Black History Knowledge — July 29

What happened on this day. These are the July 29 moments in Black history worth knowing, remembering, and passing on.

1895 — First National Conference of Colored Women opens in Boston

On July 29, 1895, the First National Conference of Colored Women opened in Boston, Massachusetts. Organized through the work of Josephine St. Pierre Ruffin and other Black women leaders, the gathering brought together Black women’s clubs from across the country and helped build the national Black women’s club movement.

1910 — Slocum Massacre begins in Texas

Beginning on July 29, 1910, white mobs attacked Black residents in and around Slocum, Texas. The massacre forced many Black families to flee, leaving behind homes, farms, businesses, and community roots.

2008 — U.S. House apologizes for slavery and Jim Crow

On July 29, 2008, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a resolution apologizing for slavery and Jim Crow segregation. The apology was symbolic, but it formally acknowledged the federal government’s role in systems that harmed generations of Black Americans.