Robert Smalls “My race needs no special defense, for the past history of them in this country proves them to be equal of any people.” Formerly enslaved Civil War hero who commandeered a Confederate ship and later became a U.S. Congressman. Smalls rejects claims of Black inferiority and points to Black history as evidence of […]
Honoring those we lost on July 17 — remembered for what they gave, and for what they left behind. Cudjo Lewis Birth name: Oluale Kossola Born about 1841 — died July 17, 1935 Clotilda survivor, storyteller, Africatown resident, and witness to the last known slave ship to the United States. Lewis was among the Africans […]
What happened on this day. These are the July 17 moments in Black history worth knowing, remembering, and passing on. 1862 — Second Confiscation Act expands the path toward emancipation On July 17, 1862, Congress passed the Second Confiscation Act. The law declared that enslaved people connected to Confederate supporters who came under Union control […]
Born on this day. These are the birthdays we celebrate on July 17 — the people whose lives added to the story of Black history. Diahann Carroll Birth name: Carol Diann Johnson Born July 17, 1935 — died October 4, 2019 Actress, singer, model, Broadway performer, television pioneer, and civil rights-era screen trailblazer. Carroll broke […]
Alain Locke “Art must discover and reveal the beauty which prejudice and caricature have overlaid.” Philosopher known as the “Father of the Harlem Renaissance.” Locke presents Black art as a way to uncover beauty and humanity buried beneath racist stereotypes.
Honoring those we lost on July 16 — remembered for what they gave, and for what they left behind. Bernice Johnson Reagon Birth name: Bernice Johnson Born October 4, 1942 — died July 16, 2024 Singer, composer, scholar, civil rights activist, SNCC Freedom Singer, and founder of Sweet Honey in the Rock. Reagon used music […]
What happened on this day. These are the July 16 moments in Black history worth knowing, remembering, and passing on. 1854 — Elizabeth Jennings Graham challenges streetcar segregation On July 16, 1854, Elizabeth Jennings Graham, a young Black schoolteacher and church organist, boarded a New York City streetcar and refused to leave because of her […]
Born on this day. These are the birthdays we celebrate on July 16 — the people whose lives added to the story of Black history. Ida B. Wells Full name: Ida Bell Wells-Barnett Born July 16, 1862 — died March 25, 1931 Investigative journalist, anti-lynching activist, suffragist, educator, and civil rights pioneer. Wells was born […]
Clara Brown “I am the mother of all the people.” Former enslaved woman who helped build communities in Colorado and reunited families post-slavery. Brown’s words reflect her role as a community mother who offered care, shelter, assistance, and belonging to people in need.
Honoring those we lost on July 15 — remembered for what they gave, and for what they left behind. Gloria Richardson Full name: Gloria St. Clair Hayes Richardson Born May 6, 1922 — died July 15, 2021 Civil rights activist, Cambridge Movement leader, organizer, and Black freedom struggle strategist. Richardson became one of the few […]