Black History Knowledge
Black History Knowledge — July 24
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What happened on this day. These are the July 24 moments in Black history worth knowing, remembering, and passing on.
1916 — Cleveland tunnel disaster begins; Garrett Morgan joins the rescue overnight
On the night of July 24, 1916, an explosion in a Cleveland waterworks tunnel filled the underground space with deadly gas. In the early morning hours of July 25, Black inventor Garrett A. Morgan entered the tunnel with his safety hood and helped rescue trapped workers. The sequence matters: the explosion began on July 24, but Morgan’s rescue work is most commonly dated to July 25.
1917 — Chester, Pennsylvania racial violence begins
On July 24, 1917, a confrontation in Chester, Pennsylvania, helped ignite several days of racial violence. White gangs attacked Black residents and workers, reflecting the backlash Black migrants faced as they moved north for industrial jobs during World War I.
1964 — Rochester Rebellion begins
On July 24, 1964, unrest began in Rochester, New York, after police arrested a young Black man during a block party. The confrontation grew into several days of rebellion rooted in police tension, housing inequality, job discrimination, and frustration over racism in a Northern city.
Wear the history: Garrett Morgan — from the Black Knowledge Wear collection.
