Black History Knowledge — September 7

What happened on this day. These are the September 7 moments in Black history worth knowing, remembering, and passing on.

1968 — The first Miss Black America pageant is held

On September 7, 1968, the first Miss Black America pageant crowned Saundra Williams in Atlantic City, staged the same night as the Miss America pageant that had never had a Black finalist. Created as a protest and a celebration, the pageant declared Black beauty on its own terms.

1996 — Tupac Shakur is shot in Las Vegas

On September 7, 1996, rapper Tupac Shakur was shot four times in a drive-by attack near the Las Vegas Strip after attending a Mike Tyson fight. One of hip-hop’s most influential voices died of his wounds six days later at twenty-five, a killing that remained unsolved for decades.