Black History Knowledge
Black History Knowledge — July 12
Jul
What happened on this day. These are the July 12 moments in Black history worth knowing, remembering, and passing on.
1949 — Frederick McKinley Jones receives mobile refrigeration patents
On July 12, 1949, Frederick McKinley Jones received important patents connected to mobile refrigeration. His inventions helped make refrigerated trucking possible, changing food transportation, medicine delivery, military logistics, and the modern cold-chain system.
1967 — Newark Rebellion begins
On July 12, 1967, unrest began in Newark, New Jersey, after Black taxi driver John Smith was beaten and arrested by police. The rebellion grew out of years of police brutality, housing inequality, job discrimination, and political neglect. It became one of the major urban uprisings of the 1960s.
1976 — Barbara Jordan delivers historic Democratic National Convention keynote
On July 12, 1976, Congresswoman Barbara Jordan delivered the keynote address at the Democratic National Convention. She became the first Black woman to give a keynote speech at a major party convention, using the national stage to speak about democracy, responsibility, and the Constitution.
