Black History Knowledge
Black History Knowledge — August 9
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What happened on this day. These are the August 9 moments in Black history worth knowing, remembering, and passing on.
1936 — Jesse Owens wins his fourth Olympic gold medal
On August 9, 1936, Jesse Owens anchored the United States 4-by-100-meter relay team to a world record and his fourth gold medal at the Berlin Olympics. His achievement made him the Games’ most celebrated athlete and directly challenged Nazi claims of racial superiority.
1965 — Federal voting examiners are ordered into the Deep South
On August 9, 1965, federal officials moved to send voting examiners into selected counties and parishes in Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi under the newly signed Voting Rights Act. The action bypassed local registrars who had long used discriminatory rules to keep Black citizens from voting.
2014 — Michael Brown is killed by a police officer in Ferguson
On August 9, 2014, Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson shot and killed Michael Brown, an unarmed eighteen-year-old Black resident. Brown’s death drew sustained protest and national attention to police violence, racial inequality, and the growing Black Lives Matter movement.
