Black History Knowledge — July 16

What happened on this day. These are the July 16 moments in Black history worth knowing, remembering, and passing on.

1854 — Elizabeth Jennings Graham challenges streetcar segregation

On July 16, 1854, Elizabeth Jennings Graham, a young Black schoolteacher and church organist, boarded a New York City streetcar and refused to leave because of her race. She was forcibly removed, but her legal fight helped win one of the earliest victories against public transportation segregation in New York.

1866 — Freedmen’s Bureau Act becomes law over President Johnson’s veto

On July 16, 1866, Congress overrode President Andrew Johnson’s veto and renewed the Freedmen’s Bureau. The law extended federal support for formerly enslaved people during Reconstruction, including aid connected to labor contracts, education, courts, family records, and the difficult transition from slavery to freedom.

1964 — Police killing of James Powell sparks Harlem uprising

On July 16, 1964, 15-year-old James Powell was shot and killed by off-duty NYPD Lieutenant Thomas Gilligan in New York City. Powell’s death intensified outrage over police brutality and helped spark protests and unrest in Harlem and Bedford-Stuyvesant just weeks after the Civil Rights Act became law.