Black History Knowledge — September 10

What happened on this day. These are the September 10 moments in Black history worth knowing, remembering, and passing on.

1962 — The Supreme Court orders Ole Miss to admit James Meredith

On September 10, 1962, Supreme Court Justice Hugo Black ruled that the University of Mississippi must admit Air Force veteran James Meredith. The order set up a constitutional showdown as Governor Ross Barnett vowed that no school in his state would ever integrate.

1963 — Federal force integrates Alabama’s schools

On September 10, 1963, President John F. Kennedy federalized the Alabama National Guard to end Governor George Wallace’s blockade of public schools, and twenty Black students entered previously all-white schools in Birmingham, Mobile, and Tuskegee. Wallace’s stand collapsed, but white terror answered within the week.

1974 — Lou Brock breaks the stolen-base record

On September 10, 1974, St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Lou Brock stole his 105th base of the season, breaking Maury Wills’s modern record. Brock finished the year with 118 steals and retired as baseball’s career stolen-base leader, a title he took from fellow Black pioneer legacy-holders and later passed to Rickey Henderson.

1990 — The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air premieres

On September 10, 1990, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air premiered on NBC, introducing rapper Will Smith to television audiences. The show’s blend of comedy with episodes about police profiling, absent fathers, and class inside Black America made it a generational touchstone.