Black History Knowledge
Black History Knowledge — July 11
Jul
What happened on this day. These are the July 11 moments in Black history worth knowing, remembering, and passing on.
1905 — Niagara Movement begins first major meeting
On July 11, 1905, Black activists led by W. E. B. Du Bois and William Monroe Trotter began gathering near Niagara Falls for the first major meeting of the Niagara Movement. The organization demanded full civil rights, voting rights, equal education, and an end to racial discrimination, helping lay the groundwork for the NAACP.
1954 — White Citizens’ Council forms in Mississippi
On July 11, 1954, the first White Citizens’ Council was formed in Indianola, Mississippi. Created after the Brown v. Board of Education decision, the group used political pressure, economic punishment, and intimidation to resist school integration and Black civil rights.
1958 — Richard and Mildred Loving are arrested in Virginia
On July 11, 1958, Richard Loving and Mildred Jeter Loving were arrested in their home in Virginia because their interracial marriage violated state law. Their case eventually reached the Supreme Court, leading to Loving v. Virginia, the 1967 decision that struck down bans on interracial marriage.
