military Service / 54th Massachusetts
The 54th Massachusetts Infantry left Boston for the war front.
Why it matters: This is a major Black military-history entry. The 54th helped prove Black soldiers’ courage while fighting for a nation that still denied them full citizenship.
May 28, 1963 — Jackson Woolworth’s sit-in takes place in Mississippi
Category: Civil Rights / Sit-ins / Mississippi Movement / Direct Action
Civil rights activists, including Anne Moody, participated in a sit-in at a Woolworth’s lunch counter in Jackson, Mississippi. The protest became known for the violence and abuse directed at the demonstrators.
Why it matters: This is a strong Mississippi civil rights entry. It shows how lunch-counter sit-ins continued beyond the early 1960 wave and how everyday acts of sitting down could expose the brutality of segregation.
