Black History Knowledge — October 15

What happened on this day. These are the October 15 moments in Black history worth knowing, remembering, and passing on.

1883 — The Supreme Court struck down the Civil Rights Act of 1875

On October 15, 1883, the Supreme Court decided the consolidated Civil Rights Cases, holding that the Fourteenth Amendment did not authorize Congress to prohibit private racial discrimination in public accommodations. The ruling dismantled a central Reconstruction civil-rights protection and helped clear the legal path for Jim Crow segregation until the twentieth-century civil-rights acts.

1966 — Huey P. Newton and Bobby Seale founded the Black Panther Party in Oakland

On October 15, 1966, college students and political activists Bobby Seale and Huey P. Newton formed the Black Panther Party in Oakland, California. It began as a neighborhood patrol to protect Black Americans from police brutality, and it took its name and symbol from the Lowndes County Freedom Organization in Alabama. Its platform called for freedom, employment, decent housing, education that reflected Black history and dignity, and an end to police killings. The Panthers also ran community survival programs, including free breakfast for schoolchildren, health clinics, legal aid and education programs.

1968 — Wyomia Tyus became the first person to win back-to-back Olympic 100-meter titles

On October 15, 1968, Wyomia Tyus won the Olympic 100 meters in Mexico City in a world-record 11.0 (11.08), defending the title she had won in Tokyo in 1964. Olympedia says she was the first woman to defend the Olympic 100-metre gold, and USA Track and Field says she was the first ever to win back-to-back Olympic golds in the event. Before Tommie Smith and John Carlos made their raised-fist salute, Tyus made her own statement by wearing black shorts instead of the official white team shorts. Team USA’s Hall of Fame lists Tyus, a Tennessee State Tigerbelle, as a member of the Olympic Protest for Human Rights, pairing a historic sprint repeat with a protest at the 1968 Games.

1991 — The Senate confirmed Clarence Thomas to the Supreme Court

On October 15, 1991, the Senate confirmed Clarence Thomas by a 52-48 vote after nationally televised hearings that included Anita Hill’s sexual-harassment allegations. Thomas became the second Black Supreme Court justice. The close vote and hearing process reshaped debates about race, gender, judicial power, and Senate confirmation practices.

Wear the history: Huey P. Newton — from the Black Knowledge Wear collection.