Black History Knowledge
Black History Knowledge — August 2
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What happened on this day. These are the August 2 moments in Black history worth knowing, remembering, and passing on.
1790 — First United States census begins under the three-fifths system
On August 2, 1790, the United States began its first federal census. Enslaved Black people were counted in a separate category and only three-fifths of their number was used for congressional representation, giving slaveholding states greater political power while denying the people being counted any citizenship or voting rights.
1900 — North Carolina voters approve Black disfranchisement amendment
On August 2, 1900, North Carolina approved a constitutional amendment requiring literacy tests for voter registration while protecting many white voters through a grandfather clause. The measure was designed to strip Black men of the voting rights they had gained during Reconstruction.
1983 — House passes bill creating a federal Martin Luther King Jr. holiday
On August 2, 1983, the U.S. House of Representatives passed legislation establishing a federal holiday honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The 338–90 vote followed years of organizing led by Coretta Scott King, labor unions, civil rights groups, lawmakers, and millions of supporters across the country.
Wear the history: Martin Luther King Jr. — from the Black Knowledge Wear collection.
