Black History Knowledge — July 30

What happened on this day. These are the July 30 moments in Black history worth knowing, remembering, and passing on.

1866 — New Orleans Massacre attacks Black voting rights

On July 30, 1866, white mobs and police attacked Black marchers and Republican convention supporters outside the Mechanics Institute in New Orleans. The massacre targeted Reconstruction-era efforts to secure Black voting rights and helped expose the violence behind white resistance to citizenship.

1965 — Medicare and Medicaid Act signed into law

On July 30, 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Medicare and Medicaid Act into law. Beyond creating major health insurance programs, Medicare later became a tool for hospital desegregation because hospitals had to comply with civil rights law to receive federal funding.

1967 — Milwaukee uprising begins

On July 30, 1967, unrest began in Milwaukee after years of housing discrimination, police tensions, and racial inequality. The uprising was followed by major open housing marches led by local Black activists and allies, including Father James Groppi and the NAACP Youth Council.